My grip on the wheel tightened as I drove through the streets of Douglas. It was odd, the littlest things could bring back memories of Genny and I back in high school, back in the good old days when we thought a happy ending was possible. So young, and so naïve, but in those moments we were happy.

I didn’t say anything as I continued driving towards the spot where Genny’s driver had apparently misdelivered a shipment. I was unsure how this was her fault, but at the same time, it didn’t matter. When you owned a business, you took full responsibility of your actions. If there was a problem, you answered to it.

Honestly, it had a lot in common with what I did in the SEALs. If we had a problem, I didn’t try to play the blame game, or have someone else get in trouble. I just took responsibility for it. And yeah, that meant I took the heat from the higher ups.

Genny looked a little nervous as she sat in the front seat. Maybe nervous isn’t the right word, but definitely tense.

The baby fell right to sleep as soon as we got in the car, in her car seat in the back. When I drove, I definitely had a heightened sense of security now that we had a baby on board.

I cleared my throat. Genny looked so damn gorgeous as she sat there focusing on her phone, taking care of business. She had these intense eyes when she was truly in the zone.

In the past, I had the benefits of those eyes being focused on me. Until the day I said goodbye and that I wasn’t coming back. The day I lost her. Yet, right now, as we rode together, I couldn’t shake the thought of what might have been if I’d stayed in Douglas.

I came from nothing, and at age eighteen, my future didn’t look too bright. I probably wouldn’t have made much money if I’d stuck around here. I probably would have worked at one of the oil companies close by. Shit, maybe I could have worked my way up, made some money, and helped us have a happy family, with beautiful babies.

Fuck! Genny and I would make beautiful babies. I stole a glance at her soft skin out of the corner of my eye as she twirled her long brown hair. Not only would our babies be hot as hell, they would be smart as hell. God, the beautiful brown eyes they would have.

“Kade? Kade? We passed the road. Didn’t you see the truck in the parking lot over there?” she asked me, raising her voice just slightly.

“Oh, shit! I’m sorry. I didn’t see that.”

“You are off in your own little world over there. What on earth are you thinking about?”

“Oh pfft, nothing,” I shrugged.

She put her hand on my shoulder and massaged me ever so gently. “Hey! It’s going to be alright. Okay? We’re gonna get through this. I don’t know what you must be thinking right now, with your brother and the baby, but we’re gonna help you through this. I’m here for you, as a friend.” She rubbed the back of my shirt gently, then surreptitiously grabbed my upper arm. “Wow, you really got jacked in the military, didn’t you?”

“Ha ha,” I chuckled a little. “We haven’t seen each other that much in the last eight years. So, yeah. I’ve gone through some changes. Puberty, et cetera,” I winked.

“Wow, just. Okay! I need to stop touching you. Okay, turn around.” She cleared her throat, doing her best to refocus. I narrowed my eyes and concentrated on the road.

I spun the wheel around and we headed back to where the truck was. I could see the delivery guy standing there smoking a cigarette, leaned up against his car.

“Oh, stop here,” she said. “I need to get out and deal with this.”

“Alright, you deal with it. I’ll hang. I’ll be your backup.”

She laughed, “I don’t need any backup.”

She got out of the car and walked over to the man who tossed out a cigarette. Of course, immediately after I stopped the car, the baby began to wake up and cry a little bit.

“Oh, that’s okay now Emma,” I said, caressing her foot to comfort her. “Oh c’mon. Go back to bed. It’s going to be fine.” She didn’t heed my words. Clearly, she liked when the car was moving, but now that we’d stopped, she felt anxious.

“Fine, I get it,” I said aloud. “I’m more comfortable in motion than when I’m staying put too.”

I thought to myself. That’s actually a very big, real, existential statement for me to make. I was more comfortable jetting around to different spots in the US, in the world, than I was staying here.

Yep, there was definitely a lesson in there.

I took the baby out of her car seat in the back and picked her up.

“It’s alright, it’s alright,” I said softly as I bobbed her up and down in my arms.

Then, rolling down my window, I listened to the interactions happening between Genny and the delivery man. They were making wild gesticulations as if they were negotiating something.

“Now, look here,” the man said in a heavy twang. “This is the address on the damn sheet so this is where I took it. If you want me to deliver this somewhere else then that’s a side job. It’s gonna be an extra few grand. That’s how this negotiation is gonna work sweetheart.”

“Don’t you sweetheart me,” she said like a little fireball. “I want you to bring these to my factory. This has all been a big misunderstanding, and trust me when I say I have the address right. It must’ve somehow been a mixup with your dispatch.”

I held the baby close to my chest. My holding technique had substantially improved over the last few days.

“Now, I don’t know what you think you did, but, your soap shop isn’t what’s on my sheet. So, I can’t deliver it. Alright lady? So, you know what? I’m just gonna drive these back to the supplier. I’m done with this. Unless you come up with three grand right now, and we make a deal, all this equipment is getting shipped back and you’re getting all sorts of fines for wasting my fucking time.”

“No, no, no” she said, her voice sounding weaker. “Don’t do that.”

Shit, she was getting strong armed in negotiations by this motherfucker.

“Alright, I am sick and tired of your shit, lady. Ain’t never seen a woman run no factory before. No wonder. Can’t even get her own damn address right.”

“Excuse me?” Her jaw dropped at the incredibly sexist comment. She was getting flustered. Personally, I couldn’t believe my ears either.

“Yeah,” he made a little wave on his hand. “You, don’t have the brains to run the factory. That’s plain to see. You can’t even get a simple address right. So, why would you be able to run a business of any kind? Doesn’t make any sense if you ask me.”

In the car, my jaw tensed. Opening the car door, I stepped outside. Baby in hand, I started walking toward the two of them.

“So,” the man said as he got into his truck, stepping in but not closing the door. “Now, I’m tired. It’s way after my shift, I’m gonna drive this truck back and you can go fuck yourself lady.”

“Hey buddy,” I growled, seething. Shit, I was sounding a lot more like Batman than myself. “I think you need to deliver the order.”

“Nahh,” he laughed at my face. “Yeah, I’m not delivering shit. I’m tired of y’all and I’m not having a very good day. So, if you’ll excuse me, I will be on my way.”

He went to close the door.

Genny and I made eye contact, and I had a flashback to the time in high school when I had to kick some guy’s ass who was disrespecting her at a high school dance. I handed the baby to Genny and I grabbed the door before he could fully close it.

“Not so fast,” I barked calmly.

“God damn it!” he retorted. “Let me close the goddamn door!”

“Why don’t you step out of the truck and talk about this. From what I can see, you’re being extremely difficult, this problem can be resolved in a very easy manner.”

He laughed, “Why don’t you make me come down?”

“Alright!” I growled.

Grabbing him by the neck, I pulled him out.

“What the fuck!” he cried as soon as he hit the ground. “You’re fucking insane man! Are you fucking insane?”

“Listen buddy, I’m just trying to get all of this taken care of so we can have the shipment, and this is very important to me. If it’s not important to you, I think you probably shouldn’t be driving a truck.”

“I ain’t gonna drive no truck over there. I’m not driving shit!” the man said, folding his arms.

“Alright then” I shrug. “Give me your keys. I’ll drive the truck”

Genny stared at me. Her eyes wide as she held the baby who had stop crying now that she was in the arms of Genny.

“No” the man said. “You can’t drive that.”

“Listen buddy,” I said, taking a step closer to him. He was on his feet now but still looking pathetic. When I looked closer, his face was wrinkled and he had several grey hairs. “I’ve driven the following: cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, tanks, helicopters, and airplanes, and if you think that I’m not gonna drive this truck, and I’m not gonna get my way here? Well, you’re just sadly fucking mistaken. So, why don’t you just do as I say, and we won’t have any problems. Give me the keys, and I’ll drive the fucking truck.”

“You want a fucking problem?” The guy said spitting on the ground. “I’ll give you a fucking problem.” With that, he lunged at my face.

I grabbed his arm, twisted it, spun him around, and wedged him so his elbow was on the brink of breaking.

“Fuck!” He screamed out in pain.

“Jesus, take it easy!” Genny said, covering the baby’s ears.

“So, are you gonna give me what I want yet?” I ask him.

“Let go! Please!”

I held him down.

“Don’t hurt him,” she screamed at me.

“Genny.” I growled. “Just let me take care of this my way”.

“This is ridiculous. This is the driver.”

“Listen buddy.” I said, whispering in his ears. “All we need to do is deliver these to the new fucking address at no extra charge I don’t understand what the big issue is and why you’re being such a dick. But, I will tell you this. I’m a Navy SEAL, and I know ten different ways to snap your neck. I’m not gonna do that because I’m a nice guy, but you would be best advised if you catch my drift to take this shipment to where Genny needs it. Okay?”

“Okay,” the guy managed to say.

“Excellent! So, I can’t wait for these to get delivered. I expect you to bring it over right now.” I tightened my grip at the guy. “Just cut the crap, bozo.”

He finally nodded, going along with me.

I let go of him. He got up holding onto his arm.

‘Alright, I’m gonna follow you to where you gonna go.”

“Don’t do anything funny.” I added.

The baby still wasn’t crying and loved being in Genny’s arms, apparently. Genny was gripping her tight on her chest.

I walked over to her. “Let’s go. I took care of your little problem.”

“I know. I’m not sure how appropriate that was,” she protested. “You essentially, physically assaulted the driver.”

I shrugged. “Well, he shouldn’t have been such a douchebag.”

She rolled her eyes, “You can’t just beat guys up because they’re being douchebags.”

I squinted hard at her. “Let’s get back to the car, shall we? And, yes I can.”

We got back in the car and the truck. Genny was silent as the truck driver followed us to the factory. Leaning to the back seat, she tickled little baby Emma, playing with her.

“Um, do you like Douglas?” she asked the baby as Emma giggled. Then she said to me, “You know, I feel a little bit bad that I’m charging you ten thousand dollars, and now you kind of did work for me on the clock.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I growled.

“I’m just thankful, that’s all.”

“Me too. I’m thankful I got you here.” I said, putting my hand on her knee.

“Yeah, I know.”

“You know?” I asked, arching an eyebrow as we pulled up to a red light behind the truck.

“Yeah, I like having you here.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I like having you here.”

The baby started babbling, which distracted Genny. “Yeah, do you like that? Do you like looking at the window? We’re at the red light!” she said.

Warmth spread through my chest in a way I hadn’t felt in years. Maybe ever. Watching Emma and Genny play together, I could feel the love flowing through me. Yet, this was only temporary. It was fleeting, and the long game meant getting rid of the baby and never seeing Genny again. Soon, I’d be back in North Carolina and this would all be a dream.

“Fuck!” I muttered out loud, before I realized what I’d said.

“Don’t swear in front of the baby,” she chided. “Besides, why are you randomly swearing?”

I stiffened my posture. What the hell was I supposed to tell to Genny? Was I supposed to tell her that I love the way she handled the baby. I regretted that I once left her for the military. I didn’t know. I was never the best at vocalizing things anyway. So, I just shrugged as the light turned green.

“That guy was a pain,” I said, diverting the subject.

“Yeah, well, we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”

I chuckled, my face tightening. “Hey, you looked hot,” I said. The words coming out from nowhere.

“What? What do you mean?”

I smiled. A cocky grin crossed my face. If I wasn’t going to say this now, when would I? “I mean, you looked hot when you were doing business. Even when you look at your phone, you’re all focused. I love that expression you have. Hot.”

Her eyes drifted from the dashboard to me and she let a soft smile spread across her face.

“Stop it!”

“Stop what?” I said innocently.

“You can’t do this. We’re not anything, Kade. You left me!”

“I did not want to leave you! What other choice did I have? I was eighteen years old. I hadn’t seen anything in the world. I had no money. I had few options. What did you want me to do?”

“I wanted you to stay here with me,” she huffed, angrily.

I let out my own huff of breath as we finally pulled up behind her factory.

“Well, I’m sorry. I didn’t live up to that, but-”

“But what?” she cut me off as she bounced little Emma on her knee.

“Look, it doesn’t matter. I’ve really enjoyed being back with you, that’s all. It feels right. It feels really good. I’ve been travelling all around for the last eight years and... you have no idea. You’ve basically been the only anchor I’ve ever had in life, and it makes me feel like-” I swallowed and pause.

“Are you not gonna finish that statement?”

“Like I actually have something to live for,” I finally growled.

“Kade! Don’t talk like that. You have plenty to live for.”

“Maybe, but nothing as sweet as you. And I’ll never have that again. It’s okay though. It’s my fault. I ruined it. I take responsibility for that, but I want you to know. If I could do it again,” I paused. Did I really wanna go here? Yes, I did.

“I would have never left.”