X-Ray Vision Ch. 13: Ever After

I had no eyes for that, my attention entirely reduced to the two of us, standing in a street in a town, in front of a tailor shop, surrounded by a beautiful Spring day and by scores of my new brothers, and there was just Jillian.

She looked only at me, right in my eyes and somehow right into me, seeing me whole, all my flaws and weaknesses and strengths too, and she loved me.

She loved me!

Impishly, "Well? You gonna kiss your bride? Everybody is waiting!"

I was so gonna kiss my bride.

Tilt the head just so, one hand holding hers at our hips, feeling her pulse warmly, the other on her shoulder, then behind her head, cradling her, not closing my eyes, I can't take my eyes off of her, I never will, and we kiss.

Just a brush of lips at first, then an indrawn breath, inhaling her, pressing into her, touching her mouth with mine, her tongue with mine, gentle and playful, a promise of something later, when we were alone.

The brothers were making some noise, typical, brothers are never respectful of a couple's intimacy, some Oooh!s and some catcalls, then when we broke, applause!

Jillian took a long comfortable breath, then raised her hand with mine, turned to the crowd, smiling!

"Let the celebrations begin!" Off-the-cuff but the crowd was eating it up, laughs and cheers and Tito looking every inch the brother, smiling his smile but crooked now, proud of us.

Something occurred to me.

"We can't go home, not now, not with this energy. We should go right to the hall, be with our Family until the church is ready?"

Jillian nodded, in total agreement. Not an opportunity lost, for nookie; an opportunity reserved, to be cherished later, privately.

Jillian beckoned to Billie who hared over, heedless of propriety, gave a What's Up? look.

"We're gonna walk to the hall now, not later. With everybody. There's a car coming for those who want it."

Billie smiled her thousand-watt smile, hared back, conferring with Khang.

A stretch limousine tooled up the street, Larry at the wheel, waiting for this moment to make his appearance. Not for us, we would walk with brothers, Phuong and Khang, it was only a few blocks.

No, for Mr. Pham, for the Aunties, too far for a wheelchair, for lumbago and shin splints and sciatica, they would ride. A surprise for them, but they seemed completely amenable, Larry playing the chauffeur perfectly, opening doors and handing them in, stowing the wheelchair, smiling and nodding.

We approached grandfather, sister, nodding and smiling, and with them leading the way, us behind, brothers an unruly mob, laughing and joking and ready for a party, we struck out.

I worried about those shoes, Jillian had a new red pair to match the dress, why the old red pair were no good I have no idea. These were not as tall, and her feet seemed to be doing ok so far...

She saw my glance, concern.

"Dancing shoes! A couple blocks will be nothing. No worries! You'll be out on the dance floor with me for hours!"

I managed a sincere smile, no longer any need to force it, glad to be of service, anything for Jillian.

And Nick had given me a few lessons, I was no longer just a shuffle-step kind of guy! I had three moves! Gonna be a blast.

The car arrived first, of course. Women of the community were arranged out front, clued in, waiting for us. Not only ready; ready for hours, now having a before-party, many with glasses already in hand. Taking the organizers' prerogative to crack open a bottle or two and sample the wares.

Into the hall! Phuong and Khang first, then the two of us. Then an enormous, seemingly endless crowd of brothers, uncles, cousins, wives and families of my brothers, more arriving.

Phuong's gang too, already inside, been at the drinks for some time, already in a party mood, toasting everybody.

The humble hall was now a palace, food and flowers and bunting, no part of the community hall even visible behind all the window-dressing and banners. Wonderful, elaborate! But not more elaborate than the famous gathering when the mayor's daughter was married! No, we didn't want to eclipse that, cultural tradition, this day would forever be described as 'almost as wonderful' which was just fine, just right.

No music yet, no dancing, just meeting-and-greeting, not married yet! The clergy had been nearly ready, were questioned How soon can we do it? The answer, give them ten minutes.

Lan Vu was here! And her mother? A wonderful surprise! All the way from up the coast.

No father, no other family; I'd been told Mrs. Vu's husband had died in an industrial accident when Lan was just a baby. Just the two of them. I imagine that had made the thought of losing Lan all the more terrifying.

Lan was shy at first, just staring at Jillian, fixated on her, awestruck by her dress? Hero worship? Or something else?

Jillian saw, she was no dummy, disengaged from well-wishers, turned and held out her arms.

Lan ran up, leaped into her, hugged her like only a young imp can, wrapped around all elbows and knees, giving it all she had.

Jillian, unsurprised, smiling, held her comfortably, one hip stuck out, embracing her fondly. Still no effort today, fifty pounds was nothing for a Mom.

"I'm so glad to meet you! Let's get to know each other. We'll talk today, and more later? I want to hear all about you, about school, and friends, your interests! We'll be great pals."

Mrs. Vu was there, wanted to say something.

"Miss Jillian? I understand you have no one to give you the ring, in the service?" Jill shook her head No.

Normally the mother's job, Jill and I are remiss in that department. Khang thought an Auntie would do that today?

Preparing herself, "I will do that for you? You are my daughter now. What you can ask of a mother, you may ask of me.

"I would be very proud, to give the ring, to put it on your hand as your má."

Wow. Unexpected. I could see this hit Jillian hard, she was tensing, her breath shortening, hyperventilating!

"Jill?"

Then I saw it, the wavering lower lip, the tear ducts set to Niagara.

This was gonna be ok. More than ok.

Jillian had a Family now, and it was all wonderful, what she'd always wanted, needed. But she didn't have a mother, had not known herself how much that gap was still hurting, that wound unhealed, raw.

She didn't trust herself to speak, just Nodded! Let Lan slip down, took Mrs. Vu's hands, kissed her on both cheeks, tears flowing now, buckets of tears, both of them.

Well, what a wonderful development. And more family to support! To love! To protect.

Wait, this meant, Lan and Jillian...

Lan could not contain herself. "Chi!" she squealed, hugged Jill around the waist, gaining a big sister, clearly the entire upshot of this deal for that little girl.

Jill knelt, hugged her back. "Em." Jill had a little sister now, was a big sister herself! New skills to learn! Advice to give! She was gonna have a blast.

Khang came over, clueless, saw the kerfuffle, saw Jillian upset, had to be read into the plot. Blinked, and not missing a beat she hugged Lan, called her Sister, Em gái út, littlest sister, kissed her on the forehead, like the oldest sister should.

No questions, no hesitation, this was a done thing. Because Family said it was so, and nobody got to tell us No.

I was waiting patiently to be introduced when an Auntie came in, made an announcement, Vietnamese so I had no idea.

Folks started getting up, moving out.

Jill set Lan down, kissed her on the cheek, handed her back to her mother, their mother!

Came and took my hand.

"Ready to do this?"

She looked so bright, so alive! So on top of things, so confident. So beautiful, so capable, so loving. So, so much everything.

How could I ever deserve her? What had I done to go from lonely, depressed beach bum, to the love of Jillian's life? Marrying into her wonderful family, so many now! Phuong, her mother, her sisters. Her nieces! Gawd, all my brothers! What a mob!

She saw me thinking, read my mind somehow. She can do that.

"C'mon, goof. Let's get started on this wonderful journey." A silly thing to say, but it made my heart leap!

I was ready, more than ready. Been waiting my whole life. All my nervousness evaporated, I took her hand, and we began.

...

Jillian kept looking at her left hand, at the modest gold ring, Mr. Ho had made it, a marvelous thing. Simple, elegant, a braid of two endless circles. Engraved inside with an eye, my thing, our thing now.

I had one too; I kept turning it on my finger, not yet used to the weight of it.

That brilliant engagement ring was in a box, in the dresser. Would she wear it again? Maybe for special occasions. At her children's weddings!

A brilliant day of laughing and loving. Telling stories, so many! About lost pets recovered and lost items returned. About things and people restored, the community put back in balance.

About lost girls! They told their stories, the nieces, about meeting Jillian, how they loved her from the start. Lots of laughing and crying, really the same thing.

Funny, at a wedding, no one is afraid to say I Love You! All the chances we miss, waiting for a wedding to say the important things.

I was sore. From the standing, the sitting, the walking. Picking up kids, so many kids! They'd hide things from me, I'd find them. Hilarious! Every time! Easy to amuse, kids. Maybe that was my thing too.

And sore, emotionally. So many ups and downs, hiking emotional hills, my feelings were aching. A good ache.

Happy? Sure; sad too.

Sad the party was over! It was a blast, turns out I love a big party, kids and family everywhere, so much going on. No need to hide who I am. Just tell anybody, everybody, and laugh about it, and enjoy their wonder.

Sad I could only marry Jillian the one time. Silly, but there it is. I don't have to explain my feelings.

And now, a little concerned, that I might not have the energy to do justice to our wedding night.

She was getting out of that dress, the outside part everybody could see, liberally spotted with tears, oh so many tears today! Not all Jillian's, Khang was responsible for a good third. The softie.

And with the dress went the secret part, the silk and satin lining that accentuated her charms, held her pooch comfortably, obviously, made her so sexy, just for me to see.

I love you, Khang! You have a new skill now, dressmaking for see-ers.

Not too sad about that dress going, turns out Naked Pregnant Jillian is shockingly sexy too.

She stopped before putting on anything, sized me up.

"You have the energy for this? You look pretty pooped."

I straightened, rolled my shoulders, stretched my arms over my head, my fingers linked.

"Khang says, every night! And, I've never fucked my wife before."

She giggled; that was too ridiculous for a response.

I was in just the pants, socks. Had lost the jacket and tie somewhere, getting hot from playing with kids, dancing with my wife, my sisters-in-law. My mother-in-law!

It's in the limo! I remember; an Auntie had one of the grandkids run stuff out, make sure it got home. Didn't work; Larry was probably still shuttling drunken uncles, cousins, brothers home, keeping everybody safe. Have to tip him big, maybe double his fee, worth it to keep Family well and happy.

I struggled up, shucked out of the pants, left the socks - too far to reach! Laid down on our bed, heaved a huge sigh.

Jill was sitting on the other side, looking at me, a loving-wife look, never got that one before.

I could get used to this deal, easy.

I went to reach for her, but she rolled onto the bed, straddled me.

"Let me! I can't do much, worn out too, but this."

She bent, kissed me chastely, warm thighs bracketing me, hands on my face. Took her time, just warming her lips against mine.

I moaned, happy to let her have her way. It occurred to me, that would be a wonderful approach to our whole married life!

She was so much smarter than me, so empathetic. I decided; I'd do whatever it took, to make her successful. Safe, and successful. My purpose in life.

She saw me, relaxing, at peace. Guessed something about it, read my mind. Smiled her little sweet smile.

"Took you long enough."

I nodded. "I'm slow; you knew that about me, the first day you met me."

"I like slow." She rocked her hips, moving back on me, finding my stiffness, getting our bodies sorted, taking her time.

When she had us coupled, properly, gently, she gave out a "Whoooooooo," took a rest.

We locked eyes, lips parted, feeling the connection, our connection. I suddenly wanted her, wanted to be like this with her, to be her mate.

She moved, slightly, just to feel me inside, hold me there, excite me, make me want her.

And just like that, I saw her cumming, slow and simple, my wife was cumming with me inside her, tired and happy, content to have me here, in her, under her.

So I came too, not that I have any control over that but when Jillian says it's time to cum, my body knows not to argue. I throbbed, from the bottom of my heart, from my soul, from my balls anyway, convulsing a surprising number of times, saved up from a day of seeing her in that dress, dancing and moving and laughing, wanting her every minute.

She giggled; God I loved when she did that, so human, so private, just her and me amused at the world. Collapsed on me, snuggled in, still connected.

And bump! I felt it, I Saw it; Jillian did too.

She raised her head, gave me a Did You Feel That? look so I nodded.

"Jessie."

Got an Oh! from her because I'd never been able to see, before. He was big enough now, to know he was a boy.

I see you in there! My little son, Jessie! I can't wait to meet you!

He gave another little lurch, and Jillian got a faraway look. Laid her head on my chest and settled in.

Does he See me? Not yet, it's too early. Maybe he'll never be a See'er. That's ok; maybe even better.

Jillian needs to have family like her, too. She's enough, just as she is, and he'll be enough, however he turns out, whoever he is.

Somebody said that, today, in all the speeches and talking, I don't remember who.

Nick! Nick said that - said accepting and loving and celebrating who we are, that's all it takes to make a family. That's the main thing right there. Smart person, that Nick. Wise, from experience I guess, hard-won experience.

Ok, time to get moving on this married-forever deal? Jillian was making a good start; what could I do to move things forward?

Jill? She had gone from faraway-look to contented-look, but now it was sleepy-happy look and yup! There she goes. Asleep.

Jesus, I loved the way my wife looked asleep. Contented, at peace, just where she needed to be.

Hadn't started out that way. Started, long ago, desperately unhappy. Grew to be frantically happy, wanting this new life, grabbing at it with a ravenous hunger.

Somewhere along the line, I'd felt it, Seen it, she'd stopped feeling frantic. Stopped feeling like if she didn't work hard every second it might all go away. Started to trust us. Trust herself not to screw it all up. Knew, even if she did screw something up, it wouldn't matter, we'd just love her anyway.

She didn't call out to me in the morning anymore, when I'd get up first to make breakfast or whatever, calling "Greg?" nervously, unsure if I was still here, if this was all real. I'd call back "Um Hm?", it was all ok, I was out here doing things, not going anyplace.

She'd outgrown that. Now she would just stretch, smile, look at the ceiling without seeing it. Eventually get up and pad out and hug me from behind, knowing I was here, I would always be here, knowing I would be thrilled, every time, to feel her up against me.

Healed! Maybe completely. I sure hope so.

Sleeping with my wife on top of me, snuffling on my chest, happy and coupled and naked and pregnant. That's how married-forever would begin, for us.

Perfect.

...

A fine spring day! The sun rising warm, scudding clouds and a salt breeze from the south. The rumble of the motor a comfort, strong and sure, going to get us where we needed to go.

A bigger boat than the whale-watching one I'd been on so long ago. This one had fishing stations, a winch, a small cargo hold. A general-purpose seagoing vessel, not large but able to traverse the ocean if required, weather any storms that came up.

Just me and Nick and Tito on board, no need for other onlookers. Jillian had been left on the dock with Tito's wife Kelly, each with one hand on their prominent stomach, nervous to see us go. I had to be on board this trip, to aim Tito and Nick, get us where we needed to be. But Jill didn't have to be happy about it. Glad Kelly is there, keeping her focused and calm. There for each other.

When it came down to getting on the boat, she'd wanted to call it all off, no amount of money worth risk to her family, the people she loved. Money wasn't even in the same league as family.

We'd talked, Jill had hugged me, hugged all three of us, admitted this was all about the family's future, worth some risk to ensure that. Tito patiently assured her again, they were well trained and practiced, were using every angle to make it as safe as it could be. Knew it all along but needed us to say it again, convince herself. Watched bravely as we boarded, leaning on Kelly, knowing Tito and Nick would look out for me, and me for all of us.

Smooth water in the bay, and barely any chop when we got to the mouth of the harbor. I pointed, estimated distance, guided us in, called halt! and Nick released the anchor. She was already in diving gear, ready to do the initial survey, attached her tether, linked to the boat against the tidal current. Tidal flow was diminishing now, the bay almost full, our arrival timed to give us the maximum calm minutes from anchor-down to sling-secure.

Tito set the comm gear, recorded the location, checked the horizon though I'd already done that, all clear. Good, none of us wanted to start over again in seven hours, we wanted this done in one go.

Nick helped him into his gear, a drill they'd practiced, took less than five minutes. Once he was doing his tank-checks she climbed to the diver-lift, attached her tether, lowered herself into the water.

I had the microphone, could give her instructions from the pilothouse. She couldn't answer, her mouthpiece in the way but we'd worked out simple hand signals. I could of course see her wherever she went, see her signals, talk her through her approach.

We were pretty much on target, but the current tugged at her, took her a few meters west. Once she got nearer the bottom the current was less, she could maneuver. She put out a hand, turned it like a compass needle and I told her when she was pointing in the right direction. The dark and murk made it unlikely she would find it herself.

In a few seconds she was there, found the box. The wood had rotted some, half torn away by tide and storms and whatnot, just the bottom half and one side remaining. The metal shell was intact, the interior water-tight, the box upright and settled into the mud. I'd seen all that on our approach, which helped Tito choose what gear they'd need, saved time surveying.

There were cargo hooks on the case corners! Originally used to load the case onto the hapless boat that'd dumped it here.

We'd agonized over that, whether we'd need to spot-weld the sling cable to the case, risk weaking it, breaching it. But with cargo hooks Tito could just unreel the sling, Nick would take one cable and Tito the other, slip them over the hooks, tighten the wingnuts. Then stretch the sling around, on the eastern side, the down-stream side once the tide started out.

She made the hand motion that meant "Ready for the sling." I relayed that to Tito.

Tito attached the sling cable to his weight belt, gave me a thumbs-up, tipped over the side, hardly any splash.