Baby, I Think I Love You

I was sitting on the front porch, watching the sun set for the fifth time that week. I don’t know why I had been going out to watch it lately, but I was glad I had.

Some things in nature are just so beautiful. It seems like a shame that some people go through life without stopping to smell the flowers even once. We’re all wrapped up in our own little dramas to think, Maybe I’ll go visit the nice lady across the street and see how she’s doing, or Hey, I should go tell my lover how much he means to me. I don’t know, so many things seemed like wastes lately.

But I knew something that I would never doubt—and it was in my arms. My baby girl looked up at me, smiling and throwing garbled speech up at me like there was no tomorrow. I had no clue what she was saying, so I told her, “It’s a quarter past five.”

So I may not be a natural at this mother bit. But you know what? I’m okay with that. I had Edwin to help me stand up when I’d just given up, or just hold me close when it felt like the world was crashing down on me. Lately my emotions had been going crazy, so I’m sure I’d been putting that man through Hell.

But he never once complained. Whenever I yelled at him, he’d just pull me to him and kiss me suddenly, telling me that he loved me. If that isn’t love I don’t want to know what it is. I think I made the right choice to be with him.

“Sweetie, what are you doing out here all alone?” Edwin murmured softly, sitting down beside me. He took our little Penelope out of my arms and held her gently, smiling at her.

“I just wanted to see the sunset. Are Avery and Monique upstairs?” I asked quietly, resting my head on Edwin’s shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me.

“Yeah. Jade,” he sighed, reaching into my pocket. I groaned when he pulled out a sheet of paper. “He still won’t leave you alone? Goddamn it, he keeps fucking calling—and now he’s writing letters?”

“Eddie, it’s okay. I’m not going back to him, alright?” I whispered, kissing him softly. He bit his lip.

“But why can’t he just leave us alone?” he muttered, standing up and going inside. I followed him into the house.

“Eddie, he’s a pompous idiot, okay? He’s always been so into himself. I bet the girl left him, so I’m his second choice. I love you, honey, and I promise I’m not going anywhere.”

He put Penelope in her crib, sighing and pulling me into his arms quickly. He glanced at my hand and smiled.

“I can’t even think about murdering him when I see that ring on your finger,” he told me smiling. I made a face.

“I don’t know whether to be flattered or send you to a psychologist!” I teased, looking at our angel. “Does she get to be baptized?”

“You’re the woman; you tell me,” he joked, smiling.

“Aww, I love you, too!” I shrieked, throwing my arms around his neck. “Let’s see who she likes best when she gets older, hmm?”

“Oh, you’re going to turn this into a contest, aren’t you?”

I grinned.

“I’ll be sure to give her the ‘All men are horny bastards’ speech, and then I’ll call you and to show exhibit A!”

He smirked, pulling out of my embrace and seizing both of my hands in his.

“Then I suppose we’ll just have to make another boy. I’ll give him the ‘Women are sexy and get whatever they want’ speech. Oh, by the way, Quinn told me that Avery and Natasha are really close now ever since they spent Saturday together. So you might get to be Quinn’s sister-in-law.” He smirked, kissing my nose.

“Oh, boy!” I shrieked, smiling. “Honey, do you promise you’ll always be here? You won’t ever do what Jasper did, will you?”

Edwin shook his head, pulling me to him again.

“You’re my world, Jade. I may be an idiot, but I’m not making any more screw-ups. We have an eternity to love each other.”

“That’s not a long enough time to love you,” I murmured sheepishly.

“I know that. I swear you have haven’t changed a bit since I met you at Starbucks, but you’ve made me a much better man... Forever, baby?”

I smiled, holding him tightly.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

~Fin.