“I need to go,” Queen mumbled. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this sooner. Oh, wait. There’s something else.”
Delilah looked up at her friend.
“Maverick’s a good guy, Dee. Trust him. Just a little. Then you might find it easier to trust all of us a lot.”
“Fine, Queen. I’m done. I won’t tell you how to feel,” Delilah said and stood. “I just want to know how we can help Goodiva? No matter what you say the government is doing to protect her, she is in deep trouble. I can feel it.”
“I’ll make sure that Goodiva is good. I promise. If there is anything you can do, I will tell you. Right away. Okay?”
Delilah shrugged.
“You should go,” Delilah said.
“Yea. I guess I should. Call you in the morning. Bye,” Queen said.
Delilah stared out the window at her childhood tree home with her arms folded in front of her. Even though the adults conspired and failed them as kids, the world was simpler when viewed as a child. In the dreary winter light, the treehouse looked so small and useless. It was clear to her that she was no longer responsible for their shared destiny. She never was. Each of them had to live their own lives. Each of them had to find their own futures. After another cry, she walked around the house, turning off all the lights and checking all the doors to ensure that the big evil scary world remained locked outside. She went to Noah’s room last. He slept with his arms and legs spread wide. Delilah fixed the covers over him and kissed his forehead. Unconditional love from a child was the biggest reward given to a parent. Staring down at her son, he looked so small and vulnerable. One day someone who didn’t love him as deeply as she did would hurt him. One day she wouldn’t be there to protect him. The unknown terrified her the most.
After turning off blinking lights and toys, Delilah picked up his baby monitor and left his room. Her bedroom was next. Maverick wasn’t there. She could hear the shower across from her room, so she went to the bathroom instead. A damp hot wave of steam greeted her. Mavericks’ silhouette beyond the fog covered shower door was all she could really see. He knew she was there. She could see that as well. Delilah undressed. Maverick opened the shower door for her and reached for her hand. She joined him. She kissed his naked chest and grabbed his hard buttocks with both her hands, and then squeezed. His eyes lowered with that desire that fueled her passion for him.
“You two talk?” he asked.
She nodded.
“It’s going to be okay,” he kissed her brow, her nose, her eyelids, and then her lips with sweet and gentle ease.
“Is it?” she exhaled as she basked in his adoration. His lips brushed hers. The water from the shower splashed over his broad shoulders and streamed down his chest with a silky heat that poured over her breasts. She felt the spray and wanted more, so she stepped closer to her toes. Her nipples, already pimpled with moisture from the heat, ached to be noticed. He noticed. He smiled. Delilah lifted her arms to his neck.
“It’s been a long day,” she said. Her body stretched a bit, and she felt taller on her toes as she pressed her curves up against his strong hard frame.
“Let me make it better,” he whispered. She nodded a reply. He scraped his whiskered jaw against the side of her face and whispered in her ear. “Can you promise to be quiet?” he asked.
“Quiet?”
“I’m going fuck you until my legs buckle,” he said and smacked her ass.
She laughed and hugged him. When the lovemaking against the shower wall ended and Maverick delivered on his promise, she was too weak to move. He took control. He cleaned her and himself. They dried each other. They went to bed naked. She couldn’t wait to get under the covers with him. She prayed that Noah slept through the night. Just this one time. So she could sleep in his arms and not share him. When she lay against his chest and relaxed, she felt her burdens drift away in his arms. Nothing had changed. Still, she knew everything had changed. She was free to love him again. She just had to find a way to trust him. And that scared her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
BLM: SIX WEEKS LATER
“Maverick? Can you turn that off? I don’t want Noah seeing people riot in the streets,” Delilah said after she licked the icing from her fingers. Maverick changed the channel. She watched him and Noah from the open nook in the kitchen. He sat in the big chair staring silently at the cartoon show. Since the death of an unarmed black man set the entire country ablaze, he’d sunk into a silent brood that she and Noah constantly worked to pull him back from. Noah walked into the kitchen and lifted his cup to her. She had made him a cupcake and handed it to him.
“Juice!” Noah said, then stuck his little tongue out to lick the icing. “Juice, please, mama.”
“How about milk? It’ll go good with the cupcake.”
“Yes! Milk!” he celebrated. Noah ran from the kitchen yelling the news to his father with his new treat in his hand. This, and many days like the moment they shared, made her so happy. Delilah had more reasons to smile. Noah shared his cupcake with his dad, and the two whispered to each other how good it tasted. Together they took turns taking bites while they watched a repeated episode of one of his favorite animated shows.
“Cake is ready,” Delilah announced.
Maverick didn’t respond. Delilah bit down on her bottom lip to his answering silence. She went into the den to join her boys.
“Here you go,” she said to Noah, who eagerly accepted his cup. She walked over to the sofa and sat. “Nothing else to watch?”
“Pa Patrol!” Noah said with a wide grin.
Delilah shook her head, smiling. She picked up her phone and checked for messages. It had been over a month of quarantining at her parents' house. The place had become their own little family home. However, the world couldn’t be kept outside for long. The Black Lives Matter movement exploded against police brutality before the quarantine was successfully lifted. It became a topic she remained afraid to address. After all, she accused him in court of being one of the cops they saw on television abusing power. One night in bed, they watched news reports of NYPD officers brutalizing peaceful protesters. She wondered if he knew any of the cops on the screen. She didn’t dare ask. He said nothing to reassure her. Instead, they communicated through lovemaking. And she pretended not to notice.
The phone rang in her hand.
“Hey? Yeah, sure, come on over. Okay,” she said and then hung up. “That was Queen. I think she might have some news about Goodiva.”
Maverick glanced at her. “It’s about time for good news.”
“You okay?” Delilah asked.
“Think I’m going to take Noah for a walk in the neighborhood before bedtime. We haven’t been outside in a week. Some fresh air could do us some good.”
“Oh? You don’t want to talk to Queen?” she asked.
Maverick gave her a half-smile, no teeth. “You got this.”
Delilah nodded. The rules around the quarantine were relaxing, and most states were opening essential places up. Still, her parents stayed on her ranch, and she stayed in their home, not communicating with them. She watched Maverick get up from the chair and carry Noah away. Her baby waved goodbye. Delilah blew a kiss. After almost ten minutes, she heard the door open and close again.