Sing to Me

Chapter 27

Delilah laid in the bed, asleep, with no idea of how much time had passed. She rolled over in the bed, trying to readjust herself into a more comfortable position. Once she made herself comfortable again, she fell back into a deep sleep. The bed dipped, but Delilah remained undisturbed.

"Delilah. Delilah, mi amor. Mami, wake up." Her ankle was being shook and she responded by groaning and pulling her foot up to her body.

"Delilah, mami, wake up. Me and Ramon are done talking. You've been asleep for 4 hours."

"Go talk some more." She mumbled. A deep chuckle hit her ears and the bed sprung back into place. Soon, she was being lifted up and placed on her feet.

"No, mami, no more talk and no more sleep. Time to wake up. Arriba."

"No, Valentin. Let me finish my nap." Delilah whined, going limp in his arms.

"Your nap was 4 hours long. Your nap's finished." Valentin chuckled, trying to stand her up.

"Why are you torturing me? I'm carrying your baby and this is how you repay me?" She squinted her eyes up at him.

"If I let you sleep any longer, you're going to be up all night and I'm not dealing with you all night."

"And, I thought you liked staying up with me all night." She smiled up at him, coyly.

Valentin chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You're already carrying a baby. One at a time, mami."

Delilah stood to her feet and fixed her dress. "Where's Ramon?"

"I took him back home."

"Did Blanca say anything?"

"She wasn't there. Her mother said she was spending time with a new man. She said Blanca had just called and said she would be back home tomorrow."

"What did y'all talk about?" She asked.

"Everything. He told me how school was, what happened while I was locked up, meeting you, how he felt about being a big brother. I told him what happened before I got arrested, what I did in jail, meeting you, and how we got to this point. He really likes you. He asked when we were getting married."

Delilah laughed. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him we're more focused on the baby, and that once the baby's here, we'll talk more about marriage." He smiled. He walked into the living room and laid across the couch with his feet up on the arm rest. Delilah turned on the radio and let the smooth melody  fill the room. Valentin grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap, allowing her to recline on him. In one hand, he intertwined their fingers together. He used his other hand to stroke his lover's growing belly.

"What do you think the baby is going to be?" He asked.

"Cute." Delilah smiled. Valentin chuckled and kissed her head.

"Do you think the baby is a girl or a boy?"

"A girl. What do you think the baby is?"

"A boy."

"Why? You don't think you're due for a girl?"

"I think another boy would be nice, but I'd be just as happy with a girl."

They were silent for a moment before Delilah asked a question.

"Did you ever imagine us at this point? Together with a baby on the way?" Delilah looked up at him. Valentin was silent before he stood up and retreated to the back of the apartment. Delilah sat there, confused, and waited for Valentin to come back. When he reappeared, he had a small red book in his hand. He returned back to his seat and flipped through the book. Once he found the page he was looking for, he placed it into Delilah's hands. She looked at the page, nodding as if she understood what she was reading.

"You know I don't know Spanish. What is this?"

"This is a journal I kept while I was locked up. That's what I wrote the day you came to visit. I wrote an entry before you came and after you left."

"Can you read it for me?" She asked, handing him the journal.

"Of course, mi amor. 

Entry #2063

I don't know what to expect today. Today is the day I meet Delilah. After writing back and forth for this long, I'm nervous as to how today will go. Will she be pleased to see me? Will she leave the moment she sees the jailhouse? I wish I could shave and cut my hair. Maybe that would lessen the blow. If I looked well maintained, then maybe she could overlook the fact that I'm a convict. From her letters, I can tell she's a sweet girl. Loving, compassionate, intelligent, and funny. I feel so at ease when I read her letters and write her back. Whenever I talked to Blanca, I could feel stress tightening its grip on me and build up in my head. She was never happy with me. From the beginning of our relationship, she always tried to change something about me. My hair, my clothes, my friends, the way I talked, the way I walked. She was never pleased with me. With Delilah, everything comes easy. She's not judgmental. She accepts me as I am. Or, I hope so. 

Entry #2064

God embodied all of the beauty in the world in one woman. Delilah was made in His vision. Nothing could have prepared me for such a magnificent woman. She's beautiful, inside and outside. Her skin is smooth chocolate, her eyes are bright and as rich as her skin, her smile is my own blessing. She looked gorgeous in her yellow dress. Ebony hair fell gently on her shoulders and framed her face like a piece of art. Her voice graced my ears and soothed a long-burning fire in my soul. At first, she looked apprehensive, but she relaxed and stared right into my being. I can only imagine how she looked naked and laying under me in-

"What?!" Delilah exclaimed, turning to look at Valentin.

"I was a man who hadn't seen a woman in months! My imagination kept me company. My imagination and your face."

"You're a pig!"

"I'm your pig. Oink." He winked at her.

"I hope we have a girl. I can't deal with another you."