Innocence of Love (32 page)

“Hi, Mum,” she answered, trying not to spit crumbs all over.

“Hello, where are you?”

“London,” she explained as her mouth emptied.

“London, what on earth are you doing there for?” she asked horrified.

“I’m with Calvin, we are trying to sort a few things out,” she announced not wishing to go into too much detail.

“I see, and when are you due back?”

“I’m not sure to be honest…why what is wrong?” she asked deeply concerned.

“I thought we could go out for lunch and shopping so I could treat you and Kacey,” she heightened her tone.

“Oh, sorry, that is a sweet gesture, but I really am busy here in London and not totally sure when I will be returning, hopefully sooner than later,” she explained.

“And Calvin is with you now?” she asked abruptly wondering what on earth her problem was.

“No, he’s at work,” she explained not needing to tell her every fine detail.

“And why are you there?”

“Mum, you asked me that and I told you sorting a few things out,” she responded, lifting her voice getting the impression her mum was being argumentative.

“Like what?”

“Things,” she replied, not wishing to go into detail, as it was none of her business.

“I called your father today.”

“And.”

“And he still hates me, can you not talk to him?” she asked, lowering her voice feeling sorry for herself.

“I have, Mum, so many times, but he cannot forgive you for what you did.”

“Why did you continue with that pregnancy?” she asked sharply.

“What?” Sophie outraged, appalled by her attitude.

“Why did you have him? Why did you have to leave home and be a pain in the ass?”

“Mum.”

“Because of you I’m living at my parents’ house and they aren’t exactly delighted to have me back and when I ask your father for financial help he’s dismissing me,” she spoke annoyed.

“I will have a talk to him, but I cannot promise anything,” she suggested resenting her mum’s tone.

“Well, I hope you’re not planning on making another baby with Calvin,” she snarled.

“What? Mum, I’m going as you are getting nasty and I don’t wish to be upset.”

“Me, upset you…I am sick and tired of the way you are behaving to me.”

“Night, Mum.” She rung off not believing what was just said and how the woman was greatly resentful to her. How dare she blame her pregnancy with Sabastian for breaking up her marriage and lying to cover her own tracks?

Annoyed not believing what her mum just came out with. She really felt her mum had no heart and didn’t care anything about how she felt at the time, being young and pregnant wondering if what she said in the hospital had been her way of covering her real emotions with her dad around.

She sat staring into mid-space wondering how on earth she lived with herself and if in ten years she had been enjoying the luxurious lifestyle her father had provided, but if she’d been a good mum when she’d been growing up.

Her phone rang, making her jump, clenching her chest, once recovered, she picked the phone up hoping it wasn’t her mother to say harsh words again, but this time it was Calvin.

“Hello.” She smiled proudly.

“Hello, beautiful. I will be home in twenty minutes,” he told her sounding like he was doing something.

“Okay, I will get tea on,” she announced. Calvin was gone.

Sophie started to put the tea on and cooking spaghetti bolognaise being the only meal she could cook and enjoyed to make. She’d cut the onion, making her cry, using the back of her hand to wipe her eyes. She soon cut the peppers, courgettes, mushrooms throwing it altogether to start stirring frequently, while waiting for the pan of water to boil. She stood waiting when it dawned on her she never answered Calvin’s question, whether she would marry him.

She swallowed hard her nerves took over making her anxious, but why she had no idea, Calvin was her man. She loved him and what they did last night was the most sensual love she had ever been given. He pulled on all her heart strings, the way he caressed her body, teasing, kissing every little inch of her, breath-taking and she would do anything to reverse the evening to do it all again.

Smiling, closing her eyes, dreaming of him being on-top of her kissing her intimately on her scar, her tummy that never appeared to bother him. Then she stopped such thought and wondered whether Calvin had been grossed out and was about to end their relationship. Her tummy after all was horrible she was now trying to exercise to get rid of the area, and rubbing Bio-oil into the stretch marks, but nothing appeared to be working.

The sound of the apartment main door opened. Instantly, Sophie made her way into the entrance hall to find Calvin placing his suitcase on the floor. He looked totally shattered. She stood before him. He lifted his head to glance at her. Her heart melted sensing something was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” she needed to ask, really wanting to approach him and shower him with her kisses.

He stepped toward with a serious face. She braced for bad news.

“No…no, it isn’t okay,” he replied sternly, glaring at her.

“Oh,” she replied, her tummy flipped over, dropping her shoulders.

“I spoke to Dad…”

“And?” she feared, remembering last night he mentioned he would need to talk to him about his location.

“He said…
what is the situation?
I said, well she is here and we’re in love. He said,
and the word love doesn’t mean much,
I said, but we love each other and she is here with me, which you know. Then it dawned on me and my heart spun, I felt giddy, needing air immediately, aware of the changes I am prepared to make for you and to be a family, but how can I when you haven’t answered me. I cannot make plans, Sophie, without my heart knowing that I’m not wasting my time.”

“You aren’t wasting your time, I love you.” Her stomach churned. “I love you so much,” she added, stepping forward to take hold of his hands. He gazed sincerely into his eyes.

“Yes, but like father said,
they are only words anybody can say them
,” Calvin told her.

“That isn’t true, I don’t say those words easily. I mean, hell, look how long it took me to tell you how much you meant to me…shit.” She quickly released his hands and dashed into the kitchen, to find everything was boiling of the meal and the room had steamed up. “Oh crap,” she called, stirring the bolognaise sauce.   Thankfully it hadn’t caught at the bottom of the pan.

She turned around to see Calvin laughing. “Thanks,” she remarked.

“Turn it off for a minute,” he told her.

Sophie did what he asked. She turned around to find Calvin almost on-top of her. He took hold of her left hand and much to her shock lowered down onto his right knee.

“Sophie Kacey Richards, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” he light-heartedly asked whilst he stared intently into her eyes.

Sophie felt her stomach swirl and her mouth go dry, just seeing him kneeling before her. “Yes, yes,” she yelled out ecstatic when Kacey cried out. They both burst out laughing. He remained kneeling before her and reached into his inside jacket pocket and produced a small box. He opened it and there before her was a sparkling diamond ring with clusters and a gold, silver band shaped. Sophie placed her hands across her mouth chocked up.

“Meet my delay home,” he confessed, smiling at her while removing the ring from the box. She gave him her left hand for him to slide up her finger, being a little big, but she didn’t care right now it looked sensational.

Calvin stood to wrap his arms securely around her upper chest. He kissed her sweetly on the lips, while tears rolled down her cheeks.

“I. Love. You. So. Much,” Calvin told her kissing between each word.

Her heart pieced back together after all those ridiculer’s thoughts, earlier.

“I thought you were finishing with me,” she told him when he stepped back to glare at her.

“You’re kidding me, right?” he said surprised. “I love you, and you mean the world to me, why on earth would you think that?”

Sophie shied away.

“Come on tell me,” he chimed.

She swallowed, anxious about telling him her thoughts. “You hated my body,” she admitted, lowering her head in shame staring at his feet, aware a lecture was coming her way.

“No chance, your body is beautiful and natural…and I love you for your heart and soul, but then again…who knows maybe in the future we will be having a child,” he said excited. She lifted her head to see him glowing.

“Really, even after what I have just been through with Kacey?”

“Yep, makes it extra special and I love you and we will take the journey together, good or bad, we will fight until there is no breath in my body,” Calvin added.

Sophie smiled. He always managed to say the right things, he always had since day one meeting on the bridge he’d always taken good care of her.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked him.

“Sure.”

“When you found me on the bridge were you terrified I was going to jump?” she asked tight throated.

Calvin gulped heavily. “Yes, yes, I was, but I was determined to bring you down safe…and I lied a few times.”

“Oh, about you being in prison?” She giggled.

“Yep, and I’m also a swimming champion…with a cupboard at Mum’s house holding my medals.” He chuckled.

“Mr. Edwards, how dare you lie like that?” She laughed.

He leaned forward kissing her on the mouth. “And on the subject…a certain tune, that darn well haunts me,” she said referring to
Deepest Blue.

“Ah, I think I can guess which tune you are referring to. He reached into his back trouser pocket and got his phone, followed by messing with it then the tune rose. Her heart stopped beating. “Lyrics are me and you,” he stated taking Sophie in his arms. They started moving around the tiny kitchen swaying from side-to-side followed by her spinning, smiling, feeling happy and secure for the first time ever in her life with a man she truly loved.

Their bodies locked, they stared hopelessly into one another’s eyes, seeing the passion and desire he was her innocence of love and forever in her heart.

They moved about the room, laughing, giggling pulling her out and then twirled her back in, feeling the beat talking to her heart, knowing exactly what the words meant it had been a tune she had listened to frequently since waking up in the hospital. She had listened to the song, and with everything that Calvin had told her about trying to find her and when he did, spending his days fighting to get closer and finally their hearts meet, collide and filled with the most sincere hunger. She guessed she was his
Deepest Blue.

****

Wow, he’s engaged. Sophie Richards is his fiancée. The one girl that he had loved most of his life was now to become his wife. Determined and ready to share many amazing times together, including no doubt bad. He would do everything that was possible to keep her safe and his family there was no-way anyone would ruin his happiness and now, he needed to make that phone call and hope his father didn’t turn it into business…then again…he wondered if they should wait until the weekend and travel back up to York. Would it be better telling everyone their wonderful news together? He wanted to make it special for her.

Thoughts raced around his head knowing that it would be better if he got the family together and told them in person, and maybe afterwards mention to his father about the move up north. He now had concrete evidence that Sophie loved him and he wasn’t just acting on a whim. Sophie Richards loved him like he loved her, nothing in the world was about to get in the way, including his job. He was pretty sure his father would be okay, but he wondered how long it would take them to get a replacement.

He took over cooking the spaghetti bolognaise whist his fiancée fed her daughter. His fiancée, his wife to be, he could not stop repeating the words in his head. A smile enchanted his face, making him feel so blessed to be in such a wonderful situation. Hell four months ago, he was a miserable boring man, with no intentions of meeting a woman or allowing her repair his heart. He thought about nothing but work and then that day on the bridge changed his life, he had no idea who she was. Nevertheless, when he discovered Kacey was Sophie, even though at the time destruction took over his heart deep down he had found his one true love. He would sacrifice everything to show her how much he cared.

He didn’t feel guilty anymore, what he felt had been something special to make his heart beat, send his legs to jelly, his stomach somersaulting in delight. He could all the time hear her saying his name making him feel on-top of the world.

Once Kacey was fed and settled. Sophie sat at the glass table exhausted. He so wished he could crack open a bottle of the finest champagne, but aware Sophie couldn’t drink due to breast feeding.

“Are you happy?” he needed to ask, seeing her lifting her head after she had piled a fork full of spaghetti into her mouth. He waited for her to empty her mouth. He watched her reach across the table to take hold of his hand. He loved her softness, reminding him of last night and how her hands roamed his body intently.