Petrichor: Chapter 11

MICHAEL

Who knew we'd be attending a funeral once we got back from our honeymoon. Pablo Martin had been cutting our hair since we were kids and although I hadn't been to his shop in years, it was still sad to see one of the greats go down so early. There was also the giant elephant in the room that nobody but Freddy and I knew about. I didn't know if this was the appropriate time to talk about it, but now that the old man was dead, we didn't have to keep his secrets anymore.

"Hey, how's he doing?" I asked Freddy, joining him as we lounged around in the funeral home, waiting on the big line to shorten so we'd be able to say our goodbye to the old man laying in the casket. Marley had gone straight to Daniel as soon as we got here, knowing he could be close to spiraling again any minute. Although he seemed pretty calm sitting next to Serena and the boys, he usually liked to sneak away and then do something stupid.

"He's fine. I think. I don't know. I think he's used to this by now. All the guys we used to run with back in high school are dead or close to it. Maybe there's just nothing left in him anymore," Freddy explained and I made a face at his depressing conclusion. There was a chance he wasn't wrong and it made me rethink coming clean to Daniel about who Pablo really was.

"Marley's on the warpath. She wants to keep Daniel away from Serena at all costs," I confessed, hoping to gain another ally in this messy situation.

"She's your problem now," Freddy answered with a smirk and I rolled my eyes at him, crossing my arms as I looked around, wondering how many people Pablo really knew at this point. The place was packed with townspeople and the line was growing larger by the minute.

"Do you think we should tell him about Pablo?" I whispered and Freddy pulled me out of the line, making me glare at him as he took his hand off my arm before I ripped it off for him.

"Are you fucking nuts? The fact that we even know this secret and didn't tell him will make him hit rock bottom. He can't afford to do that now that Serena and the boys are back," he stated in a hushed tone.

"It's been seventeen years, Freddy. We should've told him back then. Maybe things would've been different for him," I argued and he considered that for a moment before he shook his head, and looked over at Daniel, who was whispering something in Serena's ear that made her instinctively take his hand in hers. It looked like they were on better terms and had gotten close again during our trip and I could already hear my wife's nagging voice in my head, plotting away.

"His mom wanted this to stay quiet. Both of them did. It's not our secret to tell, Michael," Freddy countered, and I sighed in surrender, knowing he was right. We had to respect the dead and their wishes. But there were also loopholes that would make both sides happy. And I needed to find one before I accidentally spilled this secret that both Pablo and Carmen wanted us to take to our graves.

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After the service had finished, we all headed to Freddy's place since Lynn, the fine ass white girl Freddy managed to wife up, offered to cook for the family. And the second I exited the guest bathroom, I heard Daniel and Marley arguing about Jesse, who hadn't even followed us back to Freddy's. She went straight to the shop, probably to offset the sadness from the funeral. She'd only gone to support Daniel and now that Serena was back, she didn't feel the need to put herself in her cross hairs. Not that Serena was claiming any sort of territory. But the woman was smart. She made Daniel think he had a choice in the matter, knowing damn well he'd always go back to her.

"Ya'll need to use your inside voices. There are kids running around this place," I warned, sending my wife a warning glare as Daniel stormed off, probably to find the boys or Serena. Freddy and Lynn were busy in the kitchen, while Giselle was upstairs in her room, being oddly quiet, which wasn't like her at all. I wasn't sure if she had known Pablo or not. But maybe someone had told her stories about her Dad going there as a kid during the funeral. Her smile usually disappeared whenever Gabe was mentioned.

"I don't think we should stay," Marley announced as she rubbed her arms and I pulled her close to me, keeping her warm in my embrace, while kissing the top of her head.

"Can't force what's not meant to be, Marley. Let the man follow his heart. Or at least his junk," I joked, trying to lighten the mood, but my moody wife wasn't having any of it. She left my side when Lynn called her into the kitchen for some help on one of the recipes she had given her and I found myself wandering around until I found Serena out on the deck, ending a mysterious phone call once I stepped in next to her.

"Who's the guy?" I questioned and she gave me a peeved look before she placed her phone back into her purse. The sky above us was covered in dull gray clouds, but it looked like the sun was just around the corner, ready to fill the rest of the day with sunshine.

"How was your honeymoon?" she quickly changed the subject, while she looked out into the open country sitting on Freddy's property. The place reminded me of the one I used to have before I went to prison. It was serene and full of wildlife and nature, and there was nothing like coming home after a long day of work, kicking back a cold one as you enjoyed the view your hard earned money paid for.

"Amazing," I answered with a grin and it made her chuckle as she shook her head. The last month away from all this was worth it and there was a possibility Marley might be pregnant as we speak, so all and all, I'd say that honeymoon was one of the best, if not the best time I've had in a long time.

"God, what is that smell?" she claimed with disgust, looking around to find the source of whatever it was she was smelling.

"If its horse shit, we are near a barn after all," I reminded her, pointing towards the red barn a couple of yards away. Every time I stopped by here to visit Giselle, Freddy had gotten a new animal to add to his collection. This time it was another family of sheep and they were running around in the pen, looking after their newborns.

"No. It's you and whatever cologne you're wearing," she corrected, holding in her breath as she covered her mouth and I made a face as I stepped away from her, completely insulted. The woman was obviously nuts. Or pregnant. Or both. Oh shit.

"Lady, are you pregnant again?" I asked her in a hushed tone and when her eyes widened and she looked around to see if anyone had heard me, I smiled. Daniel was going to be ecstatic.

"I just got the call from my doctor. And you can't say anything to anyone until I tell Daniel, got it?" she warned, pointing a finger at me and my smile spread even wider.

"It's going to be a girl this time. I'd put money on it too," I teased her and she began to slap me playfully while I feigned being hurt.

"Shut up!"

"What are you going to name her? Lupita? No. That's too generic for a New Yorker like you. Ya'll like weird names like Bonquiqui," I paused and when she began to laugh, I pulled her in for a hug. Maybe it was because we'd just gotten back from a funeral. Or maybe it was the fact that my brother for life was going to be blessed with another kid. But I needed to hug this woman. She was the only thing that had ever gotten him to stop drinking and doing drugs and I hoped the love he had for her would be enough to force him to kick those habits for good.

"I wasn't planning on staying, Michael," she mentioned as she pulled away, and I nodded. I wasn't surprised. She was a runner. Daniel hadn't turned into a chaser until he met her. Fifteen years later, and they were still running and chasing after each other, only this time, I had a feeling they'd be standing still together sooner rather than later.

"I know. Kind of have to now though, right? Don't worry about Marley. She's just pigheaded and can't seem to remember all the shit Daniel used to do to you," I answered and she shrugged, lowering her gaze to her feet as she considered my words. I knew they both missed each other. Serena's guilt wasn't allowing her to let anyone in again, while Marley was too hurt to realize life was too short to live it without your partner in crime.

"I didn't just hurt him this time," she replied quietly, then turned towards me and took my hand, squeezing it tight.

"We'll get over it. We always do."