Wolves of the Pacific

by greenpeach20

In 1902, Renesmee Cullen grew tired of the tedious life of moving around with her family and decided to make the journey west as a mail order bride. Yet a chance encounter with a reddish brown wolf would change her life forever.

163. Chapter 163

Chapter 163

When Jaedynn arrived to the office, she started feeling a little sick to her stomach when she smelled a coworker's breakfast so she wound up holding her breath the whole elevator ride up and felt better the instant that coworker had left the elevator. She was getting nervous about telling Liz. She wondered if she should tell Liz she was planning to leave, but figured it was best to make Kevin aware first and he'd walk her through procedure. Once she was off the elevator and made it to their glass doors leading to the law firm, she noticed something on her desk and realized it was a tiny bouquet of fresh forget-me-nots in a little round yellow vase and resting against it was a little note with her name on it. She realized she recognized that slant and grabbed the note so she could read it.

Jaedynn,

I had a wonderful time yesterday. I hope you have a happy Wednesday and I look forward to seeing you again.

Roshad

She smiled a silly smile and pressed the note up against her chest with a gentle blush forming on her cheeks. She really wanted to call him, but it would have to wait. She needed to call her dad first so she could be more specific about what her plan was. Then Liz walked in and smiled.

"Morning, Jaedynn," Liz said, "You look much better."

"Yeah, I feel better," Jaedynn said. "Although I guess that'll be touch and go for a while."

"What do you mean?" Liz asked. Jaedynn waved for Liz to come over so she was close enough for Jaedynn to whisper. "I found out I'm pregnant." Liz was stunned and stared at Jaedynn a moment trying to think of what to say.

"Is this a congratulations moment or an oh dear?" Liz asked.

"A little of both I guess," Jaedynn said.

"Now Jaedynn, please don't be mad at me for shoving my opinion down your throat, but I'm begging you don't kill that poor baby," Liz said.

"I've decided to keep it," Jaedynn said. "The issue, though, is I don't want to be with Alex anymore."

"Well, Jaedynn, forgive me, but now that there's a baby involved, you don't really have much choice," Liz said.

"I have choices," Jaedynn said. Liz gave her a bit of a critical look but didn't argue.

"So are these flowers an apology from Alex over the two of you fighting then?" Liz asked.

"No," Jaedynn said and her smile returned. "They're actually from a man I met the other day. I was sobbing at a Cajun restaurant sitting alone and he came over, talked to me and cheered me up. He was just sending me flowers and wishing me a happy Wednesday."

"Jaedynn," Liz said firmly like she was about to lecture her daughter but then threw her hands in the air, "I'll stay out of it. I swear you baby boomers are taking society to hell in a hand basket sometimes."

"I was born in '45 so I'm technically still the Silent Generation, Liz," Jaedynn giggled.

"Nonsense; you're a baby boomer," Liz grumbled. "Just…..please tell me this other guy is just being friendly? There's nothing romantic? The last thing you should be doing is hopping from one man's bed to another."

"Liz," Jaedynn whined a little.

"You're right; I'm sorry. I'm not your mother and I shouldn't tell you what to do," Liz said. "Just do me a favor? Don't go all in on this guy until you've sorted things out with that baby's father."

"That's what I'm trying to do," Jaedynn said.

"And he knows?"

"Alex or Roshad?"

"Who's…never mind. Both I guess," Liz said.

"Yes, they both know," Jaedynn said.

"You'll need to speak with HR. Let them know you're expecting and they'll make the manager aware so he can give you your options for maternity leave. Warning you right now: it's not paid."

"I'm planning to talk to Uncle Kevin about it," Jaedynn said.

"Alright, I'll leave you to it," Liz said then, unable to resist, asked, "so when are you due?"

"I don't know yet. I figure I'm 4-5 weeks along at most by now. I need to go to the doctor and schedule an appointment for an ultrasound."

"Well, if you don't mind me chewing your ear off: you make sure you're eating healthy. No junk food. I mean it! No pop, no candies, no chips or any other garbage. You eat good food that you've made yourself. And don't eat anything spicy. It'll send you into early labor."

Jaedynn just smiled and listened to Liz as she went on and on about the dos and don'ts of being pregnant. Even when she heard Liz say something scary, she reminded herself to talk to the doctor for a professional opinion. Once she was back in Washington, she'd be under Kyle's care, so she wasn't worried. They eventually got to work and Jaedynn waited until Liz ran off for lunch before she finally called home. She called the police station first and fortunately caught Nathan.

"This is Officer Black," Nathan said.

"Hey, daddy," Jaedynn said.

"Thank God," Nathan groaned. "Please tell me you weren't being serious last night about you and Alex working things out."

"I wasn't," Jaedynn said, "but I do need you to trust me. I tried to tell Alex I didn't want to be with him but he didn't take it well. If I don't play my cards right, he'll explode."

"Jaedynn," Nathan said, "what aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," Jaedynn said. "He yelled at me, he shoved me and that's-"

"Why didn't you tell me this before?!"

"Daddy, please," Jaedynn said, "this is why I'm saying I need to play my cards right. I need to get all my things out of the apartment but I need to do it slowly so he won't notice. Once I've got all my things out, I will call you and arrange to come home. If I try to leave in one go, he might get rougher and frankly I can't risk that right now."

"Your brothers and I will be on the next plane to New York and we'll take care of it," Nathan said.

"Daddy, if you come barging in, police might get involved. I really don't want to have to involve police on this when we don't have to," Jaedynn said.

"I don't give two shits if the police get involved," Nathan said.

"Well I do," Jaedynn said. "I don't want you, Ariel or Gabriel getting in trouble over this. I'd rather leave quietly and deal with Alex from a distance."

Nathan sighed heavily, "How long do you think you'll take?"

"No later than November," Jaedynn said.

"Why so long?"

"I need to make sure he's not home when I take things. He has an erratic schedule so I need all the time I can get."

"Jaedynn, the longer you take, the more likely he'll be to notice."

"I know," Jaedynn said, "so I will do this as fast as I can, but I can't rush. I'm planning to bring my things to Uncle Kevin's apartment a little at a time and once I've got everything, that's where I'll stay until I return to Washington."

"Alright," Nathan finally said, "But if anything changes or you need help, you just call me."

"I will daddy," Jaedynn said. "Is Uncle Kevin back home?"

"Yes, he is," Nathan said.

"I'll call his office and let him know," Jaedynn said. "Does….anyone else know about…"

"The baby? Yeah, everyone knows," Nathan said. "We wolves do not keep secrets for long. I admit I went on patrol last night because I needed to calm down and the pack heard the news. The whole family likely knows by now."

"Alright," Jaedynn said, "But not Ivory? I haven't heard from her."

"I'm sure she knows. Scarlet and your brothers all know."

"Of course," Jaedynn said. "I should probably call Ivory."

"Call your uncle first," Nathan said.

"I will," Jaedynn said. "I'll keep you updated okay?"

"Please do," Nathan said, "and Jaedynn?"

"Yeah?"

"We'll be happy to have you back home. We miss you," Nathan said.

"I miss you too. I love you, daddy," Jaedynn said.

"I love you too, Jaedynn," Nathan replied and they hung up.

From there, Jaedynn called the office in Seattle and requested to speak with Kevin, but he was in meetings so she requested a call back. She'd have to wait until that evening before she spoke with Ivory, but she'd make a point to call her. Once Liz returned, Jaedynn went to the gynecologist's office she'd been to before, let them know she was keeping the baby and got herself scheduled for an ultrasound appointment. That thankfully didn't take long and she returned to the office with time to spare, so she pulled out Roshad's phone number from her purse and called.

"This is Roshad," he answered.

"Hey, Roshad. It's Jaedynn," she said.

"Good to hear from you," he answered with a smile in his voice. "Did you get the flowers?"

"I did; they're beautiful. Thank you," Jaedynn said. "So listen, Tuesday I've got a doctor's appointment. I'm taking off work and I'll be in the area. I was wondering if you wanted to do something."

"I would love to," Roshad said. "When is your appointment?"

"10:00," Jaedynn answered. "I should be out by eleven at latest. Do you want to meet in the lobby of your apartment?"

"Of course," Roshad said. "Make sure you're hungry. I'll cook you something."

"I can't wait," Jaedynn smiled. "I'd better get back to work, but it was good speaking to you. I'll talk to you again soon?"

"I'll talk to you soon, Jaedynn. Have a good rest of your day."

"You too," Jaedynn said and they hung up. She returned to the office for work and within the hour, she got a call back from Kevin. "Heidelberg and Black, how can I assist you?" Jaedynn answered the phone.

"Jaedynn, it's Kevin," he said. "Mary said you were trying to reach me."

"Yeah, I was," Jaedynn said. "Have you heard?"

"Yes," Kevin said. "I will inform HR that you're leaving soon. How much time do you think you'll need?"

"I told daddy no later than November," Jaedynn said.

"Alright," Kevin said. "We'll tell them your last day will be the first Friday in November. That'll give you plenty of time and if you get your things out before then, even better."

"So Friday the 3rd?" Jaedynn said, looking through the calendar.

"Yeah," Kevin said, glancing at his own. "We'll get you a plane ticket the moment you're ready."

"I appreciate it, Uncle Kevin," Jaedynn said. "Just let me know who I need to pay back."

"No one; don't worry about it," Kevin said. "You've got more important things to worry about. Keep me and your dad updated, got it?"

"I will," Jaedynn said, "and thank you, Uncle Kevin. Not just for this, but for everything."

"Anything, Jaedynn," Kevin said. "I'll call HR and we'll get everything in motion okay?"

"Thank you," Jaedynn said and disconnected.

"So what did Mr. Black say?" Liz asked once Jaedynn was off the phone.

"My last day's November 3rd," Jaedynn answered. Liz actually looked really sad and got up from her desk to come around to Jaedynn.

"I'll miss you," Liz said. "It was a pleasure working with you. I hope you know that."

"I'll miss you too," Jaedynn said and they hugged. "You were a great mentor, Liz."

"You were a great student," Liz replied. "It may be a touch early for such things, but let me throw you a little baby shower. Nothing crazy; just decorating your desk and have people in the office give you presents."

"You don't have to do that, Liz," Jaedynn smiled, "As it is, I doubt anyone is really open to giving presents to an unwed mother."

"You let me worry about that," Liz said. "Even if the only thing they give you are diapers, you'll want all the help you can get especially since you're a single mother."

"Thank you, Liz," Jaedynn said.

"Maybe even get this gentleman friend of yours to send you diapers," Liz said. "Like Joan Crawford once send: 'Don't send me flowers. They won't do me a damn bit of good when I'm dead'."

"Sounds like something she'd say," Jaedynn laughed.

Sadly, as she suspected would be the case, Alex was home every morning that week claiming he either wasn't working that day or he would be working later in the day. By that Friday the first of September, she already felt like she was behind. She did not tell Alex that November 3rd would be her last day. She'd instead told him that she had informed her manager she was pregnant and would be leaving and they requested she stay as long as possible and they'd release her once she couldn't work anymore. To her relief, Alex bought it. She also did not tell him about her ultrasound appointment. As far as he knew, she would be at work on Tuesday. However on Saturday, she had some luck. Alex and Jaedynn were still in bed when they woke up to the door opening.

"Hijo de Puta, Rita," Alex grumbled, "¡Golpe!" (Knock)

"Tenemos una problema. Vístete y ven afuera," (We have a problem. Get dressed and come outside) Rita answered and then left the apartment.

"What's wrong?" Jaedynn asked.

"I don't fucking know," Alex said as he got out of bed and into some jeans. "I'll be back." Then he stepped outside where Rita was waiting. She overheard the two of them talking in rapid Spanish but what they were discussing she didn't know. After a few minutes, Alex came back inside visibly annoyed.

"Everything okay?" Jaedynn asked.

"It's nothing you need to worry about," Alex said as he kneeled beside their bed and reached under for his briefcase. He seemed to sort through a few things and shoved what he needed into his pocket along with his wallet and then put on a shirt. "I need to go out for a few hours. The way Rita's talking, I'll be gone all day."

"Do you know what time you'll be home?" Jaedynn asked.

"Late," Alex said and started mumbling something in Spanish as he put the briefcase back under the bed. "Go back to bed."

"Alright," Jaedynn said and then Alex left the apartment.

Just to be sure, she waited an hour before she did anything. Once she was sure he was out, Jaedynn got dressed and put together some of her clothes but not enough to fill a suitcase. She was scared someone might see her carrying a suitcase and word would get back to Alex, so she kept herself lightly encumbered. She also took her paystubs knowing it was imperative she get all her important information out of the house first and foremost. Once she had everything that would fit in just her purse, she nearly grabbed her car keys but stopped herself. Taking her car would be too conspicuous. It would have to be one of the last things she took. Not wanting to risk seeing Alex in the subways or on a train, she walked down the sidewalk until she could hail a taxi to take her to the Upper East Side. She quickly paid the taxi and got into the building and was greeted by the front desk staff.

"Can we help you, Miss?" the manager asked.

"I hope so. I'm Kevin Black's niece Jaedynn Black? I don't know if you remember me but I need to drop a few things off at his apartment."

"Is your uncle aware of this?"

"Yes, he's aware, but you're welcome to call him. I'd check his office first," Jaedynn said and the manager did just that. He got Kevin on his office phone who assured Jaedynn – and only Jaedynn – had permission to be there.

"Mr. Black confirmed you're welcome, Miss Jaedynn. Do you have a key or will you need a staff member to let you in?"

"Staff if you please," Jaedynn said and an employee went upstairs with her to the right floor and let her into Kevin's apartment. She quickly dropped off her things putting them in Heather's old room and then stepped out with the staff member.

"Do you want us to check if Mr. Black will permit us to make you a key, miss?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Jaedynn said. "I'll only be coming over to drop some things off for a while, so when I'm here I'll be quick."

"As you wish, miss," the employee said and they began walking down the hall to the elevator. When it opened, there was Roshad.

"Jaedynn?"

"Oh," Jaedynn started, "Roshad, what a surprise." Roshad stepped out of the elevator with a pleasant smile.

"Lucas is your name, yes?" Roshad asked the man.

"Yes, Mr. Javadi. I was just leading Miss Black out," Lucas said.

"I was just dropping some things off," Jaedynn explained.

"Do you want to stay a while longer and have some tea?" Roshad offered. Jaedynn took a moment to consider, wondering if she had time. Maybe if she left in an hour she could be home in a reasonable time.

"Sure, that would be nice," Jaedynn said.

"Wonderful," Roshad said and then looked at Lucas. "I'll show her out when she's ready."

"Absolutely, Mr. Javadi. You have a nice day," Lucas said and walked into the elevator before it closed.

"You said you're neighbors with my uncle, right?"

"Yes, indeed; four doors down in fact," Roshad said. "We can go to a café nearby if you like. I shouldn't have assumed you would want to be in my apartment."

"No, it's fine," Jaedynn assured with a smile. "I'm actually curious what your apartment looks like."

"Same as everyone else, just a lot of stuff I brought with me from Iran," Roshad said and guided her to his place. "New York wastes no time. I've barely been here a week and already I've received bills and advertisements."

"Sounds about right to me," Jaedynn said. Once they were in front of Roshad's apartment door, he let them in and Jaedynn was actually a little underwhelmed. "This place doesn't really look like you."

Roshad laughed out loud as he closed the door, "Yes, it's a little one note for my liking. Normally owners can paint as they like but since I'm leasing I'm under strict rules to keep it white as a lily."

"So if you had your way, this place would be purple and red and bright yellow or something?"

"Depends on the room," Roshad said. "Back home, the walls are either white or tan, but the rugs and tile will brighten up the room. At least my home in Tehran, but that house is well over two hundred years old. That house had been a gift from Fatimeh's father. The house in Chalus is mostly white but there's plenty of plant life, ceramics and marble to give it more character."

"Honestly, I'm shocked you don't have a home made entirely of gold," Jaedynn said.

"That would be a little too much," Roshad smiled and grabbed the brass pot on his stove and filled it with water. He put that on the stovetop and turned on the burner to get the water heated. "So how are you feeling? Any new developments with the baby?"

"I've felt alright, but I'm sensitive to smells it seems. I never cared before, but there's a man that works in the building that will always have something with him for breakfast and sometimes it'll be enough to make me sick to my stomach. I'm told that's common though."

"It is," Roshad said. "I think Aida had it the worst of all my wives but all of them would get sick at the smell of things they either used to like or that never bothered them before. It's like the worst flu you ever had."

"I'm gathering that," Jaedynn said. She watched Roshad go to his fridge and pull out a few things. "What's all that?"

"I'm making you some gold milk tea," Roshad said. "It's extremely healthy regardless, but if you're pregnant, it's especially good."

"What's in it?"

"Turmeric, cinnamon, clove, star anise – several things. Come around and I'll show you how to make it," Roshad said. Jaedynn came to the kitchen and stood beside Roshad as he cut off a small nub of turmeric and some ginger root grating both into a small bowl. Then he put star anise, clove and a stick of cinnamon into a dry sauce pan then turned on the burner. "You want to toast all these. It's a fine line between toasted and burnt, so you need to be careful."

"Okay," Jaedynn said and kept watching. Before long, the kitchen was filled with all the smells of each spice and as soon as their smells filled the room, Roshad put all the spices in a giant mortar and started grinding them with the pestle. "This is much easier with a spice grinder."

"Easier does not always mean better," Roshad smiled. Soon he had them in the consistency he wanted and measured out a generous teaspoon's worth of the mixture putting it back in the saucepan with the turmeric, ginger, and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper then went back into the fridge to grab some milk and butter which he put into the sauce pan as well as a vanilla bean. He carved the bean in half and put it into the milk mixture whole with all the other ingredients.

"This smells amazing already," Jaedynn said.

"It'll taste better," Roshad said and got the burner turned back on. Like that, the kettle began to whistle, so Roshad turned that burner off, got a mug and a big box out of the top cabinet as well as a large silver ball with holes in it that made a fancy design and mesh to line it. "Is black tea alright?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn nodded, though she didn't know what other tea she'd even want. He filled the silver ball with the loose tea, sealed it and then opened the top of the kettle to put in the ball.

"By the time that's done steeping, the milk will be ready. I'd normally use goat milk, but I couldn't find that," Roshad said.

"What's the difference?"

"Goat's milk is more tangy," Roshad explained, "Or so it's been explained to me. I could never taste it properly."

"Sounds a little too much like buttermilk. I don't care for buttermilk," Jaedynn said.

"Good thing it's cow's milk then," Roshad smiled. The milk was a lovely gold color in a matter of minutes thanks to the turmeric and it stayed on a gentle simmer for a while longer. Then Roshad grabbed a mug and put a big cube of sugar at the bottom of the cup, filled it 1/3rd the way with tea and then finished it off with the milk using a strainer to keep the granular spices out and handed it over to Jaedynn. "Let me know what you think." Jaedynn nodded and blew on it a few times stirring it with a spoon before finally taking a sip. It was rich and spicy with just a hint of sweetness but not too much.

"That's delicious," Jaedynn said and took another sip. "I've never had coffee or tea this good."

"I'll put these in a little carrier for you," Roshad said. "It's best to drink some every day. It'll keep you feeling healthy."

"I didn't realize you were a doctor too," Jaedynn teased.

"No, no; just a man that's….what is the term in English? Been around the block a few times? I just mean I have experience with pregnancy and I know what always worked for my wives."

"I know what you mean," Jaedynn nodded and took another sip. "I'm actually a little surprised that licorice taste isn't bothering me."

"The anise you mean? Yes, licorice candy is not as good as anise or fennel. It's too strong and overpowering. All you need is a touch of anise or fennel."

"I couldn't agree more," Jaedynn said.

"So you said you were dropping some things off at your uncle's?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "Just a few clothes and important documents. I need to get out of the apartment as discreetly as possible."

"Why the need for discretion?"

"I tried explaining to Alex I'm not happy and I want out, but he's not hearing it. At this point, my best option is to leave quietly and let him rage from afar."

"Has he hurt you?"

"Just scared me," Jaedynn said and looked up at Roshad before taking a deep breath. "He's shoved me twice now: first when I tried to leave the apartment when I was upset and again the other day when I tried to continue arguing over not being happy. I'm scared if I push too much, he might get even more violent."

"If that's how he is, it'll only get worse," Roshad said.

"That's why I need to make sure he's none the wiser," Jaedynn said. "The moment I've got everything out, I'll need to leave right away."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Roshad asked.

"No more than what you're already doing," Jaedynn said. "I got myself into this mess; I need to get myself out of it."

"Why didn't you take everything over today?"

"I'm scared that if I'm too conspicuous, someone will notify Alex and he'll stop me," Jaedynn said. "I want to get everything out by October. The only reason I could drop things off today is there was an emergency and Alex had to leave suddenly. Otherwise, I'm planning to remove things from the house a little at a time when I leave for work. My paystubs and important documents are out of there at least, so all that's left are my clothes and my car."

"If you have your important things out of there, I say cut your losses and stay away," Roshad said.

"If I feel like I have to then I will," Jaedynn said. "For now, I want to try to get all my things out of there."

"Does your uncle know?"

"Yes, everyone knows what's happening. I still need to call my sister. I'd meant to but I never got the chance," Jaedynn said.

"Well," Roshad said and took a hold of his phone offering it to Jaedynn, "You're welcome to do so now." Jaedynn stared at the phone but eventually accepted it.

"I'll pay you back for the extra charge to your phone bill," Jaedynn said but Roshad waved his hand.

"Don't worry about it. I call Iran and I promise you my calls to Iran cost drastically more than a call to Washington."

"You're able to call Iran?"

"It's a roundabout process, but yes I can. I need to. If I didn't, maman might have a heart attack."

"I don't know if vampires can have heart attacks," Jaedynn smiled.

"She'd find a way; trust me," Roshad chuckled. "I'll leave you be so you can talk to her."

"Thank you," Jaedynn smiled and started to dial the number while Roshad left the kitchen and sat on his couch in the living room several feet away. She saw him pick up a book that was clearly in Farsi and start reading just as Ivory answered. "Ivory? It's Jaedynn."

"Jaedynn?" Ivory said. "Holy shit, Jaedynn! Are you okay? Daddy said you're coming home! When will you be back?"

"No later than November," Jaedynn said. Then she glanced at Roshad. He was engrossed in whatever he was reading or was at least making a point to be. "I'm moving everything out a little at a time. I've got a good friend that's helping me."

"Who is this 'good friend'?" Ivory asked suspiciously.

"He's someone that lives in the same building as Uncle Kevin. He's a few doors down from their place."

"And why are you getting involved with this guy exactly?" Ivory asked.

Jaedynn kept her voice down and said, "You're sworn to secrecy."

"Not a chance in hell," Ivory said, "Just tell me."

Jaedynn sighed but still kept her voice down, "He's my imprint," she said in Quileute.

"Are you shitting me? Are you actually shitting me? Where the hell was this asshole at Christmas?!"

"In Tehran," Jaedynn answered.

"Where the hell is Tehran?"

"It's in Iran," Jaedynn said. "He just moved into this building a week ago."

"His timing's impeccable," Ivory said sarcastically.

"Ivory, stop," Jaedynn said. "I'm calling because I wanted to make sure I told you I'll be coming home. And I just wanted to talk to you."

"The sooner you come home the better," Ivory said. "I can't believe that bastard got you pregnant on purpose."

"It doesn't matter at this point," Jaedynn said. "I've decided to keep it so I'll take it one day at a time."

"And does Mr. Iran know you're pregnant?"

"First of all, his name is Roshad and, secondly, yes he knows," Jaedynn said.

"Roshad you say?" Ivory said. "Does daddy know about this?"

"No, and I don't want to tell him yet," Jaedynn said. "I mean it, Ivory. Don't tell anyone. I'd like to make sure everything with Alex is resolved before I tell anyone about Roshad."

"In the meantime, you're planning to carry on a relationship?"

"Ivory," Jaedynn said firmly.

"Fine," Ivory sighed heavily. "His name's Roshad you said?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "He's from Iran and he's….old let's say. About grandpa Edward's age in fact."

"Ew," Ivory said.

"Hey!" Jaedynn said, "He looks the same age as the rest of us. You weren't saying 'ew' when you met Kai."

"Yeah I was," Ivory said, "Scarlet just didn't hear me say it. All I'll say Jaedynn is try to do one thing at a time. In all serious, I get it. Hell, we all do. But remember that you're not exactly in a situation to be juggling."

"I'm not 'juggling'," Jaedynn argued. "As far as I'm concerned, things between me and Alex are over. I just need to get my things out of the apartment."

"Well, get your things out of the apartment, then you can shift your attention to wooing the old man," Ivory said.

"Shut up, Ivory," Jaedynn said. "Honestly, Ivory; the way you're talking to me you make me think you don't miss me."

"Oh, I miss you, but I do plan to smack you across the face when you come home."

"You wouldn't smack a pregnant lady would you?"

"Only one," Ivory said and the two of them finally started laughing. "I really do miss you. Come home soon, okay? I'm sure daddy already told you, but anything we can do to help you, we're here."

"I know," Jaedynn said. "I should probably get going. I need to return to the apartment before Alex realizes I'm gone. I'll be keeping daddy and Uncle Kevin in the loop the whole way."

"I'll pester them for updates," Ivory said. "Love you, Jaedynn. I'll talk to you later." They disconnected and Jaedynn took another sip of her tea. She heard Roshad approaching the kitchen and turned to look at him once he was there. "Thank you for letting me use your phone."

"It's no problem," Roshad said. "So what language was that if you don't mind me asking?"

"Quileute," Jaedynn said and then teased, "I thought you were giving me privacy."

"I'm afraid my ears caught a few things," Roshad smiled, "I could swear I felt them burning too."

"I just told her you're a friend that's helping me out," Jaedynn said. "I hate to leave, but I really should get back after I finish this. Alex said he'd be home late but I don't want to test my luck."

"I'll put this spice blend it a bag for you," Roshad said and collected the spices as well as a long stump of turmeric, ginger and several vanilla beans and put it in a bag for her while she finished her tea. "You said your doctor's appointment is at 10:00 on Tuesday?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said and blushed again. "Do….um…do you want to come?"

"Do you want me to be there?"

"I admit I'd like it, but you don't have to come," Jaedynn said. "I'm sorry; I'm being too forward."

"It's alright; I've been forward too," Roshad smiled. "If they will allow me to be there, I would be happy to. Just tell me where the office is and I'll come."

"Really?" Jaedynn asked.

"Absolutely," Roshad said. "After that, do you want to come back here? I'll make you some lunch."

"I would like that," Jaedynn smiled. She finished her tea and insisted on cleaning her mug and the saucepan before Roshad walked her out where she waved down a taxi. "I'll talk to you again soon. And thank you for the tea."

"I look forward to it," And then reached into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. "How much do you suppose the taxi will be?"

"It's alright, you don't have to pay for my ride."

"Please, I insist," Roshad said and offered $10. Jaedynn sighed but couldn't help smiling and accepted the money.

"I'll see you on Tuesday?"

"I'll see you on Tuesday," Roshad affirmed and closed the door for her once she was comfortably inside. He even waited on the curb until the taxi drove away.

By the time she returned to the apartment, Alex was still out so she got back into her pajamas she'd been wearing that morning and made sure it looked as though she'd been home all day. Deciding to take advantage of the privacy, she got some more small clothes tucked into her purse to bring with her on Monday. With little else to do, Jaedynn went next door to Martha's place and made herself some golden milk tea. It didn't taste quite the same when she made it but it was still very good. She ended up staying at Martha's apartment talking for a few hours before Jaedynn returned to her place to relax. Alex wasn't home when she went to sleep that night but he was home when she woke the next morning and did not leave the whole day. He seemed extremely irritable and she didn't ask him to talk about it which he seemed to appreciate.

"When are you going to start showing?" Alex asked as he rubbed her belly while Jaedynn was making herself something to eat.

"I don't suspect I'll start showing until beginning of October at earliest. I'm really tall so it takes a little longer to show," Jaedynn answered. "We really should have a birthing plan," she continued, keeping the normalcy.

"What plan?" Alex huffed. "You just have it; what else is there to plan?"

"Alex, as I'm sure even Rita will happily attest, having a baby isn't as simple as you're making it sound," Jaedynn said. "It's extremely painful with hours of labor and there's always a risk of needing doctor intervention if there's a problem. I can't exactly just lay back in bed and wait for the baby to appear."

"Isn't having a baby natural or something? I'd assume you naturally know how to do it."

"I'm sorry, Alex, but that's not how it works," Jaedynn sighed and, continuing the lie, said, "I'll talk to Liz and see if she can recommend some doctors."

"I'm sure Rita can make herself useful," Alex said and this time Jaedynn didn't bother hiding her irritation as she turned to look right at him. She realized too late she might be overstepping, but he didn't seem to take offense and sighed in annoyance. "Fine, you're right. If I hadn't bitten the bitch, she'd be dead."

"Exactly," Jaedynn muttered, hoping to end the discussion. "If it's the cost you're worried about, I have good insurance so we'll be fine. If I keep working as long as possible, that insurance will still be in effect once I go into labor."

"Alright, alright," Alex said and kept rubbing her belly. "I hope it's a boy. I'd really like a boy."

"Eventually I'll be able to find out the baby's gender," Jaedynn said and stayed still while Alex kept rubbing her belly.

When Monday came, Alex was home in the morning when she left for work so she could only take what she'd already put in her purse before. She took her usual route and went to work as she normally would and waited until her lunch hour to stop by the apartment to drop off more of her things. She stopped by Roshad's apartment but there was no answer when she knocked so she went ahead and returned to work, though come end of the day, she couldn't resist going to a payphone to call him. He answered the phone when she called and they talked pleasantly for a few minutes, but it was all she could spare. They promised to see one another the following day and Jaedynn made her way back to the apartment. Alex was home when she returned. To her frustration, he was home in the morning too, so she could not pack anything and she had to dress for work like she normally would and left at the usual time. Of course, by the time she made it to the Upper East Side, her appointment still wasn't for another two hours.

Unable to resist, she hailed a taxi and asked to be brought to a baby's specialty store that Liz had told her about. The driver took her to Midtown and dropped her off at the little shop that sold baby necessities. When she walked in, she was met by a sales rep asking if she needed anything, if she was there to either buy for a registry or start a registry. She explained she was just browsing for the time being and looked through the selection of items ranging from toys, to cribs, displays for baby clothes one could order as well as outfits that one could buy same day, cloth diapers and a myriad of other baby things. She found so many clothes for little girls that she thought were just precious, but she didn't let herself get too attached. She didn't want to start fantasizing about playing dress up until she knew what she was having. She wandered to where the toys were congregated and found a whole slew of stuffed animals, chew toys for teething, bath toys and many other things. One toy in particular caught her eye. It was a little rattle, but it was a soft rubbery material and it was a ball. The rubber was fashioned like honeycomb and in the center she could see the little rattle with tiny marbles. She picked it up to feel it and rattle it.

"Are you finding everything alright, Miss?" the saleswoman asked.

"Yeah," Jaedynn said and then presented the rattle. "Would this be alright for a newborn or no?"

"A newborn would love that," the saleswoman said. "It's soft enough that if the baby throws it or accidently hit their head with it the toy won't cause damage but it has the rattle that a baby likes and the design makes it easy for them to grab onto."

"Baby's certainly can be grabby," Jaedynn smiled then offered it to the woman. "I'd like to do some more browsing, but I'd like to get this."

"I'll bring this to the register for you. Is there anything else you were thinking of getting?"

"Just toys for now," Jaedynn said. She kept her left hand out of view so the absence of a ring wouldn't be noticed. "I admit I only just found out I'm pregnant a week ago and my first ultrasound is today, so I might be jumping the gun a little as it is."

"It's never too early to plan," the woman smiled. "Just let me know if there's anything else I can help you with."

She thanked the woman and continued browsing, but most of the items were definitively boy or girl oriented so she wasn't keen to get anything just yet. Eventually, she found a collection of toys that she immediately loved. It was a section that was Disney inspired heavily featuring Winnie the Pooh. The Eeyore puppet, a tiny crochet stuffed animal that was absolutely adorable, grabbed her attention the most out of all the other toys. It was extremely expensive, but she didn't really care at that point. She loved it and wanted to get it. With her Eeyore toy in hand, she went to the register and bought the two toys, then got outside to hail a Taxi so she could return to the Upper East Side for her appointment. Roshad was in the waiting room when she arrived and stood when he saw her showing a big smile.

"I see you went shopping," he said.

"I did," Jaedynn smiled and came to offer it to him. "I need to check in; I'll be back." She went to the front desk to let them know she was there and they gave her some forms to fill out, so she returned to the sitting area to sit beside Roshad. She pulled out the two toys so she could show him. "I had some time to kill and went to a baby store. I found two toys that I couldn't resist getting."

"So a rattle and…a donkey?"

"Eeyore," Jaedynn said. "He's a character from Winnie the Pooh."

"Oh," Roshad said, vaguely recalling the name. He examined the toy and chuckled a little. "It's cute."

"Everything was either just for boys or just for girls, so I got what would be gender neutral. I won't be able to find out the baby's gender until later."

"I assume the ultrasound will make that possible?" Roshad asked and Jaedynn nodded. "So today's ultrasound is just intended to determine how far along you are?"

"That and to make sure the baby's developing normally," Jaedynn said as she was filling out the forms. "I'll need to put those in Uncle Kevin's apartment today, so I'll stop there before we have lunch."

"Alright," Roshad said and put the toys back in their bag.

"So what's for lunch today?"

"Saffron rice with Tahdig, ghormeh sabzi and morgh," Roshad said. "I even made some Saffron ice cream because I felt like being fancy."

"Sounds like something you'd do," Jaedynn giggled. "I don't know what most of the things you said are, but I trust you that it'll be delicious. I don't suppose I could request gold milk tea too? I made it myself but it doesn't taste as good when I do it."

"Of course," Roshad smiled. "Morgh is just chicken. I wasn't sure if you like lamb or not so I thought it better to play it safe."

"I've actually never had lamb," Jaedynn said. "I hear its gammy, but I like elk so I might like it."

"I will make it for you next time," Roshad said.

"Now what is Tahdig and ghormeh sabzi?"

"Tahdig is burnt rice and ghormeh sabzi is an herb stew," Roshad answered.

"Was this anyone's favorite dish?"

"It's a culmination," Roshad said. "Now, every Persian breathing loves Tahdig. It's what the children fight over at dinner. My sons were no exception. Ghormeh sabzi was a favorite of a few of my sons and morgh was my youngest son's, Abbas's, favorite. Most of my other children much preferred lamb or goat. Once, many, many years ago I went to Greece with my son Amir and you'd think the boy had died and gone to heaven. Just about everything had lamb or goat and he loved it."

"How old was he? Do you remember?"

"He was in his early twenties at the time," Roshad said.

"Do…." Jaedynn began, but stopped herself. "I was about to ask if you had pictures, but I guess not."

"Not on me," Roshad said. "I have paintings of all my children but they're in Tehran. I have a very specific set up. I have paintings of Aida, Fatimeh and Miriam and below their portraits are the portraits of our children in order of birth. So all my children with Aida are below her portrait, my children with Fatimeh are below her portrait and Miriam Sr. is above Miriam Jr. It has a descending look so right under the portraits of Fatimeh, Miriam and our children I have my desk and it's near a window."

"And that's only in Tehran?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "The home in Chalus doesn't have portraits, but it has mementos of my lost loved ones. My daughter – her mother too for that matter – loved pomegranates so the home in Chalus is surrounded by pomegranate trees. My son Ishmael loved almonds so whenever I host Mehmooni at the house in Chalus, there is always almond desserts offered."

"Mehmooni?"

"It just means 'gathering'. So whenever I have parties there," Roshad said.

"Oh," Jaedynn said, "I've never had a pomegranate but I would love to try one."

"You will today when you have dessert," Roshad promised.

"I feel like I should pay you for this fancy lunch you're making me," Jaedynn giggled.

"It's on the house courtesy of the chef," Roshad smiled. "So how have you been feeling?"

"Just tired, achy and sick, but then I'll feel better other times during the day," Jaedynn said. "I'm trying to adjust to this constant shift."

"As it's explained to me, you never do," Roshad said. Jaedynn finished the forms she'd been given and returned to the desk to provide them. Once she returned to sit beside Roshad, she pulled out the little Eeyore doll for comfort. "You said that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is your favorite Disney movie, yes?"

"It is," Jaedynn said, "But I have fond memories of Winnie the Pooh too. Eeyore's a very recent addition to the 100 Acre Woods, but I love him all the same."

"Jaedynn Black?" a nurse called her name after stepping out to the sitting area and Jaedynn grabbed her things to come with. Roshad followed after and the nurse seemed to think nothing of it. "Sir, if you could wait here just a moment while I take your wife's weight and measurements." Roshad was a little surprised by the woman's assertion but didn't say anything and just looked at Jaedynn, but she didn't say anything either. She just smiled apologetically and followed the nurse to a scale to get her weight and height. Finally the nurse led them to another room with a large ultrasound machine and Roshad was able to follow. "The specialist will be with you in just a moment," the nurse said and then left the room, leaving Jaedynn and Roshad alone.

"Sorry," Jaedynn said, "I didn't put you down as the father or anything."

"I know, I figured the nurse assumed," Roshad said. "I suspect if they know we aren't married they won't let me stay in here."

"That I don't know," Jaedynn said. "I need to get in a gown."

"I'll turn around," Roshad said and kept himself in the corner while Jaedynn changed then turned around again once she confirmed she was in the gown and sitting on the exam table covered. "Forgive my asking, but does…Alex right?" Jaedynn nodded. "Does Alex know about this appointment?"

"No," Jaedynn said. "I'm trying to distance us as much as possible. I don't really want him here if I'm honest."

"I see," Roshad said. "I confess this is very strange."

"I know," Jaedynn said. "I still appreciate you being here with me."

"I'm happy to be here," Roshad said sincerely. He glanced in the general area of her belly. "I'm so tempted to ask if I can touch your belly but I'm scared it would be inappropriate."

"I don't think so," Jaedynn answered eagerly and pulled the blanket down and her gown up enough that her stomach was visible. There was no bump to see. At the moment she still looked as she always did. Roshad brought his hand forward and placed it over her lower abdomen. Her stomach was flat but very soft and warm. It felt inviting; it had been such a long time since he felt anything like this. "It's too soon to feel anything."

"If I remember correctly, kicking doesn't begin for another two months," Roshad said.

"First time you feel it is called the 'quickening' I think," Jaedynn said. "My sister Scarlet's the only one with a kid out of my siblings. My cousin JJ has six kids, my cousin Salem just had a daughter and a few family friends had babies recently too. Both boys. I suspect Gabriel and Emma Leigh will be expecting soon."

"I believe Kevin mentioned your brother married this year?"

"They got married August the 5th," Jaedynn said.

"So very recently," Roshad said. "Are they planning for children or only a dog?"

Jaedynn giggled, "As far as I know they're planning to have kids. They aren't actively preventing it; let's put it that way. Gabriel's already told Ariel he can't have the name Adalita. Apparently that's going to be Gabriel's and Emma Leigh's daughter's name."

"And if they have a boy?"

"I don't know if they agreed on a boy's name. I just know Ariel's not allowed to have Adalita and Ariel said whoever has a daughter first gets the name," Jaedynn said.

"I'd say that's fair," Roshad chuckled.

"Fortunately, no one has claimed Kamron or Scheherazade."

"I would not imagine the latter would be fought over unless it's an Arab or Persian family," Roshad chuckled. "It wasn't a very common name when I'd wanted to name my daughter either. It gained popularity after 1001 Arabian Nights was published, but by then my daughter was about 30."

"I was wondering where I'd heard that name before; I just couldn't pin it," Jaedynn said. "I haven't read it but I've heard of it."

"I used to read it to my grandchildren when it had become available," Roshad said. "By the time my daughter finally married, she was 26 and 27 when her first child was born. A girl."

"What was her name?"

"Ashti," Roshad said. "Maman was delighted when she heard Miriam named their first child after her. Maman was a proud matriarch. She adored all her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Needing to distance ourselves was really hard on her, but we didn't have much choice. My wives and children all knew what we are, but my son-in-laws and grandchildren didn't."

"So to your grandchildren, you had to eventually just….stop seeing them?"

"In person, yes," Roshad said. "Eventually, I could only write them letters and send them presents. That was really hard. I remember when my eldest son's children started marrying and when I had gone to the weddings, I would always be mistaken for a rarely seen uncle and they would think maman was my sister or something. Although every grandchild of mine that married always received a very generous gift from me; I made a point of that."

"So I guess when you started having great grandchildren, you had to be presumed dead?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "I envied my children being able to see their great grandchildren and be known to them. They aged so it wasn't strange for this elderly man to claim to be their great grandfather. If I came and presented myself as their great, great grandfather, no one would believe me."

"Except your son obviously."

"Exactly," Roshad said. "But I always visited my children frequently. Even Mohammad."

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Mohammad married an Indian woman and moved to India," Roshad said. "I did not get to see him or his children as often as I would have liked, but for a 70 year stretch, I was going to Madurai once a year. Always before monsoon season. That was before planes or trains, so it was a very, very long journey at the time."

"I can imagine," Jaedynn smiled. "All your other children stayed in Persia?"

"Or neighboring countries," Roshad said. "Miriam is the one that married a Persian and always stayed in Tehran."

"Making sure not to be too far away from you?" Jaedynn teased and Roshad chuckled.

"Yes, exactly," Roshad said. He looked at his hand over her belly and felt a sense of longing. What he wouldn't give, he thought, to have all that again. To have a loving wife, a family; so many things he'd missed for so long. "Jaedynn?"

"Yes?"

"I hope you do not take offense, but…if you ever need anything, please let me know. If there's anything you or the baby need, I'll see to it your needs are met."

"Even if all I need is comfort?" Jaedynn asked.

"Anything," Roshad repeated. Jaedynn brought her hand over his and the two of them looked at one another. It was a silent exchange but no less tender in its message. "Jaedynn-" but then they were interrupted by a knock at the door and the doctor, Dr. Walsh, walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Black," the doctor said as he stepped in. Then he noticed Roshad. "I assume you're the child's father?" Roshad and Jaedynn exchanged a brief look before he answered.

"Yes, I am," Roshad said. She couldn't explain what it was, but hearing him say that made her heart race and she smiled lovingly at him.

"Good to meet you, sir," the doctor said. "I'm pleased to see you're feeling better, Miss Black."

"Much better, doctor; thank you," Jaedynn said.

"The tech will be here in just a moment," Dr. Walsh said. "In the meantime, have you experienced any new symptoms or any bleeding?"

"I haven't noticed bleeding," Jaedynn said. "I'm still feeling really achy and sick sometimes."

"And do you know the date of your last period?"

"If I had to estimate," Jaedynn said and thought a moment, "midway through July. I'm pretty sure I conceived either late July or early August."

"Alright," the doctor said as he continued to write things down. "Depending on when you conceived, we might not be able to hear a heartbeat yet, but we'll certainly check. If we hear a heartbeat, then the baby will be at least 5-6 weeks."

"So I should expect my due date to be April or May?"

"That would be our estimation, but we'll be better able to tell once we have the baby's measurements," Dr. Walsh said. While he was writing more down, another knock came on the door before a woman walked in.

"Good morning, Miss Black," the woman said, "I'm Karen McGonagall; I'll be your Ultrasound Technician."

"Hello," Jaedynn and Roshad both said to her as she came to the large machine.

"If you could move your hand for me, sir," the Technician said and Roshad removed his hand from Jaedynn's belly. She offered her hand to him and he accepted it and brought his chair a little closer to her so he could hold her hand comfortably. Dr. Walsh remained in the room and was talking to Karen while she was prepping Jaedynn's belly for the ultrasound. Karen got the machine ready for use, put the gel on Jaedynn's belly and finally put the wand on her belly moving the gel around. As she did so, a picture appeared on the screen. She couldn't tell what she was staring at so she watched the technician work. "Alright, so," she started as she moved the wand around more until an black empty space appeared but there was a tiny bean looking grey dot, "there's your baby."

"Oh wow," Jaedynn said and looked at the tiny bean on the screen.

"Baby's about the size of a pea right now," the technician smiled, "but baby won't be that small for long." She stilled the image and then made the machine do something to measure the bean on the screen. "Based on the measurements, I would estimate you're at 6 to 7 weeks."

"The baby is healthy, yes?" Roshad asked.

"I don't see anything to indicate there are any abnormalities to the baby," the technician said. "We'll be able to tell more as the baby grows and if anything changes, we will let you know, but right now everything looks normal." The Technician made a few more measurements with the machine and documented everything with Dr. Walsh. "Would you like to hear the baby's heartbeat?"

"Yes," Jaedynn nodded and adjusted a little as the technician made a few adjustments on the machine so the room filled with a loud, rapid thumping noise that sounded like it was submerged. She felt Roshad squeeze her hand affectionately as the heartbeat filled the room.

"It sounds so fast," Roshad said.

"Yes, but that's normal," the technician said. "Everything looks as it should. One moment while I print baby's first picture for you." It took a few minutes but once the picture was printed she handed it over to Jaedynn so she and Roshad could both look at it.

"Do you suppose we could get a second copy?" Jaedynn asked.

"Absolutely," the technician said and made a second print out that she handed over to Jaedynn. She took a moment to clean off Jaedynn's belly and turned off the machine. "I'll leave you with Dr. Walsh but I'll see you again in a few weeks."

"Thank you," Jaedynn said and the technician left.

"I'm going to give you a list of vitamins I would like you to start taking and some foods to make sure you avoid," Dr. Walsh said. He stayed in the room with Jaedynn and Roshad discussing what to avoid, what she can still eat or drink, etc. After a longwinded discussion, Dr. Walsh said, "Congratulations to you both. The front desk will get you set up with your next ultrasound appointment. Now, since you'll be moving to Washington soon, have your new doctor get in contact with our office and we'll forward your progress thus far for his records."

"I'll make sure of it," Jaedynn said. The doctor excused himself so Jaedynn could get dressed and left her and Roshad alone. "I'll have to get a frame for this picture."

"I can make you one if you like," Roshad said.

"So long as it matches what you make for your copy," Jaedynn replied with a smile.

"My copy?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn nodded and offered the picture to him. Roshad was still a little stunned as he accepted the picture from her and stared at it. It was completely indistinguishable as anything but a little bean, but it was still a heartwarming moment. "Thank you for telling them you're the father."

"I was scared I overstepped," Roshad admitted. He kept looking at the picture and smiled, "When all my children were born," he continued, "the first time I really met them was when the midwife handed them over to me. This might be the earliest I've ever seen.." he almost said 'my baby' but stopped. His shoulders slumped a little.

"Roshad?"

"Sorry," Roshad said, but as he continued to stare at the picture, the sensation he remembered from so long ago was no less prevalent. "Do you suppose it's a boy or a girl?"

"I'm afraid the baby's too tiny to tell just yet," Jaedynn smiled. "I think around the halfway mark is when the ultrasound can tell the gender if you want to find out."

"So you can just as well choose to wait?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "I admit I really want to know. I want to make the most out of my nesting phase once that comes along."

"Nesting?" Roshad asked.

"It's when a mom is hyperaware of her home environment or where the baby will be. My sister Scarlet cleaned obsessively and so did a number of other women in my tribe."

"Ah, yes," Roshad said and chuckled a little, "We had staff that ensured the home was clean, but when Aida was pregnant, nothing was ever clean enough. By her third pregnancy, the staff never left her side so they could clean at a moment's notice. I remember when she was pregnant with Amir, she suffered a bout of crying because she found some of her oils spilled on her vanity. She couldn't stand to wear her perfumes when she was pregnant either – they were too strong and gave her headaches."

"So Aida was the more clean-obsessed of the three?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes, she was," Roshad said. "Fatimeh wasn't so adamant but she certainly had moments where she insisted the room needed to be rearranged. I remember watching her direct the staff to move everything every which way until it was right; the whole time I'm trying not to laugh. But that had only been when she was pregnant with Kaseem. That didn't happen with Omar or Abbas."

"By their second, every mom's an expert as they say," Jaedynn said.

"By your second, you know better what to expect, though let me state for the record every child is different. So what worked for one child will not work for another. My eldest Amir for example: I needed only look at the boy a certain way and he would behave. Ishmael was more rebellious. He was a clever young man so he would always try to determine what he could and could not get away with and if he was disciplined with physical punishment, he took it without complaint. He used to send his nanny into a rage. He became a career military man and had a decorated history by the time he retired. Ibrahim, our youngest, was the hardest though. He couldn't sit still to save his life and he always had trouble with his schooling. He was a gifted poet and artist, though. Eventually, he was able to make a name for himself and his artwork was commissioned by some of the wealthiest throughout the Middle East. Tile work was his favorite."

"You sound so proud," Jaedynn smiled.

"I am," Roshad replied thinking back reminiscently. "All my children were so different from one another. Aida loved all our sons, but Ibrahim was her baby. Some might have called him a mother's boy, but she was always the one he turned to when anything was wrong. I fear he thought me too tough."

"I can't imagine you being tough," Jaedynn said and Roshad chuckled.

"Trust me: I can be," Roshad said, "Especially when I have high expectations and know you can do better."

"Sounds like a father," Jaedynn said. "I hope I'm not putting too much on your shoulders."

"You aren't," Roshad said adamantly. "How about we go back to the apartment and I'll make you that lunch I promised you?"

"Sure," Jaedynn said.

"Do you want me to wait out front for you?"

"Yes, I'll meet you out there," Jaedynn said and Roshad left to allow her privacy.

Once she was redressed and ready, she met Roshad out in the waiting room and got herself set up for one more appointment for end of October after which she'd get them in contact with Kyle so he could take over. Once at the apartment buildings, the staff allowed Jaedynn into Kevin's place to drop off the toys she'd purchased and then she went to Roshad's apartment.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Jaedynn asked.

"You relax; I'll take care of it," Roshad said. He started with making her gold milk tea. He made a full kettle of tea, a large pitcher of the milk and put that on the kitchen island for her to drink at her leisure. Her seat allowed her full view of the kitchen and everything Roshad was doing. He retrieved rice from the pantry, several containers of previously prepared ingredients and several pots. "Now," Roshad said as he held two containers both of which looked to have minced greens, "Are you among those that like cilantro or hates it?"

"I love cilantro, but good on you for checking," Jaedynn said.

"Good," Roshad smiled, "Three of my boys hated cilantro."

"I take it they thought it tasted like soap?"

"How'd you know?"

"That's always the complaint," Jaedynn said. "There are two types of people in this world: people who like or don't mind cilantro and people who hate it because to them it tastes like soap."

"It makes ghormeh sabzi a little harder to make," Roshad said. He then got a small portion of rice into a pot with water and got that cooking then started sautéing parsley, cilantro and green onions in some oil.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can help with?"

"I promise, I prepped everything ahead of time," Roshad said. "I confess I'd forgotten how long beans take to cook."

"Are those Kidney beans?"

"Yes," Roshad answered, "And stewing beef. I normally use lamb but I wasn't sure."

"Next time," Jaedynn smiled. Once he had the rice boiling and the stew cooking with everything, Roshad cleaned his hands and got started on a portion of chicken breast that he covered with spices but didn't put in the oven just yet. "What are those?" she asked, pointing at two brown citrus fruits that he'd left on the counter after putting two in the stew.

"They're dried limes," Roshad said. "I'm fortunate I brought these with from home. I couldn't find these anyway at the store. Same with the fenugreek. I usually use fresh, but the store only had dried. I just hope I didn't over season with the dried fenugreek. If you use too much, the stew becomes bitter."

"It all smells amazing so far," Jaedynn said. Once the chicken was prepped and he had a moment, Roshad went to the living room to grab some glass marbles he had in a jar.

"Alright, the picture frames," he said once he returned to the kitchen. "Is there any material in particular you want?"

"How about silver?" Jaedynn asked.

"Silver it is," Roshad smiled and pulled out his copy of the picture. He had a marble in each fisted hand and opened his hands as each marble started to change in structure and size. Once the marbles were completely converted to frames complete with glass and silver backs, he put them down and put his picture into the first frame, then placed Jaedynn's copy once she handed it over. The frames were both very simple: just a frame of silver with no design. Just clean. Roshad found a spot on the counter and placed the picture down with the leg pulled out so the frame was standing upright. "I can't wait to hang this."

"Where do you want to put it?"

"I'll need to look around and decide," Roshad said. A timer went off and Roshad turned his attention to the rice and he drained the water, cleaned the pot that he then lined with oil and ghee and finally added the rice back in with some saffron he'd crushed with some water to help the saffron spread. By the time that was all done, he covered the rice with a lid and a tea towel and then tossed the chicken into the oven to cook. "If I did my calculations right, everything will be ready at the same time."

"I can't wait," Jaedynn said. "Who taught you how to cook so well?"

"One of my chefs," Roshad said. "In fact I still have his original recipe book. I rewrote everything into a new book so the original could be kept safe. I have that encased in glass for safe keeping now."

"Would it be alright if I looked at it?" Roshad smiled and obtained the book in question before handing it over. As one would expect, she couldn't read any of it. Everything was in Farsi and Roshad had to explain she needed to read from right to left instead of left to right and, on top of that, even the numbers looked different than what she was used to seeing. "You have really pretty handwriting."

"Thank you," Roshad said. "Being left handed is useful for Farsi and Arabic, but the moment I need to write in English, it's horrible. I always smudge my writing when I have to write in English."

"Don't worry. We've got lefties in the family that know exactly how you feel," Jaedynn said. "Out of curiosity, how did you learn to read and write?"

"Bastet and Rashida mostly, though my mother can read and write as well," Roshad said. "Any reading and writing in different languages was entirely through Bastet's assistance."

"Do you know how many languages Bastet speaks?"

"Far more than me," Roshad smiled. "His native language obviously: the ancient Egyptian language. I know he knows some Greek, though that might be ancient Greek. I don't know if he knows any modern Greek. He speaks some Latin; I know that. Farsi and Arabic of course as well as Tamil and Punjabi. I think he knows Aramaic though he's not had a need for it for centuries as far as I know. I want to say he speaks Hebrew, but don't quote me on that. And he speaks Urdu. He taught me some Urdu, but Persian always did just fine in those regions so I never became fluent. Urdu is the same as Farsi in that it's an Indo-European language, so if I sat down and studied it then I would learn it rather quickly."

"I guess when you've got nothing but time on your hands, learning a new language is a way to stay occupied," Jaedynn said.

"Bastet and Rashida don't learn a language unless there's a reason for it," Roshad said. "They never go to China so they would never sit down and try to learn Mandarin or Cantonese. Although all the time in the world doesn't mean you have the patience to go with it."

Jaedynn giggled, "I never really thought about that. Then again, my Great Grandpa Edward is patient as a saint. The man is willing to learn anything whether he needs the information or not. When my Uncle Kevin was a kid, he and his friend Embry skipped class and got in loads of trouble for it. So as punishment, Grandpa Edward forced them to sit through a several hour lecture about the history of Japan starting from the Bronze age to modern day their time and afterwards made them take a test thick as the bible."

Roshad started laughing, "That's genius. I wish I'd thought about that. Might have kept Ishmael in line to force him to do school work when he'd been bad."

"I don't think either of them got halfway through much less passed. As I know the story, Uncle Kevin and Embry fell asleep on their test booklets and grandpa decided to have mercy on them."

"A generous grandfather indeed," Roshad said.

"Grandpa Edward will weaponize education if he has to," Jaedynn said. "My sister Ivory used to live in Las Vegas, but she moved to Washington when she was beginning to experience changes and was getting close to her wolf waking."

"I'm sorry?"

"What I mean is we aren't born with our wolf always there. It's something that we wake to later. I think I was 17 when I changed for the first time and it all too often follows a period of intense mood swings and irritability. Ivory was especially affected. She was getting into fights at school, she was snapping at her mom; the whole nine yards. So she moved to Washington so we could help her through that time, but it was hard. Grandpa Edward used to threaten that if she didn't do her homework, he'd make her take a pop quiz or they'd read a harder book. Ivory complained endlessly when grandpa made her read Hard Times. That's his favorite Dickens novel."

"Yes, I've heard of Dickens. I've never had the pleasure of reading his work, though."

"Dickens isn't for everyone; that's what I'll say," Jaedynn said. "My grandma Renesmee - Grandpa Edward's daughter – was a much bigger fan of Jane Austen. I'm inclined to agree with her opinion. I can't tell you how many times I've read Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Daddy's a bigger fan of H.P. Lovecraft though."

"H.P. Lovecraft?"

"He's a horror novelist," Jaedynn said. "I've tried reading his short stories, but honestly I'm not a big fan. My Aunt Evalina loves Tolstoy, but I can't get into his literature either. I think I got through twelve or thirteen chapters of Anna Karenina and I couldn't stand it anymore."

"Why's that?"

"I reached a scene where Anna Karenina's….brother? I think he was her brother, but I can't remember his name. Anyway, her brother was having an affair, felt no remorse for it and even spent at least two pages justifying it – I'm apparently supposed to believe everyone in the house is on his side about it which I don't believe for a second though maybe I'm correct in assuming this character was full of himself and just assumed his staff agreed with him but who knows. Then he gets together with some guy – again, can't remember his name – and this guy's desperately in love with a girl and he's so overdramatic. And before you laugh at me, I realize that's rich coming from me but come on: He's insistent that….Kitty? I think everyone called her Kitty. Anyway, he's convinced Kitty is perfect and the only woman in the world he could ever want to be with and blah, blah, blah, but figures she doesn't love him back. She's far more interested in this other guy but moving on. Anyway, this guy and Anna's brother go to a restaurant together and have champagne, oysters and lord knows what else talking about their personal lives and, frankly, first world problems, and I'm reading this thinking, 'See? This is why the Bolsheviks murdered all of you'."

"Glad I never read it," Roshad chuckled.

"One of my little cousins is best friends with a son to a former Soviet Officer. Or whatever he was. He was in the army when he was human; I know that. After he was changed and Illyana fell pregnant with their daughter Nadeshka, he rushed the family to Washington so Uncle Kyle and Uncle Carlisle could help save Illyana's life. Their children before that, Sergei and Anatoli, are both fully human."

"A Soviet soldier moving his family to America: that must have been quite the culture shock," Roshad said.

"They've adjusted to it alright. It was harder for Sergei since he was older when they came here. Anatoli, or Lee as we call him, was….three or four when they moved to America? Somewhere in that realm. So he adjusted effortlessly. Boris and Illyana have acclimated, but Boris is cheap with a capital C. The man cannot stand wasting money on frivolous things or what he considers frivolous. Lee absolutely loves Hockey and he's really good, but Boris wasn't real keen on paying for hockey practice and what not, at least not at first. Now he loves it but I think because Lee shows so much promise."

"Hey, a penny saved is a penny earned; that is the saying, yes?"

"I would never take you as one to be cheap or frugal," Jaedynn said.

"If I feel I'm being overcharged, I will argue," Roshad smiled. "And if I know I can get a better price elsewhere, that's what I'll do."

"You could be the richest man on planet earth but you'll still hunt for a deal," Jaedynn said and started giggling.

"You don't amass wealth by being loose with your money," Roshad said.

"That's quite a bit of advice from a man that can produce money out of sand," Jaedynn retorted and Roshad started chuckling again.

"Even grains of sand have their limit," Roshad answered.

"I suppose that's true in theory," Jaedynn said. "Did any of your children ever inherit a gift?"

"No," Roshad said, "Just me and maman, but her power is offensive."

"What is her power?"

"She causes you immense pain when she looks at you," Roshad said. "She's as good as blind because of it. I'm the only one she can look at without causing pain. If she stares at you long enough, she will kill you, but I've only seen her do that a handful of times. Once, a very long time ago, maman, Bastet, Rashida and I were traveling from Fars to Tehran and our caravan was attacked along the way. Maman walked through the group of attackers and just stared them down until they were incapacitated, then we continued on with our journey."

"Oh wow," Jaedynn said. "My new sister-in-law has a similar power, but she causes pain when she screams at you. It's more physical so she actually causes bleeding and what not if she goes long enough."

"Maman's is not physical. From what I've seen, if it kills you, it's because your heart stopped."

"So against a vampire?"

"Against a vampire it's debilitating but it won't kill you. As far as I know at least," Roshad said.

"I guess against a vampire Emma Leigh's power wouldn't kill either," Jaedynn said. "I've seen her use her power on a giant and on vampires and when she used it against vampires, their heads would crack and they'd stop moving but we tossed their bodies in the fire before we could find out if they recover. The giant she screamed at until it fell and presumably the thing died of a brain aneurysm or something."

"Giant? You mean like the giants depicted in holy literature?"

"No, not really," Jaedynn said. "Paiute legend talks of cannibalistic monsters that were pale skinned with red hair and they were cruel and evil. Of course, it was always thought as just a legend, but the Tistilal had a priestess that could summon these creatures. Problem is she could only barely control them. They're extremely volatile."

"Interesting," Roshad said.

"She no longer has that power, but no one's complaining. It's quite a long story," Jaedynn said.

"I don't mind a long story," Roshad said and Jaedynn told him more about the assistance they gave to the Tistilal and what happened while they were all in Arizona. Towards the end of her story, the timer went off so Roshad started pulling the chicken out of the oven and then put the stew in a serving dish. "That's remarkable," Roshad said once she was done. "So the ancestor's tooth freed her from the invasive creatures in the oasis?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "Uncle Jae was dearly loved. I never knew him, but I'm named after him. Even after he was killed he still looks out for us. At least we believe so. Uncle Jae died in Paris. He was shot through the heart and neck." Roshad stared at her surprised. "After his ashes were released, a blue bird appeared and has been there ever since. Whenever something's wrong or we need help, the blue bird will appear."

"He goes to great lengths it seems," Roshad said in a hushed tone.

"He certainly does," Jaedynn said but then she noticed Roshad looked lost in thought. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Roshad said and smiled. "Alright, lunch is almost done. Last thing is to serve the rice."

"Should I eat here?"

"No, we'll bring this to the dining room. It'll be more comfortable," Roshad said. He brought out a round dish and got that on top of the pot of rice. "Now, my chef told me whenever you do this, you have to make a wish."

"Do you?" Jaedynn smiled.

"Yes," Roshad said, was quiet a moment and then finally said, "Alright. Moment of truth." Holding the dish and the handles of the pot, he rotated his hands so the pot was upside down and he gently shook it until he heard a plopping sound. He put down the dish and lifted the pot off to reveal a circle of rice with a bright, golden brown crust with yellow rice. "Perfect."

"That smells amazing," Jaedynn said and ran a finger over the crust. Crispy and toasted. "I'll help you get this to the table." Jaedynn took the platter of rice while Roshad carried the platter of chicken and dish of stew to the dining room table. Then Roshad went to the kitchen to get a plate, fork and knife for Jaedynn and returned with it to set up a spot for her. "I don't know where to start," Jaedynn said but did help herself to some rice first. She put the ghormeh sabzi on the plate beside it and then the chicken breast beside that. She took a bite of the rice with the crust and nearly moaned. It was like taking a bite of buttered toast but crunchier and drastically better. "I see why your sons fought over this."

"I'm pleased you like it," Roshad said. She then tried the stew and finally the chicken and it was also delicious, but the rice was what made it better.

"I need you to teach me how to make this rice. I don't know if I'll ever be able to have regular rice again," Jaedynn said.

"I will be happy to," Roshad replied. "And anything you can't finish you're welcome to take home with you."

"I wish I could," Jaedynn said, "but I wouldn't have room in my fridge. It's a tiny mini-fridge. Alex didn't have a fridge at all until I moved in with him. Given he only drinks blood, I suppose it makes sense."

"I see," Roshad lamented, "Well, I can always keep it for you."

"I'm sorry to impose," Jaedynn said.

"It's no trouble," Roshad promised.

"You only drink blood, right?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "I make a point to do so far from where I live, but yes I only drink blood. My family and I generally do a hunting trip once a month."

"All the vampires in my family's coven only drink animal blood. Generally mountain lions or bears: whatever they can get that tastes closest to human blood in taste."

"Interesting," Roshad said. "Why's that?"

"Before my grandpa Jacob and grandma Renesmee married, our pack killed any vampires – or Cold Ones in our language – that came onto our land. Nowadays, we have a more neutral stance, but that's strictly on the understanding that you're only hunting animals and not humans and especially not members of the tribe."

"How did your grandparents get together if I may?"

"Grandpa imprinted on her," Jaedynn said. "Even now, grandpa doesn't like pale faces – or I guess white people – very much, but he loves grandma and he's softened quite a bit over the years. I don't know if you know this, but when British settlers first came to the Americas, they took the land for themselves and forced the native tribes back and now there's only a fraction of us left in the entire nation. The Quileutes got mixed up with it later than other tribes of course, but the diseases of pale faces got to us faster than they did and that hurt our population. We also had white slaves before the settlers eventually made it to Washington. Evidently they were Russian explorers or something like that and instead of helping them, we enslaved them. The town of Forks was founded near our tribe and as a way to keep the peace, the Olympic Treaty was signed and one of the conditions was we had to release all our slaves."

"Given they owned enslaved Africans, they would hardly have been in a place to judge," Roshad said.

"That's my grandpa's point, but it was either that or fight and while our wolves are strong and we number in the dozens now, at the time the pack rarely exceeded one or two wolves. That's fine for keeping the tribe safe from a lone vampire here and there but the American Army? No, not a chance. Honestly, even now if our pack had to face the US military, we'd lose miserably."

"Bigger army diplomacy: a cruel fact of life," Roshad said.

"Exactly," Jaedynn said. "All this combined with our lands being taken away and a multitude of other things, my grandpa had a low opinion of pale faces to say the least, but when he met grandma, he loved her instantly. He brought her back to the tribe, they eventually married and had my Uncle Kevin."

"And 'imprinting' is love at first sight?"

"To put it in the most basic terms possible: yes," Jaedynn said.

"Did you feel that way about Alex?"

"No," Jaedynn said. "I knew from the beginning I hadn't but…..looking back on it I was so upset and frustrated with everyone else finding love instead of me that when I met him he just…..dazzled me. He's a good looking guy, he's charming when he wants to be and he made me feel like he loved me. That's all I'd wanted more than anything. He basically gave me what I wanted and I bought it hook, line and sinker. Now that I know him better for who he is, I've got myself in a hole that's a challenge to dig my way out of. He tells me he loves me and I'm sure he thinks he does but I'm beginning to think his definition of love isn't the same as mine. I suspect he feels this baby will fix everything, but it won't. At most, it just means we have no choice but to deal with each other until the baby's 18."

"On the bright side, you have a good lawyer in your arsenal," Roshad said.

"True," Jaedynn said.

"By chance," Roshad began with a hint of unnerve she noticed, "have you felt that way about anyone?"

"Imprinting you mean? Yes, I have," Jaedynn said and she smiled at Roshad while their eyes locked.

Jaedynn's brown eyes held him captive. There was a sparkle in her eyes as she smiled that allured him and a sincerity that was unmistakable. Jaedynn in tern stared unto Roshad's hazel eyes and his gaze was intense and strong. This was what she'd always wanted: this unwavering and unmistakable feeling of love and adoration. Wanting to close the distance, Jaedynn brought her chair closer but made sure she didn't break eye contact. When she was closer, she leaned forward to be closer to him and placed her hand over his on the table. She continued to smile pleasantly and lovingly at him until Roshad leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. He brought his right hand over her cheek then trailed his fingers into her hair as their kiss deepened and became more passionate. This whole moment felt wonderful but so scandalous. He'd never kissed a woman he wasn't married to. Not once. Even Miriam he'd not laid a hand on until their wedding night. Such was the expectation. Had he done otherwise, he'd have shamed the woman of his affections and, assuming the father didn't see him punished severely for the offense, their marriage would have been tainted by society's standards. Roshad pulled away from her but his hand stayed in her hair and he was still very close to her.

"Roshad?" Jaedynn moaned when she opened her eyes and their eyes met again. And just like that, he was captive again and brought his lips back to hers. This time the kiss was more chaste but it still lasted several moments before Roshad pulled away again. He brought her hand up to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles.

"Please forgive me," Roshad finally said. "I've overstepped."

"There's nothing to forgive," Jaedynn said. "I wanted you to kiss me." Roshad smiled tenderly and placed her hand against his cheek. She rubbed her thumb over the stubble and it tickled a little.

"I've never kissed a woman I wasn't married to," Roshad admitted.

"Really? Not even in private?"

"Oh no," Roshad said as he gently shook his head and chuckled a little. "When I'd courted Aida for instance, if I wanted to be 'alone' with her, it was taking her to one side of the room so no one was listening but remaining in full view of the guests and her father. Even then, Aida was his only surviving child so her father would never have tolerated even that. Let alone taking her somewhere to be alone. The man would have seen me dead if I disrespected him like that."

"Daddy is much more understanding," Jaedynn smiled. "I mean, what are you going to do? Get me pregnant?" Roshad started laughing and rested his forehead against hers.

"Not at the moment," Roshad finally said and then kissed her one more time. "Finish up, but save room for dessert. Remember I made saffron ice cream."

"Ah yes, you did," Jaedynn said and pulled away so she could get back to eating. What she didn't finish, Roshad brought back to the kitchen to pack away and then came back with a dollop of bright yellow ice cream that had slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds on top. "I don't know if I can eat this. It's so pretty."

"Beauty is skin deep. You won't know if it's as good as it looks unless you try it," Roshad smiled.

"When you put it that way," Jaedynn said and picked up the spoon to try it. When she put the ice cream in her mouth on its own, it was….interesting. She wasn't really sure how to describe it. It was definitely sweet and very pleasant but the taste was like nothing she'd had before. It reminded her of the rice Roshad had made, except sweet and creamy, but there was still that hint of buttery-ness. She tasted it again with the almonds and pomegranate seeds and the additional flavors made it even better. "That took a moment to get used to, but it's good."

"I suppose saffron ice cream isn't something you get every day outside Iran," Roshad smiled.

"I wasn't sure what to think at first," Jaedynn admitted but took another bite. "It's…..floral might be a good way to describe it."

"I can always make Turkish delights if you want truly floral," Roshad said. "That uses edible roses."

"That might be a stretch for me," Jaedynn giggled. "Now, would you normally make this with goat milk?"

"No, no, absolutely not," Roshad said. "At least I wouldn't. 'Tangy' doesn't generally pair well with vanilla or saffron in my opinion, but that's based on all my children's tastes."

"Good to know," Jaedynn said and picked up a pomegranate seed to try it on its own. "That's lovely. Are these from your own garden?"

"Sadly no," Roshad said. "Those are from an obliging grocery store. The pomegranates I bought were only as big as a softball. In Iran, they can get as big as your head."

"Sounds like a lot of fruit."

"Not as much as you might think," Roshad said. "Those seeds you're eating are all the pomegranate has. It's a pouch of juice surrounding a seed and getting those out is a pain if you don't know some tricks for it."

"I'm sure you have it down to a science by now," Jaedynn smiled and took another bite of her ice cream. "Thank you again for making me lunch. This was all really nice."

"It was my pleasure," Roshad answered. "After you finish, I had one more present for you."

"A present? What kind of present?"

"Something I think you'll appreciate," Roshad smiled. Now eager to know, she made quick work of her remaining ice cream but once she was done she insisted Roshad let her help clean the dishes. Since she was doing that, Roshad got his surprise set up and she watched from the kitchen as he got a white sheet set up on the wall and a projector.

"We're watching a movie?"

"Yes, we are," Roshad answered and got the reel into place.

Once the dishes were clean, she went to the living room and took a seat on the couch where Roshad pointed. He finally got the reel to play and sat beside her. Out of simple normalcy, Roshad sat an appropriate distance from her but was still close. Then the screen filled with music she recognized immediately.

"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?" Jaedynn asked.

"It is your favorite, yes?" Roshad asked.

"It is," Jaedynn smiled.

The music continued and after the title screen came a fancy book that provided a brief two page synopsis of the story. Then a scene played of a castle that was coming closer to the screen right before changing to the Queen's chamber where she stood in front of her magic mirror asking the mirror to say who was the fairest of them all. Without saying anything, Jaedynn moved closer to Roshad on the couch wanting to sit closer to him. He lifted his arm to wrap around her shoulder so she could get closer and she rested her head on his shoulder while they watched the movie. It had been a while since she'd seen it last, but she still remembered the movie word for word and was sometimes humming to music without realizing she was doing so. Seeing Jaedynn enjoy the movie as she did made it more enjoyable for Roshad. She nearly laughed a little when she started humming along with 'Whistle While you Work'.

"So what did you think of it?" Jaedynn asked once the movie ended.

"It was cute," Roshad said. "I enjoyed my first Disney movie."

"I'll need to have you watch the other princess movies," Jaedynn said.

"How many are there?"

"There's Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Then there's Bambi, Dumbo and of course Winnie the Pooh. Those are some of my favorites."

"We'll start with the princess movies," Roshad said.

"My cousin Jae Sun really loves the Aristocats. It came out two years ago and that became his favorite Disney movie. While it's not my favorite, it's definitely cute. It's about a cat named Duchess that's set to inherit a retired dancer's fortune but the dancer's butler wants to money so he kidnaps Duchess and her kittens and dumps them in the French countryside. So the movie is them trying to get back home with the help of a Tom cat named O'Malley."

"Wait," Roshad held up his hand, "an elderly woman wants to bequeath her fortune to her cats?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. Roshad looked like he was about to say something but then couldn't resist chuckling.

"Actually, that sounds like something Aida would do," he said.

"Didn't you say she had twenty cats or something?"

"23 to be exact and that was after one had their final litter and I put my foot down that there would be no more cats," Roshad said. "After that, if the cats had kittens, they were given away."

"And were they all Persians?"

"Not all of them," Roshad said. "Some of them were short haired with lots of different patterns. The Persian cats were the ones that, if I'm frank, if I let them outside to try hunting they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Truly domesticated."

"Didn't you say you liked big cats?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "I've had three. A lion, a tiger and a Cheetah."

"I'm a little sad you didn't say a bear," Jaedynn joked and, to her relief, Roshad got the joke.

"No, no bears," Roshad said. "My Cheetah was Kasi, my tiger was Anasa and my lion was Kiburi. It's all the more Swahili I know."

"That was all Swahili?"

"Kasi means speed, Anasa means luxury and Kiburi means pride," Roshad said.

"Oh," Jaedynn said, "Well now that I know what that all means, it's a little less creative."

Roshad started laughing, "Regardless, no one dared insult my cats. Pets of mine or not, they're wild cats that could easily kill. I was safe with them but I could also overpower them and ensure they saw me as an equal. Most others had no such strength."

"Did you have them before you married?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "All three of my big cats I purchased shortly after building a home for myself. I even brought my cats with me when I went to Tehran to ask to marry Aida. It was just for show all things considered but it helped."

"So did these cats get along with each other?"

"They were raised together from the time they were cubs, so yes," Roshad said, "for the most part. They fought sometimes, but I could usually break it up."

"And have you ever owned cats of that size since?"

"Sadly no," Roshad said. "After I married and started having children, having large cats was not for the best. My cats stayed with me until they passed away, but afterwards I did not get anymore. That's partially why we got the small cats that Aida loved so much. It was a way for us to have cats like I wanted that were small enough to interact with the boys safely."

"That's probably for the best," Jaedynn said. "Do you have cats now?"

"No. I haven't had cats since Aida passed away and the cats passed away later. I'd love a cat, but with just me and how often I travel and go between Tehran and Chalus, it's not feasible."

"Where is Chalus again?"

"Right on the Caspian," Roshad smiled fondly. "Our home is near the beach and we all have a balcony that overlooks the water."

"It sounds so beautiful," Jaedynn said.

"Oh, it is. Were it not for the home in Tehran, I might stay in Chalus," Roshad said. "Besides, most of my business centers in Tehran. That's where all my contacts are, the corporate office where everything's run, it's where the embassy is; everything. So the house in Chalus is a summer home."

"What a place to spend your summer, though."

"Yes, exactly," Roshad smiled. "So how much longer can you stay?"

"What time is it?" Jaedynn asked, realizing she was technically supposed to be at work. She found the clock and saw it was 4:30. "My work day's supposed to end at 5:00, so I'll need to leave then."

"Okay," Roshad said. "What shall we do in the meantime?"

"Tell me about your interests," Jaedynn said. "What's something you like to do for fun?"

"Football. Or 'Soccer' as Americans call it," Roshad answered and Jaedynn started giggling.

"My brothers would love you," Jaedynn said. "Although I assume you prefer Iran's soccer team?"

"Well, naturally," Roshad said. "What is your brothers' favorite team?"

"Brazil," Jaedynn said. "They won '58, '62 and 70', so Gabriel and Ariel were happy campers."

"Iran may have not made it to the world cup yet, but I assure you they will," Roshad said.

"I'll sit down and watch it with you when they do," Jaedynn smiled. "Do you play soccer?"

"Yes, I do," Roshad said. "For the past forty years, I've encouraged employees to bring their kids to a work run soccer tournament and we have three games. One is in the morning for the younger kids and teens then by midday we have the soccer game for the adults. There's even prizes handed out to the winning team."

"I'll bet you make them yourselves and they're gold," Jaedynn smiled.

"Gold, Silver and bronze," Roshad smiled. "Do you play soccer?"

"No," Jaedynn said, "I watch it with my brothers and mom when the world cup plays and that's about it."

Roshad gently shook his head, "For shame."

"It's just not my thing," Jaedynn smiled.

"Perhaps you'd humor me and play a little with me?" Roshad asked. "I'm sure there's a spot in Central Park where we can kick a ball around for a few hours."

"That could be fine," Jaedynn said, "But you have to promise you won't get too competitive. My brothers are the worst; when they play, you'd think their lives were on the line."

"I promise I will not be ruthless when we play," Roshad promised. "If anything, I'll be teaching you how to play."

"I know how to play," Jaedynn said, "I'm just not a huge fan of the sport. And I will humor you and play."

"That's all I'll ask," Roshad smiled. "If you're free Saturday, we can play then."

"I'll see what I can work out," Jaedynn said. "If I can't, I'll let you know, okay?"

"Alright," Roshad said.

They looked at one another a moment before Roshad felt a need to kiss her. He leaned forward slowly until their lips met again. The hand wrapped around her shoulder started playing with her long hair. It was so soft and full. She brought a hand up so she could run her fingers gently over the stubble of his beard. Jaedynn wrapped her arms around his neck so she could get closer to him they deepened their kiss. Roshad was the first to poke his tongue against her lips and she parted her lips so they could taste one another. She could still smell his cologne that he'd applied that morning and it mixed flawlessly with his own natural scent. He tasted better and Jaedynn wanted to get even closer to him. So she got onto her knees so she could move to straddle Roshad's lap and for a moment they continued kissing. However, the intimacy of the moment struck Roshad suddenly and despite wanting to continue, he knew they needed to slow down a little. Roshad eventually pulled away and then kissed the tip of her nose lovingly.

"Can I convince you to stay past five?"

"I wish I could," Jaedynn said, "But I need to get back. If I'm lucky I'll be able to pack a few things in my purse so I can stop by tomorrow."

"I hope so," Roshad said and gave her one more kiss. "I suppose I should walk you out then." Jaedynn glanced at the clock and saw it was already 5:00.

"I guess so," Jaedynn lamented and got off the couch. Roshad walked her own and down the elevator to the front door. Jaedynn hailed herself a taxi and Roshad insisted on paying for her ride. "I'll let you know about Saturday?"

"I will wait to hear from you," Roshad said and waited for her to get comfortable before closing the car door.

Once Jaedynn returned to the apartment, Alex was home which took her by surprise. He was sitting on the floor looking at some papers that she couldn't tell what they were but he looked up at her when she entered.

"Good, you're home," Alex said. "I've got some….bad news."

"Bad news?" Jaedynn asked nervously.

"Yeah," Alex said. "I went to burrow your car, but I couldn't find it. I searched up and down the street but it's not there. It looks like it got high jacked."

"What?!" Jaedynn screamed. "My car's been stolen?"

"Yeah," Alex said and stood up folding the paper. "I went to the police to file a police report but they're saying the chances of recovery are pretty grim."

Jaedynn looked at the paper suspiciously and said, "What's that in your hand?"

"Copy of the police report," Alex answered and offered it to her. She came over and took it and, indeed, it was a police report. "The officer said your best option is to tell the insurance company, get your payout assuming it's covered and cut your losses."

"But…." Jaedynn felt like she was about to cry, "That was my first car. I bought that with my own money! Where's my car?"

"It's been stolen, Buttercup; don't know what else to tell you," Alex said. "You do have it covered, right?"

"That's not the point Alex!"

"Jaedynn!" he yelled louder, "Do you have it covered?" he asked again in a quieter voice.

"Yes, it's covered," Jaedynn said.

"Then call the insurance company, let them know the car was stolen and get the money. I get it: it's your car and getting your car stolen sucks, but no need to cry about it. Besides, I'd say we need the money more than the damn car." For a moment, Jaedynn was extremely tempted to demand Alex to tell her if he was the one that stole her car, but she held her tongue. There was no telling how he'd react and she didn't want to deal with it. So she just sighed and turned to walk out the door. "Baby, where are you going?"

"I would like to speak to the officer," Jaedynn said. "Once I've done that, I'll call the insurance company and see what they can do."

"Jaedynn, the cops aren't going to tell you any more than they told me," Alex said.

"Then I'll come home and you can say I told you so. Until then, I'll be back once I'm done at the police station," Jaedynn said and was about to walk out, but Alex stopped her, stepping in front of her. He seemed like he was about to speak, but then appeared to notice something and leaned forward to smell her. "Alex, what are you doing?"

"What the hell were you up to today?"

"I was at work," Jaedynn said.

"No you weren't," Alex said and his hand came around her back and grabbed the back of her head, "who's cologne is this?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jaedynn insisted.

"Don't fucking play stupid! Who's cologne is this?!"

"Probably one of the lawyers!" Jaedynn said. "Alex, I had a meeting with my manager. He hugged me so his cologne may have just rubbed off on me. That's all." Alex glanced elsewhere and into her purse and noticed the frame. He grabbed that and averted Jaedynn before she could take it back and just like that, his mood changed.

"What is this?"

"It's a picture the doctor gave me," Jaedynn said. "I had my first ultrasound today during my lunch break and that was our baby's first picture." She was terrified he was about to demand why she'd not told him, but he didn't. Thankfully, him being there didn't seem to cross his mind. Instead he looked at the picture really closely.

"This doesn't look like a baby."

"The baby's still really tiny," Jaedynn said. "The doctor said by end of October, they'll be able to tell the baby's gender."

"Really?" Alex asked and smiled. "This really settles it doesn't it? We're having a baby."

"Yeah," was all Jaedynn said. "Look, Alex, I still want to go to the police. I promise I'll be home as soon as I've spoken with the officer."

"Sure," Alex said, waving his hand dismissively as he stared at the picture with a smile.

She got out of the apartment as fast as she could. She was abundantly relieved that Roshad had a copy of that picture now that Alex had taken hers and wasn't likely to give it back. She went to the police station and to the front desk with the report in her hand.

"Good afternoon, sir," Jaedynn said once she was at the desk. "Could I speak with an Officer," she checked the paperwork, "Hamell please?"

"Can I have your name and what this is in reference to?"

"Jaedynn Black, Case# 10987654," Jaedynn said and presented the paperwork. "My boyfriend told me my car was stolen and this is the precinct he reported it to. I was hoping I could speak with the officer?"

"I'll grab him for you; just a moment," the man said and walked away from the desk. He returned a moment later with a man that she presumed was Officer Hamell.

"You said your name is Jaedynn Black?"

"Yes, sir," Jaedynn answered.

"Would you mind coming with me please?" he said and led her to a room further in the station. Now she was getting nervous, but she sat down as instructed and the officer sat across from her. "Miss Black," he started, "I don't know how to say this so I'll just be blunt: we're rather confident your car has already scrapped. Your boyfriend, uh," he glanced at the paperwork, "An Arturo Francesco, said he'd-"

"Arturo?" Jaedynn said with a raised brow. "My boyfriend's name is Alex Vayez."

"He said his name was Arturo Francesco. Presented ID and everything," the officer said. Jaedynn wasn't sure what to think. Now she was positive this was his fault. "Miss Black," the officer said, "is everything alright?"

"I don't know," Jaedynn said. "Sorry, I thought my boyfriend said he'd reported the theft. What did this guy that reported it say?"

"He'd told us that the car was missing when he came outside to use it, but he was quick to assert it must have been stolen and taken apart by now," Officer Hamell said. "Do you have the car insured?"

"I do," Jaedynn nodded solemnly. "That was my first car."

"It's alright, Miss Black. I know there's sentimental value but better the car be taken when you're not there than you get hurt because the carjackers attacked you." Officer Hamell took out a card and offered it to her. "Here's my name and how to get a hold of me. If the insurance company has any questions they can reach me."

"Thank you, Officer," Jaedynn answered in a mumble.

"And Miss Black," the Officer continued, "If I may be blunt, I have a sneaking suspicion that this Arturo Francesco is the one that stole your car to begin with."

"Me too," Jaedynn said. "Well, thank you for your help officer. I'll notify my insurance company."

"Yes, ma'am," the officer said. "I'm extremely sorry this happened, but notify your insurance company and as long as you've got good insurance they'll give you a percentage of what the car was worth so you can get a new car if you choose."

"Okay," Jaedynn said and stood up along with the officer who escorted her out.

Once outside the police station, she walked over to a payphone and pulled out some change and her insurance card. She dialed the number on the card to get an insurance rep on the phone and went through the motions of reporting her car had been stolen, gave the officer's name, the case number and so on. The entire call wound up costing her five dollars for how long it took, but eventually the insurance adjuster was able to confirm the matter would be investigated further and the moment there was more information they would call her at her preferred number. She gave them her work number as well as Roshad's home number. After getting off the phone with the insurance company, Jaedynn put more money in the payphone and dialed Roshad's number.

"This is Roshad," he answered.

"Hey, it's Jaedynn," she said.

"Jaedynn? What's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Not really," Jaedynn said and rubbed her eye. "I found out my car was stolen. I just left the police station and got off the phone with the insurance company."

"Will the police be able to recover it?"

"No," Jaedynn said. "The officer is certain whoever stole it already scrapped it for the parts so it's better to just notify my insurance company and get a percentage back from it. The rep from the insurance company said they'd investigate and get back to me. I gave them my work number but I also gave them your number. I'm sorry, I should have asked first, but I didn't want to give them the number to Alex's apartment."

"Hey, it's alright," Roshad said. "And you're not hurt otherwise?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said.

"As long as you're alright," Roshad said. "If they call, I will make sure to tell you."

"I appreciate it," Jaedynn said. "Alex found the ultrasound picture, so he's more or less claimed it for his own."

"You have a copy safe with me," Roshad assured. "Is there anything I can do to help? You should like you're still shaken."

"I am a little," Jaedynn said. "No point in getting a new car right now. I'll wait until I go back home to Washington."

"When it's time, I'll help you."

"No, Roshad, you aren't buying me a new car," Jaedynn said.

"Oh no, no, you will buy the car. I will just get you a good deal," he said. "Do you think the police will be able to find out who stole it?"

"Probably not, though I think I already know if I'm honest," Jaedynn said. "I don't really want to talk about it. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know I'd given the insurance company your number as a secondary contact and….well, I just wanted to hear your voice. I think I need it about now."

"I'm happy to be of service," Roshad said. "I promise, Jaedynn, everything will be alright. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Even if it's only for a moment."

Jaedynn smiled, "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Even if only for a moment."

It didn't change that she'd had her car stolen, but talking to Roshad helped her to feel much better. She finally walked back to the apartment and when she arrived, Alex wasn't there. Eager to take advantage of the quiet, she snuck some more clothes into her purse so they'd be ready come morning. She couldn't find the ultrasound picture so she suspected he took that with him, though where he'd take it she had no idea. As much it upset her, she reminded herself Roshad had a copy as well. She had to remind herself of that a few times. Just as she'd got into bed ready to go to sleep, the door swung open and startled her to sit up in bed. Alex came in and closed the door locking it behind him and then came over to the bed falling backwards and making it bounce when he landed. He rested his head on her lap and held up the picture with that same big smile.

"I showed Rita the picture," Alex said.

"Oh," Jaedynn began, "is she excited to be a grandma?"

"As excited as Rita can be about something she doesn't care about," Alex said. "That's fine by me." He moved his head so he had his ear closer to her belly. "So when will the baby be here?"

"Doctor estimates my due date will be May the 3rd based on the baby's measurements, but that's purely an estimation. The baby could be earlier or later."

"So April or May?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said.

"Okay," Alex said. "That'll give us plenty of time. Rita told me when she'd been pregnant with me I was born in about two or three weeks, so this is taking longer than I thought."

"You're a half breed," Jaedynn said, "Our baby is closer to human so their gestation time will be normal."

"I think once you get the payout from the insurance company, we'll rent a better apartment. Maybe even get ourselves a place where the baby can have his own room."

"Definitely," Jaedynn answered. Alex put down the picture so he was looking up at her.

"Oh, Buttercup," he whispered and sat up so he was just a breath away from her. "You complete me; you know that?"

"I do what I can," Jaedynn answered, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Was it really only a few weeks ago that this would have won her back in an instant? One moment he'd be mean and short tempered, the next he'd be tender and affectionate in enough time to reel her back in. Although recently, he'd been more mean than affectionate.

"Once we have this baby, we'll be a family," Alex said and gave her a quick kiss. "In fact, how about we go to City Hall and get married?"

"What?" Jaedynn gawked.

"You heard me," Alex smiled. "Fuck it. Let's get married."

"Alex," Jaedynn started. Her immediate answer was 'no' but she was so taken off guard by it and was racking her brain for a reasonable explanation for putting it off. "Maybe….we should wait until after I stop working? Yeah," she forced a smile. "By then, Alex will be born, I'll be more or less back to my usual self and I'll be able to get a nice dress and you a suit. I think a spring wedding sounds really nice. Don't you?"

"Why not get married now?"

"Because I want to plan something nice," Jaedynn was quick to say. "I want a ceremony with a pretty view, I want us to go out somewhere for our reception and have a cake – I want it to be special. I don't want you saying 'fuck it' to getting married to me."

"Come on, baby, you know I didn't mean it like that," Alex sighed. "I admit I'm a little unprepared for the moment but I'll fix that soon enough."

Jaedynn felt a lump forming in her throat as she nodded, "Okay." Alex smiled and rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you, Jaedynn," he said and then kissed her again.

Alex didn't stop there and pressed her down into the bed. She didn't deny him that night. After his explosive reaction to smelling cologne on her, she feared how much worse his reaction might be if she denied him. She considered herself lucky that the baby's picture had managed to diffuse what almost certainly would have been a vicious argument at best. After he'd finished, she waited until he was asleep before going to the bathroom to wash up. If he woke, she'd just tell him she got sick and needed to clean up. The next morning, Alex wasn't home, so she took advantage and put even more clothes in her purse, overstuffing it by quite a bit. She was running out of time and she wasn't sure how long she could keep the charade going.

She felt awful that morning. A culmination of morning sickness, stress and feeling guilty about the previous night made her feel like she'd rather jump in front of a bus than go into work. She considered not seeing Roshad that day. No matter how cleaned up she was and even if she didn't say anything, she knew about what happened. She knew she'd had a wonderful day with him only to return home to sleep with another man. She held her breath while in the elevator. Her coworker had brought an egg salad for their breakfast and all she could smell was mayonnaise; it was turning her stomach at the moment. She took in a deep breath once she exited and went to the office so she could breathe. When she reached her desk, there was a large, glass container that she realized held well-presented leftovers from the day before. Another glass container held pomegranate seeds and there was a thermos she assumed was certainly filled with her gold milk tea. Beside it all was another fresh batch of forget-me-nots to put in her yellow vase and a note.

Jaedynn,

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for making me a part of the baby's first introductions and sharing your afternoon with me. I'm very sorry about your car and hope the flowers and lunch in some small way make your day better. I hope to see you again very soon.

With Love,

Roshad

She felt a tear in her eye and pressed the note against her chest. Indeed, a very simple gesture that did wonders to make her feel better. She put the note in her desk drawer with the first one she received and put the flowers into the vase replacing the old ones. Liz commented on the fresh flowers when she came in but Jaedynn claimed to get them for herself.

She had her gold milk tea for breakfast and ate the pomegranate seeds through the morning and when it was her lunch break, she went to the break room and ate what Roshad sent her. Even heated up in the microwave, it still tasted delicious. While she was eating her lunch, Liz came into the break room to let her know her insurance company had called asking for her. Once Jaedynn finished eating, she returned to her desk to call the agent back but it wasn't quiet the relief she'd been hoping for. Since it was a stolen car, the insurance company would be adhering to a grace period of 2 weeks to make sure the car isn't able to be recovered. After that time, they would pay for the actual cash value of the car which, according to market price and accounting for the car being used, would only be $750, less than a 6th of what she'd paid for it originally when brand new. It would be a good boost for a new down payment, but it was still extremely frustrating.

"Your car was stolen?" Liz asked once Jaedynn was off the phone.

"Yeah," Jaedynn groaned and rubbed her face. "The insurance won't pay until after two weeks to confirm it indeed has been stolen and isn't able to be recovered."

"Will the insurance at least cover you for the value of the car?"

"They say they are, but I'm frankly of the opinion my car's worth more than $750."

"It's likely what you'd have gotten if it were traded in, so that sounds about fair," Liz said. "Doesn't make it good, but it is fair."

"I know," Jaedynn said. "Thank God for public transportation at least."

"True," Liz said. "When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," Jaedynn said, "At least that's what Alex is telling me. He said he'd gone to use my car then couldn't find it and filed a police report for the stolen car. Cops are pretty sure it's already scrapped by now."

"I'd bet on that too," Liz said. "So long as you weren't in the car when that happened."

"You sound like the cop," Jaedynn groaned. "In all other respects, yesterday had been amazing. I heard my baby's heartbeat."

"You did? Oh, Jaedynn, that's wonderful," Liz smiled.

"It was like listening to a drum under water," Jaedynn said and was finally smiling a little. "Doesn't look like a baby yet, though."

"They were able to give you a copy of the ultrasound right?"

"Yeah, but I don't have it with me. Alex nabbed it."

"Oh," Liz said, disappointed, "Well, it's good to know he's excited at least to be a father."

"Yeah," Jaedynn sighed and, since she only had ten minutes left of lunch anyway, she returned to work.

At the end of the day, Jaedynn and Liz walked out of the office together and then parted ways, but instead of going to the station, she walked to the apartments. She was welcomed by the staff and they walked her upstairs to drop off what she'd brought and stayed with her when she went to Roshad's door and knocked. She waited a moment and heard him approach, but he didn't open the door.

"Hello?" he asked from the other side of the door.

"It's Jaedynn," she said and then she heard the door unlock but he only opened the door a crack. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything's fine, but I quite literally was in the middle of a shower," Roshad said with a gentle chuckle. "Larry, she's welcome to come in; you can get back downstairs."

"Absolutely, Mr. Javadi. Enjoy the rest of your day," Larry said and walked away.

"Just give me one moment to get back to the shower and you can come in. I admit I'm indecent at the moment," Roshad said.

"I'll give you thirty seconds," Jaedynn smiled and held the door while she waited.

Once she heard the door in the other room close, she let herself in and locked the door behind her. She went to the kitchen and cleaned all the dishes while she waited and she heard a faint sound of singing. She realized it was Roshad and came a little closer to the bedroom to listen more closely. It was in Farsi so she didn't understand him, but she could hear the enjoyment in his voice and she had to fight a giggle. She returned to the kitchen and put the dishes away waiting a few more minutes before the shower turned off. However it was another ten minutes before he finally came back out in black dress pants and a white shirt and white socks. His facial hair looked freshly trimmed to the preferred short stubble and his hair was slightly disorderly from being damp and she could smell a fresh application of cologne.

"Sorry to drop in on you unexpected. I wanted to return your dishes," Jaedynn said.

"It's no trouble. You're always welcome," Roshad said as he approached her. "Are you alright? Have you heard from the insurance company?"

"Yeah. They said they need to wait 2 weeks before they'll pay to be certain it's not recoverable and I'll get $750. I bought it for $6000 so that was quite a slap to the face."

"That'll be plenty for a new car; I'll make sure of it," Roshad smiled.

"And thank you for the flowers and lunch. It really did make me feel better. I washed the dishes for you and put them away."

"Good, so long as it helped," Roshad said and then took her in his arms to hug her. "Just remember it's a car: a car can be replaced."

"I know," Jaedynn said. She breathed in his cologne and sighed a little. She never thought such a strong smell would be so comforting but on him it was. "I don't want to, but I should get going."

"Stay just a moment longer," Roshad pleaded and Jaedynn didn't argue and kept hugging him. Then she remembered yesterday and gently pulled away.

"I should rinse off really quick. Alex smelled your cologne on me and the baby's picture's the only thing that calmed him down."

"Oh, right," Roshad mumbled. "I take it he doesn't know?"

"No, he doesn't," Jaedynn said. "He…" Jaedynn rubbed her face a little. "He asked me to marry him."

"What did you say?" Roshad asked, standing to attention.

"He said let's do it right away and I told him we should wait," Jaedynn said. "I'm still trying to get my things out of the apartment, so I just go along with what he says to keep him calm."

"Are you and," he started but stopped himself.

"What?" Jaedynn asked.

"Nothing," Roshad said.

"Roshad, please. You can ask me," Jaedynn said.

"Are you still…..sleeping with him?" Roshad finally asked. Jaedynn couldn't even form the words. He looked so hurt and she felt horrible. All she could do was nod while averting her eyes. Roshad took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," Jaedynn finally said. "After how he reacted to smelling your cologne, I thought if I refused him he'd demand an explanation or worse."

"Has he ever forced you?"

"No," Jaedynn said. "He gets aggressive but if I tell him no he'll usually leave me be. It's not without argument, though." Roshad looked like he was thinking but the same hurt stayed on his face. "Roshad?" she asked after he'd been silent for too long.

"I'm sorry," he finally said, "I'm trying to not get upset. I understand but I…." he stopped himself again. Jaedynn returned to him and he took her in his arms so they could hug again. "I feel so selfish for saying but I hate it. I know why, but I hate it."

"I know," Jaedynn said and ran her hands over his damp hair. "I'm so sorry," she said and started crying. That took Roshad out of his own state and he tilted her head to look at him. "I love you, Roshad. Please know that," she said through her tears and desperate for her to know his own mind, he pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you too," he said through their kiss and then deepened it.

He was loathe to admit it, but there was a base and primal reason for the hurt. When he'd told Jaedynn if she ever needed anything, he'd meant it. He wanted to be with her. He'd fallen in love the moment he'd seen her in his dream surrounded by flowers, almonds and fruit. Since meeting her, he'd only fallen harder for her. Sure, finding out she was still with someone and having a baby with that man hurt but he still wanted her; wanted to be with her. He'd be a father to this child in every way that mattered, yet he couldn't help that feeling. He couldn't help feeling heartbroken that, by blood, this baby wasn't his. No matter how much he told himself such feelings were stupid and he had no business feeling that way, he couldn't help it. Her confession was like a cruel reminder that, until she was finally out of the apartment she shared with Alex, he was effectively 'the other man'. Roshad pulled his lips away but kept holding her tight as he rested his head on her shoulder. Jaedynn started kissing his ear and neck tenderly.

"I don't want to be 'the other man' anymore," Roshad admitted out loud. He'd not meant to say it but he had.

"You're not," Jaedynn cried. "I swear, Roshad, you're not. I want to be with you."

"And I you," he said. He took a deep breath and stood up straight and released her so he could rub his face. Jaedynn kept her hands on his shoulders waiting for him. "Forgive me; I'm putting you in an unfair spot."

"You have every reason to," Jaedynn said.

"No, I don't," Roshad said and rested his forehead against hers, exasperated with himself. "I just waltzed into a pre-existing situation."

"I'm grateful for it," Jaedynn promised. "I just moved more things into Uncle Kevin's place. I'll keep squirreling things away to take here as often as possible until everything's out. I just need to keep the peace until then."

"I understand," Roshad said, took a deep breath with his eyes closed and then looked at her again with a tender smile. "Is there anything I can do to help you? Perhaps I can help you move some things on a day he's not there."

"I wish, but it's too risky," Jaedynn said. "His schedule is extremely erratic so I never know when he'll be out of the house and for how long. If he sees you at the apartment he's likely to start a fight and I don't want that."

"Alright," Roshad said. "In that case, go ahead and wash up then I'll walk you out."

"Okay," Jaedynn smiled and gave him a kiss before walking to a spare bathroom to rinse off Roshad's cologne. It might not be perfect, but she figured smelling like hand soap was better than smelling like men's cologne. Once she was freshened up, she met Roshad in his living room so they could go downstairs together to hail a taxi.

"Perhaps this is a bad time, but do you know if you'll be free Saturday?"

"I'll make a point to be," Jaedynn promised.

Roshad leaned into the car to give her a kiss then handed the money to the driver telling him to keep the change and promised to see Jaedynn Saturday. Once dropped off, Jaedynn stepped inside the apartment and Alex was there. He was lying in bed taking a nap which surprised her. She kept herself quiet and snuck into the shower. By the time she came out, Alex was still in bed and she thought he was still asleep.

"Did you just get back?" Alex asked.

"I came home about a half hour ago," Jaedynn said. "How was your day?"

"Rough," Alex answered and sat up. "I had to go to Brooklyn to sell some things and Murphy was being an asshole."

"I'm sorry," Jaedynn said. "I guess you deserved a nap after all that."

"No kidding," Alex said. "So did you hear from the insurance company?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "I guess there needs to be a 2 week grace period before they pay out."

"Are you serious?" Alex asked, immediately irate. "Why the hell are they waiting so God damn long?!"

"They said they needed to be certain the car won't be recovered," Jaedynn said.

"What do they think is going to happen? The carjackers are going to show up, say sorry and give back the car? For fuck's sake. Did they at least say how much you'll get for it?"

"They said $750."

"Is that it?" Alex asked. "God damn it, that car was in peak condition! You should get more!"

"While I'm inclined to agree with you, it's not like I can negotiate with them. They're giving me it's actual value and that value is $750 according to them."

"Fucking morons; don't know what the fuck they're talking about," Alex mumbled and then sighed heavily. "Fine; whatever. $750 is better than nothing."

"Exactly," Jaedynn said. "It'll go a long way."

"Yeah, you're right," Alex said. "Still, I was hoping you'd at least get $1500."

"Any…" she began but stopped herself. Frankly, she didn't want to know.

"Look, Buttercup, this really throws a wrench in things so I'll need to do some recovery," Alex said and stood up from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Jaedynn asked.

"Out for a while," Alex said. "Don't wait up for me. I'll probably be gone for a few days but I'll come back by Sunday at least."

"Okay," Jaedynn answered. "Is there some way I can get a hold of you if you aren't home by Monday?"

"If there's a problem, I'll call you," Alex said and walked over to give Jaedynn a kiss before walking out of the apartment.

She waited an hour but as soon as she was sure he wasn't returning for anything, she shoved as many clothes into her purse as she could fit. She also grabbed a grocery bag that she filled with more clothes that she covered with something inconspicuous. If Alex really was gone as long as he claimed he'd be, then she'd be able to have another large haul of clothes to move without him finding out. She just had to keep her fingers crossed. She felt the urge to call Roshad, so she picked up the phone and dialed his number. She had to keep their conversation quick just in case, but when he answered, she asked if he would be home the following day and when he confirmed he would be, Jaedynn promised she'd stop by after work. The next day she was alone when she left for work with her latest collection and when Liz asked about it, Jaedynn said she was just planning to take a few things to a local shelter to donate. After work, she went to the apartment and was given access to Kevin's place to drop off her things. In an act of boldness, she took a fresh pair of shorts, a t-shirt and clean panties with her before she went to Roshad's apartment. Larry stayed with her until Roshad opened the door to let Jaedynn in.

"What is this for?" he asked once she was inside and he saw the clothes.

"Just some clothes for tomorrow," Jaedynn said and blushed a little. "Alex is going to be gone for a few days so I thought…or I hoped to take advantage of it. I guess I should have asked you first before assuming I could spend the night."

"It's no trouble," Roshad said. "There's no shortage of comfortable places to sleep when you're ready. Then we can wake up early and go to Central Park to play."

"Good," Jaedynn said and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I admit I don't have anything in the fridge to prep but I can order something," Roshad offered.

"If the pizza place near here can deliver, that would be great actually," Jaedynn said. "I think it's Dino's or something like that." Roshad walked to his phone to call the front desk regarding said pizza place. While there was a restaurant nearby, it was called Daniela's Pizza. However, they did in fact deliver, so Roshad got the number and gave Jaedynn the phone so she could place the order for what she wanted. "$4.50," she mumbled and looked in her purse to pull out a ten.

"It's alright, I'll take care of it."

"No, you won't. I'll pay," Jaedynn said. "You've bought me several taxi rides and I invited myself to stay at your place overnight. Least I can do is pay for my own pizza. Were it not for the baby, I'd say we should go get some Rosé to pair with it."

"Is this a bad time to say I don't drink?"

"You don't?" she asked. "Sorry, I guess it wouldn't taste good to you. My brothers are more vampire than human but they still love to drink so I forget about that sometimes."

"I can't say whether I like it or not. Alcohol is prohibited in Islamic faith."

"Oh," Jaedynn said. "I thought you weren't a practicing Muslim."

"I'm not, but I still observe a few things," Roshad said. "Abstaining from alcohol is just one. Other matters are beyond my control of course, but whatever I observe I do so because I prefer to or because it makes maman happy. Ramadan is the hardest to observe. In preparation, maman and I will go an extended time without blood so we can have some semblance of thirst and hunger as is required."

"Is Ramadan your Hanukkah or Pass Over?"

"It's more like our Yom Kippur," Roshad said. "I think that's what Jewish faith calls it. It's a method of atonement in which you fast. When you break the fast, there's usually a large party for Eid ul-fitr but it's a family affair. I love to host it when I can. I'll have employees and associates over for a big feast and they'll bring their wives and children."

"It sounds really nice," Jaedynn said. "So if you're abstaining from blood, how do you and your mother break your fast without hurting your guests?"

"Bastet and Rashida obtain blood for us the day of but it's always from a non-human. Drinking or consuming blood at all is prohibited, but maman and I drink the blood of an animal slaughtered within Halal requirements to break our fast on Eid ul-fitr. Ramadan lasts a month and you're supposed to only eat when the sun is down until Eid ul-fitr which means festival to end the fast. Maman and I need to be a little more creative. She likes to think that Allah is understanding of what has happened to her and loves her despite her 'sin'."

"I take it you don't believe that?"

"I believe maman is innocent given she did not choose to be a vampire. I more or less made that decision for her when I was born and bit her. If anyone's at fault, it's me, but like I've said: I have a low opinion of the God presented in texts."

"So it's more than the story of Abraham and Isaac?"

"Ibrahim and Ishmael," Roshad smiled, "And yes, it's more than that. That story was just the first that made me realize it and it was only after I'd started having children of my own. I suppose at first, it was a realization that perhaps I'm not so worthy a subject because I would never kill my children for God, but it just spiraled down from there."

"I see," Jaedynn said. "I can understand that. Truthfully, most of my family are passively Catholic. Uncle Kevin's been in a church more than anyone else in the family."

"So the most devout Catholic among you falls in love with and marries a Jew," Roshad chuckled.

"If you ask Uncle Kevin, he'd tell you he's a stormy weather Catholic."

"That's more than I can claim to be," Roshad said.

"You're more of a 'Muslim to keep mother happy'?"

Roshad chuckled, "I'm afraid so. Yesterday I called maman to check on her and let her know how I'm doing and her first question is to ask if I've found a Mosque to attend yet."

"Mosque?"

"A church," Roshad said. "I just told her New York doesn't have any."

"It doesn't?"

"I have no clue; I haven't checked," Roshad admitted and Jaedynn started giggling. "Needless to say, she has demanded that I at least set up a place in my home to make my prayers."

"Did you lie to your poor mother again and say you would?"

"I won't tell her if you don't," Roshad said and the two laughed.

"Okay, I won't tell her," Jaedynn smiled. "By chance, does your mother speak English?"

"No; only Farsi . Rashida tried to convince maman to learn Arabic but, to translate and paraphrase her words, 'Persia spent too long under the heel of the Arabs. I think it best that stay in the past'."

"So she refuses to learn Arabic on principle?"

"Basically," Roshad chuckled. "As for English, she never saw a need. I only learned for business purposes and that was in the last fifty years."

"Well, for the record I'm glad you decided to learn English," Jaedynn said.

"Me too," he answered and gave Jaedynn a quick kiss. "So how long before your pizza gets here?"

"They said 30 minutes," Jaedynn said and looked around. "I was about to suggest we watch something while we wait but it doesn't look like you have a TV."

"I'm afraid not," Roshad said. He looked over at his radio and smiled, an idea forming. "Let's listen to some music. I'm afraid I can't get any Iranian radio on this thing, but I'll see what I can pull up."

"I really like classic rock and Motown," Jaedynn said.

"I fidget with the radio until we find something," Roshad said. He turned on the radio and turned the dial trying to find a station.

"That one!" Jaedynn said when she heard something familiar. That song ended, but after a moment of the broadcaster speaking, Have you Ever Seen the Rain by The Creedence Clearwater Revival came on. "I love this song! Come on; dance with me!" Jaedynn said and grabbed Roshad's hands.

Once he was accustomed to the beat, Roshad took the lead holding her close and swaying to and fro with her in a swift motion, spinning her around, and twirling along with her sometimes out of time with the music but that was fine. He was still dancing when the song ended but did stop once there was a pause. Yet another song, Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison, came on and Jaedynn led Roshad to dance with her. He quite liked this song too and got right into the music and when he heard brown eyed girl in the lyrics, he brought Jaedynn closer to him while they danced together. She got him to sing along to the 'sha la la' portion of the chorus which made them increase their speed as they danced. As the song faded out, they slowed down and waited for another song to begin.

"You're a spirited dancer," Jaedynn said while they waited.

"I have a good dance partner," he answered. Then music finally started playing again and Rocket Man by Elton John started to play. "Well, that was a tonal shift."

"I'm happy to slow dance too," Jaedynn said. Roshad smiled and held her right hand in his left while her left hand rested on his shoulder, his right hand on her hip then started dancing along with the music. Although the song was much more somber and less romantic than perhaps Roshad would have liked for a slow dance, it was still an extremely good song.

"I assume this is about the moon landing?"

"Probably, but I don't know all the words," Jaedynn said. "I want to say Elton John is from England but I'm not sure. I don't know how England saw the moon landing but I remember when it was broadcasted a few years ago. July 20th, 1969 broadcasted by CBS News. I still remember Walter Cronkite announcing Neil Armstrong had taken the first steps on the moon. A bunch of us sat down together to watch it as a family and it was incredible. 'One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.' Otherwise, he said the moon's surface felt fine and powdery."

"I had only heard of the moon landing; I did not have the pleasure of watching it. I also hear the Russians weren't too happy about it."

"Probably not," Jaedynn said. Shortly after, the song faded out and without the announcer speaking, the song changed to Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian) by Paul Revere & The Raiders and Jaedynn stopped dancing.

"Do you not like this song?" Roshad asked.

"No, it's a really good song; it's just one of those songs that you slow down and appreciate. Now, granted, I'm not Cherokee, but I am Native American." Roshad stayed still and listened to the song to appreciate it just as Jaedynn said. Indeed, it was a slower song that sang of the tragic story of the Cherokee and, by virtue, all Native American tribes. "What do you think?"

"It's good," Roshad said. "I may need to listen to more of this station."

"I'd recommend it," Jaedynn said. "End of the year there'll be a Billboard Top 100 that plays and that's always really good."

"I look forward to it," Roshad said. "I'm kicking myself for not bringing my records."

"You should have," Jaedynn said. When the latest song ended, Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves by Cher began to play and with a smile, she took his hands. "Okay, we can dance to this one."

"Sounds like it," Roshad chuckled and joined her. They ended up getting a few more songs that they could really dance to before Roshad's phone rang and he went to answer it. "Your pizza's here."

"Great!" Jaedynn said and went to her purse to grab the money. "I'll be back in a bit." She took the elevator down to the ground floor, got her pizza and her change and came back upstairs to Roshad having a plate, a fork and knife ready for her. The site of the fork and knife made her laugh. "You don't need a fork or knife for pizza."

"No?" Roshad asked.

"No," Jaedynn said and brought it to the table to open the box.

"Oh," he said, "Ah, now I remember this stuff. I always thought it was pita bread but maybe that's just in Greece."

"Pita's something different isn't it?" Jaedynn asked as she grabbed a slice.

"Clearly," Roshad said and sat beside her. "I'm afraid I've never been to Italy. I've passed it but never stayed."

"That's a shame. My Uncle Kyle and Aunt Evalina got married in Rome, but I was too young and don't remember it. They got married at the Vatican."

"Oh really?" Roshad rose a brow and chuckled. "How much did that cost them?"

"I don't know but I'm sure it cost a lot," Jaedynn said. "I do, however, remember Paris. That was amazing."

"I hear lovely things about Paris," Roshad said. "So have you been anywhere else in Europe?"

"Just England, but we were passing through," Jaedynn said. "I've also been to Mexico, Brazil and Peru. My mom was born in Peru but her home is Brazil."

"You said she is Inca and Portuguese yes?"

"Yes, she is," Jaedynn said. "When daddy made her wedding bracelet, he'd made it out of gold and in the image of the Incan God of the sun. It's a beautiful bracelet."

"Your tribe gives bracelets instead of rings?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn said. "It's supposed to be a bracelet the groom made himself and he presents it to the bride, but he needs to get the father's approval first before the couple can get married. I think, at least as far as I know, there have only been a small percentage of people that have proposed, been refused by the father and tried again. Every time the groom tries, he has to make a new bracelet. Uncle Kevin had to ask twice, but that's a very long story. He'd be the best one to ask about it. There's a story of a man long ago in our tribe that was madly in love but the father did not approve of the union, but he was persistent and by the time the father finally approved, the bride had a bracelet that was 8 bands thick or something like that."

"That's cute," Roshad smiled. "Does anyone give out rings instead of or alongside it?"

"A bunch have started to," Jaedynn said. "My cousin Caleb gave his fiancé Ashley a bracelet he made but he also gave her a ring that is a family heirloom on his mother's side. Uncle Kevin gave Aunt Amber a big diamond, daddy and mom just wear gold bands, my brother gave Emma Leigh a diamond ring and a bracelet; it just depends on the person. My sister Ivory didn't get a bracelet, but that's just because Ivory is not really strict about tradition whether it's Quileute or Paiute. I helped pick out the ring and I was her Maid of Honor."

"How long ago did they get married?"

"Five years," Jaedynn said. "Their wedding was in Las Vegas at this giant hotel with a view of the desert and the reception was inside a banquet hall that same hotel had just built with these big windows so you could see outside. It was absolutely breathtaking. For all the annoyance that came with getting the favors ready, making sure everything looked perfect, planning and so on, it was a wonderful day. Her colors were white and gold so she wore a white dress while Scarlet and I wore gold dresses."

"Fine color choices," Roshad said.

"I don't have pictures with me otherwise I'd show you, although the pictures have that pinkish tint so it really doesn't do our colors justice."

"I'm sure you looked beautiful. I would picture you in pink, though."

"I don't usually wear pink," Jaedynn said. "I tend to prefer purple, but after Gabriel's and Emma Leigh's wedding I think everyone's swearing off purple for a while."

"What colors would you want?"

"Burgundy," Jaedynn answered confidently. "I adore burgundy. It's the perfect shade of deep red that looks nice on me but isn't outright brown."

"Burgundy is a good wedding color," Roshad agreed.

"Do you mind if I ask what color your wives' gowns were when you married?"

"Not at all," Roshad said. "For our wedding ceremonies, we always wore white. I would wear white and so would the bride and we both wore garlands of white flowers. White is a symbol of purity so it's the color the bride and groom are to wear during their ceremony. But they all wore a different dress for our evening party after the wedding. Aida was in Tyrian purple. When Aida met my mother, maman was wearing her Tyrian purple dress and I could tell Aida loved it. So I purchased it for her to wear for our wedding reception. She used to tell me no dress made her feel as beautiful as that dress did and every year for our anniversary, she wore it. She asked to be buried in it too, so those wishes were honored. Fatimeh did not care for purple. She much preferred blue, but for our wedding she wore white and the reception she wore red and at least fifty pounds worth of jewelry and gold. The jewelry and gold she wore for the ceremony too. I think her dress and jewels weighed more than she did. Miriam wore bright green for the wedding reception."

"So white is the required color for at least the ceremony?"

"Technically it's the color for the whole day, but in our cases we had the money to afford multiple dresses and if there's one thing all my wives had in common: they were daddy's girls. Correct me if I'm wrong but it was Western Culture in which it used to be a bride wore the nicest dress she could afford regardless of the color but Queen Victoria of England wore a white dress with a white cake and white everything so the rest of the world followed suit. I don't wonder why; apparently Victoria and Albert were madly in love and had quite the love story, so it was a desire to emulate their wedding day."

"I'd want to wear white. For the colors, I would love burgundy and gold. Although watch Ivory say I can't have gold because that was one of her wedding colors."

"You will just have to put your foot down and tell her you want gold," Roshad said.

"You bet I will," Jaedynn said. "It's about time I burrowed something from her for a change. Did I ever tell you about the time she wore my dress without permission and got a stain on it?"

"I don't believe so," Roshad said and Jaedynn proceeded to tell the story. By the end, Roshad couldn't help laughing. "At least it got cleaned."

"That's not the point! She took my dress without asking me, got it dirty when she promised she wouldn't then made her boyfriend clean up her mess," Jaedynn whined.

"I'm sorry for not being more sympathetic: my sons used to bicker like this all the time," Roshad said.

"Did they ever argue over clothes? I just assume you made sure they had more than they were even aware of."

"No, never clothes," Roshad chuckled, "it was usually competitive things. Although, my son Aladdin and Ishmael argued over a girl once. It was about time for them to marry and they both had their eye on the same girl and fought over her for months."

"Did she end up marrying Aladdin or Ishmael?"

"Neither; she married a Turk," Roshad smiled. "I shouldn't laugh but the way those two were arguing, that young woman marrying another man seemed the best discipline for it. They were better off how things ended up anyway. The two of them married Persian women, were happily married with several children and had made up with one another after the other girl had married."

"So long as things worked out," Jaedynn said and picked up a thin crusted slice of pizza and folded it to make it easier to eat. "So you said you call home to talk to your mom?"

"As often as possible, yes," Roshad said.

"Does she know about me?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes and no," Roshad said and rubbed the back of his neck. "She knows I came here because of that dream and I've told her we've met. I've not told her about our current circumstances."

"Circumstances?"

"The baby and….well, Alex," Roshad said.

"Oh," Jaedynn said and put down her pizza suddenly losing her appetite. "Would she be upset to find out about it?"

"Yes, if I'm blunt," Roshad said. "My mother is a wonderful woman; don't get me wrong. I love her dearly and I value her opinion. The issue is our opinions tend to differ and while we've never fought over them, she is never scared to voice her opinion to me. She's already assumed you likely aren't Muslim though I've not outright informed her. If she knew about Alex and the baby, she'd have a few 'choice' words for me to be honest. We'll have to tell her eventually; I can't very well claim this child is mine. That would open a whole other issue and not a better one."

"A baby out of wedlock you mean?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "If I'm being truthful, I don't know what would upset her more: knowing I'm seeing a woman that's pregnant out of wedlock or conceiving a child with a woman I'm not married to."

"Six of one half dozen of the other I guess," Jaedynn said. "It sounds like either way, your mother will think I'm a whore."

"I will make her understand," Roshad promised. "Anything she has to say she will put to me."

"I really want her to like me," Jaedynn said. "I want to like her too."

"Once she gets to know you, I promise she will like you," Roshad smiled reassuringly. "We may need to give her time, but she will grow to like you."

"Your mother isn't…..passive aggressive or anything is she?"

"No; if she's got a problem with you she'll say so," Roshad said, "Hence why she'll deal with me first. She's not one to…what is the saying in English? Beat around the bush?"

"Yeah," Jaedynn smiled weakly. "I guess as long as she doesn't call me stupid or badmouth me in Spanish. Or Farsi. You know what I mean."

"I assume that's how Alex's mother treats you?"

"She treats Alex that way too," Jaedynn said. "Alex won't even call her mom, he only calls her Rita. I've spoken with the woman twice and both times were deeply unpleasant. I can't tell you how many times Alex has called her a bitch or a cunt."

"He calls her what?" Roshad asked, stunned. "How's he still walking?"

"I guess because he calls her that to me and not to her."

"If I ever addressed my mother that way, she'd beat me with every pair of shoes she owns," Roshad said and, after a moment, Jaedynn started giggling a little. "What?"

"I'm just picturing your mother running to her closet to get all her shoes to hit you with them. She really used to hit you with her shoes?"

"Always the shoe," Roshad said, starting to smile. "If I ever misbehaved, she'd take off her shoe and hit me with it. She did the same thing to her grandchildren. If my children misbehaved and my mother was there, the nanny's would always take them to her and maman would give the children some discipline. Now I told you Ishmael was defiant?" Jaedynn nodded. "Not with maman. If maman was visiting and he misbehaved, maman would go to lift her foot so she could grab her shoe and that boy behaved. All the children minded their grandma. I don't know how she did it, but alas: the children did not defy grandma."

"Sounds like my grandma," Jaedynn smiled. "Although Grandma Renesmee is a little more lenient than Grandpa Jacob. So true story: my Aunt Amber says her Grandma Lilliana would use a wooden spoon for discipline if my aunt was out of line and Uncle Kevin always tells her that 'My father had no need for such inferior tools'. All the grandkids, myself included, can attest to that. Now, Grandpa rarely had to discipline us; that was usually our parents' jobs, but if he was in charge and we were out of line, whack!" Jaedynn said and slapped her hands together.

"Sounds like Bastet," Roshad chuckled.

"Can I tell you a funny story?" Jaedynn asked.

"I need one. All this talk of our parents and discipline has me feeling a little sore," Roshad said and Jaedynn laughed.

"Me too," Jaedynn said. "So I told you my sister Ivory was raised in Las Vegas, right?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so daddy could only see her twice a year: over the summer and Christmas. Consequently, time with daddy was always more fun than not. She used to threaten Tamara that she'd run away to daddy if Tamara was giving her a hard time about something, but he'd always set Ivory straight. Anyway, one time when we were kids, she was misbehaving in class and the teacher pointed a ruler at her and said, 'At the end of this ruler is an idiot' and Ivory said, 'Which end?'" Roshad burst into laughter and Jaedynn joined.

"Did she really?"

"Yes, she did," Jaedynn said. "Got into a world of trouble for that, but it was still funny."

"It reminds me of when Ishmael was ten. He didn't like the music teacher but he was highly qualified and good at what he does. Really, the issue is the two didn't mesh well. Anyway, as a way of dealing with his tutor, he used to put all the instruments out of tune and it would drive his instructor mad. He also put itching powder in the man's clothes once. He nearly quit after that and I had to beg him not to and increase his salary. Ishmael got my two cents over that when it happened."

"I bet he did. Your son sounds like a blast to be around," Jaedynn smiled.

"He was a good kid; grew up to be a good man too," Roshad said. "He was charismatic too."

"He got that from you," Jaedynn said.

"That's what Aida always said," Roshad smiled. "So how is your pizza?"

"As good as the last time Ivory and I got it," Jaedynn said and picked up the pizza and took another bite. "What do you think Ashti will say when you tell her about the baby?"

"I'm not sure," Roshad said. "Whatever she says, I'll take in stride and explain." Jaedynn nodded absently and ate more of her pizza. "Hey," he said and she looked up at him, "what's done is done. We can't dwell on it. All we can do is move forward."

"You're right," Jaedynn said with a gentle smile. "Thank you for saying. I just don't want your mother to dislike me."

"You let me worry about maman," Roshad said and Jaedynn smiled at him appreciatively. Jaedynn got through half her pizza and they put the rest in the fridge.

"Do you mind if I use your shower?" Jaedynn asked.

"Go ahead. Did you bring something to sleep in?"

"No," Jaedynn admitted. "Wanting to spend the night here was a bit of a spur of the moment decision. I didn't exactly come prepared."

"You can wear one of my shirts," Roshad said and led Jaedynn with to his bedroom. Much like the rest of the apartment, it had bits and pieces of him, but it didn't feel like him. He went to his dresser and pulled out a plain white t-shirt that he handed over to Jaedynn. He was about to say something, but then the phone rang. "That would be maman," he chuckled a little. "You shower. I'll talk to her."

"Okay," Jaedynn said and walked to the bathroom with his shirt while Roshad answered the phone.

He began speaking in Farsi, so she couldn't understand him, but listening to him speak was strangely methodic. She loved how it sounded and could listen the whole conversation, but she remembered she was supposed to be showering, so she went to shower to get it started. She couldn't resist going back to the door to listen to Roshad speak a little longer. His voice was calm and he even laughed once or twice at whatever his mother was saying. When she finally got into the shower, she of course didn't have any of her usual shampoo or soaps and what Roshad had was either a bar or something in Farsi that she couldn't read. She stuck with what was in the bottles but always smelled them first.

Everything was clearly a masculine scent but she couldn't pin what exactly it was. She could detect a little cinnamon and clove, but everything else was completely foreign. She ended up using the same products in her hair and on her body. The scent lingered in her hair especially and when she got out of the shower, she ended up smelling her hair for a moment being reminded of Roshad. While she dried off, she found a black bottle also with Farsi script and she couldn't resist smelling. It was his cologne. Rich and potent but very alluring. The smell alone elicited find memories of his embrace. She dried off her hair as best she could and got her body dry before slipping into clean panties and the white t-shirt he'd loaned her. When she stepped out, Roshad was still on the phone, but he looked up, seemed to interrupt his mother and then put down the phone.

"Did you find everything alright?"

"Yes," Jaedynn said. "Do you have a bag I can put my dirty clothes in?"

"Yes, of course," Roshad said and walked quickly somewhere else in the apartment then returned with a cloth bag. After handing it over, Roshad said, "Just one moment. I'm almost done talking with maman."

He went back to the phone and picked it up returning to whatever conversation he'd been having. Jaedynn put her old clothes in the bag and tied it up before going out to the living room to put it on the couch. She walked back to Roshad's bedroom slowly and reached the frame of the entryway as he was saying a few final words. When he finally ended the conversation and hung up the phone, he turned around so he was looking at her.

"Is everything alright back home?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes, everything's fine," Roshad said. He took a breath and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her and then smelling her hair. "You liked the frankincense shampoo?"

"Is that what it was?" Jaedynn asked. "All I could smell was cinnamon."

"That was in there too," Roshad smiled.

"I'm sorry I didn't bring my own soaps."

"It's alright," Roshad said and gave her a kiss. "I think it smells nice on you."

"You're just too polite to say otherwise," Jaedynn said and kissed him back. "I'm sorry to listen to you talk to your mom; I'd just never heard Farsi before. It sounds really nice."

"People don't always realize how romantic Farsi can be," Roshad smiled. "I can demonstrate if that is alright." Jaedynn nodded with a smile and Roshad took her hands in his holding them close to his chest. Roshad went on for nearly four minutes speaking in Farsi. His rich voice made everything sound so sensual, even the harsher sounds, and she was taken despite not knowing what he was saying.

"What did all that mean?" Jaedynn asked when he was done and he gave her a loving smile.

"It is a love poem," Roshad said. "Albeit the poem was not written by me. It was written by a poet called Rumi."

"It sounded so pretty," Jaedynn said. Roshad came a little closer to her so their faces were a breath apart.

"'I manage fine with no others around, but I cannot manage without You

My heart bears Your brand, it won't wander away from You.

The intellect's perception is under Your influence; the whirling galaxy is humbled before Your Presence

The ear of ecstasy is pulled by Your Loving hand, nothing happens without You.

The soul is given rise by You, the Heart is nurtured by You

The intellect roars for You, nothing happens without You.

O my Divine potion and its brought about intoxication, O my flowering time and my garden bloom

You are my sleep, my peace, I cannot live without You.

You are the source of my grandeur and glory, the source of my possessions and prosperity

O You, my pure water, I cannot manage without You.

At times, You manifest as loving and loyal and at times harsh and cruel

You belong to me, so where are you off to? For, I cannot live without You.

When lovers offer their hearts, You snatch them, When they repent, You break them

It is all Your Divine doing, One cannot manage without You.

Were something to happen without You, the entire universe would be overturned,

The Garden of Eden would turn to Hell, nothing is managed without You.

If you be the head, I shall become the feet; if you be the palm, I'm in hand, Your flag

If you depart, I will vanish to nothingness, I cannot live without You.

You have robbed me of my sleep, you've effaced my personality

You've broken all my attachments, I cannot manage without You.

Should you stop being my Beloved, all my affairs would turn to ruin

O my comforter, my dearest companion, I cannot live without You.

Without You, I enjoy neither life nor death

How can I set myself free from this longing for You? I cannot be without You.

O Divine Source, Whatever I utter, is not free from my strengths and faults

So, you say it yourself, graciously, and repeat with me: One cannot live or manage without You!'" (Rumi (Divān of Shams Tabrizi, Ghazal #553)

Now that Jaedynn could understand him, his words were touching and beautiful. They were words that echoed her own feelings and passion. She could hear her heart racing as he recited the poem in English for her. He remained a breath away from her; just far enough away that when she wetted her lips with her tongue, it did not touch him. While he spoke, he lifted her left hand up to his cheek so his right hand could come to her face trailing delicately into her damp hair. She felt a sensation of warmth all over her body and she wanted more than anything to kiss him, but she stayed still and let him finish the poem. Roshad's eyes held a dreamy reflection of longing and by the time he'd reached the end, his eyelids were hooded and he came just a little closer, but did not kiss her.

"That was beautiful," Jaedynn finally said, ending the silence but not the sexual tension that had formed. "I imprinted on you, Roshad."

"I know," Roshad whispered to her. "I love you Jaedynn. I want us to be together. None of this sneaking around; just you and I together."

"I want that too," Jaedynn answered. "Can I show you something?"

"What's that?"

"I told you I come from a tribe of wolves, but I never actually showed you. I would like to if I could," Jaedynn said. She glanced at the clock: 8:50. In Washington it would be 6:50, far too early for anyone to be out on patrol so they would not be interrupted. "May I?"

"Of course," Roshad said and released her, taking a few steps back.

Jaedynn in turn backed away and took a quick look around to evaluate the space she had to work with. Once she was confident she had enough room, she removed the t-shirt and her panties, placing them aside. Before shifting, she looked at Roshad hoping he would not be offended that she'd undressed in front of him though it was quite the contrary. If there had been shock in his eyes, it had passed by the time she looked at him. He stared at her like he wanted nothing more than to reach for her and touch her. She saw arousal and nearly forgot what she'd been planning to do. Finally she shifted to a wolf right before his eyes and while Roshad took one step back from surprise, it didn't last long. He looked Jaedynn over, taking in the whites and browns of her silky coat. She was mostly white with patches of color on her ears, paws and tail much like a Siamese cat. Otherwise, she looked completely like a wolf that was the size of a bear and it was fascinating to see. As she'd hoped, no one was on patrol and they were completely alone, but she didn't want to push her luck. Roshad approached and said something in Farsi just as he started petting her face and ears.

"This power: it is hereditary and gives you immortality, yes?" Jaedynn nodded her head at his question. Then she changed back so they could speak, leaving her naked before him once again.

"So long as I hold onto my wolf, I am immortal," Jaedynn clarified further. Now Roshad was clearly a little distracted by her.

"How do you hold onto your wolf?"

"I just have to shift to a wolf with regularity," Jaedynn answered. Roshad nodded absently and then looked over her body. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and took his eyes away. "Roshad," she said, stepped closer and placed her hands on his face so she could guide him to look at her again, "Please don't be embarrassed to see me this way."

"It is not embarrassment," he answered and held her gaze. "I mean only to be respectful. I am mere man; when I looked upon you, my mind began to drift to baser thoughts."

"They did?" Jaedynn asked, licked her lips again and came close enough to press her body against his. She could already feel his arousal forming and it incited a thrill deep in her core. "What kind of thoughts?"

"You know perfectly well what kind," Roshad said, his voice thick with desire.

"I think I need you to show me," Jaedynn said and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He looked completely focused yet miles away as he looked at her. For a moment she feared he would say no, but then he brought his lips to hers in a kiss that was instantly passionate. Their tongues dueled as Roshad's hands touched her body. His hands started at her hips but very quickly began moving all over from her ass, up her back and into her hair so she was being held securely to him. After all this time, he'd nearly forgotten how it felt to be desired and to desire someone in return. He'd nearly forgotten the ecstasy of having soft, supple flesh in his embrace encouraging him to give her more. The taste of her, the scent of her mixed with his own soaps, the desire she reciprocated as they kissed was enough to make his head spin.

While Roshad's hands stayed in her hair, Jaedynn started to trail her hands down to his chest. She soon made it to the buttons of his dress shirt which she began to slowly unbutton. He wore nothing under that shirt, so there was nothing to obstruct her once she'd undone the final button and pulled his shirt out from his dress pants. She trailed her hands up his chest loving the feel of his chest hair under her fingers. He took his hands out of her hair and trailed them down her back and around to her chest so he could touch her breasts, keeping his touch soft and tender. Her breasts felt full and heavy in his hands and he wanted so badly to taste them. He took his lips away so he could lower his head to her neck to plant kisses there while Jaedynn trailed her hands lower so she could touch his erection through his pants.

When Jaedynn touched him through his pants, Roshad lowered his hands back down to her ass to grab a hold of her so he could press her more firmly against him. It was swift and made Jaedynn moan as her head fell back, leaving her neck easier for him to access. He darted his tongue out to taste her skin and it was absolutely intoxicating. He whispered "عاشقتم," (āšeqetam) against her neck and it made her shiver both from the sound of his voice and the feel of his breath on her skin.

"What does āšeqetam mean?" Jaedynn asked in a breathy sigh.

"It means 'I love you'," Roshad said and started kissing all over her neck to her chin and then her cheek.

"Nayeli," Jaedynn replied. "That's 'I love you' in Quileute."

"خوشگل," (Khoshgel/Beautiful) he whispered and continued kissing her.

She didn't care to ask what his last words meant. She was more concerned with his lips pressing against her face, her chin and her neck making her whole body quiver. Her hands had stayed on his erection this whole time with only his pants preventing her from feeling him in full. She went to the buckle of his belt so she could undo it and then shifted her attention to the button and zipper. When she had access, Jaedynn slipped her hands into his pants past his briefs so she could finally touch him. His grip on her tightened and he nearly bit into her skin, but he only sucked her skin making her cry out. Then he released her so he could grab her hands, wrap them around his neck then grabbed a hold of her thighs so he could lift her legs to wrap around his hips and turned around to approach his bed. Jaedynn held onto him while Roshad gently placed her onto his bed climbing in with her continuing to press kisses to her skin.

Once Roshad had her comfortable on the bed beneath him, he began to kiss over her chest to her breasts but ensured he was gentle. There was no teeth or even any suction. Just his lips, tongue and the stubble of his facial hair trailing over her skin and sensitive nipples. "Roshad," Jaedynn moaned and brought her hands up to run through his hair. Then she ran her hands over the back of his neck onto his shoulders to push his shirt off. Roshad lifted himself up so he had one knee on the bed while his other leg had his foot planted on the floor so he could take off his shirt. Jaedynn sat up with him and pushed his pants and briefs down past his hips. He kicked everything off bending down to also remove his socks before returning his attention to her fully. Roshad stilled a moment to stare at the vision of beauty before him. He skin was fair and pale, black hair that fell below her shoulders but not long enough to cover her breasts. Her lips were not red, but were pale pink and tantalizing. Her brown eyes were what held his attention most, though.

"You're so beautiful, Azizam," Roshad whispered to her.

"Azizam?"

"Sorry," he said, "I think in English you would say darling or my love."

"Oh," Jaedynn said and smiled as she trailed her hands over his abdomen and chest. "Can I make a request?"

"Anything," Roshad said.

"Call me by my name?" Jaedynn requested. "I've spent months being called 'Buttercup'; the thought of another pet name doesn't really sit well with me."

"I'm sorry," Roshad said and went to his knees on the floor before her. "I did not mean to offend." He'd called all his wives 'Azizam' and when the thought occurred to him, he realized therein laid the issue. There was nothing unique about a pet name. Every man and woman in Persia referred to their lover as such – a common name. But there was only one Jaedynn – nothing common about her. "Please forgive me."

"Tell me you love me?"

"I love you, Jaedynn," Roshad answered and she smiled.

"I forgive you," she said and leaned forward to kiss his lips.

He reciprocated, meeting her passion with his own as he came to his feet then fell onto the bed on top of her. He was so warm against her and his touch was so gentle. Roshad brought her further up onto the bed so they could be more comfortable. Jaedynn cradled his hips between her legs and she could feel his erection pressing against her. She reached a hand down between them wanting so badly to have Roshad inside her and once she had a hold of his erection, she guided him to her entrance. He took over from there, slipping inside her gripping her hips as though for dear life as her warm flesh enveloped him. Jaedynn sighed into their kiss and she clutched onto him, her nails trailing over his skin as he filled her. Their lips parted and Jaedynn moaned his name as Roshad brought himself onto his elbows for greater control.

Roshad began to move and Jaedynn moaned at the sensation of him filling her over and over. He was gentle at first. She moaned his name again and that excited him more. He started to increase his pace while he kissed Jaedynn all over her face, neck, chest and her lips. After a few minutes in that position, Roshad sat up so he could bring up legs up to rest on his shoulders before returning to his previous thrusting motion. With every whimper and moan she uttered, Roshad continued to speed up until he reached a pace that had his head spinning and he slowed down. He kissed her legs tenderly when he'd slowed his movement and ran his hands all over her body. Roshad picked up the pace again and Jaedynn moaned his name again as her hands fell against the bed on either side of her head.

She was getting closer and closer to her release, but she wasn't ready for it to be over. So she placed her hand on Roshad's chest, took her legs off his shoulders and pulled him down to her so they could just kiss one another. He still moved but it was slow and gentle again. Once she was able, Jaedynn pushed Roshad onto his back climbing on top of his so she could take over. She pressed her hands onto his chest for leverage as she began to move her hips back and forth feeling a renewed build up in her core. She soon increased the speed at which she was moving her hips until she had to slow down again. When she did, Roshad pulled her down so he could hold her and took over. He gripped her hips moving her up and down while they started kissing once again. She started to reach down so she could touch herself, but Roshad intercepted her hand with his own and touched her clitoris, wetting his fingers with her body's natural lubricant to intensify her pleasure. He wanted them to reach their climax together, so when he felt himself getting to his peak, he rubbed her clitoris with more vigor while Jaedynn moaned and whimpered.

"Roshad," Jaedynn cried, "I'm so close."

"Come with me, Jaedynn," Roshad whispered back to her as he continued touching her. Jaedynn had both hands locked in his hair tightening her grip the closer he brought her. When she finally reached her climax, she cried out his name clutching onto him and Roshad reached his own climax shortly after her. He held her close, rocking them back and forth in a gentle motion while they came down from their highs together.

"I love you, Roshad," Jaedynn said once she had the strength to speak.

"I love you too, Jaedynn," Roshad said and kissed her cheek, "with all my heart."

They shared a tender kiss while Roshad carefully pulled the sheets out from under them so they could lay under the covers. He stayed inside her for a while; simply enjoying the feel of her. Roshad pulled out of her when Jaedynn lifted herself off him so she could cuddle up to him comfortably, her cheek resting on his chest. She rubbed her hand over his pectoral muscle while he held her, one hand petting her hair and the other trailing up and down her arm.

"Tonight was a dream come true," Jaedynn said.

"It was," Roshad agreed and tightened his hug. "How are you feeling?"

"Wonderful," Jaedynn answered with a smile.

"I meant in reference to the baby," Roshad said and kissed her head.

"Oh," Jaedynn said and pressed a kiss to his chest. "I'm alright. I still get sick during the day but Liz suggested nibbling on saltine crackers and that's helped."

"Good," Roshad said. "The tea and gold milk isn't upsetting your stomach at all is it?"

"No, it's never the milk; it's usually strong smells. Fish is the worst. Sometimes when I go down to the café for lunch, they'll have a special on salmon or something and every time it just makes me gag. Normally I love fish, but I just can't stand it right now."

"I will keep that in mind," Roshad said. For a moment they were quiet, but then Jaedynn remembered something Roshad had told her.

"Roshad?" He hummed in response to let her know he was listening. "What happens when you've been here a year?"

"My B-2 Visa expires and I need to return to Iran," Roshad answered.

"Is there any way you can stay?"

"I will need to apply for a Green Card," Roshad said. "I've not reviewed it with a lawyer just yet. While I know it is possible to apply for a Green Card while on a temporary visa, it is problematic – illegal in some cases though I don't know for sure if New York applies – to apply for citizenship while on a B-2 Visa. The key is proving that permanent citizenship was not my initial intent. At least that's my understanding. I would like to review it with a lawyer first."

"Uncle Kevin will help," Jaedynn said. "Do you think you'll be able to remain in the US?"

"I won't know until I look into it further," Roshad said. "I fully intend to, although I will need to speak with maman about it. I'd promised I would return to Iran after a year. If she finds out I want to stay here, she may have an issue with that." Jaedynn bit her lip a moment with nervousness before speaking again.

"Will she be angry?"

"She won't be pleased," Roshad admitted. "She already feels it was rash of me to come to America on a whim. She will think me deciding to stay here is also a rash decision. I will need to find a way to run my business from here and will certainly need to return to Iran frequently anyway so it's not as though she'll never see me."

"You don't think she'll blame me do you?"

"She won't," Roshad said. "I'm a grown man fully responsible for my own actions; maman only expects me to answer for myself."

"Is there anything I can do to make her like me?"

"A good start would be not mentioning, well, this," Roshad said, waving his finger around a moment. "If she found out about this, she'd be furious."

"Us sleeping together you mean?"

"Yes," Roshad said. Then he rubbed his face feeling a little embarrassed. "I must sound like a mama's boy."

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to show your mother respect. Honestly, it's a welcomed change," Jaedynn said. "We'll keep this between us."

"Thank you," Roshad said and kissed the top of her head again.

The two of them laid in bed for a while until they eventually fell asleep. Jaedynn slept peacefully that night, better than she had in a long time. When she finally woke late the next morning, she could smell something cooking, specifically toast. She turned over to be on her side and opened her eyes to see a bouquet on the nightstand, but not just any bouquet. Given their lack of scent and the look of them, she knew right away they weren't real flowers. Upon closer inspection, some looked to be glass while others were made from gold. It was a bouquet of burgundy glass dahlias with gold forget-me-nots all held by what looked like a white ceramic vase.

With a bright smile, Jaedynn sat up in bed, still bare from the night before, and stared at the bouquet with the natural light coming through to illuminate it. She touched the glass dahlia and admired the craftsmanship wondering how he was able to create something so beautiful. She could hear him on the other side of the apartment so she hopped out of bed, put on her panties and his t-shirt then walked to the kitchen. He was without a shirt but she could tell he was wearing some pants. When she realized they were dress pants, she almost laughed. He looked over his shoulder when she stepped out and smiled at her.

"Good morning," he said.

"Morning," Jaedynn said back and ran the rest of the way to the kitchen to give him a hug. "So what are you making?"

"Nothing special I'm afraid; just toast with apricot jam and your milk," Roshad said and kissed her. "It's not upsetting your stomach I hope."

"Not at all," Jaedynn said. "The flowers are stunning."

"I'm happy you like them," Roshad said. "So are you ready for a friendly game of fútbol?"

"You mean soccer?" Jaedynn said and giggled at the raise of Roshad's brow. "Yes, I'm ready. Do you think we'll be alright playing in Central Park?"

"We'll be fine so long as we aren't disturbing anyone," Roshad said. "There's plenty of open space to play in, but first, breakfast."

Roshad finished making the gold milk which he poured into a mug for Jaedynn along with some black tea and a plate of toast with jam. Roshad returned to the bedroom so he could change into something more appropriate and returned in a black t-shirt and blue jeans. Once she'd finished her breakfast, Jaedynn got dressed into the shirt and blue jean shorts she'd brought with her, Roshad grabbed the soccer ball and the two of them headed out. They held hands as they left the building and made their way across the street to Central Park to an open space where they could play. It was filled with people either sitting together playing music, one person was painting near the pond, a few people looked to be part of a big study group, there were people out on picnics and several other activities. When they finally found a spot, Roshad dropped the ball on the ground and put his right foot atop the ball to keep it still.

"Seeing as we have no goals at the moment, we will just kick the ball around for a while," Roshad said.

"Okay," Jaedynn said and Roshad kicked the ball to her and she kicked it back. "So when did you discover this love of soccer? I presume Persians weren't playing soccer when you were a kid."

"No, I'm afraid not," Roshad chuckled and dribbled the ball around with his feet before kicking it and Jaedynn ran after the ball managing to catch it. "I started following it back in the twenties when Iran's football federation was founded. Team Melli as we call it, although that name came later. We actually won the AFC Asian Cup this year as a matter of fact."

"But not a FIFA world cup?"

"Not yet, but give us time," Roshad smirked and caught the ball after Jaedynn kicked it over. The AFC was hosted in Bangkok and this is our second consecutive win. Before that back in 1968 we won against Burma in the finals and we hosted the games in Tehran."

"Let me guess: you closed shop just so you could go see the game?" Jaedynn teased.

"We did not close shop," Roshad said, "I just had it playing on TV the whole time. The games lasted from the 10th to the 19th of May. The final game was up against Israel."

"And you said you won that tournament?"

"Yes, we did," Roshad smiled. "I hosted a big party after that win. Same for our win this year. You said your brothers are fans of Brazil's team?"

"Yes, well, they have won the World Cup three times in a row," Jaedynn said.

"Not in a row," Roshad said. "They didn't win in '66. England won that."

"Alright, fine, but they did win back in 1970."

"That is true," Roshad said, "but they won't win come '74. I'm confident Iran will make it to the World Cup and win."

"Try not to be so confident when you meet Ariel and Gabriel; those two will fight you over soccer," Jaedynn giggled.

"I assure you, Jaedynn, I am not scared of your brothers," Roshad smiled. "Not concerning soccer anyway." Roshad kicked the ball in Jaedynn's direction. "Speaking of; have you told your family about me?"

"Only my sister Ivory," Jaedynn said. "I'm scared that if I tell them about you now, they'll hate you on principle because of Alex. I don't want that. I want them to give you a chance and get to know you. Thus far you've met Uncle Kevin, Aunt Amber and my cousin Levi, but we hadn't started seeing each other yet."

"I see," Roshad said. "So what does your father do for a living? You said he's a veteran?"

"Yes, he fought in Europe during the Second World War," Jaedynn said. "Right now he's a cop within the tribe. Mom owns a bar in Forks, Gabriel's a bouncer at that bar and Ariel is a bartender. My big sister Scarlet's a stay at home mom although my niece Lulu is grown by now. My brother-in-law Kai is from Hawaii and he's a fisherman. My sister Ivory works for Macys. She works in Claims now but she used to do customer service."

"I confess I do not envy your sister Ivory's job," Roshad said and Jaedynn laughed.

"Neither do I," Jaedynn said. "The horror stories she could tell you. One time, she was on the phone with a woman that had purchased a coffee table, but it was on backorder so she needed to wait a week or so for it to arrive at the store for her to pick it up. For one reason or another, it was delayed and this woman called in screaming that she needed it for a party. She says to Ivory, 'Where are my guests supposed to put their drinks?'"

"Her guests could hold their drinks," Roshad offered.

"Exactly! That's not even the worst of it. Ivory's been accused of ruining so many Christmases when she handled returns. Now that she works in Claims she doesn't have to deal with that anymore. I think now she deals more with manufacturers or something. I'm curious: do you have customer service horror stories like that?"

"Not that I've had to deal with," Roshad said. "I'm sure some of my sales representatives could give you a few horror stories but I tend to deal with tariffs, taxes and logistics as well as ensuring a good public image."

"That sounds a little boring," Jaedynn said, "although it's not much worse than being an emergency operator for the tribal police. We're a really small, tight knit community so we don't tend to encounter a lot of problems. At worst, I would get calls from elderly members of the tribe over kids causing some kind of trouble but it was always just being too loud."

"Nothing wrong with that I'd say," Roshad said. "So how do you like working at Kevin's law firm?"

"It's been good," Jaedynn said. "I've certainly had more worthwhile stories to tell then old ladies calling the police on some hoodlums. Mind you I can't give you names, but I can give you small details."

"Do tell," Roshad smiled.

"Okay, so one client – not one of Uncle Kevin's – is going through a pretty messy divorce right now. Now, bear in mind depending on what state you live in, you can obtain a 'no-fault' divorce. California was the first state to put that into practice in 1970 and I hear Washington State is considering it. However, New York does not have no-fault divorces. Because of that, some couples that want a divorce will make false allegations to obtain a divorce. So a wife will claim husband is abusive, husband or wife will claim infidelity and so on. However this couple? I'd say they need to divorce on the grounds that they're both toxic people that make each other's lives miserable. I won't give names, but I heard one story from the wife that as part of the settlement, she wanted the house in Georgia. It was this giant mansion that had been in his family for decades I guess, but she wanted it. A few weeks ago however, she finds out the house burned down. Husband swears up and down he doesn't know what happened or who did it but we all have a sneaking suspicion we know who did it, problem is the police in Georgia weren't able to confirm much. So if she wants that house, she'll need to pay loads of money to make repairs."

"So the consensus is rather than let his soon-to-be ex-wife have the house, the husband would rather burn it down?"

"Yup, pretty much," Jaedynn said. "Although, and this is between us, I've had to speak with the woman on several occasions and if I'm being honest, I'd rather set my summer home in Georgia on fire than let her have it too."

"That awful, huh?" Roshad chuckled.

"Yeah. This one I can't confirm for sure seeing as I heard it through the grapevine and not directly from her, but supposedly as a petty act of making sure he wouldn't see their kids, she sent the children to Boarding School in London."

"If it's true, 'petty' is certainly the word for it," Roshad said. "Now was this before or after the house burning?"

"Before," Jaedynn said.

"Then I can understand wanting to burn down that house too," Roshad said.

"I don't know if you would be familiar, but what about Iran out of curiosity? Does Iran even practice divorce?"

"Oh yeah, it does," Roshad said, "and I'm sad to say it's not exactly fair. According to law, women are put on the same level as minors, mentally ill and criminals, so they have no rights where it relates to family law. Everything is in the husband's hands or the hands of the wife's 'benefactor' which really just means her father in most cases. A divorce can be obtained without the wife's prior knowledge or warning and a man can introduce a new wife into the family on a whim. Or, to be more accurate, a man could proceed with marriage proposals and gifts without his current wife's or wives' knowledge or consent. I know in 1967 there was an attempt to pass a more favorable law that protected women but it was blown way out of proportion and exaggerated so the bill was abandoned. It's a shame too."

"I would say so," Jaedynn agreed. "Allow me to state for the record I am very appreciative you are a man that will only marry one at a time."

Roshad chuckled, "As am I. Although the Quran plainly states that polygamy is only permitted when a man is capable of loving his wives equally. To paraphrase Surah an Nisaa 4:3 in English, 'If you have reason to believe you can't treat them – them being women – with equal fairness, then only one wife is permitted to ensure you stay on the right course.' I'm afraid I've not met a man in my lifetime that has lived up to such a standard that practices polygamy. There is always one wife he looks on more fondly than the others and, again, the Quran warns of that too. It warns that it is not possible for a husband to treat all wives fairly, effectively rendering the permission of multiple wives completely negligible. This is where religion and those in a religion begin to frustrate me greatly. You see one thing in either the bible, the Torah or the Quran that you want to hear and go with it without acknowledging the context or what follows."

"So in actuality, the Quran doesn't permit polygamy?"

"It permits it under highly specific circumstances that it acknowledges are completely impossible," Roshad said. "So yes, it doesn't actually permit it."

"Good to know," Jaedynn said. "Did any of your sons have multiple wives?"

"Kaseem considered it, but after I gave him my opinion on the matter, he didn't go through with it," Roshad said.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Jaedynn smiled and kicked the ball over. "Out of curiosity, was your mother ever married?"

"No, maman never married," Roshad said. "As I recall her saying, she was fifteen at the time I was conceived and my grandfather was prepared to see her married, but I obviously made that impossible."

"Your mother was changed when she was fifteen?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "She looks older than that but she still looks very young. Of course, she dresses conservatively and tends to cover most of her face so people aren't able to tell her age. She does it to honor Allah, but it has the dual convenience of making her age impossible to accurately determine."

"Win, win I guess," Jaedynn said. "You said her name is Ashti, right?"

"Yes, Ashti Ester Javadi," Roshad said. "I believe Ester was her mother's name. My father's name I never knew and don't care to know."

"Bastet was your father figure, right?"

"Exactly," Roshad said, "and I'm very grateful for him."

"When do you suppose I'll be able to meet your family?"

"It will depend when I can fly maman, Bastet and Rashida out here," Roshad said. "I would suggest we wait until after the baby's born. By then, I'll have met your family and, hopefully, won their approval. I fear on your side, I have more people to win over."

"You certainly do," Jaedynn smiled. "Although this fascination with soccer will win you points with my brothers right off the bat if that helps."

"Jaedynn, 'fascination' is a comical misrepresentation," Roshad chuckled.

"Yeah, you and my brothers will get along great," Jaedynn teased and caught the ball Roshad kicked her way. "Honestly I'm a little more worried about daddy. After everything I put him through this year, he won't be very open to me seeing anyone at all."

"We can take our time," Roshad assured.

The two of them continued to play a simple game of kicking for about an hour before Roshad noticed a soccer goal that was no longer being used and suggested they go over there to play more competitively. Jaedynn did her best, but there really was no competition. Roshad would always know how to maneuver the ball to get it away from her and would kick it into the unprotected goal. She did try getting more aggressive at one point kicking his shin and getting the ball away from him and managed to score a goal. She began to gloat but saw that Roshad wasn't moving towards her. Instead, he was kneeled down holding his shin.

"Roshad?" Jaedynn said and rushed to him. "Oh God, are you okay? I didn't mean to hurt you." Once she was by him, Roshad rose suddenly with a big smile and lifted Jaedynn over his shoulder spinning her around while she laughed and squealed. She started slapping his back playfully telling him to put her down which he eventually did. Jaedynn pushed him but was still laughing and Roshad came over to hug her.

"That was ruthless, Jaedynn," Roshad said, "I'm very proud."

"You let me have that goal didn't you?" Jaedynn accused.

"You earned it," Roshad chuckled and leaned his head down to give her a quick kiss. "Come on; let's keep going."

"Alright, but don't let me get a goal because you feel bad," Jaedynn said.

"I didn't give you that goal because I felt bad," Roshad smirked and went to get the ball. Time flew as they played together. They didn't stop until Jaedynn started feeling really hungry, so Roshad picked up the ball and they walked through the park together until there was a hotdog vender. Roshad bought her a hotdog and Jaedynn thanked him after putting some mustard on it.

"What time is it?" Jaedynn asked.

"It is," Roshad lifted his left hand to look at his watch, "1:30."

"It is?" Jaedynn asked, shocked, and grabbed his wrist to look at the watch only to be encountered with characters she'd never seen before. "Wait, what is all this?"

"They're numbers," Roshad chuckled.

"No they're not," Jaedynn said. What she saw on the clock's face were symbols she'd never seen before. "Is this in Farsi or something?"

"Yes, they're Farsi numerals," Roshad smiled and took off the watch so Jaedynn could see the face more clearly then pointed at each numeral. "Yek - ١, do - ٢, se - ٣, chahâr - ۴, panj - ۵, shesh - ۶, haft - ۷, hasht - ۸, noh - ۹, dah - ۱۰, yâzdah - ۱۱, davâzdah - ۱٢."

"So Farsi has its own numeral system?"

"Yes, we do," Roshad said. "Why are you so shocked? The Romans had their own numeral system. As I recall, Europe and America still use it here and there."

"Sure, but for titles and such. Maybe on a watch, but generally not in everyday use," Jaedynn answered and Roshad just chuckled. "Well, I guess now I know 1-12 in Farsi."

"Indeed," Roshad said and kissed her head. "How long before you were planning to go back to Harlem?"

"Honestly, I should probably go really soon," Jaedynn lamented. "Alex said he'd be home by Sunday at latest, so he could be back already for all I know. If I go back now, I can at least just say I went to the park for a few hours. It wouldn't be a lie."

"Alright," Roshad replied then took Jaedynn's free hand and brought it to his lips to kiss it. "When can I see you again?"

"Next I can bring clothes over, I'll come see you," Jaedynn said. "Failing that, I'll call you."

"Alright," Roshad said and kissed her hand again. "How much longer do you suppose you'll need to get all your things out?"

"I've got about a drawer's worth of clothes left. I'll get them out as fast as I can," Jaedynn promised.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help?"

"You're already doing more than you realize," Jaedynn said and turned so they were facing one another. "The worst part will be over soon. We have a baby; I won't be able to completely remove Alex out of my life, but you and I can move forward. Anything revolving around co-parenting will be addressed with my Uncle Kevin at the ready."

"Absolutely," Roshad said, "but I swear to you: I'll be here for you and the baby. Regardless of what happens with Alex, I'll be this child's father in every way that matters."

"I know," Jaedynn said with tears starting to form in her eyes. "I'm so sorry everything happened the way it did."

"Jaedynn," Roshad said and brought his hands to her cheeks so she was looking at him, "It's water under the bridge. We can't change what happened. All we can do is move forward. I love you and I want to be with you. Whether this baby is mine by blood doesn't matter. I already love this child and I want to be this child's father more than anything. We'll make everything work; I promise."

Jaedynn smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist resting her head against his chest making sure to hold the hotdog further away from him and Roshad held her close. After releasing one another, they walked through the park holding hands while Jaedynn finished her hotdog. After leaving Central Park, they returned to Roshad's apartment so Jaedynn could get her purse, they returned downstairs to hail a taxi and Roshad paid the driver before kissing Jaedynn goodbye. Once her door was closed Roshad stayed on the sidewalk looking after her as the car drove away.

"So how long have you two been together?" the driver asked once they pulled away.

"Not very long," Jaedynn admitted, though she didn't say exactly how brief their time together had been. Frankly, to her it didn't matter.

"Well, looks like you're doing something right," the driver said.

"It's about time," Jaedynn said.

She got back to Harlem by three and Martha was outside with Cole when the taxi driver dropped her off. Jaedynn and Martha exchanged pleasantries and small talk before walking into the building together. Jaedynn said goodbye to Martha as she entered her own place and then Jaedynn went to the unit at the end of the hall. When she let herself in, Alex was home. She was prepared to give her excuse about going to the park but when Alex looked up at her, something felt off. He was lying in bed with his back against the wall like he'd been waiting for her.

"Where were you?" he asked.

"I went to the park," Jaedynn answered.

"Oh yeah?" he said and stood up from the bed. "And were you at the park since leaving work yesterday? Rita says you never came home."

"Hold on, you had Rita spying on me?"

"I had Rita come here to check on you only to find out you weren't here! She went looking for you and what does she find? You out in Central Park with some guy! Who is he?!"

"Alex, stop yelling," Jaedynn said.

"I find out you're seeing some asshole behind my back and you have the nerve to tell me to stop yelling?" He reached for her but she managed to step aside to avoid him.

"Alex, stop!" Jaedynn ordered. "I don't know where you get off having your mother follow me-"

"I asked you a God damn question; I expect a fucking answer!" Alex yelled and started approaching her again, this time slowly and cautiously.

"Alex," Jaedynn said again as she held up her hands in front of her defensively, "stop. I stayed the night at my Uncle's place because I wanted to burrow their big tub and I ended up spending the night. That guy in the park is a coworker and we were playing soccer."

"Is that right? And I suppose you kiss all your coworkers?" Alex asked combatively. Jaedynn didn't have an immediate response to that and while she was thinking of one, Alex spoke again. "Now answer me. Who the fuck is he?"

"I already told you: he's a coworker."

"Bullshit!" Alex yelled and was still approaching her. "You fucking whore! I can't believe you'd do this to me! Is that baby even mine?!"

"Alex, I said stop!" Jaedynn yelled back. "I swear to God Alex if you come any closer-"

"I caught you cheating on me! Don't try to fucking deny it!" Alex interrupted her. "I can't believe you'd betray me like this! After everything I've done for you!"

"Done for me? What have you done for me?!"

"I loved you when no one else did you treacherous cunt!"

"Well I found someone that loves me more!" Jaedynn blurted out but she regretted it the moment she said it. Alex's eyes and nostrils flared and he approached her fast enough to grab her by her throat and slam her against the wall. "Alex, let go of me!"

"I should fucking kill you!"

"Get off me!"

She heard what sounded like a switch blade, but she didn't see it. The moment she heard that sound, she kicked Alex off her in time to make sure he didn't get her. But he was coming at her again the moment he regained his footing and she only had time to grab onto his hands to stop him. He overpowered her and slapped her across the face making her fall to one side and hit the wall. She screamed as she fell and, out of instinct to try to protect herself, she shifted to a wolf and bit Alex's shoulder when he came at her. As she bit his shoulder, she felt his switch blade force its way into her shoulder causing her to release him. She shifted back, her roar changing to a scream and she felt one more stab land right at her ribcage making her release another blood curdling scream. She was able to kick him off her before he could stab her again and there was a pounding on their front door that made Alex stop suddenly.

While Jaedynn was on the floor, Alex went to the bed and grabbed the briefcase, opened it, shoved some money and other things in it and then forced the door open running out and causing Martha to hit the wall as Alex ran away, all with blood dripping from his still wounded shoulder and blood trailing behind him. Jaedynn was trying to crawl to the phone as Martha came into the apartment and she screamed when she saw Jaedynn and all the blood.

"Oh my Lord Jesus! Jaedynn!" Martha screamed and ran to Jaedynn's side. "I called the police Jaedynn! They're on their way!"

"Martha," Jaedynn was crying and still trying to get to the phone.

"Jaedynn, baby, it'll be okay!" Then Martha seemed to realize Jaedynn was naked and grabbed the blanket from the bed and got it over Jaedynn to keep her covered as the sound of sirens began to approach the building. "Stay with me, Jaedynn! Just keep breathing!"

"Martha, please," Jaedynn kept crying, "please. Call Roshad."

"Who?" Martha asked in a panic and then the paramedics made it to the building and charged in going right to Jaedynn.

"Stand back, ma'am!" the paramedic ordered and took the blanket off Jaedynn so they could see her injuries. They applied pressure to her stab wounds and got her on a gurney to take her out to an ambulance.

"Please, where are you taking her? I'll contact her family!" Martha said to one of the paramedics.

"New York Presbyterian Hospital," the paramedic answered.

"Martha, call Roshad," Jaedynn managed through her pain. "His number is in my purse."

The paramedics removed her from the apartment covering her up as they took her outside to the ambulance and Martha searched for Jaedynn's purse and tried to find the number in question. She finally found that number and quickly dialed with her trembling fingers. Roshad was in his living room reading the newspaper. He had the baby's picture nearby and glanced at it a few times with a smile. Last night really had been a dream come true and this morning had been that much better. As he was reading, his phone started ringing and he went to the kitchen to pick up the phone.

"This is Roshad," he said when he answered the phone.

"Roshad? I was told to call you! Jaedynn's been attacked and she's being taken to New York Presbyterian! Dear God," the woman was crying.

"Jaedynn," Roshad mumbled in shock, then said, "I'm on my way." Roshad hung up the phone and grabbed his wallet before rushing out of the apartment and downstairs. He was about to leave but realized someone needed to contact her family. "Sir," he said to the man at the front desk, "I need you to contact Kevin Black! His niece Jaedynn was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital; she was attacked!"

"Yes, sir," the man said and picked up the phone while Roshad left the building and hailed a taxi, demanding the driver to rush him to the hospital. He never felt such a sense of panic in his life and despite the taxi going as fast as he could, reaching the hospital felt like it took an eternity.

(Author's Note: To hear 'Without You', Rumi Divān of Shams Tabrizi, Ghazal #553 recited in its full Farsi, look up Seasons of Rumi – "Without You" – (In Persian and English) on YouTube by the channel In the Footprints of Rumi))