Entrelacen (19 page)

I let it sink in for a moment before I begin
again. “I’m a Mom of three little boys, Logan.
Everything I do is for them. They’re my sole purpose
which is why it makes this,” I gesture between us, “so
hard, not to mention confusing. I stopped dating,
going out, and drinking, becausethey’re my life.”

I’m completely speechless. I honestly
don’t know what to say. What I do know
is that she is one hot mom. How can
anyone look that great after having three
kids? She won’t look at me. She is keeping
her eyes down on the table while her
hands fidget with the necklace that Gran
made her. Oh my gosh, those are the
stones I picked out. I look at Gran, who is
smiling like she knows a secret. Maybe she
does. She always knows things.

I’m really curious now why I chose
those stones. I know this thing I have with
April is something meaningful, especially
after we got to know each other a little
bit. I chose two stones that represent love;
is that that a coincidence or fate? The
cat’s eye is for protection; obviously that is
something she needs as well.

I look back at April, who looks
worried because I haven't responded. I
guess my inner ramblings took longer than
I thought. “April.” I wait until she looks up
at me.

“April, were you worried about
what I would think if you had kids?”
“Well yeah. I like you Logan, but you
are young. Kids don't usually fit into most
young guy's lives,” she whispers.
“I’m not like most guys April. You
should know that. I take it their dad
didn’t stick around after the last one was
born?”
That’s when she gives me the
strangest look, looks at Gran, and they
both start laughing. Totally not the
reaction I was expecting.
“Umm, why are you laughing?
That’s a good question.”
“Oh Logan you think they’re my
kids, as in I gave birth to them?”
“Well yeah. I mean, aren’t they?”
I’m so completely lost with why they’re
still laughing.
“Logan let me explain,” she sighs
like she’s told this story a million times.
“My dad divorced my mom when I
was 17 because he got into some trouble.
He knocked up this girl Tiffany, who had
told him she was 21. Well, she wasn’t; she
was actually 16. Anyways, they got
married and had three boys. My dad has
always been a loser, and their mom was
no better. The boys got taken away by
CPS, so I went to get them. For two
years, I fought with my dad, CPS, and
their mom until finally I won. In
December of this past year, the judge in
the family court signed the papers
granting me adoption of the boys. So my
kids are really my half-brothers.”
I’m in complete awe of this girl.
What am I supposed to say to that? She is
absolutely amazing, and my need to kiss
her is increasing by the second.
“Wow. That’s so amazing of you to
take on that kind of responsibility at such
a young age.” Totally not what I wanted
to say, but that’s what came out.
“I appreciate that, but I would hope
anyone else in the same position would do
the same thing. I promised them I
wouldn’t let anyone come between us, and
that if I had any interest in someone, I
would talk to them about it first.”
“Is that why you left so suddenly
that night when the phone interrupted
us?” Please let her say yes, because if she
just didn’t want to kiss me, I don’t think I
could take that.
“Of course that’s why. You don’t
know how hard it was for me to get into
my car and drive away from you.”
I knew the exact feeling because I
was the one watching her drive away.
“I have an idea. So we can hang out
tonight?” Suddenly, everything else seems
less important. All I want to do is spend
time with her
“As long as you don’t mind playing
with the boys. If so, then we can definitely
hang out tonight.”
“Oh, I don’t mind at all.” I do mind
a little, but because I want some alone
time with her. On the other hand, I’m
very excited to meet the kids that
completely have her heart.
“Good,” she smiles, “I promised
them we would have a water balloon fight
in the backyard. That reminds me. You
might want to get some grungy clothes
because it’s going to be super messy!”
She’s so excited that I can’t help but
feel the same way.
“Okay you two. Before you start
planning your evening, we may need to
discuss the encounter today," Gran says.
She is always the voice of reason. It makes
me wonder about her past.
“You're right Gran. Do you know
why he came after April?”
“I don’t, but I do know that as long
as you’re both together he won’t be able to
take on the both of you. April told me
what he said, and there’s truth behind his
words. What he wants, however, will just
have to be revealed in time I suppose.”
*****

We all just hang out at the
bookstore talking until It’s time to go pick
up April’s youngest son from school. She
tells me that Michael is hard of hearing,
and he has to wear hearing aids. It makes
me a sad to know that she has to deal
with this alone. She said her mom and her
older brother help out with the kids, but
who’s there for her? We pull up to the
school, and I freeze. They go to the school
where the fire was, the school that still
haunts my dreams. April sees my
hesitation, and I smile at her. She walks to
the gates to get Michael while I wait in
the car.

God she’s beautiful. The way she
looksat Michaelispure love anddevotion.
Ihope Iget tosee that look on her face
directed at meone day.
She puts him in
the car. He looks right at me and smiles,
so I smile back.

“Michael this is,” she looks at me
like she doesn’t know what to call me,
“umm, Logan. He’s going to come hang
out with us today. Can you say ‘Hi
Logan’?”

She’s so adorable
. He repeats her,
which surprises me. For some reason, I
didn’t think he would be able to speak
very well. Once he’s buckled in, we head to
her house. At first I think we’re going to
my house, but then we past my street.
She livesin the same neighborhoodasme.
Hmm, I don’t know now why, butit feels
like someone hasbeen interferingwithour
lives. My suspicions that she is the one I’m
supposed toprotectmake more andmore
sense.

We pull into her driveway, get out,
and walk inside. April’s home is so...
homey. She has a brown leather couch and
this huge bean bag chair that I
immediately jump in. Michael jumps in
right next to me, and we laugh. I look to
see where April went. She's still standing
by the door watching us with the biggest
smile on her face. I could get used to this.
Coming home. I haven’t felt this way since
Mom died
.

She makes her way around us and
heads to the kitchen to make a snack for
Michael, while we watch Tom & Jerry. I
loved that cartoon when I was a kid. It
looks like he does too. So we sit there in
the humongous bean bag with our water
and apple slices.

“Hey April. When do the other two
get home?”
"Umm, what?”
I smile, “What time do the other
two boys get home?”
“Oh, sorry! They get out of school in
an hour.” I love it when she blushes. This
time I know it’s because I said home, as if
this was my home too. I’ve become a huge
sap since meeting her.
“Cool. Do you mind if I stay here with
Michael. We can get the water balloons
ready.”
“No, not at all. I’ll warn you now though,
Mathew and I are a team. We’re pretty
awesome at this,” she laughs.
God, I love her laugh and the way it
lights up her whole face. It has easily
become my favorite sound. She’s still
looking at me with that megawatt smile.
Her eyes are shining like emeralds today,
and she has that look, the same one that
she had when she was talking to Michael.
Does that mean what I hope it means?
“Oh, don’t worry. I got Michael and
Lee on my side. Your team is going
down!” I say with a wicked laugh
following.
“Ssh, watching ttd,” Michael points
and stares at me before facing the TV
again.
April laughs at my confused
expression,” T.V. I keep trying to get him
to say the V, but it comes out ‘ttd’.”
It totally makes sense now, so I join
in the laughter. Michael pins us both with
another glare, so we stop laughing
immediately. April takes the dishes to the
sink, grabs herself another bottle of water,
and when she walks by us, she bends
down to give Michael a kiss on his head.
She starts to do the same thing to me,
but then stops. She ruffles my hair
instead, “I’ll be right back after I pick up
the other two.” Then she’s out the door,
and I’m stuck with this image of her
bending down to kiss me goodbye. I miss it
already. I crave it.
Two boys come running through the
door a few minutes later and stop when
they see me. April walks in behind them
with a smile on her face. I’m never going
to get tired of how beautiful she looks.
“Mathew, Lee this is Logan, Logan
this is my other two monkeys.”
“Ah Mom, do you really have to call
us monkeys in front of him?” Mathew, the
older one, asks.
“Would you rather I call you stinker,
Mathew?” She asks.
A look of horror comes over his face,
"Come on Mom. You said you wouldn’t do
that in front of strangers.”
“Well Mathew, Logan isn’t a
stranger now, is he?”
“No Mom. He's your boyfriend!”
I start laughing at the look of
surprise that crosses April’s face.
“Now Mathew, you know that
Logan and I are just friends.”
“Sure Mom, if that’s what you want
to call it.”
He takes off running to the kitchen.
I’m confused at first. Then, he ducks
behind me and pulls me in front of him as
if to shield himself. I look up to see April
running into the kitchen. She stops right
in front of me. “Mathew Martinez, you get
out from behind Logan right now,” she
says with a smile.
So I play defense and block her
hands as she tries to grab for him. We all
start laughing. April makes the older two
get their homework out and starts
working on it with them. Michael grabs
my hand and cuddles up with me on the
bean bag.
The boys finish up with their
homework and hand it over to April to
check, while they run up stairs to put on
some play clothes. I walk up behind her to
look over her shoulder at their homework.
Her body tenses, and she holds her breath.
I chuckle and whisper right next to hear
ear, “Breathe April.” I back up as the boys
come running down the stairs. They each
grab one of the baskets I filled up with
water balloons. Lee grabs the yellow and
blue ones, and Mathew grabs the black
and red.
Michael fell asleep while we were
watching cartoons, so he’s out. April goes
up stairs to change, while I change in the
bathroom downstairs. When she comes
back down, my breathing stops. I think
she’s doing this on purpose. She’s wearing
some jean shorts, a black tank top, and
some red Converse shoes. Her blonde and
red hair is tied into a ponytail, showing
off her neck. I guess she's going to play
dirty.
We start to head to the back door
when the front door opens. April’s mom
walks in, introduces herself, scoops up
Michael and disappears into her room. We
continue out back. The yard is a disaster
zone. Piles of dirt here and there, trenches
built everywhere. I then realize what an
awesome and fun mother April is. You can
see car tracks and broken water balloons
all over the dirt.
The guys who are working on the
yard must have hit a pipe or something
because there are puddles of water, well
mud, and spread all over the backyard.
Now I know why she said to bring extra
clothes. Armed and ready to go, I count to
three, and we all run for cover. On his
way to duck behind a mound of dirt,
Mathew slips and falls into one of the mud
puddles. I laugh and get distracted by his
muddy appearance until I'm snapped back
into the game when not one, but two
water balloons hit me in the chest.
I look around to find her and barely
see her as she slides behind a trench.
Game on! We all go to battle for a while.
Somewhere along the line, Lee abandons
me and goes inside. Mathew is going
strong at April’s side. I’m getting soaked
and caked in mud since It’s 2 on 1. Then
April tries to climb out of a trench and
slips in mud. I look down to see I’m out of
balloons, so before she can get up, I run
next to her and pick up a handful of mud
to dump on her. Mathew heads inside
before he gets covered in more mud.
April gets up with her two hands
full of mud. One lands in my face, and the
other lands on the back of my head when
I turn around. April’s mom yells out the
door that she’s getting the boys ready for
bed. With April distracted I tackle her into
the biggest mud puddle. We both start
laughing. I still have her pinned
underneath me when the sprinklers go off.
I’m looking down at her as dirty water
falls off of me onto her. She’s looking up at
me, and I wipe the mud off her face and
lips.
Her eyes are shining bright with
excitement, and I can feel her heart
beating rapidly. It’s like our hearts are
synced to each other. Our breathing is
labored, and our eyes are searching each
other’s. That’s when I decide to do it. I’m
going to take the leap and hope it’s not
for nothing. I lower my head, she closes
her eyes, and my lips touch hers. Once.
Twice. On the third time, the kiss becomes
more urgent. April’s hands are around my
neck, twining into my hair, and pulling
me deepens the kiss. I trace my tongue on
her lips, and she opens her mouth.
She always smells like mints, and
she taste just like that too. It’s how I
imagined she would taste. She has a
unique taste, and it’s one that has me
drunk. Our tongues take turns exploring
each other’s mouths and getting familiar
with each other. It takes everything in me
to pull back, but when I do, I don’t get
very far. April pulls me back down for
another kiss as she moans into my mouth.
I’m totally screwed.