Caleb had just finished putting the fifth suitcase in the back of the car and was turning to go back inside but Ty's palm planted firmly on his chest stops him. "Ty.....what.....?" "Your wife says that you've sexual feelings for my wife. Is that true brother?" Ty asks in a cold tone.
Caleb was about to snort and dismiss what Ty had just said but something in his brother's voice told him that wasn't a smart idea, so after taking a deep breath, he said in a firm a tone as he could muster. "No, that isn't true, brother."
But when Ty lifts his eyes, Caleb could read, 'I DON'T BELIEVE YOU.' In bold capital letters. He opens his mouth to deny it again but close it again when Ty narrows his eyes at him. So after taking another deep breath, he spoke again. "Alright, you already know that I treat Janice a little more delicately than others because of all that she went through before she got here. She's more mysterious than the damn Bermuda triangle, how the hell she ended up with the body of a sex goddess and a killer virgin attitude to boot, is beyond me.
So do I like her a little more than I should, yes, but brother, you know me and you know that's one line I would never cross." He states in a serious tone.
"What do you mean by, you like her a little more than you should?" Ty asks. "What do I mean, well, apart from mom, Janice is the most loving, caring, warm hearted woman I've ever met, and yes, she's a human being not an angel but I swear to you, no matter how hectic my day is or how frustrated I may be feeling at the time, I just have to be around her for five minutes
And I would feel calm, at peace, she has this aura around her that surpass anything I have ever encounter in my life and just so you know, even if you or I hadn't come to her rescue, that piece of shit would never have gotten to actually rape her because I got her panic signal the moment she realizes she was in danger and if I wasn't near, I would've sent someone to her rescue." Caleb sighs heavily before he continues.
"And not because I like her more than I should but because she's my little brother's wife, the mother of his kids, the woman that makes him happy, the woman he deserves and have been searching for his entire life and there is absolutely nothing I wouldn't do to keep her safe." Caleb said in such a loving tone, it brought tears to Ty's eyes.
Ty grabs Caleb's arm and drags him into a hug. "I love you brother." Ty said as Caleb slaps his back lovingly. "Love you too little bro." "Alright then, I'll see you when I get back." Ty said pulling away. "Oh, you'll be seeing him a lot sooner than that." Fabian said walking over to them.
"I'm going to miss you, little bro." "Miss me? I hardly ever see you, dude." Ty laughs. "Yeah I know, my pregnant wife, work and Anna talking my ears off on a regular basis keep me very busy." He laughs. "Anna has the habit of talking everyone's ears off, but that's what baby sisters are for right?"Caleb laughs. "True that." Ty nods.
"Let's not forget that our baby sister is now almost twenty years old, which means she's old enough to get married, so cherish these moments boys, they may not last for much longer." Fabian chuckles. "Bite your tongue, any man that wishes to have our sister's hand in marriage, will have to go through me." Caleb smirks wickedly.
"Alright, I have to leave in half an hour so both of you just shush and back up a bit. Fabian, you said I'll be seeing him sooner than I think, why is that?" "Well because our bro here is on his way to Atlanta to personally thank Jared for organizing the whooping of Edwards." Fabian smirks.
"I still can't believe Jared was responsible for that, I mean, come on, never in my wildest dreams would I've ever thought....." "That underneath all those designer suits is a criminal mastermind?" Caleb asks cutting Ty's statement short. "Yeah, just goes to show, you never really know everything about a person." Ty said.
"True, I'm very grateful for what he did though and I want him to know it, speaking of which, Jared isn't the only one with hidden talents, did you two see the sketch Chris drew, and only from what Janice could remember of the man?" Caleb asks.
"That was a bloody good sketch, I mean I know he could draw but damn." Fabian nods in admiration. "And now I'm going to give it to a friend of mine at the station and let them run it through the system, see if we can find out who this punk is." Caleb states.
"Baby, we're ready." Janice said from behind him. "You hear my kitten, got to go, guys, see you soon." Ty said waving goodbye. "Hey, you flying commercial or private?" Fabian asks. "Commercial, first class." "So, um...where's Samson and his jet?" Caleb asks. "Last I heard they were both in Hong Kong but hey we're not taking any chances, one of her doctors will be flying with us." "Alright bro, be safe." Caleb calls after them.
A few minutes later Caleb's fingers were balled into fists as he storms up the stairs. He saw Maya coming from the nursery with her headphone over her ears. He grabs her arms roughly and shoved her into his room. "Caleb, what the hell!?" she shouts angrily.
"What the hell is your problem? Why do you insist on turning my family against me?" He sneers yanking the headphone off her head. For a second the hostility in his voice send chills down her spine but then she remembers that this was Caleb, her husband, the father of her child, his bark was much worse than his bite.
"Why are you angry? I just told him the truth." "The truth? That I have sexual feelings for his wife?" "Yes, I know you do, you know you do and now he knows it too." She said hands folded across his chest.
He made a step towards her but then stops and turn towards his closet instead. "What? Were you going to hit me Caleb? Go ahead, and hit me! See what happens. You think I haven't noticed how you just love running to her rescue. You treat her like she's some damn porcelain doll that will shatter if you're too rough with it." She sneers as he took out his suitcase.
"But I see her for who she really is, let me ask you something, we were all in this house when your cousin came onto her, so why didn't she scream, huh, alert someone to what was going on? She did nothing but just stand there while he feels her up, because she wanted him to... she....."
"Don't you say another word." This time his voice was as cold as ice. "You call yourself a woman of God, yet you dare to stand there and say she wanted this." "I think she did...." "No, she didn't!" Amara shouts from inside the door. "I was there with her when she woke up, I watched her almost scrub the color from her skin and she couldn't stop crying and shaking, so no, she didn't want that, she didn't scream because she was terrified that he was going to hurt her baby." Amara said angrily.
"Oh please, she has mastered the art of playing the damsel in distress, oh someone saves me." Maya said in a mocking tone. "Why are you being like this, Janice has been nothing but nice to you." Amara asks. "Yeah so nice she'll make your teeth rot and I would appreciate it if you didn't butt in when I'm talking to my husband." Maya said in a scornful tone.
"You really have changed, and not for the better." Amara said shaking her head. "Yeah, she began showing her true colors the moment I said I do." Caleb snorts. "You almost sound jealous of her." Amara states "Oh please, why would I be jealous of her?"
"Actually, Amara, she is very jealous of Janice but unlike her, Janice is a true woman of God." Caleb said folding and putting some of his clothes in the suitcase. "And just where do you think you're going?" Maya asks as she just realizes what he was doing.
"Packing my suitcase to go to Atlanta." Caleb said with a wicked smirk. "Like hell you are, you board that plane and you'll never see your daughter again." Maya said in a threatening tone. "Yeah, right whatever." He said as he continues to pack. "I'm dead serious Caleb." "And I'm dead serious when I say, threaten to take my child from me again and you're the one that will never see her again." He said between clench teeth.
"For God sake, she literally just left here and now here you are packing your suitcase to chase after her. Now tell me, Caleb, as you've said countless times, if you don't have feelings for her then why are you now chasing after her, hmm?" She asks with a nasty attitude.
"Because I would rather be over there with her than here with a hateful pretender like you." "Oh, so you are calling me names now? I am your wife and the mother of your child and you will treat me with respect." She said in a demanding tone.
"Yeah, you might be all that but you're also my greatest mistake." He growls over his shoulder. His words were like a bucket of cold water to her face, she felt as if she was about to explode with rage. "Oh, Oh, really? I'm your biggest mistake? The biggest mistake I made was letting you into my life and to think I was this close." She said indicating with her fingers
"This close to telling you to take a hike when I found out I was pregnant and even then my inner voice kept telling me to cut you lose but I ignore it because I thought that being a father and eventually a husband might change you but oh was I ever wrong. you're still the disgusting playboy you always were.
One that will do and say anything to get what he wants. You pursued me for months, making all kinds of promises you had no intention of keeping. I ignore my better judgment and bought into your lies, so I guess I deserve all this. I told you over and over that, if you were just looking for a fling, I wasn't the one for you and now I'm your greatest mistake, wow.
Well put on your big boy pants and buckle up, it's time to step up and make good on all your promises because this mistake won't be going anywhere anytime soon." She states in a challenging tone.
"You might not be going anywhere but I am." He said zipping his suitcase shut. "I'm warning you, Caleb..." "Go ahead, threaten me one more time woman." He said in a menacing tone.
"Hmm, you know, people always say that things happen for a wise reason, well, I now know why this is happening. I've always been cynical about what Samson has been going through with his wife but now I really feel for the dude because for months you've been trying to control me, to mold me into what you think I should be
But get this through your thick skull my lawfully wedded wife, that's never going to happen." He said grabbing his suitcase and storming towards the door, towards Fabian and Amara who was standing outside his open bedroom door, it seems as if they were trying to come up with a way to stop the argument but now they were looking rather relief that it was over.
"Okay family, I'll see you when I get back." He said with a wink in their direction.
Thank you all for reading.
Food for thought
Only by being on the level
Can we rise in the eyes of others.
( Psalm 15)