My cheeks actually hurt from how wide I've been smiling. I pulled my yellow bug into the driveway and threw my car into park. I glanced around my house and for the first time, it was a home. There were no longer over grown grass or twigs scattered all around. The outside was now warm and inviting with flowers that Roni had planted. The porch wasn't filled with cobwebs and the windows were crystal clear. This was a happy home now.
I climbed out of my car and jogged to the front door. The moment I stepped inside, my heart swelled with so much love. Henry was helping Max read a book while Roni was French braiding Drew's hair.
"Mommy look!" Drew exclaimed as she cautiously ran her fingers against the back of her braid. "So much better than your ponytails!" A small chuckle escaped as I nodded in agreement. I was never good at doing her hair and she always had something to say about it.
Roni kissed the top of Drew's head and patted her bottom, silently instructing her to stand. Drew jumped up and ran over to her brothers. Roni sashayed her way over to where my feet were firmly rooted.
"So...." Roni inquires while sliding her arms around my neck.
"I got it," I whispered.
"You got it?" She breathlessly replies while holding my gaze.
"I did."
"You did!" She exclaims with the biggest grin I've ever seen. Her big brown eyes sparkle with not only love but pride. She yanks my face to hers and kisses me with determination. I can't stop the giggle that slips from my mouth and into hers. "Emma I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it! This is going to change so much for us." I nod like an idiot and connect our lips one last time.
"This is all because of you," I praise.
"Come on," Roni drags me over to the couch and pushes me down. I chuckle as she sits down next to me. She tucks her feet beneath her while resting her knees on my thighs. She places her elbow on the back of the couch and leans on her hand. "Tell me all about it."
"Well Greg went in before I did. He was shooting me nasty looks the whole time but I didn't care. He's an asshole." Roni purses her lips as her eyes drift toward our kids, a silent scolding for my language. "Sorry. Anyways, when I went in there, I explained that I used to work for Greg and that I decided to open my own business since I was already doing everything for him anyways. So then I low balled the account, it'll be me and Ruby working so I don't have to factor in paying a bunch of people. Are you ready for this next part?"
"Yes, of course," she beams while her eyes dance with anticipation.
"My hot wife gets full reign on the design."
"Seriously?"
"Yes seriously! This is all because of you! I showed Mr. Gold some of your designs and he loved them." Roni squeals as she grips the back of my neck and pulls me into a steamy kiss. I run my hand up her bare thigh and squeeze just below the bottom of her jean shorts. I slowly pull away and smile from ear to ear. "We start next week."
"Emma do you realize if Mr. Gold actually likes our work, what this could mean for you? Renovating a motel could really put you on the map."
"Us. Put us on the map," I correct Roni causing her face to break out into a huge grin. "I love you Roni and you made all of this happen. I could never thank you enough." I cup her cheek and slide my thumb across her flesh. She leans into my affection and lightly kisses my palm.
"That's what wives are for."
I lean forward and connect our foreheads. I close my eyes and try to memorize how incredible this moment feels because I'm not sure how much longer Miss Mills will be Roni for.
"We are going out to a nice restaurant for a family dinner to celebrate," I inform the brunette still with our heads connected. I'm not ready yet to pull away. "Ruby is coming too."
"She better be! She's family and now our business partner." I smirk and nod along. I slowly pull back and place a kiss to her forehead. "Lets get the kids ready."
Roni picked out the cutest outfits for our children to wear. Drew had on an adorable summer dress while the boys were dressed in nice khakis and button down shirts. I don't think my kids have ever looked this clean before.
"Now sit on the couch and watch tv. Do not move a muscle. Do you three understand me?" Roni instructed in her most stern voice inflicting fear upon my children. All three nodded with wide eyes and sat perfectly still on the couch.
I took the stairs two at a time so I could quickly freshen up before my children grew antsy. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I blindly reach for the towel on the rack to dry off my face but I can't seem to find the towel. I peek through one eye to discover the towel is missing. I crouch down under the sink and pull a fresh towel out.
"Does this jean jacket look-" Roni begins as I'm wiping my face dry.
She stops mid sentence causing me to swivel on my toes to face her. I peer up at the brunette to find Roni standing in the doorway gawking at a silk pair of underwear, bewildered. She's too quiet and that alone makes my stomach turn and my skin crawl. I gulp down the thick lump that's forming in the back of my throat and cutting off my oxygen supply. I can't seem to find the strength to stand up and face her.
"Who's R.M?" Her voice is barely a whisper as she stares down at the purple material.
"What?" I croak out because I have no words. I'm terrified to my very core right now that this is it. All her memories are going to come flooding back and we will be done. She's going to leave me and my kids and never speak to us again. I can already taste the bitter acid creeping up the back of my throat.
"Who's R.M? Why did I just find a pair of silk underwear in your jean jacket?" She's finding her voice again. I can already hear the firm, bitchy tone of Miss Mills seeping through her words.
"Why are you wearing my jean jacket?"
"Why are you not answering my questions Emma?"
She takes a step forward and bends down to shake the underwear in my face as I try to take a step back but the damn vanity is blocking me. I slowly stand and grip the counter from behind. My palms are already slick with sweat from my fear. Why didn't I get rid of her underwear? I completely forgot about them the day I picked her up from the hospital. She came storming out of the door with a nurse and I shoved her underwear into my pocket without a second thought.
"Answer me!"
"That's...that's nothing."
"Nothing? Nothing? I give you the best years of my life, raise our children, cook you dinner, clean our house and you say this is nothing?" She shoves the panties in my face again as I slip out from between her and the bathroom sink.
"You're making a big deal out of nothing. It's not what you think!"
"There's that word again, nothing! Well if this means nothing, then why did you do it? This little Miss Nothing, is the number one reason for divorce!" She snaps at me as she chases me to our bedroom.
"Divorce? What are you saying?" I can't stand to look at her right now because I'm panicking and I don't know what to do or say to stop this downward spiral. Either I let her believe I'm cheating or I tell her the truth.
"I'm saying...what I'm saying," her voice wavers as she crosses her arms over her chest to make her seem confident in her words even though I know her heart is breaking just like mine.
"You're saying what you're saying...what your saying is you want a divorce?"
"Uh...yeah. Maybe I do," she weakly replies while placing one hand on her hip.
"Well you can't have one!" I stubbornly retort out of anger.
"I can have one if I want!" She snaps back at me like a small child throwing a temper tantrum in a candy store.
My anger rises from too many things that are just crumbling down around me. I knew this day would come and I thought I would be prepared but I'm not even close. I hate myself for not throwing away her underwear. I hate myself for ever loosing focus on my main goal, revenge. I hate myself for ever going allowing with this stupid scheme. I hate myself most of all for ever falling in love with her. It feels like someone's ripping out my heart and doing the Mexican tap dance all over it.
Roni grips my wrist and spins me around to face her. Her flawless face is free from anger and is visibly growing softer before me. My chest constricts painfully making it near impossible to breathe.
"Do you love her?" She meekly questions while staring straight into my eyes. I blink and stare right back. "Do you?" My lips begins to tremble so I bite the inside to fight away my emotions. "Tell me. Do you love her?"
"Yes and no," I groan.
"More yes than no?" She mumbles while swaying nervously.
"This is ridiculous. I can't do this anymore!" I rip the silk thong from her hands and show her the initials again. "I'm glad this happened. I can't lie anymore. R.M is you. These are yours. We aren't married. There, I finally said it. Thank god that's off my chest!" I exhale loudly pushing away all that pent up frustration.
"Is her name Raquel? Something snobby like that? Rachel? Rebecca? How did you meet her?"
"You're not listening! Roni these are yours. We aren't married. I lied to you about everything."
"Is she a stripper?"
"A stripper? What the- No!" I grab her wrist and drag her out of our room and down the stairs.
"Is she pretty?"
"Stop!"
"I bet she doesn't do that thing in bed that you like so much..."
"Oh my god Roni stop talking!"
I pull the woman down the stairs and into our living room where my children are still sitting perfectly still.
"Momma, we didn't move a muscle," Drew brags with pride as she leaps from the couch and crashes into Roni's legs.
"Good job my babies," she beams with pride and holds Drew close to her legs.
"Alright kids, we need to talk. The jig is up, tell Roni the truth." I swear all I heard were crickets in the dead of silence in our living room. "Go on, tell her," I urge my children and glare at Henry hoping he will back me up since he was always my best friend.
"Tell her what mom?" Henry sarcastically questions while rolling his eyes. Roni hums with satisfaction which only further irks my anxious nerves.
"Tell her the truth, about when I brought her home."
"Oh!" Max says promoting me to sigh in relief. He will tell her, Max is always the most blunt about everything. "We were scared when momma didn't come home that night. We thought she drown-"
"Stop!" I instantly cut off my son and scowl at my children. These kids are always so rude and harsh with honesty and the one time I ask them to be honest they are lying out their asses. "Don't tell her what I told you to tell her. Tell her the truth dammit!"
"Emma," Roni gasps.
"Tell her she's not your mother!"
"She is our mother!" Max defends with his face pinched together, challenging me.
"Dammit you never saw her before!" I scream on the top of my lungs instantly loosing all my patience for this situation.
"Hey! Don't you dare speak to my children that way!" Roni scolds me while back handing my upper arm. I'm too angry to acknowledge the burning sting against my flesh. Before I know it my wife is storming off and crashing through our front door.
I snap my attention back to my children and glare at them in rage. "What the hell guys? What do you think you are doing?"
"We aren't going to let you ruin this mom," Henry coldly replies while shaking his head at me.
"We're keeping her!" Drew yells at me while stomping her foot against the hardwood floor.
"You can't keep her! She's not yours!" I argue back.
"She wasn't yours either but that didn't stop you!" Max retorts while firmly crossing his arms over his chest.
"That's different, I had my reasons!"
"So do we," Henry calmly replies.
"She's our mom now too. She promised me she wasn't going to leave. Not like daddy did," my daughter sadly adds causing my heart to sink.
"We can't keep pretending this is all okay, because it's not. I was wrong for ever bringing her here and I know you guys love her but she needs to know the truth!"
I stomp away from children as anger, shame and hurt fill my body. I would give anything to go back to this morning when it was just Roni and I, when we were wrapped in each other's body's and so in love.
I make my way outside to find where the brunette ran off to. I discover my best friend talking to my wife and slowly reaching in for a hug. I furrow my eyebrows and rush to their side.
"Why would you make all that ridiculous crap up to try and cover for Ruby?" Roni asks while wrapping her arms around my neck.
"What?"
"I told your wife, that those were from a girl I hooked up with," Ruby explains while narrowing her eyes at me, silently pleading for me to play along.
"What?" I repeat as Roni holds me tighter. I'm not even hugging her back since I'm so thrown off by what is happening around me.
"Yeah, so you know I just started seeing that adorable brunette, Belle. I would never want her to find out that I hooked up with some random right around the time I started seeing her," Ruby lies with a fake pout but her eyes are still blazing as she stares me down.
"Emma, you should never risk our relationship to save Ruby's, that doesn't even make sense."
"No it doesn't," I growl as I stare at my best friend.
"We need to be open and honest with each other," Roni sweetly mutters into my ear before kissing my cheek.
"I'm trying," I whine and pout but she just smiles and caresses my cheek.
"I'll grab the kids and we can go to dinner," Roni explains before she disappears inside.
I take one step forward and shove my fingers into my friend's chest. "What the hell was that?"
"Ow! Rude much?" Her long fingers come up to soothe the abused area.
"Ruby! I wanted this whole facade to end! I can't take the lies any longer. This was my chance and you and my Roni loving kids, ruined it!" My breathing has grown erratic from the anger burning in my chest. My lungs feel like they were lit on fire and left to burn to ash.
"Emma, you love her. She loves you. Your kids love her. She loves your kids. I mean I even love the chick. She's our family now. We have adopted her and you can't send her back. Come on dude, nobody has even come looking for her. That's some major bullshit right there."
My eyes instantly well up with hot tears but I refuse to let them fall. I hate that her husband treated her like she was nothing. She's the most amazing person I have ever laid eyes on. I can't believe that douchebag is out there and never claimed her.
"Ruby, I just want this all to be over with. I hate it, it physically makes me sick to my stomach. I want her to be mine, don't get me wrong but I want all of her and not through deception."
Ruby frowns and places her hand upon my shoulder. "I know this is hard but she may never regain her memories and she already feels at home here. This is her home, with you, so take care of her." Ruby tugs on my shoulder and pulls me into a secure hug.
The front door creeks open forcing Ruby and I apart. I dab under my eyes and fake a smile for my children's sake.
"You ready to go kids?" I rub my hands together and manage the best cheerful voice possible.
Except the look I receive from all three children makes my stomach drop out. All three are scowling at me with pure hate in their eyes.
"Fuck dude, what did you do?" Ruby whispers into my ear. I groan and shake my head, she's my best friend so she should know that means I don't want to talk about it.