Red Dress

Chapter 42

Oliver

I felt her warm hands brush my hair.
I hummed in response.
I shifted with my eyes still closed. I felt her hands brush against my boxers.
"Good morning Mr Lagnar." Arden said.
"My breath stinks, leave me alone." I mumbled.
"Say no one more time I dare you." She said sweetly. Before I could react she had her hand wrapped around me.
"Say no..." She kissed my neck. I didn't want to.
"That's what I thoug-.." I swiftly got up and got on top of her.
She kissed me.
"I literally just told you my breath stinks."
"I'm well aware. Coffee breath."
She kissed me again. I placed both my hands on her waist.
She wrapped her legs around me and then pulled me closer.
"Somebody seems to be excited." She giggled.
I kissed her neck before we kissed again. I slowly began to remove her robe.
"MOMMY...DADDY. You promised to take us to the mall for Christmas  shopping." Our 7 year old daughter Justitia shouted on the other side of the door.
"We did promise them." I said sitting up. Arden sat up.
"Alright..we'll finish this later."

We got out the car. Justitia ran out. She looks alot like Arden. I opend the passenger door and took out the baby carrier and placed our youngest son Teo. The twins jumped out and began pushing the cart.  Kai and Jupiter our 5 year olds.
"Ill take the desert and fruits and you'll take the meat and whatever is left." She then picked up the twins and placed them both in the cart.
"Sure...pass the medicine aisle and get stuff for Kai's ear infection." I said.
"Okay then...the ladies are off." Arden strided into the store.
"Okay boys were on a mission of our own." I said walking to the vegetable aisle. I walked around for abit taking things for dinner. My parents were going to stay with us for a while after Christmas. It was the first Christmas Arden was spending at home. Alot changed after what happened at the farm. Arden and I signed papers and that was our wedding. We spent time traveling and finally stopped to start a family. We built the home first and a studio. A couple of years later I'm an art professor and she's still the powerful business mogul. Sometimes I forget how popular she is.
"Oliver-" I turned my head. Kyle's mother. They looked so alike.
"Sarah..what are you doing here?"
"I'm on holiday. Wow your all grown up..glasses and all that hair."
"Yeah..time waits  for no one." I laughed awkwardly.
"How have you been?" She said looking at my children.
"Good..um these are my boys Kai and Jupiter and this little one is Teo."
She began waving at them. They both waved back shyly.
"Well it's wild meeting you here. A few months ago I found something Kyle wrote for you."
"Oh..I."
"Ill mail it to you. You seem busy."
"Sarah...I don't really know what to say."
"Nothing. It took me years before I could actually see what the world was like for him. It's just seeing you here. So grown up. I'd like to think that he would be the same."
"Kyle hated children."
"So did you. You both tortured our poor neighbors child with water balloons." I smiled. Remembering how it was always Kyle's idea.
"Anyway it was honestly so lovely to see you."
"We have this Christmas dinner thing going on. We'd love to have you."
She smiled.
"Thank you. I'll be there."

I looked at the letter Kyle's mother sent to me. I placed it down. Arden and I never get mail. So when I saw the letter I knew it was Kyle's. "You don't have to read it now. If your not comfortable with it." I watched Arden walk around our bed room trying to get herself ready for the dinner party we were about to host.
"Maybe you should read it to me later after."
"I will as long as you put on a smile. Show me your teeth." She said grabbing my face and kissing me.

The party went on for hours. My extended family and hers were a bad idea. I watched as Arden played with the children.
I spend most of my time with Sam.
After a while people began to leave.
People began going home and I stayed seated. Until Justitia asked  me to take her to bed.
I pulled her blanket up.
"You good."
"Yeah." She sighed turning over.
I closed her door.
I walked into the twins room and they were sprawled across one bed fast asleep.
I picked Jupiter up and placed him in his bed. I cleaned up their toys before closing their door.
I walked back down stairs to find everyone had gone. Arden was in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine.
"It's like 1 in the morning." I groaned.
"I haven't had one drink. Not even a sip." She filled her glass.
We both sat outside in the patio.
Arden sat on top of me.
"You don't mind my fat ass do you."
I chuckled.
"No ma'am."
"When are you going to talk to your mother." I said. Hoping she wouldn't change the topic.
"Oliver we talked about this i...I don't want to see her."
I held her tighter.
"We didn't go to the funeral and I understand why, but you and I AND THE children are going to see her."
"Plus she is all alone in that house. I hate it when your right." She handed me the letter.
"Now it's your turn."
"Now."
"Everyone's asleep." I handed the letter back to her.
"You do it." I said.
She opened the letter.
"There's not a lot written in here."
I stayed silent.
She began to read and as she was reading my mind drifted. What would have happened had I gone thru with it. I wouldn't be sitting here with her. While she reads a  note of an old friend. Someone who had gone thru with it.
I wouldn't have met her at the bar. She wouldn't have kissed me.
We wouldn't have children.
She wouldn't be happy. Like she is right now like I am right now.
"I'm glad I dropped that ugly drawing that day."
"I'm glad I picked it up." She said. Her hand placed on my chest.
"Hey Oliver I need you to always remember that I love you." I kissed her cheek.
"I love you too."