LOS ANGELES
IVY RIVERA APARTMENT
NEXT MORNING
Ivy woke up alone, sleepy and satisfied. Full of happiness, she reached across the mattress to where she expected Ace Clark to be, only to find the space empty. Had he left again like he did ten years ago? Ivy’s eyes flared opened, she crawled out of bed abruptly. He can’t possible be out of their lives again, Ivy continued to say to herself as she took a quick trip to the bathroom to wash her face and she came out back into the room. She put on a gown and rushed down the stairs.
“Ace? Ace?” She called out to him.
Ace heard her voice. “Yes.. I am right here in the kitchen.” He replied.
Ivy heaved a sigh of relief when she found him in the kitchen smiling at her over a cup of coffee. He didn’t leave, so definitely he meant every word he had said to her last night.
Ivy went over to him. “Good morning.” She mumbled.
“Good morning darling, I was about bringing you a cup of coffee in bed.” Ace reached for the cup of coffee he had prepared and gave it to her as he kissed her forehead.
“Thank you.” Ivy took a long sip, savoring the warmth as it flowed through her system. “This is nice.” She complimented.
Ace’s hand snaked around her waist as he drew her closer to his body. “You slept well?” He asked.
“Yes.. I did. But when I didn’t see you in bed, I thought you had left again.” Ivy admitted that she had felt alone waking up without seeing him in bed again.
“That’s not going to happen again, I am here with you and Leroy till forever.” His right hand stroked her face while his left hand held her waist holding her to his body.
“And thank you for last night.” He added with a bright smile on his face. And he made an attempt to kiss her, their lips was almost colliding.
“Hey mom!” They heard Leroy’s voice and they disentangled immediately. “Dad!” Leroy’s eyes widened when he saw his dad.
“Hey Buddy.” Ace smirked as he let go of Ivy’s waist and she moved a way from him to refill her cup of coffee.
Leroy noticed his dad was on a boxer and white singlet. “Dad did you spend the night here?” He asked with a screwed up face.
“Yes.. I did spend the night here. Perhaps do you have any problem with that?” Ace asked trying to be sure if his son wasn’t angry about him spending the night at their place.
“No dad! It is cool! I so much love it!” Leroy exclaimed with excitement on his expression.
“Sweetie how was your night?” Ivy asked after sipping a cup of coffee.
“It was fine mom.” Leroy yawned and stretched a little.
“You know you can go back to sleep if you are still sleepy.” Ivy said.
“No mom, we are meeting up with grandma today right dad?” Leroy looked at his dad.
“Yes buddy.. and grandpa too.” Ace Clark answered.
“What?!” Ivy Rivera choked on her coffee.
Ace made his way to her quickly and collected the cup of coffee as she went into a cough fit. “Sorry.. easy easy.. sorry.. relax and you will be fine.” He patted her back to help her relax.
“Sorry mom.” Leroy said with a concerned look on his face.
“We are meeting your dad too?” Ivy asked after the coughing fit ended.
“Yes mom sent me a text last night that dad want to join us for dinner.” Ace noticed the uncomfortable look on Ivy’s face. “Darling, you don’t have to worry too much about him because he won’t be a problem to us anymore.” Ace reassured her.
“Uhmm dad.. Aren’t you getting married anymore?” Leroy questioned with a confused look on his face.
Ace Clark looked at Ivy with a smile beaming across his face. “Of course I am still getting married!” He chuckled and then noticed the sad look across his son’s face. “But to a different person. Do you want to know the person?” Ace didn’t get any response.
And then Ace went over to his son and bend slowly to look into his son’s eyes. “I am getting married to your mom.” He straightened and ruffled his son’s rough curls.
Leroy’s face brightened immediately. “Really? Is that true mom?!” He asked.
“Yes baby.” Ivy nodded as she nibbled on her lower lip. She didn’t miss the happy and excited look on her son’s face at the news that she was getting married to his dad. It was absolutely the right thing to do, she was finally going to fulfill her promise to give him a happy life. Leroy would feel the love of his parents and together they would both raised him with so much affection.
Leroy jumped up. “Yes! That’s cool dad! Now we can all be one family and wake up like this every morning!”
“I like that too.” Ace commented.
“We should watch a movie together as a family!” Leroy suggested.
“That’s a good idea.” Ivy and Ace both laughed out loud as they all walked out of the kitchen.
Ace held one of his father’s fingers while Ace held on to Ivy right hand. “And dad are we going to live at your place after the wedding?” He demanded.
“You want to?” Ace asked and Leroy nodded positively. “How about I buy us a new house after I give your mom a ring?” Ace looked down at his face.
“Yes it’d be cool dad!” Leroy enthused.
Ace lowered his son to the couch, then sat next to him, he pulled Ivy into his lap as he did so. She came willingly, snuggling right under his arm and he was so overwhelmed with emotions that for a moment he couldn’t do anything but breathe.
Leroy grabbed a remote to turn on the large screen television. “We should watch some funny so we can all have a good laugh!”
“Alright buddy.” Ace Clark didn’t know what he had ever done in life to deserve these two people. “Thank you for having him.” He whispered into Ivy’s ears and she looked up at him.
Ivy didn’t say a word, she just slightly leaned up and kissed his lips not minding her son’s presence. She should also be glad that Ace Clark was in her life, spending a night with him many years ago was like a blessing in disguise.
“Mom!” Leroy screamed when he turned sideways and saw his parents kissing. “You should do that when I am not here. Now let’s focus on the show.” He scolded them, Ivy and Ace laughed.
“Alright baby.. we are sorry.” Ovy Rivera giggled.
One thing was sure to Ace Clark, he was never going to let anyone of them go.