"That real, that deep, that burning, and amazing, unconditional, inseperable love.
That feel like forever, that always emotional and still exceptional love.
Can't nobody tell me nothin', said it is what it is.
Any mistake you make I just might forgive.

Right now, right now, in this very moment, I still love him like I loved him then.
I love him in and out and up and down and 'round and 'round and over and over again.
So rare, they swear that YOU just don't exist.

There's only one person I can think of that makes me feel like this.
I'm a fool, such a fool for you…"

Alice Smith – "Fool For You"

Erik was nervous walking up the tawny dirt path that led to Sugar's grandmother's house.

The rest of the Moreno clan and his own family sat waiting for him at their house that was closer to the water. Before he took the stroll over to see the respected bruja, Sugar confided in him that what would be revealed to him may not become clear or make sense to him until much later in time. This did little to reassure him or calm his anxious mind.

Erik wiped his feet on the dark brown front door mat and stepped into an immaculate home that smelled of coffee and cooking soup. He took off his shoes and left them by the front door and waited for the elder woman. She emerged from her bedroom in the back of the house dressed in a simple pale green gingham house dress and soft pink slippers. Lila wore several small-beaded multi-colored necklaces and a mother of pearl rosary with a gold cross.

"Sit," she said pointing to a couch covered with a peach and yellow blanket. He sat down and his knees hit the coffee table by accident.

"Sorry," he said.

His eyes regarded the dark table with a medium-sized sterling silver bowl filled with plain water on top of it. A small copper incense burner sat next to the bowl with a green Hershey's kiss-shaped lump of incense burning on it. It smelled like grape-flavored bubble gum and a hint of lavender.

Lila walked to the side of the couch and reached over to open yellow curtains behind him. The same half-moon windows that Cedro and Belinda's house had were there bringing in the early morning light. She sat down next to him.

"Give me your hands," she said.

Erik moved them over to her and she turned them over, studying each palm, her fingers stroking the rough and smooth parts.

"Gracias," she said releasing his hands.

She pointed to the bowl of water.

"Lectura de agua…I will read the water now."

"Wait. What made you want to do this? Sugar said you dreamed about me?"

"When things come to me in dreams, I have no choice but to speak on it. You are with my granddaughter—"

"We just decided to be together—"

"That was a long time ago," she said.

A small impish smile appeared on Lila's face and Erik felt his face grow warm. Busted.

"Your connection to her is very strong. I felt it the moment I met you in San Diego."

"We met before?"

"Sugar's graduation party. You helped me carry a tray to my table when I had too many things in my hand."

"I'm sorry I don't remember that."

"There were a lot of people there and everyone was talking and eating. But I knew then. The energy you gave off spoke to me. Sugar was filled up with so much…yearning. You love each other. We all see it. Even your children."

"My kids?"

"Yes."

"Do you disapprove of me?"

"I like you. You are good for each other."

"Your son doesn't agree."

"Cedro is protective. I am too. But Sugar is not a child."

"That's what I told him."

Her eyes glanced back at the bowl of water.

"I will look into the water…aye, don't be scared Erik. This is nothing scary. I look into the water after I touch it, and I will focus my eyes on seeing what belongs to you. When I tell you what I see…keep it inside—"

"It's only for me to know, right?"

"Yes. Talking about it makes it…more cloudy. It is just useful information. I can't always explain fully what I see because it comes from another realm, but I do my best to interpret what is there."

"Will I be able to see anything?"

"Not unless you are gifted yourself. Ready?"

"Yeah."

Lila drew the incense smoke toward her nostrils and inhaled deeply. Erik watched her eyes. She touched her rosary and closed her eyes. She whispered Spanish words as she touched each bead on her rosary until she did a full prayer circle. Her eyes opened and she dipped her index and middle finger into the water and stirred it. Erik held his breath not sure what to expect. When Lila removed her fingers, she stared at the water and went into an almost trance-like state. Sunlight cast down into the bowl, and the glint of silver and the shine of the water became hypnotic to Erik and he found himself staring at it too. His breathing became less anxious and the sun warmed up his skin.

Nearly ten minutes went past and Lila's eyes finally broke away from the deep concentration with the liquid. She exhaled loudly while her fingers went back to her rosary beads touching the gold cross that dangled from it. For a moment her eyes looked down at her cross and then she raised them up to take in Erik's face. There was water in her eyes.

"What?" he said leaning toward her, his eyes darting down to the bowl.

Lila reached out for his hands again.

"Hold onto her for as long as you can," she said.

"I don't like the sound of that."

"She will put you on the path that you need to be on, and no matter how difficult it will be…and it will be difficult…you must keep a space for her in your heart even when that shine in your love grows dim. The waters will connect you always—"

"The waters? Surfing?"

"No, the…um…the big waters…hmmm…the sea…nothing to do with surfing. Right now your paths are side by side, but they will shift and change, but you must not despair. Even when it looks like the road has gone in the opposite direction, you must stay open to her."

"She's going to leave me. That's what you're telling me—"

"It's not that simple. I catch glimpses of things, but how they play out in waking life is up to you."

"So what you tell me doesn't mean it will come true automatically."

"I see a future for you both—"

"Together?"

"Together…but—"

"Nah."

Erik shot up from the couch.

"I don't wanna hear no more. You see us together, that's all I need to know—"

"Erik, wait, it's not—"

"Stop. Please. You had tears in your eyes about something and I don't…I don't want to know anymore. I want to create my own future with her."

Lila stood up and touched the side of his face.

"Okay," she whispered.

Erik studied her eyes once more. A lump swelled in his throat.

"I love her," he said.

"I know. What I said was not very clear. I know that. But my words were for your subconscious mind…the mind behind the mind. Does this make sense?"

"Kind of."

"Your mind will not hear me, but your heart will. Your spirit. That is enough for me."

"Goodbye, Ms. Lila," he said.

Erik's legs moved swiftly back to the other house.

Sugar and Robert were sitting outside with Yvette waiting for him.

"How'd it….?"

Sugar gazed in his eyes and her voice just stopped in mid-sentence.

"All good," Erik said mustering up a smile.

They were going to be together.

He willed it.

###

The return trip seemed to be shorter than the long drive down to San Felipe.

Erik drove Sugar's van the moment they crossed the border. When his shoulder ached a little bit, her brother took over. Sitting in the front passenger seat as Robert guided them back to San Diego, Erik saw the back of his children's heads in Cedro's SUV. They wanted to ride home with Cedro and Belinda, so Robert bounced back with them and Butchie. When they reached East County, it began to rain and Sugar took over the last leg into the city. On a bathroom break at a McDonald's in Mission Valley, the children switched with Robert again, and Sugar drove them to Erik's home.

They unpacked and tossed trash in the garage trash can, and when Yvette and the kids went to bed, Erik asked Sugar to spend the night with him. Lila's words still had him edgy.

"I want to. Do you think that's smart right now?" she asked.

"It's late. The kids will be knocked out completely soon. Yvette is out."

"Are you sure?"

They stood in his kitchen on opposite sides of his island counter.

"I need you with me tonight."

"I need you too."

He walked around the island and grabbed her waist, pulling her in tight.

"Baja was phenomenal. Deuce and Marina can't stop talking about it. Thank you."

"Thank you for joining us."

"I want us to work, Sugar."

"I do too."

Her fingers ran up and down his shoulders.

"Shoulder doing okay?" she asked.

"Painkillers are all gone since last night."

He nuzzled his lips against her neck and kissed her.

"We should be in your room for all this," she sighed.

"Let's tell the kids tomorrow…about us. I don't want to wait or hide it from them."

"You don't want to wait a couple of months? Let them get used to the changes—"

"If that's what you want. Then I'll do it."

"I would prefer that—"

"You don't have to do that."

Erik and Sugar jumped when they heard Deuce's voice.

He wandered into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Grabbing a Coke can, he opened it and took a long sip watching them.

Sugar jumped back from Erik and Deuce laughed at her.

"You should be asleep by now," Erik said.

"I was, but I got thirsty."

Deuce gulped down his soda and tossed the can in the recycling bucket next to the stove.

"Sit down," Erik said.

Deuce hopped onto a stool and faced Erik and Sugar.

"I should go," Sugar said.

Erik reached over and clasped her hand in his.

"No."

"This should probably be a private family conversation."

"Stay," Erik said.

Erik turned his attention back to his son.

"A lot happened on this trip," Erik said.

"Yeah," Deuce answered.

"You want to live with me."

"Yeah."

"I want you to stay with me too."

Deuce's face lit up.

"For real? I can?"

"I'm going to work on that. But you need to know that I will be seeing Sugar—"

"Dating," Sugar interjected.

"Dating. Does that bother you? I know you're adjusting to the divorce. I know you said that you're glad that it's done—"

"You like each other. You get along. Sugar is fun. Her parents love me. It's all good, Dad."

"Are you sure? I don't want to hurt your feelings if you think it's too soon for me."

"You seem happy with her."

"She makes me happy."

"Good. Do we have to talk about it more?"

"We will. Tomorrow. Go on to bed."

"Night," Deuce said.

"Night," Sugar said with a look of relief in her eyes.

Deuce slipped off of the stool and walked around the island. He gave Erik a hug and left the kitchen.

"One down," Sugar said.

Erik nodded.

"Marina may be a little harder," he said.

"How so?"

"She's upset about Deuce staying with me. I think she believes that divorce will just mean I don't live with Calista, but we'll still be a unit."

"Okay, now I'm definitely going to my parents tonight. Don't beg me to stay. I want to leave knowing that at least one child is cool with us. Don't pout."

Erik's lip poked out even more and he gave her hound dog eyes.

"Stop…"

Erik moved in closer and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"No, that won't work…"

He pressed his lips onto hers. She pulled her face away.

"I said no…"

He planted more soft kisses on her cheek and up and down her throat.

"Okay, maybe that will work."

He laughed and ran his tongue around the shell of her ear before nipping it at the lobe.

"I'll stay, but we're not having sex and I'm leaving early before anyone else gets up."

###

Erik had his hand wrapped around Sugar's mouth as he pounded her from behind.

Spooned together on his bed, he pumped into her with deep strokes, her pussy molded around his dick gripping it tightly. She whimpered into his palm; their lovemaking was heightened with all the new tension from being a couple…a real couple at last.

He didn't have to worry about his bed making noise as he put it down on her, and he didn't have to worry about his children hearing them from the second floor with the high ceilings the house had. Yvette was across the hall in the third-floor guest room and her door was open. Erik's door was closed, but he didn't want to take a chance of his sister hearing him beat up good pussy with the way Sugar was carrying on before he clamped down on her mouth. He squeezed a breast while his index finger flicked her piercing as he thrust harder into her.

"Lemme hit it from the back a little better," he snarled in her ear.

He pulled out of her sloppy pussy and removed his hand from her mouth. She panted and crawled to the middle of his huge bed. Dropping her head to the blanket, she popped her ass out for him and he wasted no time getting back into her wet pink slit.

"Arch your back!"

Sugar watched his face from the blanket as he rolled his hips slowly giving her that deep-deep. She shoved her fingers up against her mouth and Erik leaned back to get a good look at his dick being swallowed by her folds. Her pretty brown pussy lips revealed sweet pink walls that slickened the razor-thin condom he wore. She chose the ribbed brand from his bathroom. He sank back down into her and gripped her waist.

"Cheeks is clappin', baby," he groaned.

Sugar turned her head and sucked on his blankets to keep her cries of pleasure from escaping out loud. Erik watched her backside bounce from the force of his demanding fucking.

"Take care of this dick!"

"Yes!" she moaned into the cover.

"Throw it back on me."

He stopped moving and watched her fuck him back. Her back was damp with sweat and her head lifted up and down as she thrust her cute rump on him. He smacked her ass a few times to force her to work harder.

"Give that shit to me. Stop playing, girl."

Her fingers clawed the jade blanket.

"Play with your clit!" he commanded.

Her right hand dipped down and he could feel her flicking that hard bud. He slipped his thumb into her ass and she yelped. He watched it pucker and throb around his digit and he pushed it further in. Her fingers snaked down to his balls where she fondled his fat sack.

"Baby," he groaned.

She tickled the seam on his balls and he smashed them forcefully against her ass.

"You're so hard, Erik," she panted.

"Pussy tight, Sugar. I like how you gripping Daddy's dick—"

"Yes!"

Sugar shoved her face back into the blanket where she hid a scream as he switched up his stroke and hit that sweet spot of hers.

"Creaming on my shit…"

"Yeah…yeah…yeah…fucking me so good, Erik…"

Erik's right hand crossed over to grip her left ass cheek as his left hand supported his own back. He watched a shiver ripple across her body and sharp clenches on his dick let him know she was cumming. He ran his hands across her shoulders and she whimpered loudly as the last of her orgasm trickled out along his length.

Pulling out of her once more, Erik dragged the condom off of his erection. He slapped Sugar's right ass cheek. She rolled over and grabbed two of the four large overstuffed pillows on Erik's bed and laid her head on them as she faced him sideways.

"Open your mouth," he grunted.

Sugar wrapped her lips around his dick and sucked him off while he played with her tits.

"Suck it good…"

She worked her throat on him as saliva fell from her lips onto the pillows.

"Cum on my face, Erik…"

"Ohhhh…."

Erik fisted his erection onto Sugar's tongue, his left hand pinching her pebbled left nipple.

"Nut all over my face."

"Shiiitttt!"

Thick hot cum spurted out from his dick and painted Sugar's face. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back so he could finish drenching her lips.

"Got me cumming so hard!"

Erik pursed his lips as the final spurt of ejaculate left his body. Out of breath, he flopped down next to her. Sugar played with the cum on her face and licked some of it. He slapped her ass and she rolled over to the edge of the bed.

"Where you going?"

"Bathroom," she said.

She padded to his bathroom and he heard her rinsing off her face. She walked back in and handed him a warm hand towel to wipe up semen from his dick. When he was done using it, she took the condom and hand towel back into the bathroom. He heard her urinate and wash her hands and when she sauntered back to his bed, his body had calmed down.

Kissing her, he stroked her hip and stared into her eyes.

"Comfortable?"

"Yeah. I feel so good," she said stretching her arms.

Her eyes stared at the ceiling and he reached down and held her hand. Sugar's grandmother told him to hold onto her as long as he could. It sounded ominous at first, but she did say they would be together. However, she did say "But" at one point…

"What's that?"

Erik looked over at Sugar. Her eyes were focused on the corner of his ceiling. She pointed.

Six reinforced brass hooks were in the ceiling and another six were spread on the wall with nothing hanging on them.

"You want anything to drink?" he said sitting up.

"Changing the subject I see."

Sugar sat up and adjusted the pillows behind her back.

"What are they for? Plants?"

"No."

"Then what?"

He glanced over at them.

"They're for my ropework."

"Ropework?"

"I mentioned it to you before…Shibari? Kinbaku?"

Her face looked a little puzzled. He raised himself off of the bed and held out his hand. She took it and he led her to his large walk-in closet. Turning on the overhead light he allowed her to look around.

"Sheesh, this is bigger than my bedroom at my parents," she said.

Designer clothes aligned the entire perimeter of the room and in the middle were shelves that housed expensive shoes. A handcrafted shelf on one wall displayed watches, jewelry, and all kinds of fronts and slugs: gold, platinum, and diamonds.

"Nice," she said taking it all in.

A large cabinet on the far wall was decorated with black, gold, and purple Japanese dragons.

"Wow," she said.

Erik opened the cabinet and Sugar's voice was filled with more awe.

On one side of the interior of the cabinet doors was a large black and white photo of a fair-skinned woman tied with intricate roping and strung up by a harness and hung upside down. On the other side was a large color photo of a dark brown Black woman tied up with bright red rope that made her melanin pop. The centerpiece was what the cabinet revealed in its interior. Ropes of every color hung up carefully on gold hooks.

"You know how to do that?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I did those two women."

"Did them, or did them? As in sex?" she joked.

"Both."

Her eyes shot back to both pictures.

"Is it sexually stimulating for you to tie women up, or is the art itself?" she asked.

"Both."

"May I?"

Her fingers reached out toward the ropes.

"Go ahead."

She stroked the bound coils of rope before her eyes regarded him again.

"How long have you been doing this?"

"About twelve years now."

"That long?"

"I learned in Oakland and San Francisco. I'm still mastering it."

"Looks awesome to me. Did you tie Calista up?"

"No. She wasn't open-minded about it. She found it degrading."

"I don't."

Sugar's eyes had a gleam in them.

"Good to know," he said.

He closed the cabinet back up.

"So those hooks in your bedroom…"

"I use them with these ropes."

"How many have you tied up here?"

"Two. I travel to L.A., San Francisco, and New York for shows and gatherings. I have connections in Japan and London."

"Would you tie me up?"

He dragged his eyes up and down her naked form.

"I will tie you up."

Her lips parted. He felt his dick thicken. Sugar dropped her fingers down around the tip and twisted under the thick ridge. She made his dick wet with pre-cum and fingered the slickness all down the sides. She stopped suddenly and walked out of the closet. He stood there with a hard dick and a confused face. Sugar returned and held up a condom. Erik took it from her hand and opened it carefully. She helped him roll it down his erection and then turned away from him. Opening up the dragon cabinet again, she rested her hands on the bottom of it. Looking back at him, she licked her lips and poked her ass out.

"Which one would you tie me up with?"

Her voice was wanton, almost breathless, and Erik became weak for her. He inserted the head of his dick inside her opening and teased her with the girth.

"I'd use a basic plain rope first," he said.

He slipped deeper inside of her and she gasped with excitement. He fucked her slow and steady. Sugar's fingers reached up and touched two different rope bundles, a red rope and a black one. She gripped them tight when he held her shoulders for support.

"Ooh…ooh…yeah…fuck me…" she whined.

He lost it.

Snatching up her arms, he pulled them back and punished her folds. He rode her pussy for a long time, letting her know that he owned her now. She was his woman. He was her man.

Reaching around to stroke her clit, he shouted loudly when he came and Sugar cried out her release right after him.

###

Erik woke up the next morning feeling good. He reached his hand out to his right side and no one was there.

"Sugar?"

He walked into the bathroom. She wasn't in there. It was early in the morning and the sun was barely up. Erik sat back down on his bed and grabbed his cell checking for messages. She left him one.

Whose training today?

The same message was in his social media DMs too.

He typed into his phone.

I guess I will be. Later on. Just my legs.

How is your arm?

Erik rotated it. It was stiff. But felt okay.

Feels fine.

Good. Go to Einstein's Bagels and bring me and Marina toasted cranberry bagels with butter, and, tomatoes. And orange juice.

Where are you?

Look outside.

Erik threw on the sweats he had on the day before and sauntered out onto his balcony. Sugar and Marina were on the patio waxing their surfboards and already in wetsuits.

"Morning," Sugar called up.

Marina looked up and waved.

"Hi, Daddy. Two bagels for me, please."

Erik smiled.

"Bagels and orange juice coming right up," he called down.

He watched Sugar and his baby girl walk out of the patio and head out toward the water. Walking into his bathroom, he prepared to take a long shower and then check in with Deuce and Yvette. His cell vibrated on the bathroom counter.

"What did you forget?" he said chuckling into the phone.

"Erik?"

It was Calista.