Battle-Hardened, War Weary Ch. 08B

'No help at all,' she thought. She turned her attention back to her guests. "Alright, alright, alright, alright..." she stated. The chanting died down. As she stood there, she felt all of her seventy-four guests' eyes on her. "I didn't expect to turn out a speech, but here it goes..." Kali announced. "We, Ryan and I, would like to thank you for showing up today. I know that it was on short notice. Each and every one of you are loved by the both of us and we wanted to share this special moment—

"She actually wanted to go to the courthouse to get married, by the way," confessed Ryan. "She wanted to—

Before his statement was finished, Kali gave him a swift kick to his right calf. He grunted and flinched. The dining room was filled with a smatter of laughter. She glanced down at her husband and then smiled. Ryan glanced at her and offered a fragile grin. She mouthed the words 'I love you' to him before she returned her attention back to her guests.

"Once again, I thank you for coming here tonight. I usually don't speak for my husband, but I am pretty sure that he wants to thank you for showing up." She paused in her speech. She made several glances at different people, in particular, to the people that has helped her find happiness and freedom from her demons. She glanced at Mare and Jack. Her eyes viewed all of her uncles and then their significant others. She gave Abby, her therapist and her husband a glimpse. She stared at little Tristan Daniel and then she thought of an image of Katrina's face. She eyed her Aunt Minnie's smiling face, as well as, the other members of her intermediate family. Finally, she eyed one of the centerpieces before she spoke. "I am sure that our twin daughters—

The guests erupted with applause and cheers. A thrill burst inside of her body and it caused Kali to shudder. She was soon engulfed into the arms of Mare. The Richardson matriarch hugged her granddaughter with a tight grip.

"Oh my God," her grandmother sighed into right ear. "Kali, why didn't you tell me?"

The two women separated and stared at each other. "I wanted to surprise you," she informed her grandmother.

"When did you find out, honey?"

"I found out a week ago—

Kali received a gentle slap on her left bicep from her grandmother. She giggled in retaliation.

"A week ago, I had gone to my doctor's appointment and the doctor had given me another ultrasound. It was during this ultrasound that the doctor had saw a third foot. He didn't tell me at first. He wanted to make sure that it wasn't a physical abnormality. So my doctor had me walk around the examination room for a while and then I laid down on the table again. Once again, he did another ultrasound on me, and this time, he saw four limbs and two heads. He listened to their heartbeats through his stethoscope and concluded that I was pregnant with twins. He told me the news after he was finished."

"Oh," Mare squealed. Kali saw how delighted her grandmother was about the news. "Have you thought of any names for the second baby yet?"

"I've tried to think of a few names, but I haven't been able to sit down and do it."

"Well, if you're seeking for one: I know for a fact that Mare is a great name—

Kali giggled.

"How's the papa with the news?" Mare asked.

"I told Ryan today about the news. He's happy but he had that 'scared shitless' expression stuck in his eyes."

"Why?"

Kali saw the concern expression on Mare's face. She knew that her grandmother's concern was aimed towards Ryan. Her heart swelled with admiration for her grandmother.

"It's because he is worried about all of the future male suitors that are going to approach our front door, when the girls become older," she informed the woman.

Mare giggled. "All men are like that when it comes to their daughters. Your grandfather was the same way, when it came to you and with your Aunt Minnie."

"I know. I've been watching Ryan wring his hands with worry." Kali turned away from her grandmother. She was about to speak to Ryan, when she noticed that he wasn't sitting in his chair. She surveyed the dining room for him. She didn't find him.

She stared at her grandmother. "Mama, did you see Ryan leave?"

Mare nodded her head. "Yeah baby, he just got up and left the dining room. He probably had gone to the bathroom. And I know that Jack wants to speak to him, so he'll probably return a little later than expected."

'Jack having a conversation with Ryan? Oh shit,' she silently groaned.

Kali focused her vision on the chair that once held the frame of Jack Logan. Then her eyes surveyed the seating arrangement of the head table. She noticed that seven more chairs were missing its occupants. She groaned.

'Oh shit.'

Ryan was dining on his meal, when he took note of the knot of pressure that was stored in his lower abdomen. He didn't want to leave his reception and his wife's side, but he knew that he needed to relieve his bladder. He turned to face Kali. He didn't want to leave the table without her knowing. He saw that she was busy with speaking with Mare. He chose not to interrupt Kali.

'I'll be back before Kali realizes it,' he concluded.

Ryan turned his attention back to his meal, when he felt the tell-tale feeling of someone watching his movement. His deep set eyes removed their vision from off of the plate of half-eaten broiled lamp chops and steamed vegetables. He focused his attention at the guests who were sitting at the head table. His eyes landed on Jack Logan, who threw Ryan a steady, unfiltered glare.

'What-the-fuck is looking at me for?'

Ryan's green eyes observed Jack's dark blue ones for an extra five seconds before he stood up and walked away from his wife and the table. As he walked across the dining room, towards the exit, Ryan felt the older man's eyes staring at his back.

He traveled upstairs to the second level of the massive house and used one of the four bathrooms that were located there. Ryan wanted to keep the three bathrooms on the first floor unoccupied, in case one of his guests needed to use one. Once he entered the second floor's corridor and then noticed the atmosphere's silence, he realized that he also wanted a moment alone.

After he finished using the facility, he exited the room and entered the corridor. He stood in the hallway and observed the décor of the black and white motif. He gazed down at the floor where his feet was standing on white, plush carpet. Then he gazed at the white-colored walls. He realized that even though the color scheme was fashionable and one of his favorites, he knew that it wasn't appropriate for his impending family. 'We need to change the design. Everything is alright now, ever since the twins are going to be infants for a while. But, I know when they start to walk and get their hands into anything and everything, these walls and this carpet ain't going to be white,' he concluded.

A smile formed on his lips and then he chuckled. His skin grew warm from the idea of being a father with two daughters. He wondered about his girls as his feet trekked across the white carpet and further down the corridor. When he was about to reach the bottom of the staircase that led to the third floor, he made a left turn into another hallway. He walked down the sixty-five yards that contained four more bedrooms and two bathrooms until he came to a stop in front of an entryway. He stood a foot away from the corridor's end and a foot away from a sixteen-foot plastic tarp that hung from the ceiling. The mansion's owner stood in front of the doorway led to a bedroom.

His left arm extended out to the side and his hand touched the interior wall of the room. His fingers deftly sought the light switch. His thick fingers found the hard plastic nub and he lifted the switch up. The bedroom was flooded with light. He entered the bedroom. He walked to the center of the room and stood in front of the canopy, round crib that was placed in the location. He surveyed the entire nursery.

'I'm happy that this is done,' he said to himself as he observed the hand-painted mural that graced the four walls.

Ryan's hands rested on the crib's handrails and his upper body slightly leaned on the furniture. He stared at the white, bare mattress that was inside of the bed. He recalled the time when he assembled the crib, which were a few weeks ago. He chuckled as he remembered the eight, failed attempts of putting everything together before he was helped by his housekeeper named Rosemary. With her help, he was able to assemble the crib in less than an hour.

Then, the papa-to-be imagined different scenarios involving his interactions with the twins. With his over-active imagination, he thought about when his daughters would turn into teenaged girls and their potential dating habits. He wondered what type of boys will catch his daughters' eyes and their hearts. He remembered the time when Kali labeled Athena as being a 'daddy's girl', so he wondered if she'll be the daughter that purposely seeks out suitors that she thinks that will impressed her father. Then, he thought about his Baby Girl's potential loves. He wondered if she will be the daughter who'll goes out of her way to find boys, whose behaviors will make her parents cringed. Then, he considered the possibility that Baby Girl might be the daughter that will seek out men, in hopes of meeting her father's approval.

'The last thing my girls need to do is seek out my approval,' he said to himself. 'I am not that person, who should dole out dating advice and suggestions....' He straightened his upper body. '... What happens if they meet a man like me?' The inquiry alone caused Ryan to shudder. His chest began to tighten while a chill stuck to his skin. He rolled his shoulders twice in hope of chasing away the chill. 'Is that going to be the act of karma that I am waiting for? Is one of my daughters...? Or both of my daughters going to end of with guys that are just like me?' Ryan sighed.

"The nursery looks nice."

The sound of Jack's voice startled Ryan. His large and tall stature jolted in reaction. He turned his body around. He saw Jack stand in the doorway that led out to the corridor. The six-foot-tall man looked relaxed as he stood there. Ryan gazed into this man's eyes and knew that he wasn't calm. His suit's blazer was gone, as well as, his tie. The first three buttons of his shirt was unfastened. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up on his thick forearms.

"Do you mind if we have a conversation?" asked Jack.

Ryan watched Jack enter the nursery with a casual saunter. He walked a few feet away from the doorway and then he came to a halt. The red-haired man expected for Jack to shut the door closed. Instead Jack kept the door open and moved to the side. Ryan briefly wondered what Jack had up his sleeve. He received the answer a few seconds later, when he watched seven men enter the nursery. They found spots inside of the room to lounge. Ryan felt their glares on him. He recognized the men as being guests at the wedding ceremony and the reception. Kali referred to these men as being her uncles. He knew that these men, like Davis, weren't related to his wife due to blood-relation or by a legal marriage to one of her blood relatives. The last man to enter the nursery was her Uncle Davis. Ryan's eyes narrowed while his heart was full of suspicion.

"Jack, what's going on?" asked Ryan. His tone of voice was low in volume and soft.

"I would like to introduce you to some of my friends. Kali knows them as well," Jack stated as he returned back to the doorway. This time, he did close the bedroom's door. Then he leaned his lean body against the layer of wood. Ryan watched Jack use his chin to point to the left side of the bedroom. The younger man out of the two of them followed his line of direction. "You already know her uncle Davis."

Jack referred to the man that sat in the rocking chair that was posted in the left corner of the bedroom. The chair was next to the changing table. Davis' lanky frame contrasted with the chair's decorum. He wore a dark-colored suit and the bright pink of the chair's padding clashed. Ryan believed that he would've found the scene funny, if he wasn't worried.

"You also know him as being 'Officer Blue'..."

Ryan let out an audible gasp concurrently with the act of closing his eyes and trembled. His fear had clutched onto his soul. His right hand clutched onto the crib's rail. He tried to calm himself down. 'Calm down, they are not going to do anything to you,' his conscience warned.

With great reluctance, Ryan opened his eyes. His vision focused on Davis. The man was still there. Ryan was intimidated. He was introduced to Davis, a few weeks ago. Davis was the type of man who was down-to-earth, very funny and personable. Since the day that he met Kali's uncle, the older man treated Ryan as if he was a friend or a dear relative. In Ryan's eyes, he was awesome because he gave Kali away today, despite the action causing more strife between Kali and Katrina.

Now, Ryan hated this man. Davis, the funny "family man", was the monster who sodomized him. He was one of the men who attacked and tortured him. He was one of the men who made Ryan feel like weak and vulnerable; a feat that hasn't happened since he was a little boy. He was the man who was responsible for the angst and the sense of dirtiness that he felt.

"I don't think that you need any further explanations as to who these people are?" Jack told him. "But I am going to tell you anyway. The gentleman that is closest to Davis is Officer Orange..."

Ryan looked over at the man who leaned against the wall and on the mural. He wanted to tell the cop to get off the wall, but he didn't want to anger the officer. Ryan observed the man. The first thing that he noticed was the way that the man was glaring at him. He saw the hatred in the man's brown eyes. A shiver erupted inside of his soul. He wanted to look away from Officer Orange, but he couldn't. Instead he checked out his entire being. The cop with the intimidating glare wore a black suit with a white dress shirt. He didn't wear a tie, Ryan guessed that the officer was about five-feet, ten inches tall. He wasn't built in a very muscular fashion, but he wasn't fat. He was handsome. His skin was lightly tanned. His squared face was clean-shaven. He held a pair of eyes that was closet set and narrow. He had a nose that was upturned. In Ryan's opinion, this man looked to be a real Casanova.

"...Next to Officer Orange, there is Officer White..."

Ryan's eyes left Officer Orange and traveled over to the man that stood next to the man's left side. The officer wore a navy blue suit. On the front of the blazer, there were three gold buttons. Underneath his tailored blazer, the cop wore a white dress shirt. A silk, burgundy necktie adorned his thick neck. On his round, hairless head he wore a navy colored page boy hat. With his chubby face and stocky body, Ryan thought he looked the youngest out of all of them. Just like his fellow cop, he stared at Ryan with a glare. But, his full lips held a grin.

"...Next to White, there is Officer Red..."

For Ryan, if Officer White was the youngest-looking then Officer Red was the person who dressed like as if he was a young, twenty year-old man. Unlike the rest of his friends, Officer Red chose to wear clothes that were casual instead of formal. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a light blue casual shirt with a black tribal design on the front and a black blazer over the shirt. On his feet he wore a pair of black cowboy boots. According to Ryan, Officer Red appeared to be the only person in the room who was relaxed. He sat on top of the radiator with his left leg extended in front of him while his hands rested on the tops of his thighs. Ryan didn't see hatred or any anger in this man's eyes, which made him scarier. He wore a smile on his lips. Ryan noticed that Officer Red was a fellow red head, except his hair was a shade paler than Ryan's. The hair that decorated his temples were silver and gray. The groom also noticed that Officer Red was taller than him. Ryan guessed that he had to be six-feet, eight inches tall.

"... Next to Red's big ass, there's Officer Green..."

Ryan thought Officer Green was the one who was dressed stylishly. The tall, well-built black man wore a dark green suit that was tailored to his frame. His dark brown-hued skin was flawless and smooth. He wore a white and green pinstriped shirt underneath his blazer. His pocket handkerchief matched his shirt. He wore a pair of black and white, two-toned shoes. The hair that was on his chiseled face was groomed. A small, gold hoop earring hung from his left earlobe. Ryan saw Officer Green's dark brown eyes glare at him. He sensed the sense of contempt in his eyes. His brown, full lips formed a thin line.

"... Then, there's Officer Yellow..."

Ryan recognized Officer Yellow. At that moment, he recalled the moment that the cop told him about Kali's history. The cop stared at Ryan. The younger man didn't sense any form of negative reaction. In his eyes, Ryan did see a source of confusion. Plus, his eyes were soft and emotional. Yellow stood a few inches away from Officer Green. The man's style of dress was respectful to the ceremony. He wore a black tailored suit with a white high-collared, buttoned down shirt. On his head, there was a straw fedora hat. The man shuffled while he stood in front of the wall.

"... There's Officer Black over there..."

Officer Black stood next to Officer Yellow. He wore a crème-colored, linen suit with a pair of brown, polished shoes. His skin was lightly tanned. He wore an earring in his right earlobe, which was a diamond stud. His pair of narrow, almond-shaped brown eyes glared at Ryan. The Asian man's bright pink, full lips held a smirk. His body was of medium built and his stature had to be at least six-feet, two inches tall.

Ryan turned around once again and was now back at the point where he started. He stared at Jack Logan, who was still leaning up against the closed door. His thick, muscled arms were folded against his broad chest.

"We're here because we need to say a few things," Jack told him. Ryan nodded his head. "First off, we want to say 'Congratulations'..."

"T-T-T-Thank you," stammered Ryan as he eyed Jack with caution.

"Secondly, I usually don't speak as if I speak for everybody. But I think I can say this. I believe that we all are not happy that Kali has chosen you to be her husband..."

Ryan's level of anger suddenly rose. His heart raced while he grew heated. His eyes narrowed as they focused on Jack.

"... You've hurt her and it makes everyone here leery of you and we don't trust your intentions with Kali..."

The nursery's walls were decorated with the sounds of the other officers' groans of agreement. Ryan glanced at Officer Black and Davis before glancing over his shoulders to stare at different cops. He saw the officers nod their heads in agreement.

"...You're the father of her babies as well. We're worried about how you're going to treat them—

"I'm going to love them as if they are everything dear to me," Ryan informed them. His tone of voice was steady and confident. His voice displayed his conviction. "I love them. I love Kali. I always love her—

"You had a shitty way of showing it, Mate" Officer Red stated.

Ryan stared across the bedroom at the cop. He displayed an expression of contempt towards the man. "I know..." He faced Jack again. "...and I am sorry about that. I am always sorry about that. Kali forgave me. I—

"That's because she has the soul of a saint and the heart of an angel," Officer Yellow stated.

"I thank God every day for allowing Kali to be in my life. And every day I try to show her how sorry I am for hurting her." Ryan made a few steps away from the crib and then he spun in a circle, so he could stare at each cop. "I know that you guys don't want to hear any excuses from me. But let me just say that my anger was misplaced. I learned that from my psychiatrist—