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***
Andy proposed after a year of us living together.
He took me to Eagleville Manor, making sure Jack was not around to spoil the surprise, and we spent the afternoon there, picnicking on the terrace and watching the sunset turn the world into a tapestry of purple and orange hues. It was beautiful, enchanting even, and when he got down on one knee, looking as cliché as ever, I cried like a baby.
There was no doubt that I’d say yes. He had turned my life around, gave it new meaning, made me feel like I was a real person and not just some drunkard’s punching bag. He gave me the confidence I needed to get past my issues, was patient while I struggled with memories and triggers that had me sitting in a corner, shaking like a leaf. He held me through bouts of depression, listened to me when I voiced my fears about our future, and walked me through every step of recovery I needed.
Bobby constantly teased me about it, calling me the woman who tamed the dragon. I knew about Andy’s past, about his sexual adventures, the number of women enough that I’d need a filing system just to keep track of them. And I didn’t care. I knew a cheat, had married and lived with one for years, and Andy wasn’t that. He was as devoted as they came.
So, of course I said yes. Over and over again until he got up and hugged me so hard, I could have crawled inside him if I had wanted to.
It was a small wedding, just friends and family, and since both of us had very little to no family left, small wedding really did mean small. Bobby gave me away, despite Andy arguing that he needed him to be his best man, and the hug my brother gave me before we left for our honeymoon said so much more than words ever could. It was as if he were welcoming me back home all over again, and it felt good. After years estranged from Mansfield and my family, I was finally where I belonged.
I got a job at Mansfield Middle School after finishing a teaching diploma, and the job kept me busy, and happy. I had found my calling, sort of speaking, and I loved the kids. Besides, it was always a plus being married to a fire fighter. The kids kind of looked at you differently, like you were married to the most important person in the world. And to me, Andy really was.
Yet through it all, there was always that ominous feeling like it would all come to a crashing end, like the universe would suddenly realize that it had made a mistake and would rain wrath upon me for taking advantage of the mishap. A part of me half expected the telephone to ring, and when I’d pick up, Dennis would be on the other line, telling me he was out and that he was coming for me. That this time, he would finish the job.
No kidnapping this time, baby. Round two, and we’re going to really boogey!
A call did come, eventually, and when the phone rang, my heart had skipped a beat. Andy had answered it, the look on his face scaring me more than what he would eventually have to tell me. It had been the lawyer, letting us know that Dennis had hung himself in his cell.
I cried for hours. Not out of grief, but a beautiful sense of relief.
But that feeling never really went away. I worried that one day I’d look over my shoulder and find Dennis standing behind me, not dead at all, and ready to rock and roll.
Andy was patient through it all. It was one of the reasons why he had pushed for us to buy the house. The apartment was a reminder of the past, and we needed to move on. The house would be a new beginning for the both of us, a future we would build together.
***
“I’m home!”
“I’m in the kitchen!” I called out, adjusting the plate cabinet to make room for the rest of our dishes. Andy walked in behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed the crook of my neck. “Oh no, mister, you’re not getting off the hook that easy.”
“What?” Andy chuckled.
“I’ve been unpacking all day,” I said, turning around and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before reaching for the next box. “I’m dusty, sweaty and exhausted. I’m not doing anything else without you.”
“And here I thought you didn’t need me for the heavy lifting,” Andy said.
“I’m a strong, independent woman,” I smiled, “who needs her husband’s muscles to get things done while I sip iced tea and tell him where to put things.”
Andy wrapped his arms around me again and kissed my neck, growling softly. “I love it when you’re bossy.”
“Easy, tiger,” I giggled. “Get the other boxes labelled kitchen and help end my misery.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he saluted, and disappeared into the living room.
After an hour, the kitchen was unpacked, and I was in the upstairs bathroom, undressing and ready for a hot shower. The water felt like bliss against my skin, and I closed my eyes as I let the steaming streams wash the grime of the day away. My muscles loosened, and I felt my entire body relax.
“Mind if I join you?”
I smiled, my eyes still closed, as Andy stepped into the shower behind me. His hands gently massaged my shoulders, and I moaned in appreciation as my body melted into his.
“You should always join me in the shower,” I mumbled.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he chuckled. “Besides, water running down that sexy body, how could I ever refuse?”
I could feel him getting harder, pressed tight against my ass, his arms moving to massage my sides and stomach as he mischievously moved higher up. I smiled when he cupped my breasts and felt a tingle between my legs when he worked his magic on them as well.
