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.

166. Chapter 166

Chapter 166

"When did you put on makeup?" Levi asked Evalynn once she finally rejoined the party.

"About an hour ago," Evalynn said. She was eager to return to Roshad's and Jaedynn's house so she could remove the makeup. It really was bizarre for her. "I went to talk one of the Tistilal girls and she brought me back to her dorm to do my makeup."

"Who?"

"Shyann," Evalynn answered.

"Wait, Shyann?" Levi asked, stunned. "You mean has half her head shaved and dyed purple that wears altered men's clothing Shyann?"

"Yes, that Shyann," Evalynn said. "I'm gathering she's famous around here now?"

"I wouldn't say 'famous'; she's just a bit of an attention whore if I'm honest," Levi said. "At least that's what Caleb and Sergei always say. Truthfully, I barely know her, I just know of her."

"She seems like a normal snarky teenager to me," Evalynn said, unable to help a little smile. "Have you seen daddy?"

"I think he's talking with Caleb and grandpa right now," Levi said. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's great," Evalynn said and stood up so she could look for Kyle. He also noticed right away that Evalynn was suddenly wearing makeup and enquired about it and she told Kyle the same thing she told Levi then asked if they could go home to talk. Evalynn and Kyle walked back to the house together and once they were home they went straight to the kitchen.

"Do you want some wine?" Kyle asked.

"Sure," Evalynn said and Kyle pulled a bottle of wine out of the pantry, pulled out the quark and then poured them both a glass.

"So what did you want to talk about? Is everything alright?"

"I just wanted a heart to heart," Evalynn said and took a sip of her wine. "I just met my imprint."

"Really," Kyle asked.

"Yeah," Evalynn said, "she's one of the Tistilal girls. Shyann?"

Kyle looked really surprised, "Really? Shyann?"

"I see you're having the same reaction as Levi did," Evalynn smiled.

"I just didn't picture someone like her as being your type," Kyle said. "I imagined you with someone more….I don't know…level headed?"

Evalynn laughed a little, "Cut her some slack, daddy. She's only 14. Besides, nothing's going to happen."

"Since you've met her, does that mean you'll be coming to visit more often?" Kyle asked.

"No," Evalynn said. "I want to give her space. Even if she weren't too young, I don't have the time to devote to a long distance relationship. I need to focus on my schooling."

"You truly are my daughter," Kyle sighed with a humored smile. "I assume she's the one that put that….shadow on you?"

"Yes," Evalynn said with a small laugh. "I went up to talk to her and we somehow got into a discussion about makeup of all things. Despite my efforts to tell her I know how to put on makeup, she didn't believe me and we went back to her dorm so we could play with her makeup."

"Did you paint each other's nails and talk about boys too?" Kyle asked sarcastically.

"Yes, then we practiced kissing and enjoyed some beer we stole from her daddy's stash," Evalynn answered with the same sarcasm.

"I raised you better than that," Kyle chuckled. "So outside of her evidently not approving of your use of makeup – or lack thereof – did you have fun?"

"I did. She's a sweet girl once you sit down and get to know her. She just has a habit of putting her foot in her mouth and say mean things without realizing it. What teen doesn't I guess. She's trying to find herself," Evalynn said. "She actually has a poster of Raquel Welch on her wall and I asked her what was her favorite Raquel Welch movie; she told me she'd never seen one and had picked the poster because she liked it."

"Sounds like her," Kyle said. "She's definitely the rebellious type. We're all hoping she'll grow out of that and calm down."

"I hope not. Nothing wrong with a rebellious streak."

"Evalynn," Kyle said, realizing she was alluding to herself, "your version of 'rebellion' is fighting the patriarchy and earning a Law and Medical Degree. It's a hell of a lot more productive than insisting you want a job at sixteen and your own place at the same time."

"What am I doing if not insisting I want a job and a place of my own?" Evalynn smiled then laughed a little when Kyle gave her a weird look. "I'm joking, daddy."

"I certainly hope so," Kyle said and sipped his wine. "So what is the plan exactly as far as Shyann is concerned? Besides giving her space for the time being?"

"I'll let everything happen organically," Evalynn said. "I'll focus on school and when I come home, I'll reintroduce myself to her and we'll go from there. I just hope I don't end up being the one that falls in love with a straight girl."

"We'll see," Kyle shrugged.

Evalynn and Kyle stayed at the house until they finished their wine before finally returning outside for the wedding. Evalynn didn't mention to Caleb that she'd imprinted on Shyann. This was his night; he deserved to focus on his bride. Everyone stayed at the beach for several hours, meanwhile Caleb and Ashley left the moment they could after Renesmee got Ashley out of the rabbit dress and into her winter clothes so they could drive back to their house. In the weeks since they moved in, they'd furnished and decorated to their liking, but there were a few things that needed work. They were saving up for a new fridge, they wanted to get rid of the wall paper and replace it with paint, the shag greenish yellow shag carpet in the living room was 'a crime against humanity' as Ashley had phrased it and she wanted it gone as soon as they could afford to replace it with hardwood floors: but even with all the things they wanted to fix and change, they'd made it home. Once they'd returned, they walked up to the house together hand in hand but stopped before the front door so Caleb could carry Ashley in. Then he carried her upstairs to their room where they stayed, not to be disturbed for three days until they left for their vacation in California.

Evalynn couldn't resist talking to Shyann one last time before she returned to the city with Roshad and Jaedynn. The plan was to return to the East Coast shortly thereafter and she wouldn't be returning to the tribe before then. When she went to the dorms, Shyann was still in her room with the door wide open. She was in her pajamas and had a towel wrapped up on her head to dry her hair after her shower and she was sitting at her desk looking into a mirror while applying some moisturizer.

"Caught you without your face on?" Evalynn asked and Shyann looked at her. She was relieved to have not startled her at least.

"Did you forget something in my room?" she asked, ignoring Evalynn's previous comment.

"No," Evalynn said, "I just wanted to stop by. I'll be going back to the city soon. After that I'll be returning East. I just thought I'd say goodbye before I left."

"Oh. Well, goodbye I guess," Shyann said.

Evalynn gave her a humored smile, "Goodbye Shyann. I'll see you when I see you, okay? Keep yourself out of trouble?"

"I promise nothing and deliver less," Shyann answered and Evalynn laughed. Shyann finally smiled and laughed gently along with her.

"Good to know," Evalynn said. "Have a good night, Shyann."

"You too," Shyann said. Evalynn finally left after that. Despite the initial awkwardness, she was happy that she came to say goodbye. She hoped that she left enough of an impression that when she finally returned home for good, Shyann would remember her fondly.

After the wedding, things went back to normal for a while. Everything returned to the usual day to day both in Washington and out east. Things didn't last between Levi and Teagan, though he'd not expected it to. They were able to stay friends after the breakup at least, but she complained about all the letters he sent to Nadja. She'd read one of the letters without his consent thinking he was seeing someone else but only found platonic discussion, Levi got upset with her for the invasion of privacy and ultimately they agreed to just be friends. As he always did with most things, Levi told Nadja all about it. Whenever she was seeing someone or he was seeing someone, they always told each other everything over letter. Nadja told tale of a boyfriend she'd had that, much like what happened with Teagan, found her letters from Levi and thought she was screwing around on him, though their breakup did not end in an agreement of friendship. He'd apparently not spoken to her since accusing her of cheating and leaving her place, but from her letters, she wasn't bothered from it much to Levi's relief.

For Evalynn, she made sure everything stayed as normal as possible. Things continued between her and Jessica. Given there was nothing but friendship between them with sex here and there and given that she had no intention of making any attempt to be with Shyann until much later, she reasoned there was nothing wrong with a casual fling. Otherwise, she kept meeting Shyann to herself. She couldn't help wondering about her, though. She wondered if Shyann was doing alright in school, she wondered what she was up to when school was out and so on. So whenever she called home, she would take a moment to ask about Shyann. Kyle would always tell Evalynn that Shyann was doing alright unless she'd gotten herself in trouble in which case he'd tell her what she did.

Following the wedding, Ahiga went head on into his new routine. He started going to the gym on the nights when the other fighters were practicing and Freddie took over the task of preparing Ahiga for his first fight. There would be a local tournament hosted in Port Angeles come March that would encompass boxing schools throughout town. There would even be some people coming from Olympia and Hoquiam to compete. It was the perfect opportunity for Ahiga to get his foot in the door. He would be competing at what was called 'Middleweight' meaning he needed to be at 165 lbs. to compete. So the moment they knew about the tournament, Ahiga got to work. He started at 170 which, for his height, was a healthy weight, but he needed to get just a little leaner. Nesia supported Ahiga through preparations 100%. She cooked for Ahiga making sure his food adhered strictly to the diet Boss had given her and, gradually, Ahiga got down to the weight he needed to be at. The whole family knew about the fight and were already planning to make an appearance and word was sent to Oscar who relayed the news to Oliver. Oscar, sadly, couldn't make it, but Oliver promised he would be there. Around this time was when Nesia finally went up to the gym to see it for herself. Ahiga had been going straight to the gym after work while he was preparing and she'd started bringing him dinner. The first day she came, she walked into the gym and took a look around. It was a sweaty smelling place and she caught the hint of a few different colognes in the air but it was from one specific area. She realized it was the door that led to a locker room. There was the smell of leather, iron and anything else that was in that gym.

"Nesia!" Ahiga called and she looked up just as he was approaching her. He was already shirtless with boxing gloves and headgear on. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Nesia smiled and presented the dish, "I just wanted to bring you dinner. I know you said you would be coming straight here for a while so I thought I'd make sure I brought you something."

"Just a second there, missy; let me see what's in it," an older man, she assumed this was 'Boss', approached, seeing the dish.

"It's just chicken and vegetables just like Ahiga said," Nesia said.

"How'd you cook it?" Boss asked.

"I steamed the vegetables and baked the chicken, no oil or added salt," Nesia said and handed it over to Boss. He looked inside to inspect everything and then nodded.

"It checks out. Still hot too," Boss said to Ahiga and handed it back to Nesia. "You want to eat now or wait?"

"I'll wait until we take a break," Ahiga said. "Oh, Boss, this is my girlfriend Nesia. Nesia, this is one of my coaches and he also owns this place."

"Pleasure to finally meet you," Boss said and shook Nesia's hand. Another man walked up who was much younger, fair haired and looked closer to Ahiga's build but was a little shorter. "So Freddie, guess who we finally get to meet."

"I overheard," Freddie said with a smile and shook Nesia's hand. "It's good to meet you. Ahiga speaks very highly of you. Name's Freddie; I'm the one that's been training Ahiga."

"It's so good to meet you both," Nesia smiled. "I wanted to thank you for all the help you've given Ahiga."

"It's our pleasure," Freddie said. "How about we spar and you can show off a little?"

"Sure," Ahiga said and led Nesia to where the bench was and she sat down while Ahiga and Freddie got into the ring together.

Boss stayed at one corner remaining just out of the ring while Ahiga and Freddie got into position. Boss rang the bell and the fight began. There was a moment of the two circling one another before Ahiga threw the first punch. After that, the fight picked up in intensity. They moved around the ring going from offensive to defensive with Ahiga getting the most hits in. Boss eventually ended the fight and proudly announced that Ahiga had won. Nesia ended up staying there for the remainder of the evening watching Ahiga train and loving to see the concentration and focus in his eyes. It was late by the time training was over and Nesia promised she'd see Ahiga when he returned. Once home, she got the dish cleaned and put away while also packing away any leftovers so Ahiga could take those to work for lunch. By the time Ahiga finally got home, Nesia was in bed finalizing her lesson plan for the next day with Tina curled up at the end of the bed napping.

"Welcome home," Nesia smiled at him when he came into their bedroom. He walked over and got into bed next to her smiling and gave her a kiss. Tina stirred, stretched and hopped off the bed to go elsewhere.

"Sorry to disturb you, Tina," Ahiga said jokingly to the cat after she'd gotten off the bed and walked away. "Thank you for bringing me dinner," Ahiga said to Nesia once he'd looked back at her.

"My pleasure," Nesia said. "I've got leftovers in the fridge for you to take to work tomorrow."

"You're the best, Nesia," Ahiga said and kissed her again. "How about you take a break and I thank you properly?"

"I wish I could," Nesia sighed as Ahiga kept giving her tiny kisses on her chin, "but I really need to get this done."

"Okay," Ahiga lamented but still gave her a look of longing. "I'll take a shower."

"The moment I have this finished, I'm all yours," Nesia promised and kissed him before Ahiga left their bed to go to the bathroom.

Nesia did her best to get her work done before Ahiga left the shower. A blush came across her cheeks as she thought about what she wanted to do but she focused on the lesson plan in front of her. Once it was done, she got that in her bag to take to work and went to her calendar to double check when her last period was. Having confirmation they were within the safe part of her cycle to go without protection, Nesia got out of her dress, bra and panties and quietly let herself into the bathroom hoping Ahiga wouldn't hear her enter. She started to approach the curtain, but Ahiga eventually heard her.

"Did you finish what you were working on?" Ahiga asked from inside the shower.

"I did," Nesia said and pushed the curtain aside enough for her to step in. Ahiga was rinsing off the last of the soap in his hair as Nesia entered the shower. She approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist, getting her arms and chest wet. Ahiga blocked most of the water from hitting her otherwise. His muscles had become more pronounced in recent months and he'd trimmed down quite a bit. He'd been what she'd consider an average weight beforehand, but since he started boxing, he looked so statuesque; everything was more defined. Above all else, though, he smiled more. More than she recalled him ever doing since they first met. He was like a new man. "I'm ready to be thanked properly if the offer still stands."

Ahiga smirked, "Sit on the lip of the tub."

Nesia did as he ordered, taking a seat on the corner of the tub and Ahiga kneeled down before her. There was still some soap in his hair but he didn't care. It could wait. He pushed her legs aside and leaned his head down to start pleasuring her. Nesia moaned with the first stroke of his tongue over her core and leaned back against the wall of the shower. Ahiga's hands helped her stay stationary and she started to trail her toes over his back affectionately. Before long, though, her brain was too foggy to keep that up and she kept her foot still on his back while he guided her closer and closer to orgasm. Nesia ran her fingers through his hair while her other hand stayed on the lip of the tub to help her stay balanced. Her moans filled the room while her head fell back against the wall. Ahiga's tongue trailed over her clitoris swirling around, nipping only enough to illicit an intense reaction of pleasure and sucking until he brought her to climax at last. Nesia cried out and moaned his name while he led her through and when the waves finally passed, Ahiga started kissing his way up her body starting at her hips going up her midriff until he reached her breasts. His hands took a hold of them running his thumbs over her nipples a few times then finally taking her right nipple in his mouth.

He did that to both breasts, allowing her a moment to relax but still pleasuring her. Then he kissed his way up her neck to her ear where he whispered, "Hold onto me, Nesia." She wrapped her arms around his neck and just like that, he slipped inside her and she moaned again. Ahiga roped his arms under her knees and lifted her off the lip of the tub and pressed her against the wall. Keeping his arms under her legs and gripping her ass, Ahiga started moving but used gravity to his advantage, bouncing Nesia up and down on him. However, the wet floor of the tub quickly became problematic, so Ahiga got Nesia on her feet, turned her around so she was facing the wall and gripped her hips before slipping inside her again. Finally having the control he wanted, Ahiga set a steady and firm pace that left Nesia quivering. She encouraged him to keep going harder until he had her whimpering. She helped herself along to a second climax and when Ahiga told her he was close, she replied that it was safe for him to stay inside her. They both reached their release at the same time and Ahiga had his hand planted against the wall to regain his senses afterwards. He lifted Nesia up so she was against his chest and kissed her neck.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear, panting from their exertion.

"I love you too," Nesia moaned.

The 23rd was also the first night of the fight. There would be two days dividing up the weight classes and then a third day devoted to finals. Middleweights were scheduled to fight Saturday the 24th but Ahiga was at the tournament watching all the fights. He was trying not to let himself get nervous but it was hard not to as he watched fight after fight. Some were really, really good while others were definitely just rookies – nothing special. The tournament in Port Angeles picked back up around 11 and Ahiga was there early to get ready. He'd weighed in the night before and was right at 165 just like he needed to be. That in itself was a victory. Nesia and Haseya were there early as well while other family that was attending arrived shortly before the fights were scheduled to begin. Nesia was able to locate Oliver once he'd arrived, having flown in that morning, and got him to the front towards the ring so they could see Ahiga fight.

From there, the afternoon dragged for Nesia as they waited for it to be Ahiga's turn. There was a roster with all the names and Ahiga Washington was listed among the Middleweights of which there would be three fights. End of day Saturday and Sunday were going to be used for finals among those that had won their fights. If Ahiga won, he'd fight again tomorrow. Nesia wanted so badly for that to happen. Ahiga had worked so hard and she wanted to see him win.

"He'll do great, Nesia," Oliver said to Nesia when she was anxiously staring at the roster waiting for it to be Ahiga's turn.

"I know he will," Nesia said, "it's just so nerve wracking to wait."

"I know, but just try to relax. I promise you he's going to look for you once he gets to the ring and you don't want him to see you looking nervous," Oliver said.

Nesia nodded and took several deep breaths to calm down and Haseya held Nesia's hand so they could both relax. It didn't, however, make the time go any faster. But when it was finally time for the Middleweights to fight, Nesia was on edge. The first fight began between two guys both of whom were from Hoquiam. Once the fight was over and a winner was chosen, there were a few minutes in which the winner's name was included in the roster to fight the following day. Then time dragged by even slower as she waited for Ahiga and his opponent to finally come out. An announcer entered the ring and when he did, Nesia's heart started pounding.

"Next we have Zack Armani vs. Ahiga Washington!" the announcer proclaimed and there was some light applause but since Ahiga and this other guy were rookies, there was no fan base to warrant a greater response.

Nesia steeled her nerves and made a point to exude confidence, especially when she saw Ahiga walking up to the ring with Freddie and Boss following. As Oliver predicted, Ahiga looked for Nesia once he was in the ring and once he spotted her, Nesia waived at him and smiled brightly. Haseya waived too and blew a kiss his way and Ahiga waived back just a moment before returning his focus on his opponent. It was a few minutes before the fight actually started. Boss and Freddie were on the ropes outside the ring with Ahiga close to them giving him some last minute tips, instructions and words of encouragement. There would be three rounds, a short fight. Freddie and Boss got away from the ring while Ahiga and his opponent came into the ring, getting into position and when the bell rang, the fight began.

There were a few seconds of the two men effectively playing chicken, trying to get a feel for one another. Nesia was holding Haseya's hand waiting for someone to throw the first punch. Finally, Armani threw a punch that Ahiga was able to block. Armani threw two more punches that Ahiga dodged, ducked and then got an uppercut to his opponent. Armani stumbled back after the uppercut and the crowd erupted into cheers, especially Nesia and Haseya. Oliver cheered Ahiga's name, but Ahiga was focused entirely on the fight. Once Armani recovered, he cautiously started approaching Ahiga again and another game of touch and feel began where there would be a punch thrown here and there. Ahiga eventually became aggressive, throwing more punches and landing several although Armani did manage to dodge some. The bell rang ending the round and the combatants went to opposite ends of the ring to rest.

Freddie and Boss stayed out of the ring but leaned over the ropes to wipe the sweat away, give him some water, and offer some advice for the next round. The break only lasted thirty seconds before Ahiga and Armani had to come back into the ring for round 2. This time Armani was aggressive right off the bat but Ahiga defended himself and was able to take advantage of some openings to lay down his own punches. Armani ended up tiring himself out and when he did, Ahiga took advantage once again to launch his own assault while Armani defended. The bell rang ending the second round and they parted ways again.

"So how do we know who's winning?" Oliver asked Nesia.

"It's up to the judges and the winner of each round gets ten points, loser gets 9," Nesia answered. "We're not going to know the score until the final round."

"Shit," Oliver said, getting just as anxious as Nesia now. In the ring, Ahiga was against the ropes while Freddie gave him water and patting his forehead dry.

"You fucked him up pretty bad this round, Ahiga," Boss said. "Just one more round so hang in there."

"If he goes in for the offense, stay on the defensive but don't be afraid to get aggressive," Freddie added. "You've got him scared. Take advantage of it." Ahiga nodded to let them know he was listening.

"Alright, final round! Do it Ahiga!" Boss said and encouraged Ahiga to step forward.

Ahiga and his opponent got into position and when the bell rang, the final round began. Ahiga waited a moment to figure out if it was worth it to go in for a full assault, but Armani clearly had enough stamina to defend himself, so Ahiga stayed cautious for a few seconds. But when he felt confident, Ahiga started throwing a few jabs. Armani got a few hits in but for every hit Ahiga took, he threw two more. The referee had to step in at one point when Ahiga got Armani into a headlock but once the referee separated them, the fight could continue. It was 1:30 more minutes of watching Ahiga and Armani circle one another throwing punches here and there until, with 30 seconds left, Ahiga launched one more assault. He was able to get Armani on the ropes for a second, but he ducked under. Ahiga turned around just in time to throw another punch to Armani's check. The bell rang ending the final round, so the two of them went to their opposite corners and waited while the judges tallied the scores.

Nesia, Haseya and Oliver waited anxiously to get the results, but they were not nearly as anxious as Ahiga. Freddie and Boss cheered him on while giving him water and wiping his brow. Boss also patted Ahiga's lip with ice where Armani had busted his lip. After the judges had completed deliberation and the referee was given the results, Ahiga and his opponent were waived into the ring to announce the winner. Once they were both by the referee, he took Armani's and Ahiga's hands. When the referee lifted Ahiga's arm indicating he was the winner, Nesia cheered louder than anyone else in the crowd. Ahiga and his opponent went to leave the ring and Ahiga located Nesia before getting off. The smile on his face was priceless. Sure, he'd gotten a busted lip, but he'd won and she was so proud of him.

"He won," Oliver said in a muted voice but he was no less excited. Ahiga waived at them as he got out of the ring and went to Freddie and Boss so they could get him to the locker room. "Can we go see him now?"

"I hope so," Nesia said and started walking past all the seats and people to get to the walkway to follow after Freddie, Boss and Ahiga. Oliver and Haseya joined her. They all went to the locker rooms in the back and caught Ahiga before he went in and hugged him.

"You did great, Ahiga," Oliver said.

"Thanks, Oliver," Ahiga smiled. He took his arm away from Oliver so he could hug just Nesia and Haseya. "Don't get too excited. I've still got to fight again tomorrow."

"It's your first fight and you won," Haseya said and kissed Ahiga's cheek. "Let us be proud of you."

"Okay, mom," Ahiga chuckled.

"You were amazing, Ahiga," Nesia said and finally gave him a kiss. "When are you fighting tomorrow?"

"We'll find out this evening," Boss said. "They can't determine tomorrow's roster until we know the winners; most likely before yesterday's winners start fighting."

"We'll tell you once we know," Freddie said.

"Most likely, the Middleweight winner with the highest points will be guaranteed a spot while the two with the lower scores will need to fight one another," Boss said. "Now, Ahiga, the judges had to knock off points because you got Armani into a headlock, so I suspect you'll have to earn your spot for tomorrow. Make sure you don't do that again – you fight with your fists and your fists only. You got lucky with that uppercut; it gave you an extra point in your favor, but the last thing you want is to win on luck then get your ass kicked when luck's not enough."

"Got it," Ahiga said.

It wasn't until after the heavyweights finished fighting that the roster for the next day was announced. As Boss predicted, Ahiga's score was a point lower than what would be needed to be guaranteed a spot so he would have to fight the winner of the first fight that had gotten a similar score to him. If he won that, then he could fight the guy that had gotten the highest points.

Sunday after, on the final day of the tournament, Oliver, Nesia and Haseya got to the arena early with Ahiga and waited for it to be his time to fight. Thankfully he was able to fight early against the other combatant that had won his match but had a score that wasn't high enough to instantly qualify. Taking Boss's advice to heart, Ahiga was extremely careful with his aggression, keeping it within the realm of what was allowed. He fought hard and defended himself when necessary and was able to win the fight. He had a few hours to relax before he had to fight again. When it was almost time, Boss and Freddie were at his side in the locker room.

"This is it, Ahiga," Boss said, "Win this fight and you'll be named Middleweight winner. Just remember what we talked about: stay on the offensive but only punch. Nothing else. By the time you're done, I want Collins to see stars."

"You've got this, Ahiga. He might be fast, but you hit like a fucking dump truck with speed to boot. Keep control and stay focused. This'll be 12 rounds just like the big leagues, so use your energy wisely."

"I will," Ahiga nodded, his foot fidgeting on the floor. He wasn't nervous he realized. He was excited. Waiting for the fight to start was what was getting to him. When it finally came time to fight, Freddie and Boss walked Ahiga out to the ring. He saw Nesia right away and she was smiling at him and waived when she saw he was looking. He waived back but quickly returned his attention to the ring and took a deep breath before getting in.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for our final fight to determine today's victor for Middleweight Class, please welcome Ahiga Washington and W. B. Mason!" the announcer yelled and there was a greater round of applause this time around.

Ahiga and his opponent got into position and when the bell sounded, the first round began. Ahiga didn't make a move to punch just yet nor did Mason. They circled one another slowly for a moment until Mason threw the first punch. Ahiga defended at first and the moment he had an opening, he threw a punch right across Mason's face. Mason backed off after that but soon returned back on the offensive. This time, Ahiga met him punch for punch and just hit harder. When the bell rang, ending round 1, they went to their opposite sides and Freddie and Boss were right there on the ropes.

"That was great, Ahiga! Good start," Boss said. "You've got him scared, so keep hitting hard."

In the audience, Nesia was really nervous. She felt her heart pounding as though she were the one fighting. Soon, Ahiga and Mason both returned to position and the bell rang to begin round 2. Things proceeded with a pattern for the first seven rounds. By the end of round 8, Ahiga felt himself getting frustrated. Mason took every hit Ahiga dished and kept coming back. Freddie assured Ahiga he was doing fantastic and to keep up the good work, but Ahiga wasn't satisfied. Round 9 began and Ahiga stayed cautious at first. He was waiting for a good opening. He backed away every time Mason threw a punch hoping to tire the man out. Then, with 30 seconds left in the round, the opportunity Ahiga was waiting for finally came. Mason threw a punch that made him lose balance for just a moment, but a moment was all Ahiga needed. He swooped in and threw a punch at Mason's shoulder then followed up with an uppercut to Mason's chin and actually made the man fly back and land of the floor. The crowd roared in applause and there was a moment where he worried Mason would get up, but he didn't. The referee came in and started counting down from ten to give Mason an opportunity to get back up, but he just couldn't. Ahiga couldn't believe it. He'd actually done it. The referee came over, took Ahiga by the wrist to lift his hand all while the announcer was blaring through the speakers.

"I don't believe it, ladies and gentlemen! Ahiga Washington wins by Knockout!" the announcer said and the applause became impossibly louder.

Nesia, Haseya and Oliver were cheering from their spot in the audience and Haseya grabbed Nesia to kiss her cheek before hugging her and she hugged back while never taking her eyes off the ring. Ahiga's smile was bright. He'd won. After all the hard work he'd put forward, he'd won his first boxing tournament. He looked so proud and Nesia was proud of him too. Freddie and Boss could barely contain their excitement and when Ahiga had to leave the ring, Freddie and Boss grabbed a hold of him to hug him, congratulating him. Nesia pushed through to the walkway so she could hug him and he wrapped his arm around her as they all walked to the locker room. Oliver and Haseya followed and stayed with him while they all waited for the end of the day when trophies would be handed out. When it was time, Ahiga joined all the others that had won in their weight class. He stood where he was directed, was handed a small trophy and pictures were taken of him and all the others that had won that day. It was the best feeling in the world.

"I made sure to get a picture of you with your trophy to show Oscar," Oliver praised as they were leaving the arena.

"Do you think he'd be able to come to the next tournament?" Ahiga asked.

"I can promise he'll try," Oliver said. "He was really upset that he couldn't come this time; he'll be really sorry to find out he missed your first win."

"You'll just have to tell him all about it," Nesia said.

"With a win like that, we'll get you into another tournament no problem," Boss said. "Freddie, make sure you're both ready. I'm going to try getting him into the Water Glove Tournament in Seattle in the fall."

"You and Freddie will be competing one another?" Nesia asked.

"No, we're representing the same gym so we would not face one another," Freddie said. "I would fight the Welterweights and Ahiga will face the Middleweights."

"Can different weight classes fight each other?" Oliver asked.

"They can but it can't be drastically different. So Ahiga couldn't fairly fight a Flyweight for example. What generally happens is if two different weight classes want to fight, they agree to a catchweight which just means the combatants meet at a weight they can both reach."

"We can worry about that later," Boss said. "For now, let's worry about getting you established as a Middleweight then we can play around with fight a weight class up or down."

"Yeah, enjoy your first victory," Freddie said as he patted Ahiga's shoulder. "There will be plenty more to come."

Since Oliver was staying with Ahiga and Nesia, it was hours before they finally could have a moment alone with each other and when they could be alone, their intimacy had to be kept as quiet as possible. When Oliver flew home and they were finally really alone, that was when they really celebrated. Ahiga had his trophy placed on the bookcase in their living room so he could see it every day and he hoped there would be many more to come. In the meantime, he returned to his usual training regiment so he was ready for the next fight. When Oliver returned home, he told Oscar about Ahiga's victory and showed him the picture of Ahiga holding his trophy. Oscar promised he'd make a point to be at the next fight in the fall assuming Boss was able to get Ahiga a spot. In the meantime, life went back to normal.

Jaedynn felt like a beached whale by the time April rolled around and she was becoming rather certain Kamron would be born very soon. Every night, Roshad would rub Jaedynn's feet to ease the soreness and swelling and also made a point to remind her every night how beautiful she was. He told stories in Farsi to her belly while he rubbed her feet and the rich sound of Roshad's voice speaking in his native tongue never failed to leave her content and send her to sleep. Sadly, she was always sore when she woke up in the morning usually from Kamron kicking. Roshad joked he was excited to make his way into the world. But then April had come and gone with nothing. When it was May, she started thinking that perhaps Kyle might have to induce her. It was getting to be midway through May with nothing. But then May the 8th came. She felt sick and achy and when she described what she was feeling to Roshad, he made Kyle aware that she seemed to be going into labor or would be going into labor very soon and Kyle promised to be at the house as soon as he could. When he arrived, Jaedynn was showing signs but had not begun dilating yet, so he gave her instructions to move around as much as possible, drink plenty of water and keep track of her contractions and to call him the moment anything changed.

Come Saturday the 9th, Jaedynn was still waiting for things to change with Roshad firmly at her side ready to help at a moment's notice. She was extremely envious of how calm Roshad was able to be, but then everything was going about normally and Roshad had 9 normal pregnancies worth of experience in all this. In truth, Jaedynn couldn't think of a single person she'd want helping her through this more. Jaedynn kept doing as Kyle had said: walking around the master bathroom trying to encourage herself along. As she did, the pain kept intensifying. Roshad drew a bath for her with some warm water to help ease the pain even if it was minimally. It would also help to make sure when her water broke, there wouldn't be a mess. Since they had such a large tub, the plan was for a water birth anyway. When it was just after midday and Jaedynn had been moving around for several hours, Roshad called Kyle asking him to come check on Jaedynn. By the time Kyle made it, Jaedynn was already in the tub and was sobbing through another contraction.

"I'm sorry to ask this, Jaedynn, but I need you to come out of the tub so I can check how far along you are," Kyle said. Jaedynn whimpered in complaint but otherwise complied and Roshad helped her out. He wrapped her in a towel and sat behind her so Jaedynn could rest her head on his thigh while Kyle checked. "Good news: you're about seven centimeters dilated right now. Looks like moving around paid off."

"Can I go back in the tub?" Jaedynn asked. Kyle gave the okay and Roshad helped Jaedynn back in.

He'd made a point to wear swim trunks and an old t-shirt so he could sit in the tub with her if she wanted him to. For now, he was kneeling beside the tub behind her rubbing her shoulders and neck to help her relax as much as possible. Shortly thereafter, Nathan and Ada María showed up. Nathan waited downstairs while Ada María came upstairs and into the bathroom to take a spot beside the tub to hold Jaedynn's hand. The closer her contractions came together and hit with greater intensity, the more time felt like it was dragging and she would have to squeeze Ada María's hand. But no amount of squeezing alleviated the pain she was experiencing. Kyle waited as long as possible before directing Jaedynn to get out of the tub again so he could check how she was dilating. She was at 9 centimeters when he checked then and allowed Jaedynn back into the tub. They waited another hour and a half before Kyle checked again and she was finally dilated enough to start pushing.

Roshad got into the tub with her so he could hold her and keep her comfortable. He held one of her hands while Ada María held the other and the two of them encouraged Jaedynn to push when Kyle said to. She pushed as hard as she could and didn't stop until she felt the baby's shoulders. By then, Kyle reached in to get a hold of Kamron and lifted him out of the water as soon as he was out. There was some splashing as Kyle lifted Kamron out of the water and the moment he was out, he started crying. They already knew it was a boy, so Kyle handed Kamron over to Jaedynn so she could hold him to her chest. By then, she was in tears both from labor pain and now from her son being in her arms. Even as a teeny tiny baby, he had a full head of jet black hair. He had an itty bitty nose, but it's shape reminded her of Nathan's nose and he had full lips despite his crying.

"He looks so much like you," Roshad whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek. He was rubbing Kamron's back to help sooth him and he was starting to calm down at last. Roshad moved his hand so he could get his finger in Kamron's tiny hand. Kamron clutched Roshad's finger as he started to whimper again after losing the warmth on his back.

"Do you want to cut the cord?" Kyle asked Roshad who nodded and took the scissors to do just that after Kyle got the cord tied off.

Kyle took Kamron so he could get his footprint, give him some balms and medicine and filled out everything he needed to that would be sent to the state for Kamron's social security number and any further documentation. Ada María took Kamron downstairs once he was swaddled to meet his grandpa while Kyle helped Jaedynn pass the placenta. When Jaedynn could finally be removed from the tub, Roshad helped her dry off and brought her to their bed which had been reinforced with plenty of padding and mats to protect the sheets. When she was finally comfortable and dressed, Kyle had Jaedynn sign the birth certificate first.

"You said you would be signing?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, I am," Roshad nodded and accepted the pen so he could sign his name as the father. Before they put down Kamron's name, Roshad asked, "Are we giving him a middle name?" Jaedynn thought about it for a second and then smiled at him.

"How about Roshad?" Jaedynn asked. He was speechless for a moment. He was touched. "Kamron Roshad Javadi; I think it sounds nice." All Roshad could do was nod and kiss her cheek. Once Kamron's full name was written on his birth certificate with Roshad listed as the father, Kyle assured he'd have everything submitted and they'd receive all Kamron's legal documentation in the mail. Downstairs, all the while, Nathan was cradling his grandson. Ivory and Anatoli made it to the house once they received word Kamron was born and Ivory was waiting her turn to hold her nephew.

"You know," Nathan said, looking at Kamron, "He really does look just like Jaedynn."

"He's got a little more color to his skin," Ada María said as she was petting Kamron's little head. After being cleaned up and dried off, his hair was so soft and she couldn't get enough of it. "He's a handsome little boy."

"He is," Nathan said. Kamron eventually opened his little eyes at one point to reveal rich brown little eyes. Just like Jaedynn's. It was like Alex had no part of him. They couldn't change how Kamron came into the world, but he showed no sign of it. He was just like his mother. "He reminds me of Jaedynn when she was little." He smiled. "Remember when I came home and you tried getting Jaedynn to give me a hug?"

"She was just shy," Ada María assured, remembering the day. Her in her red dress with his children – their children – there to greet him after so much time away from home. "She got over it quickly."

"She did," Nathan said and bounced Kamron up and down gently.

"Daddy, can I please have a turn? You've been holding Kamron for twenty minutes," Ivory said.

"I'm his grandfather; I have special privilege," Nathan said.

Nathan and Ada María stayed in the city overnight to help with the baby while Jaedynn got a chance to relax and heal, but Kamron stayed close to her so she could feed him and just cuddle with him. Roshad fell into his new role whole heartedly. He'd missed this feeling of being a new father. There would be little things that Kamron would do that would remind him of his late sons or daughter, but then he'd do something that was entirely him. Like whenever Roshad or Jaedynn would change Kamron, he would always do little bicycle kicks after he'd been put in a fresh diaper. Every time, it make Roshad laugh. Then when they would give him a bath, Kamron would fall asleep while in his tiny tub, the warm water soothing him. He would snore just a little then wake up the moment the faucet was turned off. He would have a face like someone had just insulted him and then he would start crying until either Jaedynn or Roshad dried him off and swaddled him.

They enjoyed a week's worth of calm getting to know Kamron and adjusting to having a baby, but soon they had to get back to business. It started with Roshad's and Jaedynn's interview with Immigration. Kevin had given Roshad a list of potential questions so they could be prepared and advised, above all else, stay calm and be honest but consistency was key. So before their appointment, Roshad and Jaedynn sat down together to go over the potential questions. Kevin offered to be present with them for the interview if they wanted though it wasn't required, but Roshad asked that he be present just in case. So they all met at the Immigration Office and checked in, waiting for the officer to be ready. Someone came to get them and brought them to an interview room in the building and finally a man in a suite with a badge at his hip came in with a folder filled with paperwork.

"Morning, Mr. Javadi," the officer said and sat down, "I'm Officer Ganes; I will be interviewing you this morning."

"Morning, Officer," Roshad answered and shook the man's hand. "I hope you don't mind, but Jaedynn and I brought our lawyer."

"That's fine," Officer Ganes said and then shook Kevin's hand, "Could I have your name?"

"Kevin Black," Kevin answered.

"And you're Jaedynn Black, correct?" the officer asked Jaedynn.

"Yes, sir," Jaedynn answered.

"And who's this little guy?"

"This is our son, Kamron," Jaedynn said with a gentle smile as she bounced Kamron in her arms. "He was born on the 10th."

"So he's brand new," the Officer smiled. "Let's all take a seat and we'll get started." Once they were all seated, Officer Ganes opened his folder and reviewed a few things before proceeding. "Now, Mr. Javadi, you came to the US on a B-2 Visa according to our records."

"That is correct," Roshad answered.

"And you and Miss Black have not married yet?"

"Not yet," Roshad said. "There are family matters we need to sort out before we can marry, but we fully intend to get married, hence the necessity for the Green Card."

"What family matters?" Officer Ganes asked, preparing his pen.

"My family is deeply rooted in tradition. My mother would be furious with me if I ever married without her meeting the bride first so this summer my family will be coming to Washington in June to meet Jaedynn and her family."

"Wouldn't she then be upset that you and Miss Black have a child?" the Officer asked.

"Oh, she'll be furious, but it can't be helped," Roshad answered. Officer Ganes seemed thoughtful as he wrote down Roshad's answer. Kevin had prepared Roshad and Jaedynn for this attitude. It was the officer's job to be inherently skeptical, especially given the time that had elapsed between them thus far, and he warned them not to take it personally.

"Okay, so let's start from the beginning. How did you two meet and when?" Officer Ganes asked.

"We met in September," Jaedynn said. "We were both at this Cajun restaurant in Harlem. I was really upset about something that happened at work so Roshad walked over to my table to talk to me."

"And Mr. Javadi, when is Miss Black's birthday?"

"June 12th 1945," Roshad answered naturally.

"And Miss Black, what is Mr. Javadi's birthday?"

"March 28th 1930," Jaedynn answered with the date he'd put on his applications.

"That's quite an age gap," the Officer said.

"When we first met, I'd assumed he was my age if I'm honest. Roshad doesn't look his age at all," Jaedynn answered. "By the time I asked when he was born, we'd gotten to know each other and I didn't really mind the age difference."

"Tell me about your first date?" Officer Ganes asked.

"The first proper date I took Jaedynn on was a soccer game in central park," Roshad answered.

"Roshad's a big soccer fan and so are my brothers, but I never really got into it. Still, I humored him and we had a good time," Jaedynn said. "Before that, Roshad sent me flowers and presents to my office and he'd make dinner for me."

"So when did the two of you decide to get married? Tell me about how you proposed," Mr. Ganes asked.

"We decided to get married when we found out Jaedynn was pregnant," Roshad said. It was the story they'd both agreed they would go with.

"So this is a shot-gun wedding?" the officer asked, half-jokingly but also with a hint of suspicion.

"Not at all," Roshad said, slightly offended with the accusation but saying nothing further.

"We'd already been discussing potentially getting married," Jaedynn took over, going with what they'd discussed. "Like Roshad had mentioned before, there's the matter of our families meeting, his mother approving of me, etcetera. We had planned on working that out first but…well, I wasn't feeling good, I went to the doctor and that's when they told me I was pregnant."

"Kamron just sped things along a little," Roshad said. "Were it a shotgun wedding, we'd have married by now."

"I didn't mean any offense," Officer Ganes said, sensing Roshad's tone. Kevin pushed a thought into Roshad's head reminding him the officer was just doing his job and not to take offense, so Roshad took a deep breath. "So you find out your pregnant. Did he just propose or did you both sit down and discuss your options?"

"At first he said we'd make things work, but that was about it. Next day at my office, I got another bouquet of forget-me-nots and a note telling me to come to his apartment after work, so I did. When I arrived, he'd made dinner, dessert, he had music playing, he gave me more flowers; all that was missing was the champagne, but that was out of the question," Jaedynn joked and thankfully, the officer smiled a little. "After dessert, he'd asked me to marry him and I said yes. Not long after, we moved back here to Washington."

"There's something I wanted to ask you about, Miss Black," Officer Ganes said after he'd written everything down. "When we were performing that background check, we found out you'd been in the hospital and gone to court over assault. It's my understanding that the man that attacked you was your boyfriend?"

"You don't have to answer that, Jaedynn," Kevin stepped in. "The matter concerning Alex Vayez holds no bearing on Mr. Javadi's legitimacy in his request for citizenship. It has been resolved in a court of law and I would ask that you follow a different line of questioning."

"Alright," the officer said and wrote everything down in his notes. "So let's move on to the wedding itself. What's the plan? When's the wedding, where's the wedding – anything that's been planned or discussed."

"My family is coming here in June to meet Jaedynn," Roshad said.

"After that, we'll have a wedding ceremony in accordance with my tribe's customs," Jaedynn said. "We'll fill out a marriage license and what not at that time. Later, we'll have another wedding in Isfahan, but the first wedding will be this summer."

"Why the rush?" Officer Ganes asked.

"We have a child together," Roshad answered, perhaps a little more firmly than was necessary.

"And said child was not planned?" Officer Ganes asked.

"No, Kamron was not planned," Jaedynn said, taking over. "The honest truth is we weren't being careful and we should have been, but regardless, Kamron's here now and we want to be a family."

"So, Miss Black, you're Native American? What tribe?"

"Quileute," Jaedynn answered.

"So the reservation near Forks, Washington, right? The one in La Push?"

"Yes," Jaedynn said.

"So, Mr. Javadi, what will your first wedding entail since it's going to be with her tribe?"

"Their Medicine Man will perform something called a Moon Ceremony," Roshad answered. "We will hold our hands over fire, the Medicine Man will recite a chant and he will determine when we marry. It's based on the shape of the moon. So we won't know what night we can marry until we've sat down with the Medicine Man."

"Any other customs?"

"The Medicine Man and the tribe's Chief will have us seated before an unlit bonfire, perform for the tribe telling about the founding of the Quileutes, there's a fertility dance that is performed by women in the tribe that have infant sons and once the Medicine Man and Chief announce we're married, we light the bonfire and everyone in attendance dances around it," Roshad answered.

"And what about the wedding in Iran?" the officer asked Jaedynn.

"That'll be a lot more elaborate. We haven't chosen a venue or anything like that just yet, but we'll be seated in front of something called a….what did you say it was? Sofreh Aghd?" Roshad nodded with a gentle smile. "Anyway, it's this table that has blessings on it like fruits, nuts, mirrors and spices, family members will grind sugar above our heads on top of a silk clothe to sweeten our marriage and his aunt will be performing a knife dance with the knife we'll use to cut the cake. Roshad said we'll have a Quran on the table too, but that's more for his mother's benefit."

"So you're Muslim?"

"In name and rearing, but I am not practicing," Roshad answered. Officer Ganes finished writing down everything they'd all said.

"So Miss Black, what does Mr. Javadi do for a living?"

"He owns Saffron fields in Fars, Iran," Jaedynn answered. "He likes to call himself a spice vendor since he does business with companies all over the Middle East and Asia but Saffron is his favorite. It's a really popular spice in Iranian cuisine."

"And how does Mr. Javadi manage his business from the US?"

"He's in frequent contact with his business partner; Bastet Soliman is his name," Jaedynn said. "They're on the phone virtually every day, so Roshad manages through him."

"When his business is in Iran, why would he want to move to America?"

"It's to accommodate me. I'm not comfortable moving so far away," Jaedynn answered. "I have a very large family here in Washington. I've got my parents, uncles, aunts, cousins and more. Roshad's family is very small. Just him, his mother, his aunt and his uncle. He's able to go back to Iran whenever he sees fit or needs to and is happy to do it. I wouldn't be happy having to go to and from here to Iran. I also don't speak the language where as Roshad speaks English fluently."

"A bit of a homebody?"

"Yes," Jaedynn answered.

"And these family members you mentions: what are their names?"

"His mother is Ashti Javadi. His aunt and uncle are Bastet and Rashida Soliman," Jaedynn answered.

"So he and his uncle are business partners?"

"Yes," Jaedynn answered.

"And Mr. Javadi, what does Miss Black do for a living?"

"Right now, she's at home with Kamron, but when we met, she was working for her uncle as a receptionist for his law firm," Roshad answered.

"And does she plan to return to work?"

"She's considering doing so when Kamron is a little older," Roshad said. "For now, our focus is on Kamron."

Officer Ganes wrote everything down. "And what about your daily lives? Are you both at home all the time?"

"Yes; all my work is from home," Roshad answered.

"And who's usually awake first?"

"Kamron," Jaedynn and Roshad both answered and this time Officer Ganes actually laughed a little under his breath.

"So when Kamron wakes up, how does your day usually play out?"

"If Kamron wakes up in the middle of the night, Roshad will usually go check on him first to see what he needs. If he's hungry, Roshad will bring him to our room and I'll feed him, otherwise he'll change him and put him back to sleep," Jaedynn said.

"And what side of the bed do you both sleep on?" Officer Ganes asked.

"Um…I sleep on the right, Roshad's on the left," Jaedynn answered, the question seeming completely out of left field, but Kevin didn't seem surprised by the question when she looked at him, so she just answered.

"And does Mr. Javadi take any medications? And if so, what?"

"No, he doesn't take medication," Jaedynn said.

"What cologne does Mr. Javadi use? That was the first thing I noticed when I entered the room."

"I don't know what it's called; it's in Farsi and I can't read it, but I know it has cinnamon and Frankincense in it," Jaedynn answered.

"What about Miss Black?" the officer asked Roshad. "Does she take any medications? Since we'd gotten on the topic, can you say what kind of makeup she likes using?"

"No, she does not take any medications," Roshad answered. "The labor went normally and she's healing well without medicine so our doctor doesn't have her on anything. As for makeup, she prefers Maybelline."

"Tell me about the birth," the Officer asked.

"We had a water birth," Roshad answered. "Kamron was born at home."

"Why did you choose to have a home birth?"

"It's part of my tribe's traditions," Jaedynn said. "The baby has to be born in the family home or it's bad luck." Officer Ganes checked through his paperwork looking for something.

"Have you submitted Kamron's birth certificate?"

"Yes, we did that day after his birth," Roshad answered.

"That's still pending, then," Officer Ganes said and wrote more information down in his notes. "And Mr. Javadi, you were present for the birth?"

"Yes, I was," Roshad said.

"And what is Kamron's full name?"

"Kamron Roshad Javadi," Roshad answered.

"And you said Kamron was born last week?"

"Yes, on Sunday," Jaedynn answered.

"So you two weren't together very long when you fell pregnant," Officer Ganes observed.

"We'd been together less than 2 months," Jaedynn lied. Officer Ganes wrote some more things down.

The interview went on for another hour and a half with Officer Ganes asking them questions ranging from important dates in their relationship and completely mundane things that she did understand why they mattered. When they could finally leave, Officer Ganes said the answers they'd provided would be reviewed and unless there was reason to believe there was fraud, they'd be able to move onto the next step in the Green Card process. It would be several years before he could officially obtain 'citizenship' status, but he would at least be considered 'neutralized'. It did, however, mean he'd be relinquishing his Iranian citizenship, but he'd make everything work.

In the days leading up to when Roshad's family would be coming, Jaedynn was growing increasingly more and more nervous. She wasn't so much worried about Bastet or Rashida. From what Roshad had told her and from what she gathered from having a chance to speak with Bastet directly, they seemed really pleasant. Roshad's mother, on the other hand, seemed to her like this colossus. She kept thinking back to Rita and how, in only speaking to the women maybe all of two times, she'd somehow managed to make the woman dislike her. Or at least she assumed Rita had disliked her. Granted the feeling was abundantly mutual. Roshad insisted Jaedynn had no reason to worry. "Maman will adore you; you have nothing to fear," he would say. Or he'd say, "I promise you, I will not let her dislike you." Regardless of Roshad's reassurances, she was terrified. Then it was about a week before they were scheduled to arrive. Roshad and Jaedynn were home together playing on the floor with Kamron when they received a phone call. Roshad went to answer it while Jaedynn remained on their living room floor cooing to Kamron.

"Javadi residence," Roshad answered.

"Hello, is this Roshad Javadi?"

"This is," Roshad said.

"I'm calling regarding a special delivery from," there was a moment of silence as the man checked his paperwork, "Tehran, Iran? It's a delivery of a 1973 Porsche 911 in white."

"Who is it from?" Roshad asked, surprised.

"It's from a.." the man trailed off again to check his paperwork, "looks like it's from a Bass….Basstet? Basstet Soliman?"

"Bastet you mean?" Roshad smiled. "That would be my uncle. Yes, when can you deliver that?"

"We can have that delivered as early as tomorrow morning," the man said.

"Tomorrow morning would be great. I'll be here all morning. You have my address?" The man listed off the address. "Yes, that's correct. What time should I expect you?"

"We can have someone there between 9-12 if that works."

"That's perfect. I'll see you tomorrow," Roshad answered and ended the call.

"Who was that?" Jaedynn asked.

"A delivery company calling about a Porsche," Roshad answered and Jaedynn looked up at him strangely as he returned to the living room.

"When did you order a Porsche?"

"I didn't. It's a gift from Bastet," Roshad smiled and sat down on the floor. "I'd wager it's an early wedding present."

"That's some wedding present," Jaedynn said. "So it's delivering tomorrow?"

"Yes; tomorrow morning," Roshad said. "Once it's here, the three of us can go for a drive together."

"Sounds like fun," Jaedynn said.

As promised, the following day at about 10:30, a truck appeared with a white Porsche on the back that Roshad signed for and was left at the curbside for him. He was handed the keys and Jaedynn joined him with Kamron for a drive. She found a note in the glove compartment that was in Farsi so she handed it over to Roshad who just smiled at it.

"'Enjoy a nice drive into your future together. Love, Bastet, Rashida and Maman," Roshad read.

"That's really sweet," Jaedynn smiled and glanced back. "It's even got four seats."

"An upgrade from the Corvette I dare say," Roshad said. He reached over the rub Kamron's cheek, but he was asleep. "Hold Maman tight, Kamron."

Jaedynn had Kamron wrapped around her chest in a little carrier so he was secured to her and the three of them went on a nice, long drive. He couldn't resist going to Kevin's office to show off and even took him on a drive with them after he was off work. Amber joined them as well and after Roshad had sufficiently enjoyed just driving the car, he took them somewhere to eat and bout them all dinner.

It was put off as long as possible, but the Thursday before Roshad's family was set to arrive, Roshad helped Jaedynn move some things out of the house. However she decided she wanted to stay with Ivory and Anatoli who were happy to give her and Kamron a room. Jaedynn could tell Roshad didn't like Jaedynn staying elsewhere, but all things considered, it was a necessity. The day before his family were set to arrive, Roshad came over to Ivory's and Anatoli's home while they were at work with several scarves.

"What's all this?" Jaedynn asked.

"They're hijabs," Roshad answered and sat beside her on the couch. "The plan is for everyone to meet tomorrow. I'll bring them to our house first and then we'll all meet at your father's house for dinner so everyone can meet. I would suggest wearing a long sleeved shirt or dress. In fact, a dress would probably be best. You'll want to wear this when you first meet Maman if only for the sake of respectfulness. She knows you're not Muslim but she'll appreciate the effort."

"Okay," Jaedynn said and was looking at the silks. Some were solid prints and others had patterns but they all felt so soft to the touch. "What one would your mother pick?"

"This one," Roshad answered, pointing out a teal silk hijab with white, pink and yellow flowers like roses and lilies. "Maman loves floral patterns."

"I don't know if I'd want to wear that color," Jaedynn said referring to the teal. She took a hold of one silk scarf that was a solid black color with white thread creating floral patterns. The center of the scarf was entirely black while the white thread lined along the edges that bloomed into flowers. "This one's really pretty. Which one do you really like?"

"I confess this one I saw and thought of you," Roshad said as he moved the scarves around until he presented a burgundy silk scarf lined with gold thread. It wasn't nearly as elaborate. The gold thread created a thick lining around the silk and was rather simple, but it was very pretty.

"Let me look at the dresses I've got and I'll pick," Jaedynn said and went upstairs to the spare bedroom she was sharing with Kamron and looked at all her maternity dresses. None of the dresses were much further below the knee, though. Roshad was waiting downstairs with Kamron while she searched through what she had with her but nothing was right so she came back downstairs. "I don't think I have any dresses that are floor length."

"We'll need to get one then," Roshad said and stood up from the couch. Kamron was in a little bassinette napping when Roshad lifted the boy into his arms.

"I don't need to be really formal do I?" Jaedynn asked.

"Maman will be wearing her Tyrian purple robes," Roshad said. "She always wore that when meeting a potential daughter-in-law."

"So I need to be formal," Jaedynn sighed.

"Yes, formal will be best," Roshad said with an apologetic smile.

"Alright," Jaedynn said, making sure she didn't sigh as she did so.

The two of them went to Macy's together with Kamron in arm and looked through the dresses to find something appropriate. Roshad brought the two scarves that Jaedynn had said she liked so they could have a reference and eventually found the perfect dress – at least, it was perfect for meeting Ashti. It was a deep brown, umber floor length satin dress that synched in at the waist, had a high neckline that covered her chest and very long bell sleeves that cuffed at the wrists. Normally she'd find the dress matronly but it would serve its purpose well. She could wear either hijab with it but she decided she'd wear the burgundy silk hijab with the gold thread. For good measure, they bought some gold kitten heel pointed shoes that would pull the look together and when they returned to Ivory's and Anatoli's house, Roshad showed her how to put on the hijab giving her several different style options, though Jaedynn opted for the simplest one.

"So dress conservatively, wear a hijab and have my parents dressed formally. Is there anything else I need to do?" Jaedynn asked once they'd returned to Roshad's car with the new dress and shoes.

"Just be yourself," Roshad smiled and brought her hand to his lips to give it a kiss. "And I'll warn you when you need to close your eyes, alright?"

"Why would I need to close my eyes?"

"Maman causes pain if you look into her eyes," Roshad reminded her.

"Oh, right," Jaedynn said. "Okay. You'll call when you're on your way?"

"Yes, I will," Roshad said and pressed a kiss to her lips. "Don't be nervous. I promise everything will be alright."

Roshad stayed with Jaedynn at Ivory's and Anatoli's house for the rest of the day before eventually returning home for the night. In the morning, Ivory and Jaedynn drove to Nathan's house so she could get ready and wait for Roshad to arrive with his family. Knowing the way Roshad drove, she'd have an hour and a half at best from the time he called her to get ready so she had her hair washed, dried and in a bun the moment she arrived to Nathan's house. She got her makeup done while Kamron was asleep. Ivory, Scarlet and her brothers were also there as part of the introduction.

"What is this?" Scarlet asked, holding up a tub-like garment that was mostly solid black save for a gold lace trim that would come forward on her forehead.

"It's an under scarf," Jaedynn said.

"We don't have to wear one of these too do we?" Ivory asked.

"No," Jaedynn said, "I'm the one Roshad's mom is most concerned with so I'm the one that needs to impress her."

"So every time you're in this woman's presence, you need to wear one of these scarves?" Scarlet asked.

"No, it's just this time," Jaedynn said. "She's aware I'm not Muslim and will not be converting. This is for the sake of formality and making a good first impression."

"Same with this dress?" Ivory asked, pinching the fabric of the dress Roshad had bought.

"Yes," Jaedynn said. She was doing her best not to tremble as she was applying her eyeliner.

"Let me help you," Ada María said and walked over to help Jaedynn apply her makeup. "Don't let your nerves get the better of you, Mija. Don't let his mother scare you. Keep your head held high and exude confidence."

"Okay," Jaedynn answered. Once her makeup was done, she got the under scarf on and adjusted it so the gold lace lining was resting on her forehead. Then she heard the phone ringing and heard Nathan answer it. She quickly realized he was talking to Roshad and that made her heart rate skyrocket.

"Breathe, Jaedynn," Ada María said as she rubbed her shoulders. "Remember: head high, exude confidence, don't let her intimidate you."

Jaedynn nodded and stood to get on her dress. She looked at herself in the mirror wearing the dress and the under scarf and she felt like a nun. She put the hijab on with the easiest method Roshad had shown her that also made sure the ends of the scarf were out of sight. Once it was on, she just sighed.

"You look beautiful," Ada María said.

"Sure, if she's getting ready to take the clothe," Scarlet said.

"Hush," Ada María said to Scarlet and then took a moment to make sure the ends of the scarf were tucked away.

That morning back at Roshad's and Jaedynn's house, Roshad did some last minute cleaning up. He organized Kamron's room to give the illusion it was barely used if at all, he put Jaedynn's remaining clothes in his suitcases so it wouldn't look like Jaedynn had been living there, any toiletries she didn't take with her he tucked away somewhere safe: anything he could do to make sure Ashti didn't know Jaedynn was living there. Sure, Jaedynn's scent was everywhere, but that could be easily explained away with saying they were dating so she visited often. Once the house was in order, Roshad drove to the airport to wait for everyone to land. He was waiting for about an hour near baggage claims until he finally saw some familiar faces. Bastet waived at Roshad from baggage claims but stayed with Ashti and Rashida to grab all their luggage. They grabbed a trolley for all their things and finally approached Roshad.

"Long time no see, stranger," Bastet said to Roshad right before hugging him and then kissing both his cheeks.

"We've missed you terribly I hope you know," Rashida said before taking her turn to hug Roshad and kiss both cheeks.

"You've been away from home too long," Ashti said and hugged Roshad then gave him a kiss on each cheek.

"I've missed you too," Roshad said and made sure to hug Ashti longer. "How was your flight?"

"Long," Bastet said, "But uneventful otherwise."

"So when are we meeting this young woman?" Ashti asked, getting straight to the point.

"Relax, Ashti; we just arrived," Bastet said.

"I see no reason to delay. We're here to meet this young woman, so I want to meet her," Ashti said.

"We will stop by the house so you can drop off your things and then we'll drive to Forks so you can meet her," Roshad said.

"Good; excellent idea," Ashti agreed and they left the airport. Ashti, Bastet and Rashida waited at the curbside while Roshad went to get his car to pick them up.

"So how do you like our little wedding present?" Bastet asked with a proud smile after Roshad opened the trunk of the car.

"I love it," Roshad said. "I haven't touched my corvette since I received this car."

"In that case, would you mind if we used your corvette while we're here?" Rashida asked.

"It's all yours," Roshad said and closed the trunk once all the luggage was put in. Rashida and Bastet got into the back seat first and once the seat was back in place, Ashti sat in the passenger's side while Roshad got into the driver's side.

"So," Ashti said once Roshad was driving, "is Jaedynn and her family prepared to meet us?"

"Yes, they are," Roshad said. "I told her and her family that we would all sit down together today."

"And her family likes you? Her father approves of you?"

"Yes, in the months Jaedynn and I have been together, I've become very close with Jaedynn's family. Her brothers especially. We share a love of soccer although we differ in our favorite teams of course," Roshad said.

"Good. That's good," Ashti said. "I was worried her family might not be in favor of the union."

"Why?" Roshad asked.

"Well, any father would be distressed with his daughter moving so far away. It's certainly much easier now than when you married Miriam, but ease doesn't change the distance. Have you been teaching her Farsi? I'm sure the culture shock will be tough for her, but knowing the language will certainly help." There was a brief and uncomfortable silence that passed. "Is everything alright?"

"Listen, maman," Roshad finally said, "there are a few things we need to discuss before you all meet Jaedynn."

"What do we need to discuss? Why do you sound so nervous?"

Roshad took a deep breath, "Maman, there is a lot I need to tell you and I need you to keep an open mind."

"Roshad," Ashti said, her voice becoming very serious, "What haven't you told me?"

"To start," Roshad said, "Jaedynn will not be moving to Iran. I am instead moving here. I've already begun the process of getting my Green Card and within a few years, I'll be an American citizen."

"What?" Ashti said.

"Maman, please let me finish," Roshad said. "I need to explain the circumstances surrounding Jaedynn and I meeting."

"What circumstances?" Ashti asked, her voice becoming slightly harsh, but her eyes remained closed. Save for her eyes, her face was mostly obscured by her hijab, but her voice was all the expression she needed.

"When Jaedynn and I met, it was in that Cajun restaurant and she was in tears. As it turns out, at the time of our meeting, she was in a relationship with another man," Roshad said. This time, Ashti did open her eyes and looked right at Roshad. He glanced at her and there was no mistaking her upset over where this was going. "To be blunt, he was abusive. He took advantage of her and made her run away from her whole family with the promise that he loved her. Things were alright between them at first, but he was soon showing his true colors and their relationship soured."

"But she was still seeing this man when you met her?"

"Yes," Roshad answered. "When we met and she was in tears, I asked her what was troubling her and she informed me she'd just found out that day she was pregnant."

"What?!" Ashti shrieked.

"Maman, there's no need to yell."

"Roshad, stop the car."

"Maman, we're on the highway."

"I said stop the car!" she yelled and Roshad quickly got onto the shoulder bringing the car to a shrieking stop and then put on his hazard lights. Once they were parked, Roshad looked at Ashti who had her eyes closed and her hands pressed together and up to her nose trying to regain her composure.

"Maman-" Roshad said but Ashti held up her finger ordering him to be silent. Eventually she opened her eyes again and looked right at Roshad.

"You're telling me that you knowingly pursued a woman that was not only already in a relationship but was having this man's child?"

"Yes," Roshad answered and Ashti closed her eyes as she took a long, needless breath. "Maman, the pregnancy was not planned. Alex was very controlling and got her pregnant as a way to force her to stay in their relationship. It seems like he was starting to realize she was done with their relationship and wanted to lock her to him." Ashti didn't say anything as she rubbed her fingers over her forehead. "She'd decided she would leave him and was getting her things moved into her Uncle's apartment and we would see one another during that time."

"So she used you to get out of another relationship," Ashti said in a tone that was stating it as fact rather than a question.

"No," Roshad said, "she made that decision because of the baby. It had nothing to do with me."

"Of course it didn't," Ashti said irritably.

"Maman, do not make Jaedynn out to be a gold digger," Roshad said. "She did what was best for our son."

"Our son?" Ashti said, her eyes wide open and looking at him. Bastet and Rashida, meanwhile, stayed in the backseat saying nothing. Bastet already knew this was coming.

"Yes, maman. Our son," Roshad said. "I decided that since Alex was not going to be that child's father, I would."

"So you've not only pursued a woman that was taken, that was pregnant with this man's child, but you've also taken parental responsibility?!"

"Yes, maman, I have," Roshad said. "Why should I not? Bastet took parental responsibility over me."

"I didn't latch onto Bastet for money!"

"I said do not accuse her of being a gold digger!" Roshad rose his voice back. "Bastet took parental responsibility because it was the right thing to do. I took parental responsibility because I love Jaedynn and want to have a life with her. It's only natural I would be a father to Kamron."

"Kamron?"

"That's his name," Roshad said. "Kamron Roshad Javadi."

"You let her give that child your name?"

"Yes, maman, I did because whether that boy is blood or not, he's my son."

"This is unbelievable," Ashti muttered. "Why would you wait until now to tell me this?"

"Because I wanted to be a part of Kamron's birth," Roshad said. "If I'd told you from the beginning, you'd have been on the next plane here and taken everything over."

"I'd have kept your involvement within the realm of what is proper and acceptable," Ashti said bitterly. "I cannot believe you would lie to me. Your own mother!"

"Maman, I did not lie to you."

"You lied by omission!" she yelled. "You've become involved with an unwed mother and have not only taken responsibility for her child but have made yourself an active part of the birth as if you're her husband! And you did lie to me! You said she would be coming to Iran!"

"Fine, yes maman, I lied to some extent," Roshad said. "I will not apologize for that. I knew I wanted to marry her and I want to have a family. That means loving Kamron as though he's my own."

"And how does his real father feel about all this?"

"His 'birth father' is in prison," Roshad said.

"Excuse me?!"

"He attacked her!" Roshad yelled back. "He found out that Jaedynn and I were seeing each other and that she was planning to leave, so he attacked her at knife point. Alex will not be a father to Kamron – the man nearly killed him. Do not call him Kamron's 'real' father. I'm his real father."

"You mean his and his mother's benefactor."

"I said do not refer to her as a gold digger!" Roshad yelled.

"Okay, okay, okay, everyone calm down," Bastet finally stepped in and leaned forward keeping his eyes closed since Ashti's were still open. "Roshad, do not scream at your mother; you know better. Ashti, calm down. You're being unreasonable."

"Unreasonable?!" Ashti said. "You knew about all this didn't you?!"

"Yes, Ashti, Roshad told me the full story," Bastet said.

"You told Bastet the truth but you couldn't tell me?!" Ashti yelled.

"Ashti, stop shouting," Bastet said firmly. "There's no point in shouting. They've been together nearly a year and have been planning to get married since from the beginning. Sure: Jaedynn was in a previous relationship that resulted in pregnancy. It can't be helped at this point. Should Roshad have told you everything from the beginning? Yes, of course, but-"

"You should have told me he was lying to me!" Ashti interrupted. She adjusted in her seat so she was facing forward. "I will not meet her."

"Maman, don't be this way."

"I will not be introduced to her under false pretenses. You told me that you two met and courted within the realm of acceptable boundaries. You did not tell me that you were having an affair with a woman that was not free to court and was with child."

"What was I supposed to do, maman? Refuse to speak to her or acknowledge her after she told me? I will not judge her for falling pregnant out of wedlock when the father took advantage of her. You of all people should understand how that feels."

"Your father forced himself upon me!" Ashti screamed. "Don't you dare compare! I was just a girl robbed of my innocence by a man I never knew! Allah saw fit to bless me with a son to heal the pain that man caused me and I've forgiven your father a long time ago, but I had no hand in what happened! This young woman had every opportunity to stop what happened and she didn't!"

"Just because she knew him and was dating him does not make her any less taken advantage of!"

"Enough!" Bastet yelled over all of them. They were all quiet and the silence was unbearable. The tension was thick and both Roshad and Ashti were stubbornly standing their grounds. "Ashti, this is ridiculous. You may not have known the full story, but when you spoke with Jaedynn, you were getting to know who she is and you liked her. At this point, all that matters is she loves your son and he loves her too. Perhaps Kamron's conception was less than ideal, but he's here now and Roshad has taken the boy as his son and by virtue making him your grandchild. Give this young woman a chance, sit down with her and talk to her. Now that you know everything, we can move forward being completely honest."

"I will not meet her," Ashti insisted.

"Maman-"

"Hush, Roshad," Bastet ordered then took over, "Ashti, you wanted Roshad to find love and happiness and he has done just that. You will meet this young woman and you will be fair."

"Don't you speak to me as though you're my husband," Ashti said. "I was deceived all through this courtship and I will not reward that deception with meeting this young woman."

"Ashti, I am not speaking to you as your though I'm your husband. I am speaking to you as someone that wants Roshad's happiness as much as you do and who had as much a hand in raising him as you did. Right now we're screaming over things we cannot change and it stops now. Now this young woman is waiting to finally meet you and I promise you is eager to make the best impression she possibly can in spite of everything she is not able to change. You will not snub her and refuse to meet her. This is not up for discussion," Bastet said. Ashti was about to speak but he stopped her. "No, Ashti. We meet her today. End of discussion. If you need to use the remainder of the drive to calm down, that is perfectly fine, but you will be calm and you will be courteous when you meet this young woman."

"First you speak as though you're my husband; now you speak as though you're my father," Ashti said.

"I speak as is necessary to get my point across," Bastet said and finally sat back into his seat. "Let's get back on the road, Roshad. I'm sure Jaedynn's been waiting all morning."

"Thank you, Bastet," Roshad said and got the car back into gear waiting for an opportunity to get back onto the highway.

The remainder of the drive was eerily silent. Ashti would not speak and was staring forward with her eyes closed while Bastet and Rashida were staying quiet to avoid another eruption. Once they arrived at Roshad's house, he showed them to some spare bedrooms but Ashti noticed right away that Kamron had a room in the house. Roshad insisted it was natural to have given he'd adopted Kamron and was simply ensuring the room was ready. Ashti eventually dropped the subject and retreated into her room to get ready. She almost didn't wear her Tyrian purple out of sheer principle but Rashida convinced her otherwise. It was a garment that, despite centuries of existence, was in exceptional condition. Repairs, corrective dying, and maintenance had kept the dress in near perfect condition and it was truly her favorite dress. It was long sleeved, floor length and kept most of her curves concealed. The hijab she wore to cover her mouth, nose and hair was not original, but the purple silk matched the rest of the dress. Rashida was more modernly dressed though she also wore a floor length sundress with short sleeves and did wear a loose headscarf more along the style of a Hollywood starlet while Bastet and Roshad dressed in suits. Just before leaving, Roshad called Nathan to let him know they were on their way and they got back into the Porsche and made the drive to Forks.

"Jaedynn, you're shaking," Nathan said to Jaedynn as they all waited downstairs. The dining table to was set up to accommodate everyone in attendance and there was even plenty of food, though Roshad and his family would not be eating. As per Roshad's suggestion, everyone was dressed very nice as though going to a wedding. It was extremely bizarre and everyone felt a little on edge.

"Sorry," Jaedynn answered.

"Don't be," Nathan said and took Jaedynn's hand. "We'll get through this. Don't you worry." Kamron then began whimpering, so Jaedynn went to attend to him and Ada María joined Jaedynn upstairs in case she was needed. As it turns out, Kamron was hungry so she had to unzip her dress and pull it down so she could feed him. Afterwards, Ada María helped Jaedynn back into her dress and they returned downstairs just in time for there to be a knock at the door.

"Scarlet, can you hold Kamron?" Jaedynn asked and handed Kamron over so she could tweak her hijab nervously. She walked closer to the door but Nathan and Ada María were the ones to answer. Bastet was in the lead of the group when Nathan opened the door.

"Good afternoon," Bastet said and shook Nathan's hand, then kissed both his cheeks which took Nathan a little off guard. "You must be Nathan. Jaedynn's father, yes?"

"Yes," Nathan said a little awkwardly. "This is my wife Ada María."

"It's a pleasure," Bastet said, shaking Ada María's hand and planting a kiss on both her cheeks which she reciprocated with a natural ease. "Mr. Black, Mrs. Black, this is my wife Rashida and this is Roshad's mother, Ashti."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet all of you. Please come in and meet everyone," Ada María said and stepped aside so they could all come in.

Jaedynn knew Roshad's mother the moment she stepped into the house. Her dress was this rich, royal purple color and her eyes were closed. By her height alone, Jaedynn could tell Ashti had been changed very young. Rashida was taller by a few inches and had a much more womanly physique with tan skin that had a pale tint and bright red eyes. She was a stunning woman with thick black hair but Jaedynn realized it was a wig. It was a short shoulder length style with bangs that was perfectly straight and sculpted. Bastet was bald with the same tan skin as Rashida and had a handsome face and a kind, inviting smile. Compared to Bastet and Rashida, Ashti seemed cold and it made Jaedynn extremely nervous.

"Maman," Roshad said as they approached Jaedynn and then he said something in Farsi. "Jaedynn, can you close your eyes?" Roshad asked. Jaedynn did as asked and as her eyes were closed, Ashti opened her own to get a look at her. She looked Jaedynn up and down before closing her eyes. She said something in Farsi that, based on his tone, Roshad did not appreciate and he replied to her. Jaedynn could feel her hands getting sweaty.

"Open your eyes," Ashti said with an extremely thick accent. Jaedynn almost didn't understand the woman but she did as instructed as did the rest of the family.

"Jaedynn," Bastet stepped forward and shook her hand and kissed her cheeks, "At last we meet. Roshad has spoken of nothing else since he met you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Jaedynn said nervously.

"Do not be nervous, Habibi," Rashida said and took Jaedynn's hand before kissing both cheeks. "You look stunning, Habibi; does she not, Ashti?"

"She look proper," Ashti replied, again, in a very thick accent.

"Maman," Roshad said firmly and Rashida took over.

"She only means she's impressed with your modesty," Rashida was quick to say. "Please forgive Ashti. She is still learning English, but she has been making an effort to learn in preparation for meeting you."

"There's nothing to forgive; I'm sorry I didn't do the same. I'm afraid any Farsi I know is quite minimal."

"There will be time to learn, Habibi," Rashida smiled and brushed Jaedynn's cheek.

"Is Habibi a way to say Azizam?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes, indeed it is, but it is Arabic," Rashida explained. "Roshad has told you we're Egyptian?"

"Yes, he has," Jaedynn said. "I'm told you were alive during the time of Caesar no less."

Rashida and Bastet both laughed a little, "I prefer to say the Ptolemy Dynasty, but you are not wrong. We were still human when Caesar came to Egypt."

"You met after you both changed, am I right?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes, indeed," Rashida said. "Now, it is our understanding you have a son? Kamron?"

"Yes," Jaedynn said, getting nervous all over again.

"The boy, please may we meet?" Ashti managed.

"Yes, of course," Jaedynn said and went to Scarlet so she could bring Kamron to Ashti, Rashida and Bastet.

What proceeded was several minutes of Rashida gushing over Kamron and asking to hold him. Ashti soon asked to hold him as well and opened her eyes to look at the boy. Truly, he was a precious little thing. Sound asleep without a care in the world. He looked like his mother but his skin was a deeper tone. She could not believe a baby could have so much hair this early. She remembered her grandsons and granddaughter when they'd been born. Their hair had been black but just a little fuzz on their heads that was delightfully soft. Kamron's hair was soft and there was more of it. He had cubby little cheeks, chunky little arms and legs and the most peaceful sleeping face. Roshad was standing close to her and had taken one of Kamron's little hands between his fingers affectionately. Kamron's tiny fingers wrapped around Roshad's but he stayed asleep.

"Maybe we should all sit down together and talk," Bastet suggested and they all went to the table to sit down. Ashti kept holding Kamron and sat beside Roshad while Jaedynn sat across from them beside her father who sat at the head of the table. Ashti closed her eyes now that she'd seen Kamron.

"I take it Roshad broke down the full story to Ashti?" Nathan asked given Ashti hadn't been surprised to see Kamron.

"Yes, he has," Bastet said. "Since we're on the topic, I am deeply sorry for what your daughter went through. We're all exceedingly grateful that she is alright and the man responsible has been dealt with."

"Thank you for saying," Nathan said. "So you're Roshad's adoptive father am I right?"

"Yes, I am," Bastet said. "Rashida looked after Ashti during her pregnancy shortly after she was forced to leave her home and when Roshad was born, we accepted him and Ashti as family, although most know me as Roshad's uncle. At least in business."

"That business is Saffron right?"

"Saffron and spice trade," Bastet said. "You are a Police Officer, yes? How long have you been?"

"Over ten years," Nathan said. "Between the three of us, my father has a doctor, a lawyer and a cop in his arsenal."

"What a trinity to have," Bastet chuckled. "And Mrs. Black, how long have you owned the Bar in town?"

"The one in Forks I've owned for about seventeen years. However, the bar in Salvador I've owned for well over sixty years."

"Ah, yes, Roshad said you were a half breed," Bastet said.

"2/3rds to be exact," Ada María said. "And please, just call me Ada. We're all friends here."

"Of course, Ada," Bastet smiled.

"So you've always been a business owner?" Rashida asked Ada María.

"The moment I could afford it, I bought my own bar," Ada María answered. "Before that, I've worked for a circus, I've worked for a dancer and I've worked in more sordid industries, but it was always a means to an end. I'm happiest when I answer to no one."

"As am I," Rashida smiled. "So Jaedynn, when was Kamron born?"

"May 10th," Jaedynn answered. "He's already grown so much since then."

"They always do," Ashti said, still swaddling Kamron and holding his tiny foot in her hand gently.

"Roshad talks a lot about his children," Jaedynn said.

"Roshad is good father," Ashti said. Jaedynn couldn't help feeling like there was accusation in the way she said it, but Jaedynn didn't say anything. She was sure it was just her accent making it difficult to understand, but then Roshad stepped in, saying a few words in Farsi which Ashti replied to.

"Is something wrong?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, everything is fine," Bastet said, then started to get up from his chair, "Will you please excuse us for just a moment?"

"Sure," Nathan said as Bastet walked over to where Ashti was sitting and seemed to tell her to come with him. She got up from the table still holding Kamron and Roshad took the boy in his arms before following them outside. "What's going on?"

"Please accept our apologies. Ashti was told about everything while we were on our way here and she's still rather upset," Rashida answered. Jaedynn felt her shoulders slump and her heart was pounding from the nerves. Outside, Bastet took Ashti outside with Roshad and once they were alone, Bastet spoke.

"We discussed this, Ashti. You need to be fair."

"I have been fair," Ashti said. "I've agreed to meet her. I'm here am I not?"

"Maman, I'm the one that omitted all this information and I'm the one that lied," Roshad said. "Do not take that out on her."

"Oh, I'm not," Ashti said. "I do not fault her for you lying to me. My problem is she's a single mother with no job. A man like you is awfully appealing under such circumstances."

"Maman, she is not concerned with money; we're together because we love one another," Roshad said. "As for being a single mother, I've already explained what happened. Alex got her pregnant hoping to force her to stay in the relationship."

"Yes, Roshad, you've said so," Ashti said. "I do not dislike the girl for getting herself out of a bad situation. I commend her for doing what's best for her child. However, that does not mean she can latch onto you to save her."

"It's not like that, maman," Roshad said.

"Is it not? You've made yourself legally responsible for this boy," Ashti said.

"Yes, and I do not regret that," Roshad said.

"I know," Ashti said. "But what about Kamron's birth father? Do you not think he will take issue with another man raising his son?"

"If he does, he should have thought about that before stabbing Jaedynn twice," Roshad said. "Jaedynn was willing to work things out amicably where Kamron was concerned. Alex became violent and nearly killed her and Kamron. Kamron deserves better than that."

"While I agree with that sentiment and agree you're certainly better-"

"Maman, this has nothing to do with whether or not I'm 'better'."

"Ashti," Bastet stepped in, "she's a very nice young woman. She would not have put so much effort into impressing you if she did not love your son and care for him. She knows Roshad values your opinion and wants you to like her."

"If Roshad valued my opinion, he'd have been honest with me from the beginning," Ashti said.

"Maman, stop," Roshad said. "Any omission was my fault and my fault only."

"Yes, indeed it is," Ashti said. She opened her eyes so she was looking at Roshad then looked at Kamron. It had been a very long time since she'd seen her son with a baby. It brought back happy memories, but she would not let herself be sentimental. "I will tell you what: you value my opinion? Then if you wish to marry her, I want to get to know her. That means you shall both continue to court within the realm of good taste."

"Maman, I have already proposed to her."

"That's your own hastiness," Ashti said. "If you wish to marry her, it will be when I've determined her intentions are pure. Are we agreed?" Despite her phrasing, there was no question. Either Ashti would get to know Jaedynn in accordance with her standards or she would not give her blessing. End of discussion.

"Yes, maman," Roshad finally said.

"Good," Ashti said. "Then let's return inside." They finally returned inside and took their seats at the table again.

"Is everything okay?" Nathan asked once they were seated.

"Yes, yes, everything is fine," Bastet said. Rashida said something to Bastet in Arabic and the two had a brief exchange. Kamron started whimpering then. Jaedynn got up and came around the table to take Kamron upstairs and Roshad got up from the table to follow her.

"Roshad," Ashti said firmly and Roshad replied in Farsi telling her he wanted to speak with Jaedynn privately and continued upstairs. By the time he was upstairs, Jaedynn was already changing Kamron's diaper.

"I take it Ashti's not particularly fond of me," Jaedynn said in a sad voice.

"It's not that," Roshad assured. "She's angry with me for not telling her everything. I explained my reasoning and have explained to her it's my fault only. She feels like she didn't get to really know you so she wants you and I to court."

"Court? I mean, we've been doing that."

"She means within the boundaries of what she considers acceptable," Roshad said.

"Ah," Jaedynn said. She got Kamron secured in a clean diaper and asked Roshad to discard the soiled one while Kamron did his little bicycle kicks. Jaedynn finally smiled and giggled a little. "I don't know who taught you to do that, but it's so cute," Jaedynn said to Kamron and came down to give his belly a kiss before securing his clothes back into place. Jaedynn lifted Kamron in her arms and turned so she could sit on the edge of the bed just as Roshad was walking back into the room leaving the door wide open.

"I'm sorry how this is all playing out," Roshad said.

"I guess I'd rather you could be involved rather than we tell your mother the whole truth and she step in," Jaedynn said. "Your mother scares me a little; I can't imagine her being the one with me when Kamron was born."

"She's not so scary once you get to know her," Roshad promised.

"Who'd have ever thought a 15 year old could be so intimidating?" Jaedynn joked with a weak smile. "She seems alright with Kamron at least."

"That I wasn't worried about," Roshad said. "She loves kids. When my elder children were born, she would carry each one for hours at a time and sing to them. It won't take much for her to bond with Kamron and that'll only improve her opinion."

"Good to know," Jaedynn said. She glanced up when she realized a very sweet smell was closer than before and there was Ashti and it made her jump a little. Kamron only moved his head on her shoulder when she did. Roshad turned to look at her and the two spoke briefly in Farsi. It felt like being out of the loop when Alex and Rita were talking all over again. She looked up when Ashti was standing before her.

"Kamron; I hold please," she said and reached to take Kamron into her arms. Although closed, her eyes seemed to soften when she had Kamron in her arms and she even started to coo to him. Then she said something to Roshad.

"She's suggesting we go for a walk. Bastet and Rashida will stay here and talk with Nathan."

"Can one of my brother's come?" Jaedynn asked.

"Yes," Roshad nodded and they all went downstairs. She asked that Ariel and Gabriel both come with her on this walk and the five of them all started going along the beach together.

"Not going to lie to you, Roshad; this isn't exactly going very well," Ariel said once they were out walking together.

"Yes, I know," Roshad said.

"How does your mother expect to get to know Jaedynn if she can't even speak English?" Gabriel asked.

"I speak enough," Ashti said then returned her attention to Kamron and started singing to him in Farsi.

"Dually noted," Gabriel sighed.

"So, Ashti," Jaedynn finally started, "were you born in Tabriz as well?"

"Yes, born Tabriz," she answered. "No concern with me. You talk to Roshad."

"She's not trying to be rude," Roshad quickly said when he saw Jaedynn look stunned and nervous. "She's saying she wants to watch the two of us interact."

"Oh," Jaedynn said, "Okay. So….is there anything specific she wants us to talk about in front of her?"

"I suppose we'll start with children," Roshad said. "It is one of her greater concerns."

Jaedynn smiled a little, hearing the humor in his voice, "We already have one."

"For the time being, yes," Roshad said. "I would like more."

"Me too," Jaedynn said. "We already know a girl's name."

"Girl name? For child; what is it?" Ashti asked.

"Scheherazade," Roshad answered. Ashti nodded absently then continued singing quietly to Kamron.

"I take it she doesn't mind that?" Jaedynn asked.

"She likes it," Roshad said. "If she doesn't like a name, she'll say so."

"I imagine so," Jaedynn said. "Given we've already got a Kamron, we'll need to think of a new boy's name."

"Perhaps a name from 1001 Arabian Nights since we're doing that for a girl?"

"Not Sinbad," Jaedynn said and she actually overheard Ashti giggle under her breath just a little.

"I think Sinbad would be fun," Ariel teased.

"I didn't ask you," Jaedynn said.

"We can't do Aladdin," Roshad said.

"Right," Jaedynn said remorsefully. "I admit of all your son's names that was my favorite. That and Amir."

"How about Harun or Ali Shar?"

"I might be able to get behind Harun," Jaedynn said but it was hesitant.

"You don't sound impressed," Roshad smiled. "It doesn't have to be a character from Arabian Nights. Those are just the names that come to mind and that I personally would agree to."

"What are some names you would like that you haven't already used?" Jaedynn asked.

"Let me think," Roshad said and was quiet a moment. "I like Arman."

"Arman's nice," Jaedynn agreed.

"I like Navid."

"That's nice too," Jaedynn nodded.

"Omid," Roshad said although Jaedynn didn't answer. "I take it that is a no?"

"I'm not thrilled with it," Jaedynn said.

"Maleek is a good name too," Roshad said.

"Maleek is nice," Jaedynn nodded.

"Askari," Roshad listed another name.

"Not bad," Jaedynn said.

"I like Iman for a boy or a girl," Roshad said.

"Iman for girl," Ashti spoke up. Roshad smiled and asked her in Farsi if she liked Iman Ashti and she agreed she liked it very much.

"Well, our second daughter's name's been picked," Roshad said.

"Iman?"

"Iman Ashti," Roshad said.

"That's really nice actually," Jaedynn agreed. "I was about to say we're listing more boy's names than I would think we'd ever use." She smiled when a thought crossed her mind. "Can I ask you a weird question?"

"Sure," Roshad said.

"You had most of your sons with Aida right?"

"Yes," Roshad said.

"When you and Fatimeh were married and having children, was it hard to think of names?"

"Yes," Roshad said and Jaedynn started giggling. "Everything she liked was already taken. We had a girl's name picked out since her first pregnancy that we never got to use."

"What would have been the girl's name?"

"Ovida," Roshad said.

"I feel like I've heard that name before," Jaedynn said. "Roman?"

"Yes, a Roman General," Roshad said. "He also controlled Dalmatia until his death in 480."

"Okay, that's why I'd heard that name before," Jaedynn said. "My dad's a big history buff so if there were any points of interest that school didn't mention, daddy would usually fill in the blanks. That said, I don't know how I feel about Ovida."

"That's alright," Roshad smiled. "In truth, by that logic, I would prefer Arsinoe."

"I recall you mentioning that," Jaedynn said but she heard Ashti say something. "Is she vetoing that name?"

"Yes. Adamantly," Roshad said. "She is saying not to name our children after royalty if it can be helped."

"I admit I agree," Jaedynn said. "I actually want to ask your mother a few questions about you."

"Such as?" Roshad asked.

"I'm curious what you were like as a child," Jaedynn said. "Did you used to get into trouble or were you always well behaved?" Ashti began to speak in Farsi however Roshad didn't translate at first. They shared an exchange after which Roshad sighed a little but was smiling.

"Maman brought up a rather embarrassing story," Roshad said.

"What's the story?"

"When I was old enough to do so, I would walk around the city unattended during the day. Maman would always be in the shadows nearby, otherwise it was generally assumed I was an orphan. I would do little odd jobs here and there for people in the Bazaar that liked me but it was never anything pleasant. There was a man in town that sold exotic birds and he would task me with keeping their cages clean."

"I think I see where this is going," Jaedynn said with a gentle smile.

"No, what you're thinking happened plenty of times, but it's not what I'm referring to," Roshad said, "Although maman did complain that when I worked for the bird peddler I came home stinking terribly and would toss me in scalding hot water and scrub until I was clean. Anyway, he had this one bird that he could not sell: an African Grey Macaw. He'd sold many macaws without issue, but this one? He was always brought back because he was a very mean bird. Didn't like anyone. The peddler decided to cut his losses and kept the bird as his own. Named the Macaw Jalut after the famous opponent to Dawud and the bird became a conversation starter."

"So when you say Dawud and Jalut, you mean David and Goliath?"

"Yes, that is their Christian equivalent," Roshad said. "So Jalut stayed with the bird peddler until his death and his death was, sadly, my fault."

"Why was his death your fault?"

"It was the first few days or so that I had been helping the bird peddler by cleaning cages. I had cleaned Jalut's cage but he kept trying to peck at me so the moment I was done, I closed his cage and moved on, but I didn't realize I hadn't latched the cage. While I was cleaning the cage for one of the smaller parrots, I heard Jalut come out of his cage and he started pecking at me. I ended up backing myself against a pot filled with birdseed that I'd grabbed onto and hurled on top of the bird. Then when I realized I had not only killed the bird but spilled birdseed everywhere, I nearly panicked. I was scrambling for an excuse or explanation for what happened by the time the peddler came outside, but when he realized Jalut was dead after being crushed with a pot of birdseed, he started laughing. He made me pick up each and every seed that had fallen all while he told his customers that a clumsy boy had killed the great Jalut. A number of his customers had a good laugh at my expense."

"So wait, when did you figure out how to use your power? Or were you doing these odd jobs even after?"

"I was about two and I didn't work those jobs for long after the discovery," Roshad said. "It was when I was working for the bird peddler. He had a customer that was complaining about the bird peddler not having a gold cage as I recall. My hand was on one of the bars of a cage that I was cleaning and when I looked at it, I noticed it wasn't iron anymore, but gold. I put my hand somewhere else on the cage and thought about the cage turning gold and it turned before my very eyes. Once it was fully changed to gold, I brought it forward to show the customer who bought it for far more than what the cage was worth. I started changing everything I touched until I got to some cinnamon I grabbed then realized I couldn't change. I tried changing water to wine but it didn't work, I tried changing straw to silk but it didn't work; the only things I could change were non-living objects. The last thing I did was pick up some rocks that I changed to Persian coins and jewels that I showed maman, Bastet and Rashida."

"So it was completely on accident?"

"Basically," Roshad said. "But what a happy accident. After that, I used my gift to build a home closer to the mountains and added to it as the years went by."

"Do you still have that home?"

"Not anymore. I willed that home to Ishmael. The estate in Shiraz was willed to Amir after Aida's father passed away. By now, both homes have become museums. The palace in Tehran and in Chalus are all that we actively live in now."

"The palace in Tehran is the one that has all your family pictures right?"

"Yes, in my office," Roshad said.

"I can't wait to see them," Jaedynn said. "I'm so curious what they all looked like. Do you think you'll bring those pictures here?"

"I've considered it," Roshad said. "If I did, they would be in the prayer room." Then Ashti said something and Roshad smiled. "Never mind."

"Your mother wants them to stay in Tehran?"

"Yes; she argues that she enjoys seeing pictures of her grandchildren and taking them away would be cruel," Roshad said.

"That's fair," Jaedynn said. "Do you think you could have them copied?"

"I may just do that," Roshad said. "Now, Jaedynn, there is something I've wanted to ask you about since seeing it: that newspaper clipping at your grandparents' house."

"You mean the one in which daddy was featured?"

"Yes," Roshad chuckled, "Your father claims that it was a false story?"

"Okay, so here's what happened," Jaedynn started and Roshad was already chuckling, "Daddy and Scarlet were working on this ranch in Texas trying to become fluent or mostly fluent in Spanish before they moved on to Mexico. The owner's wife had a crush on daddy, he never returned her affections and, as a way to get back at him, she told someone daddy was sleeping on the job which wasn't true: it had been during his break. Regardless, he was docked a day's pay for it. As recompense, he and Scarlet snuck into the house, stole some money and, before leaving, daddy wrote an extremely graphic love letter to the owner's wife that he put in her husband's office to find. Daddy never found out what happened after that except the newspaper claiming the family had been robbed of house and home. Daddy always said, 'It was only a few hundreds'."

"A few hundreds was a lot back then," Roshad said.

"Those were the old days when daddy was an outlaw."

"How ironic that he's now a cop," Roshad said. "What made your father decide to become an officer?"

"Some guy came onto tribal grounds violently drunk, started disturbing the peace and had to be removed. Grandpa had tried calling the police in Forks but they'd taken so long to arrive that grandpa and dad took the matter into their own hands more or less and dragged the guy to the police station in Forks. From that day forward, grandpa insisted we have our own police force that dad runs," Ariel said.

"If you won't take care of it, I'll do it myself?" Roshad asked with a smile.

"Yes, exactly," Gabriel said through his laugh. "That's grandpa's motto in a nutshell."

"You used to be a dispatcher for that police station didn't you?" Roshad asked.

"Yes, I did," Jaedynn said. "Working for Uncle Kevin was a lot more eventful, but I've told you those lovely stories."

"Yes; I never realized people could be so petty," Roshad said.

"Did I ever tell you about the couple that was getting a divorce because the wife found out her husband was having an affair with a woman from his office?"

"I feel like I've heard several that started that way," Roshad said.

"The one I'm thinking of, they were both being represented by the same lawyer: a collaborative divorce. Anyway, as I'd heard it the husband wanted to work things out but the wife was determined not to and refused every attempt at reconciliation. I'm told that at one point when they'd been in a meeting with their lawyer, the husband said, 'Honestly, Karen, it was just an office fling. It's not like she meant anything to me'. Needless to say, she wasn't amused."

"Nor would I be," Roshad chuckled. "I remember one case you were telling me about that had the husband and wife trying to…what was the word you'd used? Out-screw each other?"

"Yes," Jaedynn said, "Mr. and Mrs. Scrooge I'd called them. First it was throwing accusations at one another that neither could prove, then it was trying to outdo one another with their kids with presents and trips, then it was selling property without consent; it was ridiculous. Whenever there was a couple that worked their differences out like adults, it was a breath of fresh air."

"Your uncle doesn't generally handle divorce personally does he?"

"No," Jaedynn said. "He knows how and he's done it before, but the last time he handled a divorce, it was for his business partner."

"Ah, yes, Kevin mentioned that," Roshad said.

"Tell me another story from when you were a kid," Jaedynn said, returning to an older topic. "I'm sure there's more to your childhood than bird homicide."

Roshad laughed and defended, "I killed Jalut in self-defense."

"What did you used to do for fun when you were a kid?" Jaedynn asked. "I assume you didn't have your own tutors to torment. Or was that only Ishmael that was the culprit of such harassment?"

"He wasn't, but Ishmael was the most creative," Roshad said with a smile. "No, I had no tutors to torment. My tutors were Bastet, Rashida and maman. Bad behavior was not tolerated. Sadly I had to keep to myself most of the time. I was growing too fast and it was noticeable. I would usually play Senet with Bastet or any other strategy games."

"Did you ever travel before becoming a merchant?"

"No. Until I began selling jewelry, I'd never left Tabriz. We didn't leave Tabriz permanently until my grandfather and grandmother died."

"I thought you never knew your grandparents."

"No, I didn't," Roshad said, "but maman always checked on them. She never blamed them for casting her from the house. I'm not of the same opinion, but regardless maman looked after her family until they passed away. As I recall, they died a few years before I went to Shiraz to meet Aida."

"Did you ever live in Shiraz?"

"We stayed in Shiraz in the summers," Roshad said, "then in winter we were in Tabriz."

"Did you prefer one over the other?" Jaedynn asked.

"I preferred Shiraz," Roshad said. "Because it's in the Fars province, it has more riches. It also used to be the Persepolis which was the capital for some time."

"Tehran's the capital now, right?"

"Yes," Roshad said. "I'll make sure you get to enjoy Tehran before Rashida and Bastet bring you to Isfahan."

"I look forward to it," Jaedynn said. Ashti spoke up again and shared another exchange with Roshad. "What did she ask?"

"She was asking me about what wedding planning you and I had done thus far," Roshad said. "She is already starting to warm up to you; I promise." Roshad took Jaedynn's hand out of habit and was about to kiss it but Ashti grabbed his hand and began scolding him.

"What?" Jaedynn asked.

"She's scolding me for being inappropriate," Roshad said, smiling a little. "I've forgotten what it's like to be supervised on a date."

"I don't think I've ever been on a supervised date," Jaedynn said. "As long as it's a step in the right direction."