After the whole thing a few days earlier, she's calmed down and opened up to me a bit, letting her guard down just enough for me to slowly get the information out of her that I've wanted for so long. It's Christmas Eve and she's told me quite a bit in the past few days. Things I had no clue she had endured and seen in her life, things I wish I could help her forget and I wish she didn't remember down to the finest detail. There's also things that I'm glad she remembers-the pregnancies and births of the kids, the accomplishments the four of them have achieved, and everything that's helped her become who she really is today-the very things that make her a great mother and a strong, independent woman. "Sam, have you seen my cell?"
"On the island counter, right side of the burners and in the middle," she tells me down to the most minute detail, not looking up from the homework Mikal and Aaliyah had to complete over vacation.
"Thanks, beautiful." I go check for it and once again, she's right. "How are they doing?" I ask, checking all my messages on my almost dead phone as I reenter the room they're in.
"Good, almost done." My phone beeps. "Put it on the charger and text everyone to bog my iPhone or my cell down."
"Why?"
"It's almost dead."
My jaw drops to the floor because the volume is almost on mute. "Um, ok." I know it's pointless to argue with her because I have come to terms with her rules and stipulations. I've also figured out that she's either a super hero or has great hearing, thanks to the kids. I'm siding with the super hero thing, I don't care what anyone says because I think she's super mom!
"Josh?"
"How can you hear quieter sounds better than if the kids are screaming in your face?"
"It's part selective hearing and part mom thing. Ask your mom why she 'couldn't hear you' when you three were yelling in her face," she smiles sweetly and I just shake my head.
I do as she says, texts are sent to everyone I receive texts or calls from on a daily basis and attach her number to it. I get a text back from Dallas immediately. 'What's wrong with this one?'
'Almost dead, leaving it behind to charge'
'Who thought of that?'
'My baby'
'She had the brains when I talked to her, she probably always will be the brains of the operations!'
'Thanks for the confidence boost'
'Sorry, man. For being a mom of three and handling everything, she has to be the brains'
'Yeah, she's amazing' I smile bigger than I have in a long while. She rocks my world, makes everything run smoothly, and blows my mind. I'm constantly astonished by her and everything she does helps all of us, sometimes it even helps our friends.
'You know she's the best one yet and I've only talked to her on the phone and via text while you were in the shower'
'When was the last time?'
'Yesterday'
'What was the subject?'
'You and the kids, it was all good things'
'Like what exactly?'
'Their schooling, how the four of you have changed and how supportive you are of each other.'
'Oh, she's the glue that holds us together'
'When am I going to meet your personal Wonder Woman and her lil ones?'
'Soon enough. Maybe for the Super Bowl. I'll ask.'
'She watches football?'
'She loves it' I chuckle, knowing she would love to go.
"Josh, come on, we have to go to your cousin's house! Leigh just called, asking us where in the world we are!" Sam shouts up the stairs and I look at my pj pants, realizing I still have to get dressed. I quickly grab a pair of nice jeans and a collared polo shirt. I jump in the shower for five minutes to wash up and get into my clothes, but can't find my sneakers.
"Baby, do you know where my shoes are?"
"On the mat by the door, just like they usually are in LA!"
"Oh, right," I mutter to myself. "Routine doesn't change because our location does," I remind myself of what we tell the munchkins all the time. I bound down the stairs to find my very irritated girlfriend waiting by the door with three very impatient children. "How long have you been ready?"
"Since before they did homework." She crosses her arms under her bust and taps her foot, glaring at me. "We're half an hour late. I understand that you're notorious for being late, but it drives me insane!" she exclaims.
"Why, mommy?"
"That's why when it comes to a ceapachán dochtúra, I tell him that we have to be there an hour before. Between traffic and his tardiness, we get there with less than 15 minutes to spare. Aaliyah has a pristine attendance record and is on the honor roll right now, you boys on the other hand have gotten honorable mention and have three tardies," she explains to Demitryus.
He nods, acknowledging what she told him. "What did you say in Irish?" I inquire, my face contorted in a confused state.
"Nothing major. Let's head to Leigh's," she tells me, pointing at my DCs she got me as an early Christmas present in Massachusetts last week, making me look at the shoe mat and I realize there's two more boxes wrapped that are shoe box sized. "Grab this boxes, Aaliyah."
She runs over and picking them up, pulls them to her chest to scold me from touching them,"Josh, you can't see these yet. They're from mommy and the boys."
"What about from you?"
"Mommy gave them to you." She smiles that irresistible smile I love on her little seven year old face, making her bright blue eyes sparkle.
I sit on the bottom stair and tie my shoes. "I like them very much, they're comfortable," I comfort her, pulling her into my arms and we both smile.
I kiss her forehead. "Let's go, Joshie."
We load into the car and drive the fifteen minutes to Ashleigh's, the kids chatting between themselves excitedly. Aaliyah unbuckles and waits for Sam to open the car door, antsier than I've seen her ever be. As soon as Sam lets Aaliyah out, she books it for Ashleigh's front door and knocks on it, awkwardly balancing the presents she's in charge of. The boys grab the ones they're in charge of and she grabs all the ones she bought, leaving me to grab the ones I had bought to keep the element of surprise alive. "She's antsy tonight," I remark about Ms. Leilani. I have nicknamed Aaliyah Ms. Leilani and Leilani, I never called them by their names in interviews or public because of privacy. The only people that know are my close friends, family and some others in the music profession that I've known for years like Timbaland and Christina.
"She's excited and happy. We should get these gifts inside before they begin wondering if we froze to death," she tells me, ushering me inside by switching her hips to make me follow behind and watch her ass move seductively with each step. Even with her arms filled with Christmas gifts, she still can manage to switch her hips and grab my attention. I can't say how much I enjoy being with this particular mom of three! I like her and being with her, which makes every day better.
"Yeah, yeah, baby." I don't see much point in arguing over anything right now, seeing as it's Christmas tomorrow.
She somehow manages to knock on the door and Ashleigh answers, grabbing the gifts from us before she ushers us inside. "Lordy, Sam! How did you ever hide these from the biggest kid of all in that house?"
"I never told him I went shopping and hid them in the guest rooms."
"Maybe I should have you help me," Ashleigh jokes.
"Hahaha! Tyler! Get out of there!" she scolds my brother, not even seeing him nearing the gifts we just brought in. "Leigh, it's hard enough to do it in LA, never mind here too." They hug and have bonded since their night out. "Cooters," she says quietly, prompting them both to giggle.
"Is that a restaurant?" They snigger at the memory they share.
"What is the meaning behind it?"
"What's the name of a restaurant that rhymes with 'cooters'?" my beautiful girlfriend hints, a playful smile on her mouth.
I think for a second and smile. "Oh, Hooters."
"The family restaurant named for melons," Tyler comments.
"Stop thinking with your appendage," she calls out to him.
"I'm not!"
"Yeah, right. Leigh, you should visit us in LA."
"How am I going to do that?" she poses the one question I was hoping she wouldn't to my girlfriend.
"I'll pay for your ticket!" she chirps to my cousin and my head drops to my chest.
"For how long?" she asks the other inquiry I didn't want to hear as we head to her kitchen, prompting me to head for the living room and begin to quiz the kids on how to spell certain words to amaze my brother.
"Just a weekend, if it's possible," I hear Sam reply at last.
"I'll let you know, girl," is the last thing I overhear either of them say for the next couple hours as the kids answer my impromptu verbal quizzes and watch television, not including giggles, chuckles and other various forms of laughter. Sam seems to fit in with my family so well, maybe... Hmmmm, it's worth humoring the thought.
"Hey, bro?"
"Yeah, Josh?"
"What if I told you she might be the one?"
"Wait a bit longer cause you seem to scare the girls like her off after the first six months."
"Yeah right."
"Tara, Eva, Emmanuel."
"She's like all three in one, stop counting. She's also different."
"You sure you could really help her raise those kids and be their dad?"
"Our parents did."
"That's different."
"Not really. She was being abused and neglected."
"How so?"
"Physically, mentally and he expected her to take care of everything without so much as a thank you."
"Isn't that what a wife is supposed to do?"
"Without being thanked? Dad thanks mom, shows his appreciation."
"You have a point there."
"Now she cleans all the time and is constantly smiling, she says this is the happiest she's ever been in over a decade."
"That's almost an eternity," he points out.
"You thought seven years was bad, it's been somewhere near thirteen for her."
~~~~~
"Thanks for dinner, Leigh!" Sam says, giving her a warm embrace as best as she can while holding a sleeping Lil Man. The kid may have turned five, but he's built solid like his sister.
"See you in a few months, probably for Mik's birthday."
"We plan on flying out here for that."
"Don't forget we have the entire family coming out to the lodge tomorrow."
Sam rolls her eyes, scoffs and flicks her wrist at this. "No biggie now, met everyone."
Ashleigh smiles, almost silently chuckling to herself. "If you say so."
"I'm still hinting you down first, girlie!" she teases Ash. We get the kids in their booster seats and head back to my place in Maryland, she falls asleep almost instantly. I carry Aaliyah and Demitryus to their bedrooms, instructing Mikal to get into pjs and to bed. I had to leave her in the car the first trip because I'm not an octopus or that balanced, I may be talented but I know I can only do so much. I'm not Super Man or Spider Man, so I do the best I can and she loves and appreciates it. I head back to the garage where I parked the car and pick her up, closing the three doors leading to our room with my foot along the way. I strip her to her thong and put one of my stretched out shirts over her body before climbing in bed myself. I lie awake, relishing in my bliss and appreciate my life as it is-a beautiful woman who loves me who has three great kids, giving me an instant family and everything I've wanted before I even knew I did. She constantly and consistently surprises me without warning.
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