"Marcus? What are you doing here?" I ask, surprised I'm able to keep the hatred I'm feeling out of my voice.
"Beatrice," he says, respectfully nodding his head at me. What is he up to? "Like I told your friend here, I'm looking for my son. I don't mean to intrude but I would like to speak with him. Is he here?" I stare at him suspiciously.
"He's at work," I slowly say.
"Of course. I should have realized that," he says. "I know he's probably busy with initiation coming next week. I remember those days. Is it possible that you could tell him I'm here?"
"Why should I do that? You've caused him nothing but heartache and trouble. I don't want him to be reminded of you," I say. He looks at me and takes a deep breath. I expect attitude but get none. Why am I so suspicious of him?
"I'm here to apologize to both of you," he says. "I won't take up much of your time if you would just tell him I'm here."
"Come in," I say. Christina and I move away from the door and Marcus walks in. I go to the living room and pick Tessa up off the floor then get my phone off the end table. I send a quick text to Tobias letting him know that he's needed at home immediately. Within two minutes I hear his key in the lock, and he doesn't look happy when he comes through the door.
"What are you doing here, Marcus?" he angrily says. "I told you I didn't want you near my family ever again."
"Four, please let me explain," Marcus says. Tobias' mouth drops open, and he stands a little straighter, stunned into silence. "I came to apologize to you and Beatrice." A noise catches my attention, and I turn to see Tyler coming down the stairs.
"Tyler, honey, will you please go back upstairs and play in your room?" I ask. "Mommy will come up and get you when we're done." He hesitates for a moment like he's going to argue but he turns and drags himself back upstairs, looking confused.
"I'm going to take off," Christina says. "We'll talk later about the wedding. Thanks for keeping me company today, Tris." She picks Liam's diaper bag up, and Tobias opens the door for her.
"Thanks for this morning," I say. "I'll talk to you later. Bye." Tobias closes the door after she hurriedly leaves.
"What's your game?" Tobias asks as he comes to stand in front of me, protective as always.
"No game," Marcus says. "Please sit down. I'm not asking for anything except for both of you to listen to me." I look up at Tobias but he's staring at his father. I take his hand and pull him to the couch. Tessa's starting to nod off so I put her up to my shoulder and rub her back. I'd put her in her swing but I can't stand the thought of putting her down right now, not with Marcus here. "I've done a lot of soul searching since the last time we talked, and I realized that I was wrong." He starts pacing back and forth in front of us, head bowed, nervously wringing his hands in front of him.
"I raised you the way my father raised me, Four. It's the only way that I knew. I pray daily that you are able to break the cycle of abuse and be a better man than your father. I blamed you for leaving Abnegation when I should have blamed myself. I understand now that you needed to distance yourself from me. I know that saying I was wrong and I'm sorry doesn't change anything and doesn't fix anything. My hope is that with time we can establish a relationship and lay our past to rest but I will leave that up to you. I only want what's best for you and your family.
"As for you Beatrice … I'm sorry, Tris, I've been unfair to you. You've done nothing except love my son unconditionally and stand up to his old man, trying to get him to realize his mistakes. Our estrangement has nothing to do with you. I've always known that but it was just easier to blame you than look inward at my responsibility. You are an amazing woman, and I'm glad my son has you.
"I've done unspeakable things to both of you, and for that I'm truly sorry. I wish I could take back every painful thing that I've ever said or done to both of you but I can't. That's all I wanted to say. Thank you for listening." He looks into Tobias' face for a long moment then meets my gaze momentarily before turning and walking out our door.
"What the hell just happened?" Tobias slowly asks.
"Marcus apologized," I say, testing the words. They leave a sour taste in my mouth.
"Do you believe him?" he asks, giving me a sideways glance.
"I don't know what to believe," I say getting up and gently lying Tessa in the bassinet. I lean over and kiss her head then join Tobias back on the couch. "He sounded sincere."
"I don't trust him, Tris," he says, pulling me close to his side.
"I don't either but what does he get out of apologizing and not meaning it?"
"I don't know," he says.
"Do you think that with time you could ever forgive him now?" I ask. "I know I've asked this question before but he hadn't acknowledged that he did anything wrong before. This has to be a big step for him."
"You're too trusting, love," he says. "I'm not sure he's being genuine. I know it sounded like it but he has disappointed me far too many times in the past. I don't know what to do."
"Don't do anything," I say. "For now just ignore it or try to forget he ever stopped by. I don't trust him one bit. He could be playing some sort of sick game but on the other hand he could be reevaluating his life and wants to right his wrongs. Let him prove himself one way or another, Tobias."
"What if he's telling the truth, what do I do then?"
"Cross that bridge when you get to it," I say. "Who knows, if he proves himself trustworthy maybe you'll want a relationship."
"Never," he mutters under his breath with a sigh. "I better go get Tyler." He goes to get up off the couch but I stop him.
"Wait," I say and he sits back down.
"He said something earlier today that worried me," I say.
"What's that?"
"He said he wasn't our real son," I say.
"What? Why would he say that?" he asks with pain in his voice. "He knows how much we love him."
"I told him to never think that way, then told him I chose to be his mommy. He seemed to accept my answer but then not two hours later he was talking back to you and giving me attitude. I'm worried about him."
"I'll go get him, and we can talk," he says. Before he gets off the couch, he pulls me close and gives me an intimate kiss. We're both on edge right now because of Marcus' visit, and we need to be close to one another. Our bond grounds us. "I love you."
"I love you, too," I say. I think about what Marcus said while Tobias goes upstairs to get Tyler. I know he will never admit even to himself but he wants to be able to forgive his father. That's the kind of man he truly is. Maybe this is his opportunity.
"Hi, Mommy," Tyler says from the base of the stairs. "I sowwy I talk back."
"Come here," I say holding my arms out to him. He comes running to me, and I pull him up onto my laps. "Awe you mad at me? No want you mad." His bottom lips start to quiver, and tears well up in her eyes. I hug him close and tell him I love him.
"We need to talk to you, Tyler," Tobias says when Tyler stops crying. "Mommy and Daddy aren't really happy about what happened at lunch but we're not mad at you. We definitely don't want you to do it again. We want you to behave. That's why we give you rules. But I'm more concerned about something you said to Mommy earlier. How could you say you're not our real son?"
"I not come out of Mommy's tummy," he sadly says. "I not hew weal son. She dop me." Dop? Oh, adopt.
"No you didn't come out of my tummy but we don't care about that. You are our real son, Tyler, and you're right, Mommy and Daddy did adopt you. We chose to be your mommy and daddy because we love you so much."
"You are one of the best things to ever happen to me," Tobias says. "I'm your Daddy because I want to be your Daddy. I wished that you could stay with us when I didn't have the right to. I love you so much."
"To the moon and back," I say. Tyler buries his head in my chest, and I worry that he's upset but when he looks up at me he's grinning from ear to ear.
"I love you, Mommy and Daddy, moon and back," he says.
"I should get back to work," Tobias says. "Lots to do. I'll be home around 6:30."
"I'll have supper ready," I say. He gives me a quick peck then kisses the top of Tyler's head. "Hey, Daddy, will you put a movie in for us?"
"Cars?" Tyler asks excitedly. I fight sighing and nod at Tobias. I can tell he's enjoying this. He puts the movie in the DVD player, tells us goodbye, and then quickly walks out the door, trying to hide his amused smile. Tyler and I snuggle on the couch watching the movie until Tessa wakes up. I get her out of the bassinet and lie her on a blanket on the floor. When the movie ends, I put her in her swing and Planes in the DVD player. Tyler sits quietly while I start supper knowing Tobias will be home soon. I throw together a chilled spaghetti salad with cherry tomatoes, big black olives, and shredded parmesan cheese tossed lightly with Italian dressing and cut up some fresh seedless red grapes, strawberries, and cantaloupe and toss it with vanilla yogurt after I put some chicken breasts in the oven to bake. Just as I'm putting more barbeque sauce on the chicken, Tobias walks in the door.
"Daddy!" Tyler calls out when he sees his father. He runs over to him, and Tobias scoops him up in his arms and hugs him tight. "I happy you home."
"Well, I'm happy I'm home, too. It's been a long day," he says. He sits Tyler on the couch and picks Tessa up out of her swing and comes to give me a kiss. "Hey, love."
"Hi," I say giving him a slow, tender kiss. "I know we've only been apart for a few hours but I missed you."
"I missed you, too," he says then gives me another kiss. "Wow! Supper smells delicious. I can't wait to dig in. How were things after I left?"
"Fine," I say as I take plates out of the cupboard. "No problems at all."
"That's good," he says. "How was Pebbles? She seems a bit grouchy."
"I've noticed that, too," I say running my hand over her head. "I know she's not on a traditional schedule but she's been a little off since we got home. I think it'll just take some time for her to adjust being home. Will you put her back in the swing and get Tyler ready for supper, please?" After he sets the timer on her swing, he stops Tyler's movie. To both our surprise, he doesn't throw a fit. We sit down and have a wonderful meal then I nurse Tessa while Tobias gives Tyler a bath. Tessa falls asleep while we all watch the rest of Planes then we take the kids upstairs to put them to bed.
"We love you, buddy," Tobias says as I tuck in Tyler.
"To the moon and back," I finish as I kiss his forehead. "Sleep well."
"Can I have a dwink?" he asks, trying to prolong lights out.
"You just had a drink," Tobias says. "After Mommy and I tuck in Tessa I will bring a glass of water and put it on your nightstand for you. Now close your eyes. Pleasant dreams."
"'Night, Daddy," he says then yawns widely. "'Night, Mommy."
"Goodnight, buddy," Tobias and I say at the same time. I turn off his overhead light before we go across the hall to Tessa's room. I carefully change the sleeping infant out of her outfit and put her in a soft pink sleeper without waking her up. I gently lie her in her crib after softly kissing her head.
"Goodnight, little one," I say. "Mommy and Daddy love you so much."
"How about a bath, Tris?" Tobias asks after he puts a small glass of water on Tyler's nightstand.
"I would like that," I say," but are you sure we'll both fit?"
"I'm confident we'll both fit," he says. "That tub is huge." He takes my hand and leads me down the hall into the bathroom. I start stripping out of my clothes as he turns the water on and adds some coconut bath oil. I watch as he slowly takes his clothes off and drops them on the floor and a shiver runs down my spine. "Are you cold?" I shake my head.
"No," I say, clearing my throat. I take in every inch of his naked body, and he takes my breath away. He's Adonis in the flesh, and he's all mine. He steps into the bathtub then he holds his hand out for me. I take it, and he helps me step into the hot yet comfortable water. He sits down with his knees bent against the side of the tub and pulls me with him. He relaxes against the reclining back, and I settle into his hard chest, resting my feet on the edge of the tub.
"Are you comfortable?" he asks as he wraps his arms around me.
"I'm wonderful," I say, taking his hands and threading my fingers with his. "Are you okay? I'm not too heavy am I?" He chuckles in my ear.
"You're not heavy at all," he says. I close my eyes and relax as the water continues to fill the spacious tub, which does have plenty of room for the two of us. I feel his body shift, and I look up over my shoulder at him. "Are you trying to go to sleep?"
"Not really," I say. "It's just so relaxing in here with you. It's trying to pull me under but I don't want to sleep. Let's talk." He releases my hands and starts gently rubbing my belly. It feels so good.
"How's my baby doing in there?" he asks against my ear. He moves his foot and turns the hot water off with his toes as I get the cold water with mine.
"She's been very active today, moving this way and that then I swear at one point she was turning somersaults but she's taking a nap right now," I say. He moves his hands over every inch of my belly like he's trying to determine for himself if she's moving or not.
"How did it go in the infirmary," he asks. "I can't believe I haven't asked before now." Neither can I. He usually interrogates me immediately following my blood pressure checks. He must have something else on his mind.
"Marlene said it was on the high end of normal but didn't elaborate," I say. "Also Isobel ordered a few blood tests and a urinalysis. I imagine she'll give me my test results either at my next clinic visit or she might even tell me tomorrow when we meet for lunch."
"I forgot you were meeting her tomorrow," he says. "Are you taking the kids with you?"
"I had thought about it but I want it to be an adult lunch so I'm dropping them off at daycare for a couple hours," I say. "We're meeting at the Italian place downtown at noon. Sometime soon we're going to have to plan that double date with her and her husband, Carter."
"Go ahead and do that tomorrow if you want to," he says.
"I like you rubbing my tummy," I sigh. "It feels so good but can you do something else for me?"
"Anything," he says, kissing my temple. "You know that."
"If I lean up a little can you rub my back?" I ask. "I probably shouldn't be carrying Tyler around anymore until after the baby's born. He's getting so big, and my back is starting to kill me."
"Of course," he says. We both sit up straighter, and I move forward and grab the front of the tub to the left of the faucet then lean forward and rest my head on my forearms. He puts his strong hands on my shoulders and rubs them firmly but not painfully. He works my muscles until I catch myself almost falling asleep but when he touches my lower back I jump from the discomfort.
"Ow," I say.
"Does it hurt?" he asks, concerned.
"It's just sore," I say. He continues kneading the tight muscles, and the pain begins to diminish. "Oh. Just like that, Tobias. It feels so good." He continues the magical massage until I nearly pass out into the bathwater. "Thank you, baby."
"Shall we get out?" he asks. "The water's getting cold."
"Okay," I say. I stand up then he does. He hands me a towel then wraps one around the lower half of his body. He steps out onto the bath mat then sweeps me up into his arms, startling me.
"How's your back?" he asks.
"It feels really good, right now," I say. I cup his cheek and slowly pull his mouth to mine. "Thank you for the massage. I really needed that. You have a way with your hands. I'm so relaxed right now." I kiss him slowly, thoroughly, and when his tongue invades my mouth, I know he has more in mind.
"I'm going to take you in our room and make love to you," he says, his lips still moving with mine. "Are you okay with that?"
"More than okay," I say. Our lips move together intimately as he walks us into the bedroom. He pauses to close the door and flips the lock. He sits me on my feet next to our bed, and both our towels fall to our feet. He pulls the quilt and top sheet off as I turn the baby monitor on, making sure the power light is on. He scoops me up again causing me to giggle before his lips land on mine, effectively swallowing the laughter. He kisses me passionately for a couple minutes then carefully lies me near the middle of the bed. His arms are so strong. He crawls up my body placing tender kisses here and there on my heated, naked skin. He kisses and nips the inside of each of my thighs before moving up to worship my still growing bump with a reverent gleam in his eyes.
"I love you, Mrs. Eaton. Thank you for having my baby, for keeping her safe in here," he says before kissing each heaving, round, heavy breast. He teases each nipple relentlessly, bringing them to hard peaks, causing me to moan deeply. He continues to kiss his way up my body, a gentle touch exploring alongside his hot, wet mouth. He kisses my ravens, each collarbone, every inch of my sensitive left ear, then he moves his mouth to mine for a long, slow, heady kiss. I throw my arms around his neck and arch myself closer to him, needing to feel his body on mine.
"I love you, too, Tobias," I breathlessly say when we break apart. "So, so much. Make love to me … please." He kisses me again deeply, pulling me toward him until we are both on our sides. He then moves until he is lying behind me, spooning me. He puts his lips on my neck, kissing me tenderly and runs his big, strong hands slowly up and down my body. I feel his powerful desire against my backside, and I feel like crying from the strong emotions running though me. He lifts my leg and lies it over his then places himself at my moist entrance. He slowly sinks fully into my small body, eliciting a groan of fulfillment from me. He doesn't move, he just kisses my sensitive neck while he caresses my aching breast.
"You feel good around me," he whispers against my ear and I involuntarily clench around his hard length. "God, I love you." He slowly withdraws from my depths and thrusts back into me just as slowly then stills himself. I close my eyes and savor his every movement. He trails his hand up my body until he cups my chin and moves my head toward him. His lips lands on mine, and he thoroughly makes love to my mouth as he begins to unhurriedly move within me. I feel the familiar beginning of an earthshattering release stir deep within me with each of his slow, deliberate, and deep-penetrating thrusts. I move my hand back to his muscled backside and feel each of his measured drives. He increases our pace marginally sensing my fast-approaching peak.
"Oh, Tobias," I moan. He buries his head in my shoulder, placing heated kisses all over my neck and upper back, and I slip over the edge, shattering around his invading manhood. I quiver around his shaft and cry out his name over and over. He groans long and low into my back as he finds his own release, spilling himself into me. He slows then stops and pulls out. He gently rolls me toward him so he can look in my eyes. He lowers his mouth to mine keeping his love-clouded eyes on mine and kisses me deliberately, lovingly, and passionately.
"I am so in love with you," he says when he pulls back, emotion thick in his voice. "You've made me the happiest man in this city, this planet, this galaxy."
"I love you, too," I say, caressing his face. I hear Tessa start to whine over the baby monitor and sigh. "I think our daughter needs me."
"Go," he says. "I'll be here when you get back. Kiss Pebbles for me." Before I slide out of bed, I pull him to me and give him a tender yet deep kiss.
"Sleep, Tobias," I say. "I'll be back soon." I slide out of bed and take my robe out of the closet and put it on. When I reach Tessa she has just started to cry but stops when I pick her up. She eats a lot, and I know that she won't be up again until morning, and I silently rejoice. I love her dearly but I like sleeping too. After I change her diaper, I kiss her goodnight then head back to bed. I take my robe off and slip between the sheets, cuddle into Tobias' side feeling his bare skin against mine, and promptly fall into a peaceful, uninterrupted sleep.