Beautiful to Me. (19 page)

             
“Thank you so this, thank you so much for taping this for me. Thank you for taking such great care of our daughter. Thank you for having her and loving her.” I told her as I held her face, cupped in my hands. “I am so mad at you right now, but I am so proud of you too.”

             
Ivy’s face had a constant stream of tears falling from her eyes at this point. True, I felt terrible to see her cry. But I was just so hurt. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out, leaning my forehead against hers.

             
“Would you mind if I stayed with you when you tell Ava in the morning? After I see she is ok, I will get out of your hair and let you have the entire day with her. After tomorrow, we can schedule times and days you want her with you versus me. I will get you a copy of the birth certificate for my lawyers to draw up the papers to have her last name changed if you want. Or if you want a paternity test done first, incase you think I am after something, I would gladly agree to whatever you want to do.” Ivy spewed out from her mouth in less than I believe a minute and in one breath. I am sure because she was nervous.

             
“I would love to have her change her name for one. Two, I don’t need a test, I completely believe you. Three, you don’t need to leave tomorrow. You have had her, her entire life, you can’t just plop her in my lap by myself. What if she cries or I don’t know does she still wear diapers. What about food? Regular food or baby food? No, you are in this with me.” I explained, while for the first time since we began this discussion, Ivy busted out with a laugh that brought back all my wonderful memories of us together.

             
“Ok, I would love to spend the day with you both. She won’t cry. Unless they are happy tears. She hasn’t been in diapers since she was 18 months old. She eats normal food, I try to make sure she eats at least 3 fruit servings a day and 3 veggies a day. And French fries are not a veggie.” Ivy warns me with a glare. I laugh of course.

             
“I have a couple days off, can we take her to see my parents?” I ask her, praying silently she doesn’t get upset.

             
“Dominic, I don’t expect to have you or your family welcome me back with open arms. I just want to know, without a doubt you are in her life for good if you want to go forward with this. I mean I don’t want to get Ava’s hopes up only to help her with a broken heart.” I try to explain without insult.

             
“Totally in it. My parents will be so elated it won’t be funny. My mother still talks about you. So what do you say? Florida? Can we?” I ask eagerly like a 5 year old asking to open Christmas presents.

             
“Of course. If you like I can stay here or once we get there, you take her to your parents, I will check into a hotel for however long you want to be out there.”

             
I just couldn’t believe my luck right now. Everything I have ever wanted in my life, I was given everything I ever wanted in just one day. I just shook my head at this crazy woman I loved my entire life practically.

             
“Up you go.” I said as I motioned for us to get up.

             
“Oh, ok, I’m sorry.” Ivy said as she quickly scooted off my lap.

             
“Let’s put any doubts to rest right now.” I said to her as I tugged at her arm, pulling her towards her bedroom.               “We are so going to bond this arrangement  together right now.” I demanded as I picked her up and tossed her on her bed and closed her bedroom door.

             
I climbed up over her and I waited. Both of us panting, trying to get our emotions in control. With it too much to achieve I couldn’t stand it any longer.

             
“I love you Ivy. I never stopped. I will always love you. So let’s cut the shit and promise me, right here and now, no more running. No more secrets. No more excuses. Promise me those three things right now, and you will never have to ever doubt anything between us again. I want you to believe me. To trust me Ivy. It’s what I have always wanted baby. Please.” I asked and offered at the same time.

             
“I don’t deserve you Dominic. I have taken away the last 6 years of your life without your consent over anything I have done with our daughter.” Ivy admitted, making me feel my heart break more for her with her crying into her hands, covering her face, slumped over as she sat on the bed with me.

             
I peeled her hands from her face. “Promise me Ivy. We will work through the kinks later. Together. Now Promise me if you still love me and want a future together.” I say softly. “If you don’t love me, if you don’t want me in that sense, I will go out in the living room and go back to the couch. We will work out details together still with Ava. But I need to know what you want from us.”

Chapter 15.

Ivy

Turning a New Leaf

             
“I always loved you Dominic. I always will.” I whispered through my tear soaked face, and puffy eyes.

             
No sooner did I say that, and before I could say anything further, Dominic swooped in and mauled my lips with his. This attacked on my mouth wasn’t anything soft and gentle. This was Dominic staking his claim in me, in us and our family.

             
In no time he had us both naked in bed and his body sprawled out over mine.

             
“I’m not on the pill any longer, There hasn’t been a need since, well, since you.” I confessed.

             
Dominic growled. “Good, maybe this time I can be witness to you having my next child.” Without missing a beat in our kissing, only talking between or through the kisses he graced my mouth with.

             
Dominic lavishly consumed my hard, pebbled nipples in his mouth. Sucking, licking and nibbling, making me moan with need for more from him.

             
As he moved his mouth down my body, leaving a hot trail of kisses that felt as if they seared my skin with him branding me everywhere his lips landed, he came to my hip bone and stopped. Looking down at my small little tattoo. I had done after Ava was one years old.

The tat was in Italian. It read in a flowing motion like a gentle wave crossing my pelvic bone from left to right in small print.

Il mio unico vero amore, per sempre. D.C.~

             
After Dominic read it, I was positive he could read Italian. I knew his family spoke it when I was involved with him back in school. He ran his fingers across the words, lowering his mouth to the phrase, searing me with hot kisses across the entire tat.

             
“When did you get this?” Dominic asked me, making me self conscience of it.             

             
“After Ava turned one. I was no longer pregnant or breast feeding, so it was safe then.” I shrugged. “The only person I ever showed it to was Craig. I was excited to get it, and since I knew no one else but me would ever see it, or so I thought, I figured I would show Craig. He nearly had a heart attack at seeing it, but I didn’t do it hoping for his approval. Not that I didn’t think of you every day of my life, but at least I had something on me that I seen every day I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t feel so far from you this way.” Knowing how stupid I sounded, I cleared my throat, trying to hide my embarrassment.

             
“My one true love, forever. D.C.~”
Dominic recited out loud, in English, making me smile. “Why hadn’t you had anyone else after me? I mean, look at you Ivy, you are more than beautiful. You have a huge heart. You are funny and a good person… I mean you could have anyone. You’re the entire package. Why didn’t you find someone?” He asked me sincerely.

             
“I did find someone, and everyone else after, wasn’t you.” I told him, looking down to see him looking back down over my tat.

             
“Ivy, I can’t believe you would do that, never having been with anyone because of me? You can’t imagine how much that means to my heart baby. I have a lot of time to make up for I suppose huh?” He asked with a sly grin creeping over his beautiful face.

             
I nodded, smiling at him. And just like that, Dominic moved in for the kill with his mouth. Working his tongue in between my bare mounds, he latched on to my pulsating clit, throbbing for his attention.

             
Both us, fighting to get closer to one another. Attacking each other like we were still in high school. Both of us, more than well amped up, Dominic finally slowly slid himself in to my core. The first time he entered me, I really began to wonder if the teenage boy I remembered, wasn’t fully grown between his legs when I was with him. Only because now, I felt like I either shrunk myself into near extinction or he got bigger, a lot bigger.

             
By the third time that night, I was positive he must of still grew since I knew him. Why I felt the need to google this in the state I was currently in with him, is beyond me.

             
Dominic apparently had no problems what so ever. His facial expressions sure made him look like he was in immense pain but assured me it was pure heaven. I told him if this is what heaven looks like when you enter it, I am pretty sure I don’t need the experience, making Dominic laugh.

             
We never went to bed that night. After we messed around the third time, we both took a long soak in the claw foot tub I had, soothing our aching muscles. Apparently the bath salts worked so well, we still needed to go another round before getting out to dry off. After that, we dug out some peanut butter chocolate ice cream from Baskin Robins. Both of our favorite still to this day, and began going through our plans with how to break all the news to Ava.

Dominic called and made reservations for our flight to Florida later that morning. His parents were told he was coming home for a short visit and had some interesting events to go over with them that he had to tell them in person. I was silently praying they weren
’t going to have a heart attack when they seen me, or found out who Ava was to Dominic as well as their family.

             
Dominic ran back to his place for some clothes and came back to find me making breakfast and Ava had yet to show her beautiful face still and I was a nervous wreck.

             
“Relax, ok. We went over all of this last night and this morning like 6 times. You sure you are ok with her finding out about me and going to see my parents?” Dominic asked while he cupped my face with his big warm hands dragging his thumb back and forth across my jaw, instantly relaxing me.

             
No sooner were we closing in on another romantic moment, did we hear a little princess clearing her throat at our feet to make us both jump a little and making Ava giggle.

Dominic

Back Home with the Cavaliers

              “Did you ever go home Mr… I‘m sorry I don‘t remember how to say your last name.” Ava told Dominic without waiver, making us both laugh.

             
“Actually I did Ava. I came back because your Mommy and I have some surprises for you and we are going to take a mini vacation all together if that’s ok with you.” I told her as I picked her up while she was still in her pink princess flannel nightgown that went down to her ankles and was holding on to purple alligator.

             
Ava’s face lit up like a Christmas tree when we said vacation and surprises all in one sentence. She squealed and screamed and scared me to death at first. After asking Ivy if that was a good sign or bad sign, they both laughed at me, making me relax.

             
“So, what do I call you?” Ava asked me politely causing Ivy and me to look at each other and got busy with breakfast.

             
“Lamb chop, do you want chocolate milk?” Ivy asked her causing Ava to roll her eyes and looked at me.

             
“Oh brother.” Ava stated in an exhausted sigh.

             
“What?” I laughed when she said that.

             
“Mommy only let’s me have chocolate milk when there is something really important to tell me.” Ava explained as she nodded her head very firmly up and down.  Ivy whipped her head back over towards us, with her eyebrows raised.

             
“Is that so?” I stated looking back at Ivy.

             
“Oh, and when did you pick that up Miss. lamb chop?” Ivy asked her as she brought Ava her chocolate milk not before tickling her first.

             
“Wait, you’ll see.” Ava sang in a song. “So what do I call you?” She asked me again.

             
I  sucked in a deep breath and looked back at Ivy.

             
“How about we all sit down together?” I asked Ivy who was doing some jumping bean dance that was making me more nervous.