The Finale (Lelani and Mario)

I saw his face, clear as day as we stood face to face. His blue eyes peered into my brown eyes as a glow surrounded us. “You’re okay,” I said as I reached for him. His embrace felt warm.

I stepped back, “I know I wasn’t the perfect wife but why didn’t you ever tell me about your crazy side-chick?"

He shook his head in shame, “That should have ended years ago. It was stupid. I tried hard to end it once I saw that you truly loved me.”

“It’s over now. She’ll go to jail for what she did us.”

He touched my hair, “She won’t bother you ever again,” he assured me before looking over his shoulder, “I have to leave soon.”

“Wait, what do you mean? You can’t leave me—”

“Shh, shhh, I’m leaving you in excellent hands. Everything is okay. You belong with Mario. He'll take great care of you.”

He wrapped his arms around my collapsing body and held me steady, “I promise you everything will be okay.” He stepped back and touched my nose, “I’ll see you again in another life.”

I watched him walk away into the light. My eyes popped open. My eyes darted around the room. I saw the faces of people wearing scrubs, “Mrs. Harris, how do you feel?”

I had questions flying at me one after, finally I heard my mother’s voice, “Lelani, my god, you’re awake.”

The doctor hovered over me, “Mrs. Harris, you’re in a hospital in Miami. You’ve been here for two days.”

I touched my belly. It was still full. My eyes watered. I remembered the accident and everything else. My head started to ring with the idea that my husband was no longer.

“Your baby is fine. You’ll be on bed rest for a few more days before we can let you go, I’ll let your parents speak with you.”

He left. My mother and father stood on my right side, “I told you marrying this older man was a bad—”

My mother elbowed my father sharply in the ribs, “This is not the time for that.”

He cleared his throat, “Right, sorry, we’re happy you and the baby are okay. Sorry about Richard. Mario is outside, you wanna see him?”

I nodded. My dad left the room and returned with Mario. When he hugged me, I felt a huge release. I sobbed into his chest. He rubbed the top of my head and spoke to me in Spanish, “I know, I know, I got you, don’t worry.”

*****

May 28, 2022. A lot had changed since that trip to the Florida keys. I lost my husband. I had laid him to rest. It was hard for his family to grasp what happened. Richard had left me a substantial amount of money, businesses, and properties.

I had talked with Bill. I signed my rights to the six marina’s over to him. I did not know that business. Since Bill was already managing the ones in Boston, I knew he would do great with the others.

As I sat in the living room where Richard and I once shared many conversations holding his brand-new granddaughter Skyler Anise Harris, I was finally settling into my new reality.

I had sold our house to Bill and Jade. They moved to Florida after the incident. Jade and I wanted our children to grow up together. “She’s so precious,” I said as I strummed the beautiful waves of hair on her head.

Mario sat next to me looking at the baby, “Hola mamita, soon your little cousin will be here.”

Skyler’s little fists moved frantically as she brought them to her mouth, “Looks like she’s hungry.”

Bill walked over and took the baby into his arms kissing her sweetly before handing her to Jade, “Her you go honey.”

As Jade fed their baby with a cover shielding the view of her plump breasts and the baby feeding, we talked. Mario commented, “The doctor doesn’t think we’ll make it to June 22nd.”

I rubbed my belly. Little Mario was restless inside of me.

After spending a few hours with Jade and Bill, we headed to our home. The house Mario had purchased and moved into months ago. It was finally our home. Mario had gone to the bathroom to run us a warm bath. He called for me to join him.

The room smelled like lavender and verbena as the candles burned. Mario sat under the bubbles, “Come mi amor,” he said sweetly.

I removed my clothes and joined him. I sat with my back against his chest. He kissed my shoulders. His hands caressed my breasts. “You haven’t answered my question,” he said as his hand drifted down.

Two weeks ago Mario asked me when we could get married. It didn’t have to be right away but he wanted to know a date, “How does the spring of 2023 sound?”

“I’ll take it.” His finger traveled to my pulsating clit. “It’s been over six weeks you think we can try?”

I turned my head left, and our lips touched. Lord knows I wanted to. We both did. For weeks after the accident, our lives were in turmoil, then we finally found some peace but we were restricted from exploring. Well, penetration was off limits we had engaged in other methods of sexual gratification.

His finger made tiny circles on my clit until I let out a sweet groan and held his hand. “I want to sit on it papi,” I informed him he helped me lift my hips and for the first time since my wedding day, he penetrated my wet center savoring the warmth of me. I could only imagine it felt like home to him because that’s what it felt like for me.

With our mouths opened slightly we looked at each other realizing that that moment would be the first of many more to come. I balanced myself slightly so I could feel his dick as he thrust slowly, “Te gusta?” he asked as if he already knew the answer.

It wasn’t long before we left the tub, our bodies dripped as we stood beside it as I bent over bracing myself as Mario stroked my kitty slowly. He was careful with me. Although I would have preferred his usual pounding, I appreciated the softer side of his lovemaking.

“Ay papi, si, si,” I moaned repeatedly.

He stood me up straight and rubbed my belly as he unloaded.

***********

On Sunday, June 5th at approximately 2:00 pm my brother Noa called me, “Sis, it’s happening, Chantel is in labor. We’re headed to the hospital.”

There was so much commotion from Chantel groaning from her contractions to both my mother and her mother attempting to be helpful and my poor brother caught in the center of trying to keep everything calm. “Okay Noa, call me later.”

“All right, later.” The call ended.

It was almost 7:00 pm when I received a picture of my nephew. His pretty light brown skin, button nose, and dark wavy hair wrapped up in a blue blanket. My brother called crying. He was so overjoyed about the birth of his son.

Mother and child were doing well. All he had to do was survive the two-week stay of the parents while getting used to a newborn. I assured him it would be as painful as he imagined.

He laughed. We spoke for a while before my mother got on the phone. I made her promise to fall back and let Chantel’s mom take lead because she would be at our house with Mario’s mother in a few weeks.

After the phone calls and expressing all my joy for the new addition to our family tree, I settled down in my bedroom with Mario.

He snuggled close to me rubbing my belly, “Can’t wait to see our son.”

I touched his hand. When I met him that day on the interstate, I never thought we’d end up lovers, friends, and parents to the same child. He kissed my shoulder, “The doctor said we should make love every night so your delivery will be easier.”

I chuckled, “Is that so?”

He was already naked under the sheets poking my bottom with his huge dick. “I mean, you were there when she said it.” He lifted my cheek and slid in pausing allowing my walls to tighten and squeeze.

“I love that you love fucking as much as I do.”

“You think you’ll be able to keep up with me as we get older?”

“Shit, yeah, girl.”

Every stroke was slow and deep as we talked shit to each other as she fucked the minutes away until he left me wet and messy; we panted.

*****

On Friday, June 17th as Mario and I walked around our neighborhood enjoying the evening breeze, my water broke. I stood in a puddle and he was frantic. Finally, I said, “Babe, relax. You got this. Hurry back to the house, grab the bag and meet me here.”

There was no way I was waddling back to the house. He could move faster than me. So he hurried and returned within minutes and we made it to the hospital. One would think with all the fucking we did to make the delivery easier that kid would have shot out of me. However, he took his sweet time.

Eight hours of labor, I braved it. No epidural. I made a mental note that I would not be making that choice for our future kids. When the head crowned it felt like I was being split and then the shoulders, I breathed a sigh of relief. The rest of him shot out. He was alive, six pounds and seven ounces. He had the brightest brown eyes. I held him in my arms as Mario took pictures and recorded.

He was so happy meeting his son, “I wanna hold him,” he stated and waited for the nurse to pass the baby to him. He spoke Spanish to him lovingly. This was our family.

I smiled as I looked at the two men in my life. Everything I had been through brought me to that moment. A friend, a lover, a mother. I was filled with joy. I closed my eyes for a moment remembering Richard’s words, “Mario will take great care of you both.”

He was right. Richard was always thinking about me. I loved him with my soul. Many felt like it was a father complex but it was more than that. That man awakened a softer side of me that showed me that good men did exist and that love was selfish. It was looking out for the best interest of those you cared for.

He also taught me that love wasn’t perfection. He had married me knowing that I was unfaithful to him with Mario. He understood my turmoil of being torn between two men that I loved.

And even though he was unfaithful to me, I wasn’t mad. Because in the end, he still wanted what was best for me.

My eyes opened. My heart was full. I knew at that moment that no other man would ever come close to my heart because the half that once belonged to Richard had been relinquished to Mario. Mario had my whole heart. I was his and he was mine. I saw a life with him. I could have more of his babies. I wanted to.

Mario handed the baby to the nurse and later touched my hair, “You did great babe.”

“Thanks, babe, can’t wait to work on baby number two.”

He chuckled, “Girl don’t play.”

“I don’t mean right now. After Mario turns one.”

“Okay,” he aside before kissing my mouth, “Or before,” he chuckled, “You know shit just be happening and I ain’t pulling out.”

“I love you, Mario.”

“I love you too.”