We were experiencing one of those very rare, laid back and relaxed days on the farm. The fellas who all had lady friends were gathered around drinking beer and eating beef hotdogs, while Kenny who although still hadn’t gone back to being his jovial self, still cracked a joke or two here and there. Stacy was sitting at the picnic table with Dynasty in her lap, kissing her under her fat cheeks, causing her to squeal with laughter.
It was my mother-in-laws turn to keep up with Luke, who was a ball of energy that could be exhausting for one individual. So yeah, we took turns. I sat back relaxing on a picnic blanket I had laid out on the ground for the babies, just watching it all. This moment to me was bitter sweet.
Sweet in the sense that I never imagined I would see the farm so alive with activity and people. My poor pa-pa kept the comings and goings here down to the bare minimum, hiding the farm’s beauty from the world. It was good to see people laughing, talking… living.
It was bitter in the sense that, no matter how we all tried to make things work, there were two major components missing— Gabe and Mac. I sighed. Everyone here except for Gabrielle and I had somebody. Kenny and Stacy had each other. Even the fellas were now each dating one of my distant cousins. Gabrielle said she was quite satisfied being an abuela. All the attention she missed giving Gabriel as a boy, she gave to his children.
I on the other hand was not satisfied. I missed my husband something fierce. There were times I laid in my lonely bed at night and cried. I would imagine his big strong arms wrapped around me, his lips kissing my body and him filling me.
Stacy says I should consider dating, but the thought of it made me physically ill. There was no one else for me.
Flint ran into the clearing, cutting off my thoughts. The look on his face caused my heart to drop.
“Get in the house!” He yelled, waving his hands at us as he sprinted full speed toward the barn. The other fellas jumped into motion telling their lady friends to go into the house as they too ran toward the barn.
“What’s happening?” Kenny asked Flint when he emerged with an assault rifle.
“Unknown chopper approaching!” He yelled as he looked through the scope of the rifle toward the air. Scared out of my mind, I tried to see what he was seeing as I jumped to my feet. Kenny sprinted toward Stacy and Dynasty, yelling for them to go in.
“Where is Luke?” He asked me.
“Oh God, Luke!” Frantically, I looked around the massive yard for them.
“Over there!” I yelled, pointing to where my mother-in-law was now running toward us with Luke in her arm. But she was a couple of hundred feet away. I took off toward her, but Kenny ran pass me, reaching them before I could. He took Luke so that Gabrielle could run faster, and together they ran toward me.
After seeing that Stacy had safely made it in with Dynasty, I couldn’t turn back until I had my son in my arms. If I lost either one of my children I would die, no questions about it. My worst nightmare had come true and Mayor Davenport or Altar wasn’t dead, like we’d all thought.
“Here!” Kenny yelled, putting Luke in my arms just as a black chopper appeared overhead. I stared shocked because it didn’t make a sound.
But I didn’t get to see much because Kenny was practically dragging Gabrielle and I across the backyard to the kitchen door. Stacy cried for him to come in too when he just shoved us in and shut it. Standing in front of the door, he was determined to be the last line of defense if the fellas failed.
Each of us ran to a window and looked out praying that it wasn’t what we all thought it was. Flint, Jerome, Spooky and Spider stood with their weapons pointing at the chopper as it landed. I held my breath as the door slid back and a huge muscular dark skinned brotha with braids hopped out. Behind him the biggest black dog I had ever seen. It kind of looked like a wolf.
This man reminded me of the one they called Lyon, only darker, much darker, but he was just as intense. Strength and power radiated from him in waves. He looked around with the eyes of a destroyer, taking in the men with the guns pointed at him, but he didn’t seem in the least bothered. It looked as if—
My hand flew to my mouth.
A man stepped out behind him that was very familiar, only bigger than I remembered. He was more severe, harder—colder.
“Dear God! It’s Gabe…” Gabrielle whispered, as she tried to figure out the changes before her. Everything about him was different. He was so much like the man standing next to him, only younger, with a lighter skin tone.
They both wore black cargo pants and boots. But where the dark man wore a black t-shirt, Gabe wore a black tank top. His arms were more defined than when I saw him last. Even their hair was similar. They both had long cornrows that fell to the center of their backs.
The man said something to Gabe, who lifted one side of his mouth in a grin, before the two clasp hands and embraced in a brotherly fashion. Gabe came across as a younger brother to the man. When they were done, the dark giant turned and leaped back into the chopper, the
