Desire: Love and Passion (23 page)

             
“Oh my god,” he hugged her back. “You look so much like Auntie Akyini. I can’t believe it.”

             
“When did you get here?”

             
“In the middle of the night but I had to go help dad drag your boy toy back here.”

             
“What?”

             
“You look so radiant,” Ambrose said. “I couldn’t believe I was speaking to you on the telephone. I am so glad you are alive and back with us. And your guy is downstairs making breakfast.”

             
“What guy?”

             
“Oh come on,” Ambrose said. “You
’
re pregnant
with
the richest man in the world
’s baby
and you were going to let him spend Christmas all by himself.”

             
“He wasn’t alone,” Willow said. “He was with his friends and it wasn’t as if I didn’t ask. So where is this fiancée you told me about?”

             
“Downstairs with Marcus and mom.”

             
“Marcus is here?”

             
“In living color,” a voice said from behind Ambrose.

             
Marcus was the only child for her aunt Catherine. He was studying law at Harvard and she was certain her aunt told her he would not be there for Christmas.

             
Marcus muscled Ambrose out of the way as he gave his cousin a big hug.

             
“Welcome home
,
Claudia. I know Nana said you changed your name, but I have to get
it
out first.”

             
“Breakfast!” s
omeone screamed from downstairs.

             
“I have to get dressed
but
, I’ll be down in a minute,” Willow said.

             
Willow expected James as Ambrose had
already
told her. She was surprised to see everyone she had lived with. Cassandra ran over and gave her a big hug as soon as she entered the dining room. She got hugs around from everyone and then James came towards her.

             
“Yes,” he said and pulled her into his arms. “Yes.”

             
He kissed her not caring that they were in a room full of people.

             
“You weren’t supposed to open that until tonight,” she said.

             
“It doesn’t matter. The answer is still the same. I will marry you.”

             
He pulled out the ring she had returned to him and slipped it on her finger, the room erupted in
to
cheers. Willow had attached a simple note to the box. It read
,
you
can have it all, Will
.

             
And Christmas morning was as
s
he remembered it as a kid
;
boxes and wrapping paper everywhere. She gingerly opened James’ present.
It was not jewelry. On the top were pieces of paper that had been ripped in four. It was the document his attorney drew up when they found out she was pregnant. Underneath those papers, were several pages of various deeds
. He had changed
all the deed
s
for all the properties he
owned
to include her name
.
He had also signed his part of the documents. All they needed was her signature.

             
“Why?”
s
he asked later when they were alone.

             
“
You were right. A contract was not the right way to welcome a child into the world.  Also, y
ou said you could never live in my house. I wanted you to know you
are
always welcomed
wherever I am
. I did
no
t want custody exchanges to be messy and uncomfortable. 
And since I am incapable of loving anyone else what do I have to lose?
”

             
“I love you,” she said.

             
“I love you, Will. And I promise this time I
’
m not afraid.”

             
“No unresolved issues?” She asked.

             
“Not even with the ex
.”

             
The roar of laughter woke her in the morning. James was not beside her. She showered
and
dressed quickly then head
ed
downstairs. The laughter got even louder as she approached the media room where everyone seemed to have gathered. Above the sound of laughter, she could hear broken glass and the crunch of aluminum.

             
“You did not,” she said moving even faster.

             
“Remind me never to piss you off,” Ambrose said.

             
Willow could barely endure the sight of herself pounding furiously at the bright yellow vehicle. This must have been the fourth or fifth showing as someone was giving commentary.  There was a shot of her climbing on the
bonnet
of the car with the bat. She did not remember doing that. The video really
was
hilarious. She looked seriously crazy when she came back with her cellphone camera.

             
“What did the message say?” Marcus asked.

             
“My lips are sealed,” James said. “I don’t want another Beetle
destroyed, or worse
. Let’s just say there will never be a cricket bat in our house
…ever
.”

             
The room erupted again in laughter and someone decided to start the video all over.  James got up and joined her.

             
“I can’t believe you
’
re showing them this,” she said.

             
“Come on, you have to admit it is hilarious,” he said.

             
“I was mad at you. Shouldn’t you be remorseful or something?”

             
“I saw you laughing,” he said. 

             
“I looked like a lunatic,” she said.

             
“If you
’
d
had
a ciggy hanging out one side of your mouth and a baseball cap on, then you would
’ve
really look
ed
like a lunatic. It looks as if you
’
re
just
mad at the car. This is what families do, we embarrass each other.  I
’
m just happy I
’
m not that car. Hey, I
’
ve been thinking
. W
e should get married before the baby comes.”

             
“Okay. By the way, how did my uncle and my cousin drag you back here last night?”

             
“They didn’t have to drag, so to speak. I opened your present when I got home and I knew what it meant.”

             
“But I asked you to stay. I gave you the same offer.”

             
“When you made the offer I had no idea we would be engaged and I didn’t want to sleep under your grandmother’s roof in your room if we were not at the very least, engaged.”

             
“I’m pregnant with your child,” she said.

             
“Yes, when we were living under my roof. This is her house. I didn’t want to be disrespectful. That’s why I never stayed
upstairs
with you.”

             
“Well,” she said and turned towards him. “Since you
’
re going to be a gentleman, we’ll leave tomorrow so under our roof I can take my time remembering
all the things I love about you
.”

             
“
I guess as long as we never have wine, candles
,
and condoms this experiment will go on forever.
”