Mending Fences - Chapter 1: "Home"

The woman looked at the dozen of messages on scraps of paper next to the phone. She picked them up and briefly glancing through them she tore them in half and threw them in the bin. She was staring at the phone waiting for the dreaded phone call. Exactly 30 seconds later, it rang. She picked it up on the first ring.

"Hello."

The voice spoke.

"This is she."

"Collect call for you."

She paused abit.

"I'll accept."

The woman listened on the phone for a minute, nodding periodically.

"What time?"

The woman nodded.

"Ok."

She hung up and looked at her watch. She has about thirty five minutes to reach her destination. Grabbing her car keys she shouted out.

"I'm going out. I'll be back in two hours or so."

"Ok! Be careful!" A voice called out from upstairs. The woman smiled as she grabbed her purse and slipped out the door.*************

She drove at a reasonable speed and enjoyed the breeze on her face. She had been out there a couple of times before so she knew which way was the quickest but today she decided to take the long, scenic route around. She was strangely calm on her way up knowing the situation is about to be much more complicated than it already is.

Fifty five minutes later she drove up to a large, heavily guarded steel gate. She gave them her ID and they checked their logs at the guard booth. Soon she was driving into the compound of the building. She parked and getting out of her car the first thing that greeted her was a large aluminum sign marked:

"Welcome to Saint Peytonville State Penitentiary."

She steadied her legs and walked in.*********

She was finally at the last checkpoint inside. She almost jumped out of her skin when the second gate closed behind her automatically opening the third one infront of her. She hasn't come here long enough to get used to the sound of rough crude heavy steel rubbing and caressing each other.

The heavy set security woman at the window gave her a critical look up and down while she examine the items of a medium side paper bag. She threw its contents out on the counter between them and looked to her for confirmation.

She didn't hear when the security asked her to make a verbal confirmation as her eyes had glued itself to a gold wedding band plainly visible. She could see tiny writings engraved on the inside. Her heart leaped briefly when she remembered the words written there and the meaning it holds.

"Miss?!"

The woman semi shouted at her visibly annoyed, causing her neck to jerk painfully upward.

"What?"

"Are these the correct contents of this bag?"

"Yes."

The security pushed the empty bag at her, clearly indicating that she was the one to put back the items in the bag herself. She said nothing as she took the bag from impatient hands.************

She was getting restless, as she had been waiting for about 15 minutes now. The hall in which she was standing was dreary, dark and cold. She just can't believe people actually survive in this place..she sure as hell couldn't.

She crushed her body against the wall as two officers passed next to her with a man screaming at the top of his lungs. As the officers waited for the gate to be opened the man raped her with his eyes, smiled and winked at her. Seeing this, one of the officers twisted the man's arm.

"You better enjoy the view convict because it will be your last for a long long time!"

The man began cursing and screaming again when the gate started to open. She was so affixed on the man as the officers dragged him on the ground deeper into the abyss that it was only when she saw a familiar pair of bowed legs that had come within view that she realized that she was briefly lost in thought.

Her eyes travelled slowly up the sexy members in the washed out pair of jeans straight up to a rugged chest in a fitted white T-shirt. Continuing up, her eyes glided over a strong Adam's apple, then to a low salt and pepper stubble on a well defined chin and jaw.

As if controlled by an external force her eyes rushed up quickly to rest on the most enchanting pair of eyes she had ever seen still to this day. Its blue hue pierced into her so violently..so suddenly that her breath quicken causing her to gasp..a lump forming in her throat. The object of this reaction was clearly pleased and amused as a small smile escaped his pink lips.

She became annoyed at herself for what he saw...her reaction. She now reeked of embarrassment. Grabbing the paper bag she turned her back to him and waited for the gate to open. He walked up and stood barely inches behind her. She could smell him...after all this time in here he still smelled like him. She missed that smell.

His intoxicating fragrance was still ever so strong and her knees threatened to betray her by giving out. The gate was slowly beginning to open when suddenly, she felt his body gently pressed up against her. In her mind..she was still pissed off at him but her body had other ideas.

The contact, although through fabric set her nerve ending on fire. She loves what his body does to hers..what he does to her when he is near but right now he doesn't have that right. When the opportunity presented itself she squeezed herself through the available gate opening to get away from this torture.************

Keeping up pace with his target along the long hallway, the man kept his eyes glued to the well rounded posterior attached to beautifully swaying hips on a pair of long toned legs. He missed this sight... that butt..nibbling on it, smacking it. He missed those hips and how broad they get when preparing for another addition to their family and he missed those legs...how they willing spread when his face is buried between them.

He chuckled to himself..he missed a lot of things but most of all he missed her! He missed talking and laughing and even arguing with her...the good and the bad. He missed his family and the life they had built until he f*cked it up. Three years may seem like a long time to be away from your family..especially in a place like this but compared to what they had….no have, three years in nothing.

He will not let three years unravel all that they have achieved...or erase all what they meant to each other as if nothing mattered. It matters to him...greatly and if he knows this woman as well as he does….it matters to her too.************

She could feel his eyes on her..probing her as they drove home in silence. She glanced at her ringing cell phone and quickly pulled aside on the shoulder of the road. She answered and heard the commotion in the background.

"Hey! What's going on?"

"Judith and Logan are fighting over the TV remote again!"

She sighed as frustration creeped up in her face.

"Put them on!"

Seconds later he heard a young voice.

"Mom! Judith's hugging the remote!"

"What did I say about the remote and sharing?"

"But mom!"

"Don't 'but mom' me! Both of you...go to your time out corners! Now!"

Crying can be heard in the background.

"Where are they?"

"In their corners." the voice giggled.

"Good."

"When are you coming home?"

"I'm on my way. Do you need anything?" There was voices talking briefly in the background.

"Bring milk, eggs and some blueberries. Want to try out this new recipe I saw on the internet."

"Ok."************

In the grocery store he walked behind her dutifully. She had asked him if he was staying in the car or coming inside. He was surprised that she even asked given the cool reception he has been receiving whole evening. He said that he will go with her and he swore he saw a smile tugged at her lips. 'Was this a good sign..an olive branch being extended to him already?' He could only hope and pray that it was.

She had picked up a few extra things and the basket was getting heavy. He took the basket without asking permission and he didn't get any resistance from her either. This is a good start. In the checkout line next to them, a young blonde woman looked at him and smiled.

He smiled back for politeness but the young woman was not being too subtle in her tactics. He kept his eyes glued to the basket infront of him as money was being handed in to the cashier to pay for their goods. He step closer to his companion.

"Hi!" The woman said across to him.

He looked up and saw the most possessive and dangerous set of eyes ever shooting daggers at the woman across from them. He turned and saw the blonde stiffened and staring straight ahead. His heart skipped a beat when she now stepped closer to him, publicly claiming him as hers and hers only. There is still hope.**********

It was late evening when they pulled up in the driveway and parked next to the mailbox marked 'Grimes Residence'. He took the groceries from the back and followed her to the door. He was so nervous all of a sudden..and fearful of the unknown and what to expect. She was about to open the door when it cautiously opened.

"Dad?!"

That word triggered an avalanche as other voices came bellowing out.

"Daddy!"

He put down the groceries and stretched out his arms, tears springing to his face. They were so young when he was sent away and although they would visit, one of his greatest fears is that they would have forgotten him. He wrapped his arms around them as tightly as he could. He was home.***********

The night quickly rolled up on them and he could smell that dinner was already in the works. The aroma filled the house. The warm sprays from the shower soothed him as well as the laughter and screaming emanating from downstairs. How he longed to hear noise from his family..this kind of noise.

He came out of the shower naked to see that a towel and clothes was laid neatly on the bed for him. He smiled. 'Baby steps..at least she is trying to reach out despite everything that has happened.' There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." he said covering up quickly.

He was taken aback and slightly disappointed that it was her..that she actually knocked to enter their own bedroom. He tried not to read too much into it but it still stung him emotionally. She blushed away from his wet, naked chest and her eyes involuntarily landed on his center bulge. Staring for a couple seconds, she cleared her throat and looked up him heavily flushed.

"Dinner is ready. Everyone's here."

He smiled at her and surprisingly...she smiled back.

"Ok."***********

He carefully dressed and looked in the mirror. There was one thing still missing though. Emptying the contents of the brown paper bag...he found what he was looking for. Picking it up he slipped it on his left finger. Perfect. *********

The dinner table was noisy to say the least but it didn't bother him at all. He looked around at his brood proudly… His 15 year old son Carl and 13 year old daughter Sophia sat on his right. On his left was his 10 year old son Andre, 7 year old daughter Judith and 6 year old son Logan. It felt so good to be around them...near them...be able to touch them free from metal bars separating them.

Finally he looked at the woman who made this family life happen...the woman who gave birth to all these precious joys in his life, his beautiful wife of 16 years Michonne Benjamin-Grimes. She too was looking at him as she sat at the opposite end of the dinner table. He twiddled his wedding ring. He knows he has a lot to make up for. It's time to start mending fences.************