"The Neighbors"
The requests are coming in for this update. Sorry about the delay but I have been quite under the weather. I am better but still not at 100%. Let's hope I can continue giving to you what you wait so patiently for…
Rated M for Mature Content.
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Chapter 23: You and Me Forever
I sink into the couch wrapping myself around a pillow when my phone buzzes with a text.
Stay with your husband. Build the life you were meant to build with him.
And btw…
STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY WIFE!
I close my phone throwing it across the room sobbing into my pillow! I can't stop sobbing about Ryan about Josh about Maya about the baby about my life. What am I supposed to do? Who am I supposed to be with? Oh Maya, I know it's you I'm supposed to be with but how can I be responsible for you not being able to raise your own child! I wipe my tears with the back of my hand. I know what I have to do…
Early Morning at the Sullivans…
Emily POV
It is a brisk fall day, the perfect day for an autumn walk. The clouds scuttled across the sky, the sun breaking out in bursts as I think about the person I am walking with. The leaves begin to fall foretelling of the coming winter, and my thoughts drift a bit, thinking of the one I truly love. Strangely, I feel complete again, something I have not felt in a long time. I take the hand of the one I love. Her head falls to my shoulder walking in time to the whispering breeze. The vibrant colors of orange, yellow, red and green paint a picture of the life we are meant to share together with each other and our new baby…
I push the stroller up our well-manicured walkway to our front door. It is the house of our dreams in the neighborhood of our dreams. We carefully carry our baby girl into the house as delicately as possible not wanting to wake her from her much needed slumber. She settles her into her crib cautiously removing our daughter's outerwear. She makes sweet little gurgled noises on her way to enduring her sleepy time. She covers her with warm fluffy blankets. I walk closer to her placing my hands on her shoulders. She looks up at me smiling, a tear slipping from her big beautiful brown orbs. I kiss her temple pulling her into me as we watch our beautiful baby girl sleeping…
I turn on the baby monitor and we retreat to our own bedroom leaving our baby's door open just for our own overly protective instincts. My other baby girl strolls into our room first removing her coat dropping it to the floor, removing her shirt releasing it to the floor, removing her boots kicking them to the floor, removing her jeans leaving them on the floor, removing her socks tossing them to the floor and there she stands in the fading sunlight streaming through a slight opening between the curtains. I can't help but scan her body from head to toe. Her long dark sleek hair falls with nary a curl down her backside. Her warm brown eyes, her sexy white smile, her smooth toffee skin, her plump breasts, her toned abs, her slight curves, her perfectly shaped bottom, her toned legs, her beautiful gorgeous self…
I am frozen in place mesmerized by the gleam in her eyes while her head tilts as if to say, "I'm yours, if you want me." I want. I want you so badly. I want you more than anyone I've ever wanted in my life. I peel the layers from my body closing the space between us. Our bodies hug, our lips kiss, our love flows into a passion only the two of us could ever know. For when I feel cold you warm me and when I feel I can't go on you come and hold me. It's you and me forever, Maya…
Narrator POV
"Honey. Honey, wake up. Emily."
"Mmmm. Hmmmm," she moans with a satisfied smile.
"Emily. It's your mother. Wake up."
She takes hold of her arm shaking it gently trying to release her from her deep trance like sleep.
"Huh? What?" she finally manages as she groggily lets go of her dream, "Maya?"
"No honey. It's your mother. Time to get up."
She stretches sitting up looking at the concern on her mother's face finally realizing her happy ending was just a dream…
"Here, take this. I think you need it."
Emily gladly takes the mug of coffee from her mother sipping the hot contents warming her hands in the process.
"Hey are you okay?" her mom asks sitting down beside her.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you were talking in your sleep."
"I was. What did I say?"
"Something like, 'It's you and me forever, Maya.'"
Emily smiles as she sees the images of her dream, her beautiful, beautiful dream but then her smile vanishes almost as quickly as it appeared when she realizes it really was just a dream…
Two days later at the Graysons…
Maya has been sent home from the hospital. She is doing well as is her baby. Josh is playing the doting dad to be, pleasantly surprising Maya. She misses this Josh. She loves this Josh. And he has gone above and beyond surprising her by turning their guest room into a baby's room…
"You did this in just two days? That's crazy!"
"Not when you're determined to win back the heart of your one true love."
He slips his arms around Maya from behind. She leans back into him inhaling his masculine yet fresh scent remembering how their love used to be. But that's just it she remembers how it used to be. It's not that way anymore. His scent is not the scent she craves. His arms wrapped around her are not the arms she craves. His nose nestled into her neck is not the nose she craves. His lips kissing her cheek are not the lips she craves. But before she can say anything, Josh has something that he needs to say,
"Maya?"
She turns to him as his tone of voice seems quite sincere.
"There's something I need to tell you. It's important."
"Josh, what is it? You're sort of scaring me."
"I did something when you were in the hospital."
"Something? What kind of something?"
"I said some things to Emily I shouldn't have said."
The hair on the back of Maya's neck begins to stand up, "What do you mean?"
"I told her that you are my wife and that we are going to work this out. I told her that we still love each other and we can still build upon that love."
"Is she okay?"
"I'm not sure."
"What do you mean you're not sure?" Maya asks protectively.
"I'm so sorry Maya. I just want us back so badly."
"I need to talk to her."
She brushes past Josh but he quickly steps in front of her preventing her from continuing.
"Josh! What are you doing!"
"Maya, just hear me out, please!"
"First I want to hear from Emily and then I will most definitely want to hear from you. Josh please step aside."
He gives one last look into her eyes and this time he sees something he never noticed before…how distant her eyes appear...
She makes her way to the Sullivans knocking on the door. No one seems to be answering but just as she is about to walk away she hears the door open. A smile crosses her face as her heart starts beating faster and faster. She slowly turns around to see a Hispanic woman asking, "Can I help you?"
She expected to see Emily…
"Can I help you?"
"Oh, oh, I'm sorry. I was expecting someone else to answer. Are the Sullivans at home?"
"No."
"Will they be home soon?"
"Oh no. I don't think so," the cleaning woman says nervously.
"What do you mean you don't think so?" Maya asks in a demanding tone.
"I was hired to clean their house for them while they are away," she says while wringing her hands together worriedly.
"Away? For how long?" Maya asks with some concern.
"Two weeks."
"Two weeks?!" Maya is stunned by this revelation.
"Ma'am, ma'am, are you okay?"
Maya's breathing gets heavier and heavier and faster and faster.
"Ma'am."
"Where breath did breath they breath go?"
"They said something about a second honeymoon."
"A, a second honeymoon?!"
The tears begin to stream from her face as her breathing becomes more intense. This is not what she expected to hear. "But in the hospital…we were to raise my baby as our own. Emily, why? What happened?" Her thoughts overwhelm her making it difficult for her to stand up straight so the cleaning lady helps her back to her home telling Josh what she told Maya. He carefully carries Maya up to their room…
"Maya, Maya, you need to calm yourself."
He hands her the pills prescribed by her doctor with some water. She is able to get them down and soon after begins to relax and eventually falls to sleep. He makes his way downstairs walking over to the Sullivans for a quick minute so he can talk to the cleaning lady...
She answers their door, "You didn't tell me that she would start to do that. She scared me! She is with child and I could've caused harm to that baby!"
"Look, no harm was done. You did exactly what I needed you to do. Here's a couple hundred dollars for your trouble. I'm sorry it got hairy for you."
"She's gonna find out sooner or later that you lied to her," the cleaning lady says in some distress.
"Later is just fine with me. By the way, when are they due back?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Perfect."
"Perfect. Why?"
"Because by the time Emily gets back, Maya and I will be long gone and they'll never see each other again."
"But won't she hate you for that?"
"Why? She thinks Emily left her. She thinks Emily chose Ryan. She thinks she has no future with her." He looks up into the sky with fists clenched as if claiming victory and says, "Thank you Mrs. Fields for insisting that Emily and Ryan go to Pennsylvania with you!"
He heads back to the house to pack their bags before Maya has a chance to question him, before Maya has a chance to figure out that Emily is not on a second honeymoon. Before Maya has a chance to realize that in all actuality Emily is waiting for her to get better so she can sneak her away from Josh for good…
At the Fields in Pennsylvania…
"You know why I insisted that the two of you come home with me…Emily, you need to tell Ryan who your heart truly belongs to," Mrs. Fields encourages.
"I know that mom but it's not an easy thing to do. Put yourself in my position."
"Honey, he has to know and I think you already know that," she says this time a bit more sternly.
"I do mom. But how do I end our marriage to be with someone I've only known for mere weeks?" Emily asks all distressed.
"Only you have the answer to that question my dear."
Mrs. Fields can see how this is eating away at her daughter so she opens her arms taking her in for a much needed hug and before you know it the tears start and once again she's mommy's little girl...
She leaves Emily to rest on the couch spreading a blanket over her so she can think about what she needs to do. In the meantime, Ryan comes back from the bagel store with coffees and of course bagels for all…
"Where's Emily?"
"She was still tired after the train ride so she's resting on the couch."
"Oh, okay. Mom?"
"Yes Ryan?"
"Is everything okay?" Ryan asks already knowing the answer.
"Okay?"
"With Emily."
"That's a question you're going to have to ask her."
"I kinda thought you were going to say that but it was worth a shot."
Mrs. Fields smiles at her son-in-law hoping against hope that Emily really does know what she's about to do.
Lying on the couch, Emily falls asleep, "It's you and me forever, Maya…" She dreams the same dream she dreamt this morning but this time she is able to finish what she started. No interruptions, no one to keep her from this moment in her dreams…
Emily POV
Maya pulls away from the kiss much to my chagrin. But my mood quickly changes as Maya takes my hand in hers leading me to our bed. She kneels on top of the mattress with her back to the head of the bed while I kneel directly across from her with my back to the foot of the bed. We inch our way towards one another. I know for a fact I have a sparkle in my eye as I can see it in the reflection of those smoldering embers much like a fire on a cool desert night. My hands rest on her hips, her arms rest on my shoulders holding one arm at its wrist. We smile as if this is going to be our first time making love. Then our smiles turn a bit serious as our love and lust for one another takes over…
Maya stands tall on her knees as she reaches up to kiss my lips. She sinks into the sensuousness of our soft lips, warm and yielding. Her wet and willing tongue submerges itself within the depths of my desire for her. I breathe in fresh flowers after a spring rain surrounding myself in her scent. The touch of her skin against mine tingles down my spine leaving me with that giddy light headed feeling. But that doesn't stop me from wanting more…
Narrator POV
"Emily. Emily."
"Hmmm. Maya?" she asks groggily.
"No Em, it's me, Ryan."
Her eyes open wide as she knows she has just given herself away.
"Em, it is true. Isn't it?"
"Ryan, I'm so sorry. I didn't…I don't…It just happened. I'm so, so sorry."
"So am I Emily. So am I."
Ryan gets up to leave but Emily pleads with him to stay so she can explain.
"Explain what Emily? That you would rather make a life with a woman you just met then make a life with your husband…someone you've known for years. And with a woman? Did you know you were gay when we got married?"
"Ryan, no! Of course not! I never ever had feelings for anyone else, man or woman!"
"Then Em, how did this happen?"
Emily puts her face in her hands, "I don't know. I just know that I love her. I love her in a way I'm supposed to love you."
"What does that mean?" Ryan demands with more hurt than anger.
"It means, if I had met Maya before we got married, I never would've married you," Emily says surprised by how it came out but knowing it had to be said.
"Ohh. Wow. I've gotta get out of here. I need some air."
Ryan leaves Emily crying on the couch. She falls back lying there; wondering how this happened in the first place. She never wanted to hurt Ryan but she can't lose Maya. Not now not ever!
A few hours later…
"Mom!" she yells getting up on her feet.
"Emily, what is it?"
"I'm going back to New York. I'm going to take Maya away from Josh. We were meant to be together…me, Maya and her baby, our baby," she says determined.
"Emily, hold on."
"Mom, you have to drive me to the train station right now. Please!"
"That's okay Mrs. Fields, I'll take her," Ryan offers coming in from the cool autumn air.
"Oh Ryan, I couldn't ask you to do that not after…"
"You're not asking. I'm offering," he says with a sense of calm. He loves his wife and he wants more than anything for her to be happy even if she chooses to be happy with someone else.
"The next express train leaves in the morning," Mrs. Fields informs them.
"Then the morning is when we'll leave."
"Ryan, I, I don't know what to say."
"Well why don't you think about that while you pack your things."
"I will. I will Ryan. You know I really do love you."
"I know. Just not the way I want you too," he says with some sadness in his voice.
Emily jumps into her mother's arms ecstatically. "I'm going to be with my true love. It's you and me forever, Maya…"
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To Be Continued…
I love Ryan…What a good guy!
Coming Up:
Ryan and Emily return to New York.
What will Emily find when she gets there?
****Thank you Hall and Oates, "Sara Smile".