Entertained Enough by Love

"I knew that when you didn't give me much of an argument that I was doing the right thing by leaving," she said.

I gave a little self deprecating laugh and said, "How dumb can two people be? The reason I didn't put up a big fight was that I thought you didn't want to stay and I didn't want to try to force you to stay. I can't believe how stupid I was."

"What?" Lexi wasn't sure if she understood me.

"Lexi, I had grown to love you while living with you and waiting for our baby. Our marriage started out as the right thing for me to do but grew into what I wanted, a family. If I had told you that maybe you would have stayed. I loved you then Lexi and I love you now." This started Lexi crying all over again.

"The reason my marriage to Bobbie Joe didn't work is you were still in my heart and in my mind. I couldn't commit to her the way I should have. It was a mistake to marry her and my only excuse is that I was lonely and wanted a family. Unfortunately I didn't realize that it was you I wanted to be with until it was too late." I admitted.

"I guess that was the reason that I wasn't that broken up when she left. Lexi, I love you and want us to be together again. Please don't go back to Seattle, stay here with me."

Now the water works really let loose. I thought that I had really blown it and hurt Lexi again. It wasn't until she crawled across the blanket, sat in my lap and put her arms around me that I realized that these were happy tears. I held her, stroked her back and kissed her neck. She finally calmed down.

"If that's a proposal I accept," Lexi said with a big grin.

I've never understood how a woman can be crying one minute and laughing and grinning the next. One of the many things men will never understand about women I guess.

We spent the rest of the afternoon and part of the evening getting reacquainted on an intimate level. Let's just say that the blanket was put to good use. After all it's not like we were complete strangers you know. We wanted to wait to get married until John was healed up so he could walk Lexi down the aisle.

The next evening I pulled up in front of John and Lexi's and they were both on the front porch. Lexi was surprised to see me because I told her I was busy that night.

"I thought you had something to do tonight and couldn't see me," she said as I came up the walk way to the porch.

"I'm not here to see you; I'm here to see John. Would you excuse us for a few minutes please?"

Lexi looked confused but went into the house. I sat down, opened a couple of beers and gave one to John.

"John, I love Lexi and want to marry her. I'm here to ask for your permission to marry her," I told him. "Will you give us your blessing?"

He was cool, my question had to be a surprise but he didn't let it shake him at all. John took a couple of swigs of his beer and then finally looked at me.

"James, I've never told you this but I think the world of you. You faced your responsibilities when Lexi got pregnant, then made a good home for her and took good care of her. Not a lot of youngsters would have had the sand to do that. I admire you for doing it. I would be proud to have you as my son-in-law, again," John said.

Lexi must have been standing just inside the screen door because she came bouncing out. She hugged her father, and hugged and kissed me as I shook hands with John. Now there are three people with tears in their eyes.

After an hour or so, Lexi and I went to my parent's house to give them the news. Mom did her usual thing and started crying as she hugged Lexi and I. My dad shook my hand and gave Lexi a big hug. I think I saw the glint of a tear in his eyes too.

Mom and Lexi immediately begin to plan the wedding, when, where, who to invite, etc.etc. My dad motioned me outside and gave be a big hug. He said something like it's about time you got your head on straight or something like that.

*******************

Three and a half months have passed and I'm standing at the front of the church in front of the altar. My best man Kevin is beside me making wise cracks trying to loosen me up a little. I'm a bundle of nerves. Lexi and I had planned to be married three months later than this but once again, "Men plan and the gods laugh".

It seems that our becoming reacquainted at the river or the lack of taking precautions and the fact that the "rhythm method" of birth control doesn't work meant that we had to push the wedding up a few months. Lexi is pregnant, about three months along.

Judy is Lexi's maid of honor and John has healed up enough to walk Lexi down the aisle, but he still walks with a limp. Here they come down the aisle and if I thought Lexi was stunning on the night of the awards dinner then she is absolutely drop dead gorgeous now. Sorry I have to go now, I'm going to be busy for awhile.

****************

Show time. It's been five years since Lexi and I got married. I'm sitting in the hospital waiting room waiting for our son to be born. My dad and John are both here but Mom's at home with our two daughters, Rebecca and Molly, named after Lexi's and my mothers.

Apparently John and Dad think that their mojo will keep anything bad from happening. They were here for the birth of both of our daughters and they say they're not taking any chances. I keep telling them that everything will be alright but they insist on waiting with me.

The nurse is telling us that everything is okay, both mother and son are doing fine. She leads us to the nursery so we can see the baby. A nurse is holding up a little bundle wrapped in a blue blanket. I look at the boy and turn to John and Dad.

"Guys let me introduce you to our son and your grandson, John Raymond Kelly," I tell them.

It's embarrassing, three grown men standing there with tears in their eyes.

As a very good English author says: Life goes on.

*

Thank you for reading my story, I hoped you enjoyed it. Constructive comments and critiques are always welcome. You can leave comments after the story or send them to my email. All will be appreciated.