Courageous Spirits Of Love

Story Info
Does she have the courage?
6.1k words
4.41
17k
0
2
Share this Story

Font Size

Default Font Size

Font Spacing

Default Font Spacing

Font Face

Default Font Face

Reading Theme

Default Theme (White)
You need to Log In or Sign Up to have your customization saved in your Literotica profile.
PUBLIC BETA

Note: You can change font size, font face, and turn on dark mode by clicking the "A" icon tab in the Story Info Box.

You can temporarily switch back to a Classic Literotica® experience during our ongoing public Beta testing. Please consider leaving feedback on issues you experience or suggest improvements.

Click here

" You're going away this week again? Damn, Maxima, I'm not a babysitter. I'm suppose to host the poker game this weekend with the guys from the bar" Ron Brady complained, then belched.

Looking at him with disgust, Maxima decided that after this meeting in Chicago, she was going to leave Ron. Remembering the bruise on her upper arm, Maxima had had enough of this creep. She and Ron have been married for 5 years now, and ever since he had lost his job as a Principal at the local High School, he had been very bitter about her high-paying career as CEO to a Revlon Cosmetic branch here in NY. There was a new Revlon opening up just outside of NY city in a smaller community, she did not tell him that she was leaving and taking her daughter Heather with her. For now, she must be cautious, and not show any emotions, because he thrived on fear from others.

"Look, I'll be back the day after tomorrow. It's just a short meeting with a Marketing firm, they only need me there to sign some documents, then I'll be back" Maxima took a sideway glance at her six year old daughter Heather. Inside, she felt so sad, having neglected her for months now, her career keeping her away. She loved her daughter dearly, but with all the problems she's been dealing with, Ron being one of them. Something seemed different with Heather...she seemed so sad and distant.

"And what after that? More meetings and conferences? I'm tired of it, I make enough money bartending to keep us afloat. You should be here raising your kid." with that, Ron took another swig of his beer, his eyes bloodshot.

"Right, all the money you make is being spent on your beer and friends" Maxima shot back, knowing it hit the mark, even though she was going to pay for it dearly, but she didn’t care anymore.

Maxima didn’t know how right she was, until Ron suddenly backhanded her across the mouth, splitting her lip. Maxima's dark chestnut hair fell into her eyes, as they watered from the pain.

" You touch me again, and I'll....."

Gripping her by the neck, Ron slammed her against the wall, sending her purse flying from the force. "Listen bitch, don’t even presume to tell me what to do" his words slurred, and his breath stunk like beer

"Leave mommy alone!" Heather ran to her mother, hugging her, sliding in between her mother and father, raising her chin defiantly.

With a quick slap to her face, Ron slapped Heather across the face, and threw her to the floor. "Get back little witch, mind your business. This is between your mother and I."

"No daddy, stop, mommy is my business, I love her" Heather shot back, the corner of her lip split as well, but she didn’t care. She stared down her father, and crawled back to her mother.

Throwing his head back, Ron laughed harshly " Don’t call me daddy, witch, I am not your father. Your daddy died when your mother was pregnant for you. He was a police Detective, and was killed stopping a robbery. So, don’t you dare call me daddy, you have none."

" You lie! You are my daddy!" Heather's eyes welled up with tears as her heart dropped with the news

Moving towards her, Ron balled his fists." You calling me a liar, girly?"

Stepping between the two, Maxima grabbed Heather and shoved her towards her bedroom "Go to your room and lock your door. Don’t come out, do you hear me?" she told her with anger and pain in her eyes.

"Is it true that he's not my daddy?" Heather ignored the command and asked her mother straight out.

"I'll explain that to you another day, now go!" Maxima hurdled her daughter towards her room.

Slipping her hand in her purse, Marina waited until she heard her daughter's door closed, then turned towards Ron, taking out her .45. "Get your coat, and get the hell out of my house, you're no longer welcomed here, got it. You ever come back, and It will be your last, is that clear?" She warned him, as she wiped the blood with the back of her hand.

"What... you gonna tell your daddy? I know he's the Chief of police now. Go run to him, but that wont stop me, you belong to me, bitch" he snickered evilly.

"Actually, jerk, he's an FBI agent now, but I don’t need him to put a bullet through your heart, if I need to. You've hit me for the last time, you lush. You're through here, and I don’t want you near Heather anymore either. I should put a bullet through you right now, for that bruise I just noticed on her arm, courtesy of you, while I was away."

"She got in the way, and spilled water all over my Cuban cigars. I had to punish her". Ron shot back.

"Get out, and if you come back, you'll be arrested. It's over" Maxima stood her ground, not afraid of the 6'5 man she once loved. Even at 5'1, Maxima was a force to recogn with.

"It will never be over, Greek bitch." with that, Ron walked out, not having any choice, with a .45 aimed at his heart. He vowed he would get back at her for casting him out.

* * *

A month later, Heather lay on the floor of her bedroom, in her grampa's house. Her and mommy had moved away from their house, to move in with grandma and grampa. Mommy was on another trip in Chicago, with business stuff.

Hearing a voice outside her window, Heather went to open it. Across her window, a boy her age looked out his, giggling as his cat chased its tail. Leaning out the window, Heather watched the cat as well, then looked up to see the boy looking at her.

"Hello, I'm Adam" the little boy said shyly.

"Hi, I'm Heather" she smiled for the first time in months.

"Do you want to come over and play, Heather? Daddy is making chocolate chip cookies"

"Ok let me go ask grampa" with that, Heather jumped from the window seat in her bedroom and ran downstairs

After grampa told her yes, Heather ran next door and knocked on it. Standing there, Adam smiled at her, taking her hand. His big green eyes framed with black lashes, the light reflecting off his black curly hair. "Come on, daddy says they're ready".

Entering the kitchen, Heather followed behind Adam, her head downcast, a bit fearful of a grown man. Still holding her hand, Adam told his father " Daddy, meet my new friend from next door, her name is Heather" the little boy smiled widely.

Turning around, Adam's father, Darnell smiled until his eyes took in the little girl. His hands froze and he blinked slightly. His eyes widened as the little girl standing in front of him, was the spitting image of the woman he once loved long ago, in a much younger form, but she had...died. Trying hard to hold onto the plate, Darnel bade them both to sit down. Wanting to rush out and ask her right away, but not wanting to scare the little girl, he asked casually. "You say your name is Heather?"

"Yes sir" she kept her eyes averted

"Don’t be frightened, I wont hurt you luv" Darnell told her gently.

Looking up at Adam's father, Heather tried to be brave by looking at his eyes. "Sorry, sir"

"Please, call me Darnell, or Mr. Bronson." He tried to sooth her

"Ok Mr. Bronson" Heather began to feel a bit more relaxed, hearing his deep but soothing voice"

"Would you both like a cookie now? They are done cooling off"

"Yes, daddy, they smell so good" Adam picked one up and offered one to Heather.

"Thank you Adam"

"Daddy's a good cook. I have no mommy, so daddy had to learn how to cook since I was small" Adam explained to Heather, without sadness. Adam's mother had died when he was two years old, from a brain tumor. Ever since then, it had just been the two of them.

"I have no daddy, Ron told me he wasn’t my daddy, and that my real one died on duty; he was a Detective" Heather said between mouthfuls of cookies.

Not able to hold back any longer, Darnell asked Heather. "What is your mommy's name, sweetie?" he asked as he placed a small glass of milk for the children.

"Maxima Sirtis" Heather said automatically, sipping on some milk.

"A...and how old is she?"

"28, and I'm 6" she smiled widely. "I'm going to be 7 in September, mommy said I'm a big girl now"

"Yes you are. I bet you look just like mommy"

"Everyone tells us, we look like..."she tried to remember the words people used.....

"Like mirror images" Darnell told her

"Yes! How did you know?" Heather was truly amazed that he read her mind.

Darnell turned away from the children, a tear slipping down his cheek.....Maxima...she was still alive. Memories came back to him, as he remembered the time when he was so deeply in love with the only woman that had captured his heart. They were seniors in highschool, both just turning 18. They had dated since they were 16, when they met at a lake. He had seen her swimming with her friends, when he had walked by with his friends, and got distracted by her in the lake. His bike had flipped over, sending him flying into the bushes, landing hard on his back, rendering him unconscious. A few moments, when he had come to, the most beautiful face was looking down into his. Cobalt blue eyes, fringed with long black lashes, a soft smile. Chestnut brown hair had glimmered with sparks of red, as the sun had cast a bright light around her, illuminating her beautiful face. She had asked him if he was alright, then helped him up, her smooth little hands holding his, Darnel had looked into her vibrant eyes, his heart lost to her since that day.

Someone had snickered behind him "Ha, look at that, the interracial boy has to be helped up by a girl" Darnel was use to those snide remarks about his interracial birthright, so he ignored it. What amazed him that day, was that Maxima had not ignored it. She walked slowly to the snickering boy who had made the comment, smiled at him, and delivered a swift punch to his nose, breaking it, propelling the youth to the ground. As she looked down at the boy, she extended her hand to him, helping him up, taking a kleenex from her pocket, she dabbed at his nose...and told him:

"Now, you have been helped to your feet by a girl too, you're both even" Maxima had winked at the boy and walked off, leaving them all behind.

Darnell had come to her house a few days later, with flowers,, asking her father permission to take his daughter out on a date. After excruciating questions from her father, who was a policeman, he had agreed to allow them on a date, winking at his wife, as his daughter and Darnell left for their first date.

Since that day long ago, they had grown closer, more in love. After graduation, Maxima had decided to go out of State to attend University. She had gone for a few weeks on a trip to check out the University before enrolling, and was gone for 3 weeks, when he received a call. Someone called Ron Brady, had notified him that Maxima Sirtis had died in a car accident, and that her family was flying the body to Greece to bury her, and that they didn’t want him to be there. Darnell had fallen to his knees, and cried as his heart broke into a million pieces. He had locked himself away into seclusion from everyone for a month, his heart and mind numb with the pain of the loss of Maxima. When his mother had found him in the apartment, his lips were cut and dried from the salt of his tears. Dark shadows stained the underside of his eyes from exhaustion, he had also lost ten pounds from not eating. That day, he had bowed his head and prayed to God to give him the strength to go on. A few years later, he had met a wonderful woman while attention Penn State University. They had gotten married, and she had given birth to their only child, Adam. Two years later, the doctor found a brain tumor in her brain and had died not long after, leaving him behind with their son. Adam meant the world to him. Breaking out of his painful thoughts, Darnell realized that his son was pulling on his shirt to get his attention..

"Daddy" Adam looked up into his father's solemn face.

Kneeling before his son, he became eye level to him. "Yes son?"

"I love you daddy"

Darnell's heart pounded in his chest, as he looked at his son, reminding him how very much blessed he is to have this angel boy. Hugging him close, Darnell cleared his throat and smiled at him "I Love you too, my son".

Looking at Heather, Darnell watched her; the spitting image of her mother. As he was about to smile, she spoke:

"Do you want a cookie, Mr Bronson? It might cheer you up" Reaching into her little lace pocket, Heather withdrew a rumpled tissue. She walked hesitantly to him, dabbed at his tear, and stood still.

Darnell's eyes welled up with tears, as he gently opened his arm for Heather to come to him, beside Adam. Hugging both children, Darnell's heart swelled with joy.

Heather layed her head on Adam's father's big shoulder, somehow knowing he wouldn’t hurt her. Then Adam wrapped his arm around Heather as well. Hugging both of them, Darnell felt at peace, wanting to get them all the love they both deserved. Not wanting to frighten her, Darnell tapped her back gently, to soothe her.

"Mr.Bronson, you broke my cookie" she spoke softly, as her eyes took in the crumbs on the floor, automatically backing away in fear that she will get punished for the mess.

Looking down at the crumbs on the floor, Darnell chuckled softly."It's ok sweetie, watch this"

"Sassy! Come here girl, you want a treat?" No sooner then he called out her name, a golden retriever came running into the kitchen, and dove right into the cookie crumbs, licking it up, wagging her tail. Darnell noticed how Heather cringed when the crumbs fell to the floor, and frowned.

"Heather, it's ok, truly. Come here please" He coaxed gently.

Hesitating a moment, Heather felt Adam's little hand grab hers, and held it reassuringly. "It's ok Heather, daddy wont hurt you I promise" Adam looked at her with his soft green eyes.

Walking to Mr. Bronson, Heather looked at him as he stayed kneeling down. Taking the hand he extended, Heather walked to him, as he gave her a soft hug.

"I would never hurt you honey, but obviously someone has. You are frightened of a little mess on the floor, why? Has someone hurt you for things like that?" Darnell was watching her intently.

"My pretend daddy would hit me when I dropped things, he told me I was clumsy and stupid." Heather's eyes lowered to the ground after telling him.

"Pretend daddy?"

Shuffling her feet nervously, Heather explained hesitantly" I thought he was my daddy, but I heard him tell mommy that he was not my daddy, and that my daddy died in a shooting accident on duty, he was a policeman like grampa".

"Who is your pretend daddy?" Disgust began to form inside him for the horrible man in question.

"His name is Ron Brady" Heather said with a bit of fear. "He is a very bad man, he hits mommy and me. Mommy took us away from him, that's why we are living with grandma and grampa."

A sickening thud hit his heart, as the long ago memory came crashing back again. Ron Brady was the one that called him and told him that Maxima was dead.....he lied...so he can have her for himself. Standing up and turning around, Darnell's fists clenched painfully, as anger overtook his body...The bastard!

After supper, Heather asked her grandparents if Adam could sleep over. As Darnell prepared an overnight bag for his son, Darnell was readying himself for a confrontation with Ron Brady. After shaking hands with Maxima's father, and a few pleasantries, Darnell kissed his son and Heather goodnight, and left. When Darnell knew the two children were safely ensconced in bed, he left to confront Brady, after getting Heather's old address where Brady still lived.

Three hours later, Darnell stood at the front step of Ron Brady's home....Maxima's former home. He looked around the yard and noticed the feminine touch of her work. Shaking off any soft thoughts, Darnell pounded on the door and waited. A moment later, a light came on, and the door opened. Standing across from him, was the man that, in one single phone call, destroyed his life. Taking a deep breath, Darnell kept his cool for the moment.

"Ya, what do you want" Ron asked rudely, looking Darnell up and down, as he held a bottle of vodka in his hand.

"Ron Brady?" Darnell asked only once, to confirm.

"Ya, who wants to know"

In a swift motion, Darnell drew back his big fist, and hit Ron Brady square between the eyes, sending him careening backwards. Darnell moved in on him, shut the door behind him, as he waited for Ron Brady to stand back up. He wasn’t going to finish him up quickly.

"What the fu..."

Brady never got a chance to finish, as Darnell delivered another bruising blow to his ugly face. Picking up Ron by the collar of his shirt, Darnell decided to let the bastard know why he was here.

"Why?" Darnell asked him in a tone which bespoke the quiet before a storm. "Why did you do it?"

Ron Brady suddenly recognized the voice from long ago. "Darnell Bronson"

" You know it, you bastard" Darnell lunged at him again, but Ron was ready this time. Brady delivered a painful uppercut to the bigger man, sending him back, then threw in a verbal barb.

"Maxima came town and when I seen her, I had to meet her, but all she talked about was her Darnell. After a week, I had had enough, and made my move. I paid a woman well to call Maxima and pretend she was your mother. The woman told Maxima that you had passed away and that they didn’t want her there at the funeral." Ron told him coldly.

Darnell stopped dead in his tracks, as the ominous words sunk in Maxima thinks I'm dead...as I thought she was.

Watching Darnell's reaction, Brad laughed evilly. "Yes, that's right, big bastard, I was there to consol Maxima as she cried for months, thinking you had died. She didn’t bother going back home, she stayed with me. I stepped right into your shoes, but she didn’t want me yet. She met this idiot cop that looked a lot like you, he seduced her and got her pregnant, but I got rid of him too. He had an unfortunate "shooting accident", by my gun of course, in a dark alley. After a while, she realized I was the one always there for her, and when she found out she was pregnant, she needed me. I took in that brat, and raised her as my own. Damn kid was just as mouthy as her mother, had to tame her with a few beatings. You know how that is, damn females always talking back." he rambled on with too much arrogance to realize Darnell's mounting anger was about to explode.

Remembering the bruises on Heather and the fear in her big blue eyes, Darnell gripped Ron by the neck "I am going to kill you with my bare hands, then I'm going to find Maxima and tell her I'm alive. You will pay dearly for destroying these three lives. I am taking Heather as my own daughter as well, you will be finished". Just as he was going to deliver a bruising punch to Ron Brady, Darnell heard the police sirens approaching the house. Throwing Ron down, he knew this was no time to get arrested, when he had to go find Maxima. Turning around, he began walking to the door to leave, and deal with Brady later. A shadow upon the wall, beside him told him Brady was going to attack him from behind. Delivering a back drop-kick, Darnell, sent his foot in Brady's stomach, sending him flying across the room. Hearing the bastard grunt in pain, Darnell raked his hand through his black hair, then looking briefly behind him to the sprawled unconscious figure of Ron Brady on the floor, Darnell left quickly in the shadows, and ran to his car he parked the street over.

* * *

Over the next several days, Heather came over to play with Adam. Watching them both, Darnell noticed how Heather was beginning to open up to him and Adam. The fear in her eyes, began to lessen, and she laughed a few times. The soft sound reminded him of an angel playing a golden harp.

That evening, Adam ate supper next door at Heather's house, when a navy blue GTO pulled up in the driveway. Darnell went to the door, as he watched the dark car pull up in the driveway next door. He remembered how much Maxima loved antique cars, he smiled softly, as he realized, that some things never changed. Closing the oak door behind him, Darnell walked down the steps as he waited until the door to the GTO opened. As the door finally opened, Maxima stepped out with her briefcase.

12