The Stranger On The Roadside
A/N: Thank you for the amazing reviews, they make my Richonne heart happy. It's nice to know you appreciate my time. Remember this is a Richonne story, so don't jump ship just yet. I promised you messy and messy it will get. This is day one six years later.
Regarding current events, COVID still sucks but it's boss for now. Don't become a statistic. Listen to the scientists wear a mask and practice social distancing. Avoid crowded places and wild parties. Youths you are not immune to COVID. A 19-year-old healthy athlete with no underlying health conditions died a few days ago in Montreal. #YouAreNotInvincible COVID Kills - 800,000 and counting globally. #BlackLivesMatter
Two hours later...
Malyk sat on the deck and poured himself a double scotch. The rich dark liquid shimmied in the glass then settled. He sat and stared at it.
As time ticked on, he contemplated drinking it, but he made a promise. He promised their son, they, being he and his wife would pick him up once his mother returned and if nothing else, he was a man of his word. But as time ticked by, he felt his resolve waver. He loved Michonne and hoped that her love for him was equally as strong. They had made it through the rough patch six years ago and they made it this far but with each passing hour, the lingering doubts from long ago gnawed at him. It ebbed and flowed like the tide in gradual progression.
His anxiety stemmed from the way the man, now known as Sheriff Grimes looked at both his son and his wife. In his heart, Malyk knew, if their roles were reversed and he suddenly walked into a restaurant and recognized a miniature version of himself in a family setting being raised by another man, he too would want to have words with the woman responsible as well. He understood the raw emotion behind it all because he would definitely want to be a part of his child's life too. The only part of the quandary which remained unsolved was the woman—would he try to mess with her current life?—Could he trust her after that? Regardless of her beauty, would he look at the woman the same way the sheriff looked at his wife today? His questions had no answers and he wondered what that said about him as a man? Would he try to insert himself between another man and his wife? He didn't think so, but then again he was not in that situation. He was not that man. He was the man with everything to lose. He shooked his head and tried not to think about the fact that his wife had been gone for quite some time.
Malyk felt vulnerable because all his possessions were worthless compared to what he stood to lose. Money hadn't solved their problems when it came to giving Michonne the one thing she wanted. Another man did, one they later considered a donor based on the story she told. At the time, the man had no surname by which they could use to track him—he was just a stranger on the roadside named Rick. He recalled his anger when he realized the danger in which she placed herself that night. He could have lost her all because they stopped talking to one another and tried shielding the other from their feelings.
The night she revealed she was carrying another man's child was a catalyst in their marriage. They were forced to reassess what mattered to them as a couple and neither wanted that one night to define their marriage. They were broken so they sought help. It made them stronger.
But for a time, in the back of his mind, there was a ghost in their marriage with them. Michonne didn't seem to sense it so he wrote it off as nothing. They were pregnant and she was the happiest she had been in months. She glowed. They were happy and he'd pay any price to keep her that way.
After their son was born, they spent enough time in King County, so much so, it would have caused small town tongues to wag had they recognized the man who fathered his son, but no one did, so he took it as a sign that RJ was meant to be his. Their past was behind them or so he thought until today.
...
Malyk's thoughts drifted back in time to a happier place, the faithful morning when he first held his son in his arms.
Almost five years earlier…
After twelve hours of labour their son slid out of the birth canal and into Dr. Anderson's waiting hands. He had a reddish-purple hue and covered in a waxy cheese-like white substance but he was the most amazing sight to behold next to his wife of course. Malyk never thought he could love someone as much as he loved Michonne but their son proved him wrong. In that room, overwhelmed by the love he felt for his family, his eyes teared up because the moment was worth the hurt they had endured in the last eight and a half months.
"You did it, babe." He heard his voice choked up with emotion as he wiped beads of sweat from Michonne's forehead and kissed her cheek as the nurse placed their son onto her chest for a few minutes just before Dr. Anderson asked him to cut the cord.
...
Emotionally charged from the entire experience, he was nervous and doubted whether he could perform the task at all.
It was as if Michonne sensed his thoughts when he felt her delicate warm hand on his.
Her warm chocolate brown orbs held his. She looked beautiful but exhausted and rightfully so having worked twelve hours bringing the love of their life into the world. She was strong and beautiful, a warrior of unparalleled strength with sheer tenacity who inspired him every day to be a better man so he knew he could do it.
"It's almost over.—It's okay, I know you can—" her voice hoarse and raw, barely a whisper after screaming the better part of the night because she insisted on a natural birth, something he cautioned her against.
With her words in his head, he summoned the courage and took hold of the tiny surgical scissors in his oversized hand and attempted to cut through the rubbery tissue. Although no stranger himself to sharp objects and cutting things, it took him five snips to cut through the cord.
When Dr. Anderson congratulated them and passed their screaming son to him, he looked at the tiny person in his arms who would rule their lives. His chest threatened to burst with the love he felt in that instant. His son's tiny face scrunched up with tightly closed eyes, and his mouth opened wide as he wailed and turned red voicing his discontent of losing the warmth of the home he's known for the past months.
Malyk chuckled at the silly memory when he hefted him to assess his weight. His son weighed a little more than a small turkey, but he held so much power over them, it was insane. The tide shifted in their family unit that day because his well-being was the most important thing now.
He kissed his son's cheek. "Welcome to the world, little man. How would you like to say hi to your mama?" he asked, placing their son onto Michonne's chest and covering the two with a blanket.
He watched as Michonne kissed the tiny forehead and folded her arm across his tiny covered body.
Her eyes held his as she whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too, babe."
...
Approximately three hours later, Michonne turned the key in the front door and entered the dimly lit space. She removed her heels and carried her slingbacks hooked on her index finger as she walked on the cool hardwood floor and followed the hallway towards RJ's room. She turned the knob slowly and opened the door to an empty dark room.
Michonne turned and followed the dimly lit hallway towards the light source of the open concept kitchen where the moonlight flooded the space through the windows and the open kitchen door. She quickly crossed the space to rejoin her boys whom she expected to find on the deck. She opened the screen door and stepped onto the deck illuminated by fairy lights and the moon to find Malyk sitting alone. He looked glum. His index finger traced the pattern of the crystal tumbler which held a double shot that sat not far from a half-empty bottle of scotch.
...
The night felt surreal. The calmness of the night was interrupted by the symphony of unseen creatures, the chirping crickets and the croaking bullfrogs off in the distance, the gentle breeze that rustled through the leaves, and the shimmering waters of the Tobi which lapped gently at the shore banks below.
Michonne watched Malyk against the surreal backdrop. She recognized the darkness at the edges beyond the light. Her heart ached for them because five hours earlier, they were in a much different place.
"RJ's not with you, is he in our room instead?"
"No," he answered without looking up at her, his voice flat and lacked emotion.
"How much of that have you had?" she asked referring to the half-empty bottle next to him.
"None. We have to pick up our son."
Guilt-ridden, Michonne laid her heels down beside the door and walked towards Malyk with a heavy heart. She sat on the soft cushioned bench in the corner of the deck next to her closed-off husband several feet from where they dined that morning as a happy family.
Her hand reached towards his stubbled face, but Malyk flinched at her touch which caused her heart to ache.
"I have no choice but to share his son with him, but I won't share my wife as well," he answered in a definitive tone.
Michonne's hand recoiled as though seared by an unseen heat but returned with force and slapped his face insulted by his insinuation.
"Is that what you think happened tonight?" she asked with tears in her eyes. "That I suddenly woke up one morning and happily fucked your brains out only to reunite with a man I encountered one night six years ago so he could bend me over his desk mere hours later? Really, Malyk? After all these years, is that what you really think of me?" she asked incredulously as she stood and walked away hurt by his words.
Malyk stood in haste and angrily flung the glass and its contents over the balcony. It fell with a thud somewhere on the grounds below.
"What the hell am I supposed to think, Michonne, huh? You got dressed up to see a man you met once before today and it's been three hours since you left. The station's twenty minutes away. That's a forty minute round trip. I dunno maybe another thirty minutes to talk if that—what kept you? Did it ever occur to you just once that maybe—just maybe I'm the only one with way more to lose in this scenario?"
His words struck their target hard. She had been so caught up in the moment she hadn't thought of the private hell he might be going through while waiting for her to come home. Silent tears streaked her face.
"Nothing happened. It took me a long time because I drove around for a while to work up the courage to face him. What I did that night was out of character for me. That—that night—I was hurting and we weren't exactly in a good place, we were broken. We're not those people anymore, Malyk. We have a family—it's not the same as it was before."
"Does he know that? Because the way he looked at you in the restaurant, he didn't seem like a man who thought you two were just a one-night thing and when you saw him, you panicked. I watched the two of you in the parking lot and there were a whole lot of emotions raging out there for two people who only fucked one night."
"Yes, he knows. He's angry with me but I reminded him we only exchanged names and no surnames. It was never meant to be anything more than it was and my getting pregnant—it only complicated things if I knew how to reach him, which I didn't. I was pregnant and it was my problem."
"And what did he say to that?"
" He has a family and he wants to get to know his son. He wants him to meet his sister. He also offered to pay child support."
"We don't need his money," Malyk scoffed.
"I told him that. I also told him I would arrange a time for him to meet both you and RJ but any relationship between them would be according to RJ's comfort level. He understands all that."
Malyk took two strides and closed the distance between them but waited for the words she was about to say.
"I know you're angry with me and I'm sorry. But after all those months with Dr. Cloyd, I thought we got past this."
"I thought so too, but then he was just a guy you met one time. I was hurt by the affair, but when we established you didn't know this man, I decided our marriage was far more important than some one-night-stand. But today's different—he's not some fucking apparition, he's back and he lives here. He's going to be in our lives. He can give you what I can't, Michonne and I'd be a liar if I said this situation doesn't take me back in time. After RJ was born when I realized our son was biracial, I felt you'd eventually seek him out because one day our brown-skinned blue-eyed boy would ask why he looked so different from me."
Michonne embraced a vulnerable Malyk. "I'm sorry you felt that way. There's nothing for you to worry about," she added, placing her head on his heart and held him close. "How come you've never mentioned any of this in therapy? The night I told you I was pregnant, you didn't seem to care beyond the fact that I didn't know him and he couldn't be identified for notification. You said knowing wouldn't change the fact I was carrying another man's child."
Malyk suddenly felt like shit. The words had left his mouth without consideration as to how they would be perceived. "I'm sorry. I never meant it that way. I never shared it with you but I did with our therapist."
"Oh? And what did she have to say about it?"
"She asked whether I loved our son any less knowing that he's a biracial child? I told her no—RJ's a part of you and I love you and everything about you. I loved RJ sight unseen. He's the bridge that mended something that was broken, he brought us back together. She told me whenever the situation presented itself, I already knew the answer."
"But how do you feel now that his biological father's here in the flesh?"
He replied by squeezing her tighter and kissing the top of her head as silent tears spilled from his eyes. Malyk tilted her head up towards him and gently spoke, "I love that boy more than life itself. I would do anything for him. I may not have created him but I felt him grow inside of you and for nine months I was none the wiser, he was then and he will always be my son."
Michonne found the gentle side of him irresistible. In response to her gentle giant, Michonne stood on the tips of her toes and snaked her arms around Malyk's neck bringing him to her. She inhaled his masculine scent and felt his strong arms wrap around her comforting her. Her soft silky lips grazed against his full lips kissing them lightly. Michonne gently pulled back and moistened her lips which caused Malyk to groan at the loss of her touch.
Michonne gazed into his brown eyes and was struck by the tenderness she saw there. "I love you."
…
Malyk gazed deeply into the eyes of the woman who stole his heart the first day they met and just like that he was lost once more. "I love you too."
His lips sought hers and they kissed tenderly a mixture of salty mint. The kiss deepened and they moaned in each other's mouth. His strong arms hoisted her body from the floor.
Michonne's dress hitched up her thighs allowing her legs to straddle his waist and she locked her ankles behind his back.
Neither broke the kiss as Malyk fingers groped her ass as he walked them towards the table and sat Michonne on the solid wood table.
Michonne moaned as Malyk kissed along her jawline and nibbled and kissed his way down the side of her neck as his hand disappeared beneath her dress while her hands fumbled with his belt and zipper in a frenzied attempt to free his engorged member.
...
The next morning shortly after seven-thirty, Rick pulled into his driveway and parked next to his wife's silver SUV. He hadn't expected them to be home. Later in the day, yes, but certainly not overnight.
Rick opened the front door and stepped inside the doorway where the aroma of a home-cooked breakfast assaulted his nostrils. He placed his keys in the ceramic bowl on the side table next to the staircase.
"Somethang smells good in here," he added grabbing his wife's tiny waist from behind and peppered her neck with kisses.
"Are you talkin' about the food?"
"Among other thangs—" he replied, kissing her neck and sliding his hands upwards around her fitted top teasing her breasts.
Charmaine inhaled deeply.
"How's Sasha?"
"Mama's doing well. She missed you this trip."
"I missed you, can you tell?"
"If I didn't know better, I'd say Lincoln missed me more," Charmaine teased referring to the growing bulge pressed against her ample round ass.
"He missed you plenty but he still hasn't figured out how to grow a tongue," he replied cheekily.
"And I do love your tongue," she countered and swivelled her ass against him.
"Cock tease!" He slapped her ass as he walked away towards the playroom. "Teia?" he inquired as to their daughter's whereabouts.
"Upstairs sleeping. She woke up after we passed New Orleans so we stopped for something to eat and a much-needed bathroom break. She was out again after a couple more movies. She tried waiting up for you but she was exhausted. Her schedule's off and will be for a few days."
Rick returned to the kitchen and pressed into her further as she finished washing the bowl in her hands. "It's a good thang her daddy's home for the next few days."
"What about me, Daddy?" she pouted.
"If I'd known you were pulling an all-nighter, I would have clocked off sooner. Don't worry, Daddy will take care of you too," he added kissing the side of her neck.
Charmaine rinsed the suds from the bowl placed it on the dish rack and closed the tap. She dried her hands on the nearby towel and turned to face her husband. She cupped his stubbled face and gave him a chaste kiss.
"You still can't grasp the notion of a surprise. Plus, it's not the only one."
"Oh?" he responded with a raised brow as he leaned against her petite frame.
She chuckled at his lack of subtlety, "Go on— wash up while I'll plate your food. It'll keep."
Reluctant to end their reunion on that note, Rick countered, "I have an even better idea." He walked over to the stovetop and turned off the elements. "Breakfast will keep. Lincoln's restless." He scooped up a giggling Charmaine and took her upstairs to bed.
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