Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81488 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 407(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
“But if I’m a tree, where would I go? I doubt I had a choice.”
Everyone including Roman burst out laughing. He could see from her expression she was dead serious, and then her complexion warmed. She realized she’d said the quiet part out loud.
“I know what you mean. Go on.” She laughed anxiously. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. That’s one of the things I love about you.”
People ohhhed and ahhhed. He took her hands in his and squeezed.
“I’m never letting anyone or anything come between us. There’s no amount of money, no other woman on this planet, and no house, car or job, absolutely nothin’ that could ever come close to the loveliness, beauty and joy of being chosen by you.” She blushed, her cheeks plumped, and she squeezed his fingers back. “When we met, Genesis, I thought I needed my tooth fixed, but I ended up finding out that I was broken on the inside, too. Funny though, you proved to me that even broken, shattered things, still are beautiful, and worthy of true love.
“They still have purpose. No matter how much lightning strikes our lives, we’re in this together. I will still stand up for you. Defend you. I will shelter you from the storms when you’re lost or afraid.” He paused, dragging his knuckle across his cheek to wipe a tear from his eye. “I will protect you when you feel vulnerable and hold onto you when you feel weak. You’re the apple of my eye, and they say the apple never falls far from the tree. That means, you’ll always be in my heart, and spiritually, we were meant to be. I love you, Genesis… You have no idea how deep the roots of my love for you go. Today, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world.” Now he was wiping her tears away.
“Roman and Genesis, that was beautiful.” The officiant offered a kind smile to each of them. “The bride and groom will now exchange rings as a symbol of their love and commitment.”
The rings were safety-pinned to the ring bearer’s pillow. Tony took the pillow from the little boy and stood before Roman and his sister. He unfastened the jewelry, handed Roman the ring for Genesis, and Roman slid it down her finger. He did the same for her. With tears in his eyes, Tony leaned in and kissed his sister on the cheek, then stood back next to Roman with the other groomsmen.
“Now, by the power vested in me and the state of Texas, I pronounce you husband and wife. Roman, you may kiss your lovely bride.”
Clint Black’s, ‘When I Said I Do’ now played as he grabbed his missing limb, the bride with the prettiest branches, most grounded roots, and the sweetest fruit, and pressed his lips to hers. Sealing their new lives together, with a kiss…
EPILOGUE
The Call of the Wilde
Grandpa Wilde watched the dark haired woman close his bedroom door behind her. The scent of their raucous lovemaking still filled the air. She’d been a waitress at a restaurant he’d been to recently. He slipped her his card, and she called him just as he was horny for some new pussy. She arrived, he fucked her brains out, then sent her on her way. Having no real desire to see her again. After relaxing for a bit amongst the messy covers, finally all alone again, he flipped through one of the gold bonded family photo albums as he got settled for the evening.
The pages were heavy to the touch, glossy from the plastic protectors, and yet some of the photos had been removed and reviewed over time, stained with dried tears from years gone by. He turned page after yellowed page, sometimes smiling, sometimes wanting to forget. Sometimes feeling not much at all. And then, it struck him. Several pages were missing. Oh yes, that’s right. He’d ripped them out in a fit of rage over thirty years ago.
Photos of him and Tina were long gone. He regretted that now, as he reviewed big chunks of his life visually omitted. He was thankful for the two pictures of her he still had in his possession. They’d escaped his drunken tirade of sorrow; hidden beneath a book she kept in their parlor. Perhaps it was for the best. After all, he realized now that to the family, this woman he was obsessed with had been shrouded in mystery. She never brought much attention to herself—even their wedding had been in secret, and they’d had no children together, though he’d definitely tried to get her pregnant many times…
Yet, she was the one who had torn his soul to shreds, while leaving him wanting for more.
He sat up and looked at the fireplace. Cracking. Burning. The heat was no comparison to the balmy rage welling up inside his chest. Tina had faded away like Roman’s name on the contract. It was almost as if he’d dreamt her up. As if she’d never existed.