TANNER

This morning the first thing we did was walk the length of our private beach hand-in-hand while we admired rainbows of fish swaying in crystal clear water. We’ve done that every morning since we arrived, a quiet and peaceful habit I will miss whenever it becomes time to leave this paradise and face our real lives. Now Emma and I are having breakfast on the sunny patio, golden beams tracing her hair and skin even though she has no idea how beautiful she is to me.

Without warning I casually announce, “I’ll take the first house you showed me.” 

Her knife pauses on half-buttered toast. “Oh? I thought you’d choose the shiny, modern one.” 

Taking a slow sip of black coffee I lick warm bitterness from my lips and explain, “The Lowry family’s renovations—I like how they preserved the antique feeling left behind by the Moodys. There’s a warmth to it lacking in the modern property, maybe because it was purely intended for a large family, the one it never received. Don’t you agree it’s time I gave it one?” 

As the sun dances across her arm she thoughtfully forks heaps of scrambled eggs onto the toast. “Cora always said, save the best for last. But what if you choose another home before you see the best one? So I prefer to show it first.” She takes a bite and chews for a bit, swallowing and adding, “The Moody/Lowry mansion is my favorite, too. Since I hadn’t heard from you about your choice, I wondered if you were going to choose another city for your project.” 

On a quick frown I ask, “Why would I do that?” 

“Why Atlanta in the first place?” 

Chuckling I wag bacon at her. “We’ve been here almost two weeks and you’re just now asking me? You’ve been wondering that this whole time, haven’t you?” I take a delicious bite, smirking.

She leans forward, the strap of her new sundress slipping from her shoulder as she grins, “I’ve been kinda busy.” 

“Doing what?” I ask, playing dumb and eyeing her exposed flesh. 

She picks up a grape, peeling it with her thumbnail. “Fucking. Shopping for clothes. Fucking. Snorkeling with dolphins. Fucking. Hiking while getting bit by mosquitos. Fucking. Paddle-boarding with dolphins. More fucking. Laying on the beach. Eating out every night. Oh, and having dinner at restaurants every night, too.” 

My chest rumbles on a stifled laugh while I try to keep a straight face. “So you’re saying I’ve kept you entertained?” 

“Meh,” she shrugs. “It’s really all very boring, if I’m honest.” Her eyes twinkle as she gazes at the salt water in our little bay, fixing her strap. “I love all of this.” 

“I love all of you.” 

She meets my eyes, hers warm and happy as she brings a glass of orange juice to her lips. “I love you, too.” She takes a sip. 

“Would you like to have children with me?”  

She chokes and grabs a napkin to catch the liquid dripping through her nose. “Ouch! That burns!”

Grinning from under raised eyebrows I mutter, “Probably should drink that with your mouth next time.” 

“You think?” she laughs. 

“I was thinking of Mr. Moody, how he constructed that beautiful home for eleven children, but only had two. Wondered if it ended up being enough for him, once it was over. That made me think of your family, all the cousins you’ve told me about while we’ve been here, how close you all are. There’s love in your stories, especially when you speak about your brothers, Ethan and Eric.” I pause and lean forward, “But it’s really you, Emma, that makes me want them. I think you’ll be the most genuine, funny and caring, mother. I admire you so much, you make me want to be a father for the first time in my life. It was never a goal until I met you. I can see us being a great team and excellent role models.” 

Her smile settles and shifts. “Oh, that’s so sweet,” she whispers, taking a deep breath as it soaks in. “I am really tired of crying.”

Chuckling I chew on more bacon. “Happy tears are always welcome.” 

“And the sad ones?” she teases. 

“I’ll make those go away as quickly as I can. Speaking of family, I want you to meet mine. Jen and Ryder will love you. But you might want to keep my nephew away from those younger cousins of yours. You’ve told me how innocent they are.”

“Not Lexi,” Emma reminds me. 

“Well Zoe and Samantha then. Warn them when he comes around. Ryder’s got the devil in him, just like I do. Only he has less control since he’s just now starting college.”

“Oh God,” she groans, rolling her eyes. “I’ll lock them up like the men in my family locked me. I’m kidding,” she winks. “But Tanner, you didn’t answer my question. Why have the orphanage in Atlanta?” 

Taking a sip of coffee I nod and set the cup down, turning the handle to where I like it. “Well, it’s a difficult story. Knew I’d tell you in good time, but here goes. I had a woman working for my company, a bookkeeper named Riva. I found out she was putting in extra hours but not billing me for them. I watched her from afar after that, kept tabs, and saw how few errors she made. When she did make them, she brought them to her managing director’s attention, the necessary corrections already made. She could have swept them under the rug with a company as big as mine, fudged the numbers, but she didn’t. Since I was observing her, I knew and it made me more interested.” Clearing my throat I stare off at the waves, mind traveling back in time. “One year, when I caved in to Dan’s pressuring me to have a Christmas party, we took over a local hotel’s main dining room and bar. I found her sitting alone and grabbed the opportunity to ask what her roots were. She demurred at first, so I confessed I’d been watching her and admired her strength of character, her integrity. She was surprised, but it did the trick. She wanted to tell me why. She was proud of how far she’d come, had in fact probably been dying to tell someone the story.” Pausing I sip my coffee and meet Emma’s eyes, her meal forgotten, attention rapt. “Riva was raised in the lower-west side of Atlanta, in a section where most houses and businesses were boarded up, forgotten. Where crime was a way of life. Where nobody heard your call for help because nobody cared. The South was still holding onto racism then, even among her own race, African-American. The middle and upper class were so relieved to have fought their way out of segregation they sometimes didn’t look back to help their lower class sisters and brothers up. Easier to keep marching forward, especially when drugs were involved. Or gangs. Crime in general. You understand.” 

Emma nods, “Yes, go on.” 

Frowning I fold my napkin and lay it on the table. “Riva was orphaned at the age of seven—her mother was an addict, her father she never knew. ‘I had to offer my body to whoever would pay for it,’ she told me. I couldn’t believe it. She barely ate, saved that money, and put herself through school. She was good with numbers. Knew the value of hard work, that it was her ticket out of that hellish life she wanted no part of. The last thing she told me before the party interrupted us, I’ll never forget. She said, ‘If I didn’t help myself nobody would do it for me. I had the power to change my life. We all do.’” Clearing my throat I add, “Two winters ago she was in a car accident. Her managing director called me. The orphanage idea formed in my head as I broke every law to get to the hospital in time. When I told her my plan, her expression, I can’t possibly do justice to it. So stunned. So proud. Unfortunately, Riva passed the next day.” 

Emma rises up from her chair and kisses the corner of my eyes. “I’m the first person you’ve told, aren’t I?” 

“Yes.” I clear my throat again, but this damn lump won’t leave. “Not even Dan.”

“Does he just think you’re crazy?” 

I pull her onto my lap and admit, “Probably. But I think he knows deep down, this one is personal. Just doesn’t know why. He would never ask.”  

“She sounds like a very special woman, Tanner.” 

“Anyone who changes their circumstances for the better, I can’t help but respect them. She was one of the true heroes.” 

Emma traces the back of my neck, smiling tenderly. “It’s kind of your redemption, too, isn’t it?” 

“How so?” I frown.

“You’ve been telling me stories about the companies you’ve taken over, the people you’ve laid off, and I saw hints of regret.” 

“I’ve been shrewd, maybe at times thoughtless in my ambition.” 

Emma presses a gentle kiss to my forehead, stroking my hair.  

This is the mother of my children. 

But first.

I must ask her father a question...