Chapter 104-Goodbye and Hello

Marcus

I sat thinking about Amari. She never came back and I didn’t really expect her to. The mood shifted after she left. The kids all became less talkative with Florence sending a clear message that they supported their mother. Florence picked up the change as well and we cut the evening short. I was not handling any of this correctly. I couldn’t properly work through my feelings for one woman while I was with another. It wasn’t fair to either of them.

“Marc, what do you think?” Florence asked stepping out of the bathroom pulling me from my thoughts.

She stood seductively in front of me in a barely there negligée.

“I bought it a few days ago. You like?”

I looked over her body which she had on display for me knowing what she wanted. We hadn’t made love while she’s been here and she was unhappy about that fact. It was hard to explain, but after being with Amari I didn’t feel right being with Florence. Sighing heavily I put my hand out. She slid hers into mine with a wide grin on her face as she straddled me. 

“We need to talk.” I said quietly when she leaned in to kiss me.

“Talk?” she asked sounding offended. “I am practically nude and you want to talk?” She finished angrily climbing off my lap.

“Yes, we need to talk.”

“If this is about today, me talking to her, I said sorry. I did not know she would run off.” I picked up on the emptiness in her tone. She wasn’t really sorry, I knew that.

Florence had always been a jealous woman, full of spirit and at one time it was something I loved about her. However, in light of the current situation, I was seeing as more of a flaw. Getting off the couch, I walked into the bathroom to retrieve a robe. She snatched it from my hands and I knew this was not going to be an easy conversation.

“I’ve not been fair to you.” I start quietly. “I’ve handled things, this whole situation poorly and for that I’m sorry.”

“No you have not.” She agreed. “But you can make it up to me. We get the wedding plans back on track and things will fall back to normal once we marry.”

I walked over to the window and stared at the twinkling lights of the city. Out there I had a wife and family. One that was taken from me, but now I had them back. I found myself wondering what they were doing right now. Had Amari returned home finally? Was she still upset or were the kids taking care of her? It was thoughts like these that made being with Florence seem wrong.

“Florence, I think it would be best if you returned to Italy.” I said turning to face her.

“You are breaking off with me?” She cried rushing towards me. “I knew it! You leave me because I do not give you a baby. You blame me, you have always blamed me.”

“That’s not what this is.” I retorted quickly. “I’ve never blamed you. Each of our losses was hard on me, but I have always, ALWAYS been there for you. Those things are out of our control.”

“Then why?”

“Because I can’t stay with you in good conscience with these growing feelings I have for her. I need to sort through some things.”

“Sort through? How exactly are you planning on sorting out?” She screamed getting angrier.

“I don’t know.”

“I do! You want to be rid of me so you can be with her! You think I no see it, but I do. The look that crosses your face when you looked at her today. She give you something I can not and you leave me for it!”

“No! This is about me damn it! I had, have another life before you and what I’ve needed from you is your support and understand but instead I get this. You have become this selfish and one sided person that I don’t know.”

I felt my temper rising so I took a deep breath to try and calm myself. Florence stood speechless looking hurt and this wasn’t what I wanted for her either. There was so much going through my head, and she seemed to be so resentful that I was getting my memories back. It left me with questions.

“Florence I need some time and it wouldn’t be fair to keep you in this state of unknowing with me.” I pleaded hoping she would calm down and understand that this needed to be done.

“I no stupid Marc. You can say this is you caring about my needs, but it is a lie. This is why!”

“Why what?” I asked letting out a frustrated breath.

“Why you hand me a robe instead of making love.”

“You are losing sight of the point Florence.”

“No! You want to lie to me. Tell me Marc when was the last time? Do you even remember?”

I walked over to the couch trying to recall the last time. I knew it hadn’t been while she was here so it had to be back in Italy. The first time that popped into my mind was after my return from the first trip out. I looked up at her and knew that my recollection was correct.

“I’m sorry.”

“Just stop with this crazy talk Marc. We go back home, get married. All will be fine. You can even have the children visit. They will love it.” She said still refusing to admit what we both knew to be true.

“Florence. You won’t be satisfied not having a hundred percent of me and I can’t be with you with these lingering feelings.”

The hopefulness in her eyes quickly changed and I sensed her mood shift. Without another word, she got up and stormed off to the bathroom. She came back out cussing me in Italian as she gathered up her belongings. There was nothing I could say to her that would make this better. She refused to see things from any other point. I could have told her it wasn’t necessary to get another room, but I said nothing while she called the front desk.

“Florence.” I called out as she started to leave.

“What?” She snapped.

“Why did you never question my past? Even without the possibility of a wife and kids, how could you not wonder if I had other family that might be looking for me?”

She gave me a wicked grin. “It was not important to what I wanted.” She replied with a shrug. She looked down at her finger then slid the ring off letting it drop to the floor.

As I laid alone in bed, I wondered how I was so blind to her selfish ways for so long. I owed a lot to Florence and her family. They helped me through my change and never asked questions. A lot of the early conversations they had gave me a sense they were talking about me, but it was before I understood Italian. When I asked the connection to the woman that turned me, I never got a straight answer. Magic and fate was all they would say as to why I was with them. Now I knew there was more. Now I believed me being with them wasn’t random and they knew, she knew more about who I was than they wanted to tell me. Jumping out of bed I felt this urgent need to see Amari.

Mulo

“I wondered when you would be by.” I commented dryly as she stormed into my apartment.

“What is it about that woman that makes you men weak?”

“I take it he sent you packing. Would you like a drink?” I asked casually strolling out to the patio.

“You wanted her. I got him. That was the deal.”

“There was no deal. I needed information, you wanted him. I was content to let him fend for himself on the streets.”

“No you said I could have him!” She screamed.

“And you had him. Not my problem if you couldn’t keep him. You want him back so bad cast some love spell.” I replied taking a sip of my drink. “Oh wait you did. As a failsafe to help ensure those pesky memories wouldn’t resurface, yet all it took was a kiss from her. Looks like somebody’s skills aren’t up to par.”

She stood glowering at me but I was beyond caring over her plight. I had more important things to worry about.

“If you had not got weak I would still have him! Ma’ma was close to figuring out a spell. I could have given him the brat he wanted.”

“Ha. You are more delusional than I imagined.” I replied laughing sarcastically. “No spell would allow for that sort of an abomination. You didn’t love him enough to forsake your powers so you could carry his child. You knew what it would take because only a human, or another vampire can give birth to a vampire.”

“You are wrong!” She hissed. “Last one was close but now…” She got quiet as if something just dawned on her. “Maybe I should take out the real source of my pain. Rid myself of her. Then you both can suffer as I suffer!” She sneered.

Quickly I grabbed her by the neck and had her dangling over the side of the building.

“It may have been questionable on who wore the pants in your relationship with him, but let me make this very clear. You-will-stay-away from her. Far, far away.” I loosened my grip a little so that she slipped; the fear in her eyes was evident. “Do we understand each other?”

She nodded quickly and I placed her safely back on the patio. She stumbled over to the bar to pour herself a drink.

“Now I suggest you fly back home like a good little witch and move on. You’ve lost.”

I thought about my visit from Amari yesterday. Seeing her like that bothered me. She was ready to give up, call it quits on life because of what we had done to her.  I walked over and poured myself another drink.

We both have, I thought to myself  downing it in one gulp.

Amari

Fred and Wilma were going crazy barking loudly as someone pounded at the door. It was nearly one am, so getting a visitor at this hour instantly made me worry that something bad had happened.

“Mom?” Edson and Elton were already standing in the hall, Elphie walked out of her room rubbing her eyes.

“What’s going on?” She asked sleepily.

“Go back to bed guys. I’ll see who it is.” I started down the stairs with the triplets following behind me. The person at the door pushed the doorbell four more times and at least I knew it couldn’t be a burglar, they typically didn’t ask to be let in.

“Who is it?” I called out nervously.

“Amari open the door.”

“Marcus?” I asked shocked as I opened the door.

Before I could ask why he was here, his arms wrapped around me and his mouth covered mine.