"Mama, say Mama," Tanya kept coaxing EJ, but he would not say it, instead he offered her the piece of toast he was nibbling on.
"Come on EJ, say Mama,"
Eric walked into the room and shook his head. EJ was only seven months old yet Tanya had been trying for the longest time to get EJ to say Mama. "You ok?" He asked as he reached for a cup and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Tanya looked up. "Yes why? Oh want me to fix you a plate?"
He thought that she was over doing this super woman thing." No, relax I can fix my own plate."
He joined her and EJ at the breakfast nook. "You tossed and turned again all night. Are you still having those dreams about St Bart ? You know that you can talk to me if something is bothering you."
She looked at him. 'Should I tell him what is bothering me?'
Just then Ericka ran into the room. EJ stiffened his legs and arms and screamed excitedly at seeing his sister.
Ericka kissed and hugged EJ. She poked him in the stomach and he just laughed and laughed.
"I never get that kind of greeting." Eric said.
Tanya smiled. "Neither do I." She put some scrambled eggs and a piece of toast on a plate for Ericka.
Ericka looked at the plate and pushed it away from her. "I dont want that."
Eric got up and headed over to the stove and poured her some cornmeal porridge in a bowl. "Here eat."
Ericka pushed that away as well. She was irritating both her parents.
"What do you want Ericka?" Tanya asked.
She looked at her father who was looking back at her with a grim expression. She pointed to the box of cereal.
"You cant have cereal for dinner and breakfast. you had that last night." Tanya said.
"Dont argue with her. If you are not finish eating in ten minutes, I am leaving you and that means no school today." Eric calmly told the pouting Ericka.
Ericka busted out crying. "You are a meanie Daddy. I want to go to school."
"Then eat." Eric said looking at his Rolex watch. Tanya gave him the watch as a peace offering after she shot him. She knew that he was not a watch person but wanted to gift him the watch for formal occasions. He wore it everyday. Was it a reminder to him to be a good boy? She wondered.
She looked at him under her lashes . 'I wonder why he never takes it off?'
Ericka quickly wiped the tears from her face and quickly reached for her porridge and started to eat.
"Dont hurry, I will wait for you to finish eating," Eric told Ericka.
Tanya looked at her husband and she smiled at him. It never cease to amaze her how he calmly handles Ericka, everytime.
Eric looked at his wife. He thought that she looked tired. Being super woman was hard work. Running a multimillion dollar operation while being a mother to two small children and a wife to him was taking a toll on her.
"Hey, datenight tonight?"
Tanya smiled knowing what that meant. She looked forward to that time with her husband where he totally doted over her. It was always about her needs. "Yes I am looking forward to it." she said.
"Anything special you want to do?" He winked at her.
Again she smiled. "Yea I have a few things in mind, but we dont have to leave home for what I have in mind. I better get EJ ready to leave."
Eric rest his hand on hers. "You know that you dont have to take EJ with you to work everyday? Right?"
"I know. It's just until I wean him off the breast. "
Eric knew better. It was her way of making up for ignoring EJ his first couple months of life.
*************
Eric walked into the bedroom carrying Tanya with only a towel wrapped around him. He gently lay her dowm on the bed and started to dry her off. They had just taken a shower together where he gave her a mind blowing orgasm ... more than one to be exact. He pushed his hand with the towel up her crotch. "Legs apart." he said in his dominant voice.
Tanya grabbed the towel. "I can do that."
"After what we just did, now you are acting all shy with me?" Eric teased.
"You are insatiable. You are going to get me pregnant again if we continue like this."
"Didn't that doctor of yours said that you would be ok since you are still breastfeeding and producing milk?" he asked.
"Yes and so far so good, but maybe we should start being careful if we dont want another baby now.
"Do you want another baby now?" he asked.
"Not now, no but later on down the road, yes."
He pulled out her drawer. "What is it tonight, tee shirt, sexy nightgown or nothing at all?" he asked.
"Come here, just lie with me like this for a moment."
Eric smiled and jumped into bed with Tanya as naked as he was born. They lay together spooning each other. He pulled her in close and just held her. He felt his dick twitched and began to grow and pushing up against her ass. "You sure about this? You were just saying that you didn't want to get pregnant. I dont think this is helping."
Tanya reached over and pat him on the ass. "I love this. I love you holding me like this."
"Talk to me, what is bothering you Babe? Those dreams, I am concern."
"Am I enough for you Eric? And be honest."
He eased up on his elbow and pulled her face over so he could see her eyes. She was always asking him that question, from way before they were married.
"We have been through hell fire to be together. How could you still have doubt about what you are to me? I am nothing without you Babe. "You are the wind beneath my wings." You are more than enough for me. You are all I want." He assured her.
"I love you so much."
"And I love you. Dont ever doubt that."
"I know that is not what is bothering you though. Talk to me."
"No it is not, but everything is so perfect with us now, I am just afraid that it's a dream and I am going to wake up and things will be the way they were before..." she cried.
"You are crying. Why Tanya? What is going on?"
"How do I know that this is not a dream? I had the most wonderful time with my father, we talked, we took walks together. He was alive Eric, and then I woke up."
"Fuck. This about St. Bart?"
Tanya nodded.
Eric sat up and rest his back against the headboard. He pulled her into his lap and pulled the cover over them. He kissed the top of her head. "Talk to me Babe, what really happen to you on St. Bart?"
"He was there Eric as real as you are here with me. At first it felt like Luke's mother was helping me to get away, but it wasn't her. It was him. He got me out of that house and he stayed with me until help came. I know it was not a dream, but how else can I explain it? Maybe I am crazy."
"You said that you talked and took walks together, how?"
"Yes, we were in this beautiful garden with all kinds of flowers, beautiful lilies. We talked about lots of things, you, the kids. And he is not mad at you Eric. I wanted to stay with him but he told me that I needed to get back to you and the kids ... that you needed me."
"That was probably when you were in a coma. I thought I was going to lose you. I was devastated. That I believe could be a dream but the part where he got you out of the house sounds very real to me. Someone helped you out of that house and away from those crazy bitches." He got so mad everytime he remember what his mother did.
Tanya quickly raised her head and looked up at Eric. "You dont think its crazy talk?"
Eric began to recall that awful night. "No, I dont. A lot happened that night that defied reality as we know it. EJ was not breathing. Luke wanted to work on him but then I noticed that you were bleeding out. I had to choose between you and EJ. I chose you. Then those people walked in from no where. Eric wiped the tear that fell from his eyes. They were both in tears.
'So EJ did die, my poor baby.'
"You are not crazy. I believe you. He was there. Someone was there. I am sure that was him. "
"What?!"
"There was a man there, he wore a dark hoodie, pulled over his head. I never saw his face but he seemed familiar the way he carried himself. He brought in the medical equipment and supplies, that actually saved your life and right after he came in, then those other people came in...still dont know who they were. You were bleeding out. They arrived just in time."
"They were not from this world. Angels or aliens?" Tanya said.
"Had to be. I cant find any clue that they were ever there, except that you and EJ are alive. Without them neither one of you would have made it."
Eric smiled and shook his head. "One them was in your room while you were in intensive care. I talked to him. He called me by my first name as if he knew me, get some rest Eric, he told me. Later I asked the nurse for your doctor, she showed me a completely different person. She had no clue who I was describing. Yea some wild shit went down that night."
Tanya suddenly felt like a load was lifted from her. 'I am not crazy.' "Daddy wore a dark hoodie. That must have been him. Eric he was real. I touched him. He hugged me and begged me to fight for my life and the baby's life."
"Holy Fuck," Eric said.
"Did you talk to him? Daddy I mean."
Eric tried to recall. "I cant remember now. I recalled that he was dressed different from everyone in the house. We all were wearing camaflauge gears, compliment of Linden. He was ready for war. But this guy wore a hoodie.
I remember wondering who he was out of caution, but then I think he said that he had medical supplies and asked where to put them. So I figure that he was one of the team. When I asked Linden later about him. Linden had no clue who he could be."
"So no Babe you are not crazy. If you are then we all are, all of us that was present that night."
"I am so fucking sorry for what my mother did to you."
Tanya lay her head down on his chest. They were both quiet for a while after that talk. He thought that she was asleep, but then she raised her head and looked up at him.
"This is real, right? Me and you cuddled up together. I am so afraid that I am dreaming again."
"Turn over on your belly and I will show you how real it is."
Tanya felt him and busted out laughing. He was so hard. "Yea this has to be real." she said as she rolled over on her belly. Tanya fell asleep after they made love, but Eric could not find sleep. He thought of all Tanya told him about her father.
He knew the next talk would be about his mother and aunt. He wondered when that question would come and he dreaded it. He loved Tanya to death but that was a subject that was off limit for discussion except for the people who were involved... Him, Lloyd, Luke , Linden, Rick.
He kissed her on the forehead. "You are my hero and everything I would like to be. You are the wind beneath my wing." He whispered sang to her.
*************
Wind Beneath my wings : by song writers Jeff Silbar and Larry Henley. There are many versions of this song out there , but it's the words that get me everytime. Decicated to all those who help others to soar, even if those people dont give you credit or dont believe that YOU are the WIND beneath their wings.
"It must have been cold there in my shadow
To never have sunlight on your face
You were content to let me shine, that's your way
You always walked a step behind
So I was the one with all the glory
While you were the one with all the strength
A beautiful face without a name for so long
A beautiful smile to hide the pain
Did you ever know that you're my hero
And everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
It might have appeared to go unnoticed But I've got it all here in my heart
I want you to know, I know the truth, of course I know it
I would be nothing without you
Did you ever know that you're my hero?
You're everything I wish I could be
I could fly higher than an eagle
For you are the wind beneath my wings
'Cause you are the wind beneath my wings"