In front of me is my wife for little less than two hours now, there is tears that are dropping like waterfalls down her cheeks. She is deeply pained and I understand it, she is being faced with me going away for a very long time and leaving her and the baby bugs alone. If I was the old Trayton, then I would say what the fuck I will go do the time. But no, this is my life, for once I am really truly happy and now it is threatened to be taken away.
The way I see it, we have three options here. I either go to jail and see my baby bugs when they are teenagers, or I kill someone else to hide away who we killed now, or someone else takes the fall. Which three of these options would I say is best? None of them will do.
The next three words that I choose to say will be the most important words that I shall say in my life.
Trayton ~”Baby girl, I love you.”
Ava ~”I love you too baby.”
Those won’t the words, this is one of those defining moments that you make in your life. What I say next shall not only define my future but those of my wife, my son and my daughter. My next actions is what shall shape their future for whom they shall become, who we shall become as a family. My only concern now is not for me, but for us. And I can say for certain that I am making the right choice here.
Trayton ~”Let’s do it.”
Ava ~”Are you serious? You are not shitting me?”
Trayton ~”Yes baby I am serious.”
Ava ~”Leave all of this behind? The money? The club? Your new job? Our families? Everything?”
Trayton ~”Yes everything. We can always take the money with. Kenton can have the club. Jackson can get someone else. And our families will understand.”
Ava ~”But when are we leaving? They want you to be there day after tomorrow. I am sure they will be watching us.”
Trayton ~”We will leave tonight. But you cannot tell anyone baby, they cannot know we are running. I will ask Jackson to tell them once we are safely gone. You sure you still want to do this?”
Ava ~”Yes baby. I have not been so sure about anything ever before. I won’t make it with the babies if you had to leave. I don’t want anybody else but you to raise our children.”
Every time those words roll over her lips… babies… every time she says it, every time I know that I am making the right decision. Yes our families are going to be furious but they will understand. We have been through so much together, they will see that and they would want us to be happy. And think about it this way, now is a good time to get out of this lifestyle.
Trayton ~”Come baby girl, let’s go speak to Jackson. We are only telling him and Kayley.”
Ava ~”Yes baby.”
I lace my fingers into her hand and lead her bare foot and all off the dance floor to where Jackson and Kayley are sitting alone at their table. Jackson knows me very well to know that something is going on.
Jackson ~”Do I even want to know? Or should I even ask?”
Trayton ~”Hahaha. You know me way too well.”
Jackson ~”When?”
Trayton ~”Tonight.”
Jackson ~”You know where?”
Trayton ~”Don’t know yet. Was hoping you could help with that.”
Kayley ~”I know the perfect place and it is good for raising children.”
Ava ~”But I can still phone if I need help?”
Jackson ~”Not for a couple of months, but we will stay in contact.”
Trayton ~”Sorry to drop you like this.”
Jackson ~”Hey, family is more important and I would have done the same thing. Now you know you can’t say anything, not even Dominic or Kenton?”
Trayton ~”Yes. It is a big sacrifice but we both are willing to make it for the babies.”
Jackson ~”Then don’t worry about anything. Go say your goodbyes, I will have a car outside in an hour. The rest I will sort out the minute I get home, there are too many ears listening around here.”
There is something I never thought I would do, leave my life behind. Yes in the line of business I use to be in, we had a very exact back up plan like this. But that was before we had family and friends that we truly cared about. And now we are about to walk up to every single one of them and lie into their face.
Trayton ~”Baby this is going to be the hardest thing you are ever going to do in your life. Are you going to be okay?”
Ava ~”Baby I have been through worse shit in my life, this is easy.”
We find the very first table that has someone we truly have to say goodbye to, we need to do this in an hour so there is no time to say goodbye to everyone. We find Kaylin and Dominic sitting alone by themselves, no sign of Kenton anywhere, which is fine because I want to say goodbye to him last.
Kaylin ~”Hey Mr and Mrs DeCarlo. Are you guys off already?”
Ava ~”The damn feet are killing me and babies say it is nap time.”
Kaylin ~”Best you get her home then.”
Trayton ~”Ya, just came to say goodbye and thank you for being here Kaylin, you better look after that brother of mine.”
Kaylin ~”He better look after me.”
Ava ~”Hahaha.”
All that Ava can do is just laugh for the tears are now starting to creep up into the corners of her eyes. Then Dominic comes up to me to give me a hug, now this man does not hug, he knows what I am doing but I am not going to admit that I am.
Dominic ~”You two better stay safe. Look after those two baby bugs. I love you guys. We will see each other soon.”
Trayton ~”Thanks Dominic.”
As he gives me one final hug, I can hear his voice tremble. Is this bulk of a bear actually crying? As we face each other, we just nod and acknowledge each other’s pain. I am going to miss this man the most.
Before I can burst out in tears which Ava is already doing, we turn and leave the table, but before we find someone else we stop for a moment to catch our breath.
Trayton ~”Baby girl are you okay?”
Ava ~”Yes baby, the hormones are not helping.”
Trayton ~”Hahaha. At least you got an excuse.”
Then comes the dreaded moment, saying goodbye to her parents whom she has only got to know now again. It does break my heart into so many pieces, but we need to keep on reminding ourselves why we are doing this.
Teresa Owens ~”Are you kids off already?”
Ava ~”Yes mom, these baby bugs are getting really grumpy now.”
Richard Owens ~”If they are anything like you were then they will be a handful.”
Trayton ~”I think she is still a handful.”
She playfully smacks me on my arm before she goes to give her mom a hug, after what seems to have been a minute she goes and hugs her father for even a fraction longer. The tears are rolling down her cheeks like a river that has burst its banks wide open.
Richard Owens ~”Don’t cry my baby, we will see you guys tomorrow.”
Lucy ~”You better look after this girl.”
Trayton ~”The three of them mean the world to me, I will do absolutely anything for them.”
Teresa Owens ~”You are a good man Trayton. I am glad Ava has you in her life.”
Ava ~”Thank you mom. We must go now, but please remember I love you guys.”
Ava nearly collapses in my arms as she says it, she is hurting so damn much and it is all my fault, because I could not keep it in my pants, my entire family has to suffer like this.
Trayton ~”I am sorry baby.”
Ava ~”Stop thinking it is your fault because it is both of us.”
Trayton ~”But baby girl…”
Ava ~”Trayton.”
Trayton ~”Yes baby?”
Ava ~”Everything happens for a reason.”
As we go across the dance floor we find my mom and Kenton quite funny enough dancing ever so peacefully by themselves.
Trayton ~”Now this I want a photo of.”
Kenton ~”She could not stop complaining that she wanted to dance to this song.”
Mary ~”What? A women would like to do a girly thing now and again.”
Kenton ~”You are going to play doll soon.”
Trayton ~”Did you just call my children dolls?”
Kenton ~”Hahaha. Did not think you were listening.”
Mary ~
Just ignore him. Are you two off home now?
Trayton ~”Yes, Ava is tired. It’s been a crazy day.”
Mary ~”Tell me about it. Let me say night then.”
My mom goes to hug Ava that is trying to put her shoes back on. I pull Kenton aside, between him, Dominic and Jackson he has always been the one that has known me the best. I do not even have to say a word.
Kenton ~”I will look after the old lady don’t worry about that, you just keep those three safe.”
Trayton ~”They are the only thing that I care about.”
Then it happens, what has been threatening for the past forty five minutes has just snuck his ugly head up. As I hug Kenton for one last time the tears roll like soft little pearls from my eyes. My mom comes up from behind, seeing that I am crying and she hugs me and Kenton in one of her big motherly hugs.
Mary ~”Love you boys. Now take this girl home she is tired.”
Ava ~”Bye-bye guys, see you later.”
Trayton ~”Now you two can carry on dancing. I want to see the photos in the morning.”
With that we make our leave and head on back over to Jackson’s table. It seems as if they themselves are also leaving.
Jackson ~”It seems like they are following you. So you riding with us to my place and you know the way to get out from there.”
Trayton ~”Of course, they would be stupid if they were not following me.”
Ava ~”Is something wrong baby?”
Trayton ~”No baby girl, we just taking a detour.”
We all make our way to Jackson’s car and true enough we soon pick up a tail almost right up to their doorstep. These cops are completely clueless as to who they are following and where they just stopped at. And that will be why they will be told not to harass Jackson about where I am. But I am sure he has a plan to make the cops think that we left in the morning.
Jackson ~”There is a car on the other side waiting for you. I have set the GPS and booked the hotel for now. The money shall be wired early this morning from which you will receive the details on the phone in the car. I will phone you in two days to give you other arrangements and to see how you guys are doing.”
Trayton ~”And a doctor for Ava?”
Jackson ~”On the phone.”
Trayton ~”Thanks man. I owe you for this one.”
Jackson ~”Hey you would do it for me.”
Kayley ~”You two only see each other when you in shit.”
Trayton ~”Hahaha that is true.”
Ava ~”Hopefully next time it is when the babies are born.”
Trayton ~”Yes definitely then.”
Jackson ~”For now get your asses going.”
With that we say our goodbyes and head through a secret tunnel that connects Jackson’s house with a street two blocks down. And as promised everything is ready, all we need to do now is get into this car and go.
I look on over to Ava, her eyes are all puffy from all the crying she has done today. Who would have thought our wedding day would be such an emotional rollercoaster for both of us. Not even to mention the way the day has turned out. We knew our lives were going to change when we got married but never did we think it would change in such a big way.
I take her tiny little hands that is now displaying my ring and look into her beautiful brown eyes.
Trayton ~”Baby girl, are you sure you want to do this?”
Ava ~”Yes baby, let’s do this.”
She pops of her shoes, pushes the seat as far back as she can, crumples my jacket into a little pillow and lay down next to me in the passenger seat, holding our two little baby bugs in her hands and closes her eyes.
I flick the key in the ignition and bring the car to a thundering start. I lay a soft kiss on Ava’s sweet lips and slam my foot down only the pedal. In a fraction less than two seconds the car reaches sixty and we are off onto the open road. With one glimpse in the rear view mirror, I can see my old life slowly fading away. In front is the open road and a brand new start for me and my baby and my baby bugs.
Just before she drifts off to sleep, Ava looks up to me and I can almost see a smile on her face.
Ava ~”Do you believe in fate now?”
Trayton ~”Yes now I believe in fate.”