Chapter 5

Saturday morning arrived and so did the herd of people that Chad had told Philip about just a few hours ago. He'd walked in unannounced, waking both Philip and Tiara. Philip hadn't stopped thanking the heavens that they'd been sleeping and not doing other things. He was still embarrassed that his father had told Tiara to "just bring a few things over the next time she was planning on bunking up with his son."

Philip stood on the porch, the smell of roast duck cooking as well as hot dogs and burgers for the kids. Potatoes and other vegetables were also being prepared, they too were being cooked to perfection. His arm was wrapped around the one woman he wanted his siblings to like since he brought home the woman that would later be his ex.

"Phil," Matt said, extending his hand and shaking it firmly. He held Carolyn next to him. His arm protectively around her waist. "This is Carolyn. She's agreed to marry this old codger."

Philip's gaze rested lightly on the woman next to his brother. She had green eyes and red hair. Her smile was soft and shy. "Carolyn, it's a pleasure." He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. A simple kiss was placed on her skin and then he released her. Philip's hand moved back to Tiara.

"Congratulations to you both," he said and then turned toward the woman that had claimed his heart and soul. "Matt and Carolyn, this is Tiara Able, the woman, whom I hope will stick around long enough for me to propose."

He smiled down at her and she up to him. "I think I can manage that." They missed the look of shock that registered on both Matt and Carolyn's faces, too lost in each other's eyes.

A cry of "Uncle Philip" broke the silence and the group turned to see one of the many children running toward them. Philip was swept into hugs and then teased into a quick game of tag, leaving Tiara alone on the porch with Matt and Carolyn. "Tiara?" Matt asked. "A unique name."

"Yes, it is, Tiara agreed.

Carolyn stared at the young woman for a long time. "I've only heard it once before."

"Oh? Well, I hope she grew up easier than I did," Tiara laughed. "Nothing like being a cap on a Princess' head while growing up."

Matt smirked. "Surely it wasn't all that bad."

"Oh no," she replied. "Mom and Dad made life very easy on me. I lacked for nothing." She grinned and nodded toward the car pulling up the drive. "I take it that is Janet and Steven."

Matt turned, as did Carolyn. "Looks like it." Another car approached and he laughed. "Looks like Dad's gonna have the whole crew this weekend." He turned back to Tiara. "You guys got room for all of them?"

"I think we'll open my house up for some of you."

"You live around here?" Carolyn asked.

"Yes, across the lake. I bought the place from the previous owners and have been living over there... well... until I met Philip." Tiara's gaze moved over to the man that was running up to greet his sister. Her eyes spoke volumes and for a moment no one else existed.

Philip brought Janie up to the porch and introduced her and her crew to Tiara. "Nice to meet you, Janie. It is okay to call you that, right?"

"Yes, Janie's fine. I'm Janet if I'm in trouble." The two women shook hands and eventually the adults moved into the house where more introductions were made.

By the time the lunch was brought out Tiara was wishing she'd bought name tags for everyone. She walked around refilling Kool-Aid and topping off coffee or tea, occasionally dropping off a fresh bottle of beer or a can of soda. By the time she was ready to relax, she had taken a count of twenty-two people, including herself, Philip and Chad. She leaned against one of the few available spaces that wasn't occupied by either a family memento or a family member and sighed. Philip found her there and pulled her toward him.

He took her place and then brought her back so she was leaning against him instead. His lips rested on her ear and he kissed her. "They are only staying till Sunday night."

She giggled and turned her head, just enough to kiss his lips. "I wasn't worried about that. I was just admiring the view."

"Oh? Is Matt strutting his stuff again?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. Your family. It is so large and so happy. I was an only child. I was happy, but I didn't have siblings."

Carolyn was rounding the corner and paused. "No brothers, or sisters?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I just over heard, no need to answer."

Tiara smiled. "Oh, it's okay. I didn't have any growing up. I do have one. A brother. But I don't know where he is. I was adopted and we were separated."

Carolyn's face paled, then she coughed, hoping to cover up the shock her facial expression had portrayed.

"Are you okay?" they both asked.

"Yes, fine." She took a deep breath. "I just breathed in wrong. So you have a brother, but you don't know where he is? What about your mom and dad... do they know?"

"My parents were killed in an automobile accident. My biological mom died shortly after Ethan and I were adop..."

Her words faded as Carolyn started to slip to the floor. Philip had seen it coming just as her eyes rolled back into their sockets. He'd quickly pushed Tiara out of the way, though she was already moving to grab the woman. Both caught her before she fell and Tiara screamed for Matt. He had been talking to his son, but turned when he heard the terror in another's voice. His gaze met Philip and Tiara's. He rushed to their side and took the fallen woman in his arms. "What happened?" he shouted.

Both stared at him, unsure what had happened. "We don't know. We were talking and she just fainted," Philip told him. "Here, take her to my room."

Matt hurried to the offered sanctuary, with Philip and Janie following. Tiara tried to calm the youngest children as well as herself. She'd seen the woman react to the name of her brother and she wanted to know why. Her excitement had to be contained for the time being though, an unconscious woman was help to no one.

Carolyn was laid down on the bed and Matt kneeled down on the floor. His eyes level with her face, willing her to wake up. Janie was there with a cold cloth and Philip was removing her shoes.

"Carrie babe, wake up Hon," Matt whispered as he covered her pale skin with the cool cloth. He watched her eyes flutter open and then closed. When she was able to focus on him, he relaxed. "Hey sexy."

She smiled, weakly and looked around. "What happened?"

Matt groaned. "We were hoping you'd tell us. Philip and Tiara said you..."

"Tiara I need to see her." Carolyn tried to leap from the bed, but Matt held her down.

"Calm sweetheart. She's outside and you can talk to her in a minute okay." Matt smoothed her brow and kissed her lips. "Please, for me. Just take a few. Philip will go get her."

Matt turned to his brother and Philip left the room. Janie touched Matt's shoulder and then looked at her future sister-in-law. "You're sure you're okay? You gave us quite a scare."

"I'm sure."

"Okay. I'm going to let you talk to Tiara. I'll let everyone know you're okay. Matt, I expect a full report on your lovely lady's health when she's done with you." Janie left the room, just as Tiara and Philip were entering.

"Philip, could I talk to Tiara alone," Carolyn asked.

Philip took a deep breath. He hadn't missed the reaction that Carolyn had and everything pointed to her knowing more of Tiara's past then even Tiara knew. He looked over to the woman that held a secret that could either hurt the one he loved or help her. "I'd rather stay."

Tiara touched his arm. "I'll be okay. If Carolyn knows something about me... then I want to know and I'll share it with you." She kissed his lips and whispered against them, "I love you."

He felt his world shift, a feeling that was becoming repetitive, but it still shook him. "I love you," he answered back. He left the room and grabbed a beer, wondering if Matt was about to be kicked out too. When it became apparent Matt was staying, he headed outside to enjoy the solitude as he waited on word from the woman he craved.

Carolyn watched Matt take a seat on the bed next to her and hold her hand. She thought of telling him to leave, but she remembered his words about secrets. "Tiara, have a seat please."

Tiara felt her pulse race as she slid into the chair that rested just a few feet away.

"First, I owe Matt an apology." She turned to him and squeezed his hand. "You told me in your office a few days ago that you didn't want secrets. I've carried one for a long time."

His expression hardened and he gazed back at her. His jaw became tight as he waited for her confession. Tiara didn't miss the anger, but she was too concerned with what secrets that Carolyn would have that would involve her and her brother, Ethan.

"When I was younger, I met a man. His name was Daniel and he was very handsome. A real charmer. He was passing through Minor Hill, a small town I lived in."

"I've heard of it," Matt stated.

"Yes, it is just a few miles from Pulaski. He was a dream, or so to a young girl he was. I dated him for a short spell. Things happened," she blushed and took a deep breath, "I was going to college in the fall, a scholarship that was going to get me out of the hills and into the city... but, I got pregnant."

The room was silent as Matt and Tiara absorbed her words. "I told Daniel, but he just laughed at me. Told me I should have been more careful, claimed it wasn't his and two days later he was gone. I had a friend though. A good friend, she had her own problems, but she had a home, a kid, living on welfare."

Carolyn glanced at Tiara. "Ruby Ann was a nice woman. She just had problems. When John left her, she fell into depression, but I couldn't keep a baby."

Tiara stared at Carolyn, her face ashen and her fingers cold. "You knew my mom?"

"Yes. I went to her. It was too late to get rid of... him."

"Ethan?" Tiara asked.

Matt shook his head. "Ethan?" he asked.

"My brother's name is Ethan." Tiara told him. She looked back to Carolyn. "I don't understand. Carolyn, please... go on."

Carolyn nodded her head. "I go by Carrie, but that isn't important. I stayed with Ruby Ann and you, her daughter, until Ethan was born. I had him there at her place. She sobered up long enough to deliver him. My parents wanted nothing to do with me, so I just kinda hid out at her place. When he was born, I went back to school and doubled up on lessons so I could graduate and go to college."

Matt said nothing, his mind trying to grasp at everything that was swirling around him. He listened though, promising to process it all later.

Tiara took a deep breath. "So, you left your son with my mother. But my search says she is our mother and our father's are unknown."

"I had no birth certificate. I went back... years later, but it was too late. She'd lost both of you to the state and she passed away. Drugs and alcohol had destroyed her. I asked the social worker in the area where you both were and she said, 'Misses Kingston's children were wards of the state and had been adopted.' I figure she told them she was Ethan's mom. After all... she had been caring for him. I knew that whatever life you both had was better than I could have provided. I didn't look for my son or for you. I left town, got a job, a career, and then married. We divorced and now I have Matt, or so I hope I do." She turned to him and tried to read his emotions.

Tiara sat back. "So you don't know where Ethan is either? I know he's not my brother, but..." She took a deep breath. "Do you know who my dad is?"

Carolyn turned back. "Your mom was married to John, but she screwed up. Ruby was out late with some area drunks and slept with several; your dad found out. He left her when he found out she was pregnant. I guess he couldn't have kids, so he knew you weren't his. I'm sorry."

Matt took a deep breath. "You had a son, have a son."

"Yes," Carolyn answered. "I don't know where he is, but he's out there. I was going to tell you. I just wanted to wait. You were so wrapped up in your search for..."

Matt rubbed his hands over his face. "Yes, I was," he said, stopping her before she finished her sentence. "Jesus Christ Carolyn, you should have told me."

"I know. I'm sorry."

Tiara rose from her seat. "I'll let you two discuss this. I need to go talk to Philip."

"No, don't leave." Matt told her.

She stopped and looked back at the couple. "Matt, I don't think this should involve me." "It already does. I know where Ethan is," he answered.

Tiara sat back down. Carolyn whimpered; her fist moved to her mouth. "No, Matt."

He closed his eyes, then slowly opened them, only to meet the stare of his fiancé. "I have the file in my car. I was going to let Janie look at it, if she wanted to. Ethan's name was changed to Philip when my parents adopted him. He was four. They didn't know he had a sister. I just found that out, but it looks like he's an only child too."

Carolyn's tears fell as Matt continued. "Tiara, mom and dad brought home this knobby kneed four-year-old. He had blonde hair and green eyes. I was sixteen. Janie was fourteen. We were told his name would be Philip, not Ethan. So we were to make sure we call him Philip until he answered to it all the time. We did. We were kids. We were told to keep it a secret. I wanted to tell him when I was eighteen. I wanted to tell him after Mom died... and I was going to tell him after Pop died. I paid detectives right and left, eventually one turned up some stuff after I made a few political phone calls."

"Something I couldn't do," Tiara whispered. "I tried to find him too... Ethan, but got nothing, and I know Philip doesn't know he's adopted."

"No," Matt told her. He turned to Carolyn. "Carrie, Philip is Ethan. He's your son."

Her lips trembled. "I don't know what to do."

Matt pulled her into his arms. "We'll figure something out."

Tiara stared at them. "What do you mean? You've got to tell him. He needs to know this."

"We will tell him, but we can't just throw it at him."

Tiara agreed. "That is not the way to find anything out."

Matt slipped a kiss onto Carolyn's head. "I'll talk to Janie and Pop."

"Do you think that is a good idea? Your Dad seems to have good days and bad according to Philip and Tiara," Carolyn whispered. "I want to tell him. I want to explain myself, but I can wait."

"I can't leave this room and not tell him. I won't lie to him. Don't ask me to do that," Tiara told them both.

"Just give me an hour," Matt said.

Tiara chewed on her lip. "One hour Matt. I'll not speak to him until then."

"Thank you," both Matt and Carolyn answered. They watched her rise to go. "Tiara, would you have Janie and Pop come in here."

"Yes," she answered back and left the room. Her head pounding, yet there was a sense of closure slowly embracing her. She found Janie and Chad, both deep in a game of Scrabble. She told them that Matt and Carolyn wanted to see them. Janie asked if everything was okay, Chad repeated the question.

"You really just need to go talk to them. I'm going to take a bath." She had to find something to do that would keep her away from Philip. "An hour," she whispered as she made her way to the bathroom and locked herself inside.

Janie feared she knew what waited behind the door where her brother and his fiancé sat. She was wrong. Her eyes grew wide as did her Father's and for the first time in her life she wished he was having one of his "moments" so he wouldn't have to listen to Matt plead his case. She stared at Carolyn and shook her head trying to come to terms with everything. "So your Philip's Mom?"

Carolyn nodded her head. Her gaze however never left the man that had raised her son. "I'm his birth mom. Your Mom... Delilah, was his Mom. I gave him up. I have to answer to him for that."

Chad stared at her and ran his hand over his eyes. He'd been so close. He could feel it inside, so close to making his Delilah happy and meeting back up with her. "Carrie, you were a young girl, who got screwed over... pardon the pun, my dear." He stood up and walked over to the window. He saw Philip sitting at the picnic table, where he had spent many a night pouring over booze when his ex had messed him up. What would this do to him?

"Matt's right, he needs to know."

Janie screamed back that he didn't need to know anything. Carolyn could keep her mouth shut. She had for the last forty odd years, why open it now. Matt shouted back for Janie to watch herself, but Carolyn squeezed his arm and told him it was okay.

Chad however moved over to his daughter and pulled him into his arms. "Janie. He'll still be your brother. He's not the self-serving playboy and spoiled brat that he was when he came back this time," he looked over to Carolyn, "we raised him, but we spoiled him too."

His fingers ran through his daughter's hair. "Janie. It's time. I'm not going to be around much longer and well... this isn't a secret I should take with me. It's asking too much of Matt, you, Tiara and Carolyn."

"Asking too much? Jesus Christ, Dad You raised her son. She has no right to deny you anything."

"Janie. I've got to talk with him. I think I'll take Tiara with me." Chad left the window and walked over to Carolyn. "Everything comes back full circle, eventually. He's a great son and it's been my pleasure to call him my own. Thank you, for knowing you weren't ready and letting us keep him." He kissed her brow and went in search of Tiara.

His soft knock on her bathroom door and her whispered, "I'll be there in a minute" was all he needed to hear before he headed to the fridge and grabbed a couple of beers. He waited for Tiara and then embraced her. "I need ya girl. Can an old man lean on you?"

"Yes, Chad, I need you too... he'll need all of us, though, even Carolyn, though he may not show it."

Chad squeezed her tight and then together they headed out of the cabin and toward the back where Philip sat waiting for the axe to fall on his happiness. He'd been sitting for over an hour and when he turned to see who was approaching he felt a sense of nausea rise up in him. "This isn't good, is it?" he asked.

Philip accepted the offered bottle of beer and took Tiara's hand. "Everything okay?" he asked.

She smiled and shrugged. "I think it will be. Please listen and know I love you very much." She kissed his lips and then pulled him back to the picnic table.

He gazed at both the woman he loved and his father. "I love you too, so I guess you both just need to spill the beans and tell me what this is all about."

Tiara held his hand while Chad explained how Delilah had voiced wanting another child. He shared with Philip that they knew she couldn't have any, because of a surgery she had years before Philip was born. Philip's jaw grew tight and his hand, held by Tiara shook with rage. She held it and asked him to listen.

"We got the call that a four-year-old was available to be adopted. There were concerns surrounding his upbringing, but if we were willing to overlook a few facts or lack of them, we could bring you home. Your Mom jumped at the chance. Once I saw you, there was no turning back. We loved you Philip, still do. Your Mom's staring down at us and I know she's hurting, but we don't regret ever keeping you."

Philip sat there stunned. His whole life had been built on a series of events that some woman without thought to anyone but herself had instigated. He then turned to his father. He shook his head and cursed him. "When were you going to tell me?" The answer was in his father's eyes. "Jesus, Pop, never? You weren't ever going to tell me the truth were you?"

He left the picnic table and when Tiara moved over to him, he waved her away. She stopped and looked back at Chad. He seemed to have aged twenty years in the last few minutes. "Chad, let's get you inside. You need to rest."

Chad growled and walked over to his son. "Philip, you're my son. Just because you don't have my DNA, doesn't mean you aren't mine and your Mother's. I did what I thought was best for my family. I'm still doing it."

Philip didn't want to argue. He looked at the man he'd been calling Father and saw what Tiara saw. "You need to rest Pop. We'll talk more later. Do you know anything about the woman that gave me up, besides she didn't think she could do a good job?"

"Chad, I'll tell him. You go inside, please," Tiara said, her fingers touching Chad's arm. He agreed and gave his son a long, hard stare.

"You're still my son."

"I know Dad, just give me some time."

Chad agreed and headed back to the house. His thoughts ran through years of laughter and tears that he'd shared with his children and his wife, who he missed desperately. When he reached the porch he drew in a tiring breath and sighed. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door frame. "Dee, this is harder than I ever thought it would be." Chad made his way into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee.

Tiara watched him leave and then turned back to Philip. Her hand cupped his cheek and she whispered how sorry she was that all of this was happening. He said nothing. His hand lifted and he took hers. "Let's walk."

She moved with him, taking a trail that she'd been on several times over the past few weeks as she and Philip learned more about each other. "What was it like for you?" he asked.

"It was different, than this Philip," she answered, "I learned from a video. There was no one for me to yell at or accuse or curse. I did get angry though. I was so mad at my parents and then I was mad at Ruby Ann, my birth mother. But Philip, you have a family. Your Dad is still here and your brother, sister, nieces and nephews. I don't have any of that."

"What kind of woman leaves her son?"

"Philip there is more to the story. You asked about your mom and if Chad knew anything more about her."

They stopped at a clearing and sat down on a bench that Chad had long ago placed there for his wife. "I assume that Carolyn knew something about you, but she knew about me too?"

Tiara took a deep breath. "Carolyn was a friend of my mother, Ruby Ann, my biological mom."

"Wow."

"Yeah. I guess she knew her when she was married to a guy named John. He's not my dad. I still don't know him, and neither does Carol." Philip pulled her closer to him. "I'm sorry, Hon. I know that is important to you. Did she have any information about your brother?"

"I don't have a brother. It seems Carolyn had a baby and left him with my mom. When the state came to take us away, Ruby Ann told them we were both hers. She helped Carolyn deliver a baby boy, then she raised him until her depression and dependency became too much. Carolyn came back, but it was much later and by then both of us had been adopted out."

Tiara turned into him and stared deeply into his eyes. "Philip, Carolyn named the baby Ethan and he was adopted by a couple who had two kids of their own. They changed his name. He grew up to be a player, until his mom passed away and he had to take on some responsibility."

"Tiara, don't."

She rubbed his cheek with the back of her hand. "They changed your name from Ethan to Philip. Carolyn came back and she found out we were both adopted. She decided we'd be better off not knowing the truth. She didn't look for you or me. She assumed we had good lives, and we did, didn't we?"

Philip's mind was reeling as he absorbed more information. He stood up and walked several feet before turning back and speaking. "So my mother, the woman who gave birth to me, left me with a drunk and a drug addict is in my bedroom, engaged to my brother, who isn't my brother."

Tiara chewed on her lower lip. "Carolyn is your mom."

"No, Delilah Traverse was my mom."

"I know," Tiara answered. "But what you said is true. Carolyn is engaged to Matt and he loves her. He loves you too. She's still here, Philip. She's not going to force herself into your life. She had no clue who I was until we met and then when she was telling the story, Matt filled in the blanks concerning who you were."

"How did he know?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I guess he's been wanting to tell you for several years now, but was honoring your parents' wishes."

"I need some time, Tiara. Can you tell them that?"

"Yes."

He pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to her. His tongue traveled deep into her mouth, tasting her and wanting to lock her flavor into his mind. Philip's hands moved down her back and then up her spine. "Tiara. I'm not the man I was when I came here, but this is still a lot for me to absorb." "I know." She kissed him back. "I'll be here when you're ready... we all will be here for you."

Philip pressed his lips to her forehead and breathed in the scent of her. "I know." He kissed her again and headed back up the trail.

When Tiara returned to the cabin, she could tell that Carolyn hadn't seen her son. She walked over and pulled her into her arms. "He'll be back."

Two weeks went by before Philip returned to the cabin. In that time he had thought long and hard about his life. He recalled memories of his youth as well as his time as a young adult. In the end he came to several conclusions, but all boiled down to two things. His life would have not been as pleasant as it had been if Ruby Ann Kingston had raised him, and from what he had learned from Matt, it would not have been easy if Carolyn had found him. He also wouldn't have the family he has now.

He stared at the cabin. He had called both his sister and his brother, letting them know he was doing okay. Matt had told him that Carolyn had stayed with Tiara, both of them carrying for Chad, while Philip took some time. He stepped onto the porch and could hear the two women laughing. His heart skipped at the sound of his lover, the woman he had come to love more than any other. Then his ears picked out the sound of the new woman in his life.

When he stepped into the house, the two women stopped what they had been doing and stared at him. Tiara was the first to react. She rushed over and swung her arms around his neck. "God, I've missed you."

Their lips met and Philip held her tight against him. "I've missed you, too." He pulled back from her and ran his fingers over her lips. "You're beautiful. I've wanted to hold you and whisper naughty things in your ear and then act them out." He kissed her hard and then heard a loud cough.

He chuckled against her lips and separated from him. "Pop," he nodded his head and then pulled him into his arms, offering him a hug too. "I'm home."

Chad held his son tight and when he released him it was with a gruff and a nod toward the stove. "It's a good thing, because these women can't cook."

A soft chuckle filled the room and Philip moved over to Carolyn. "Got a minute?" he asked.

She nodded her head and with tears in her eyes she followed him outside. They sat together on the swing. Carolyn's hands pulled on the skirt she was wearing; Philip took her hand and pulled it onto his lap.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Philip squeezed her fingers and ran circles over her skin. "I'll probably never call you mom, but I understand why you did what you did. You were young and saw no way out."

"I thought about you, though, all the time, on your birthday and holidays. I never stopped thinking about you."

"Is my birthday right?" he asked.

"Yes, it is."

"Good, though being younger wouldn't have been a bad thing."

Carolyn turned toward him. "Tiara is a wonderful person. She's missed you. So has your father. I'm glad you came back."

"I'm glad you were here. I guess you don't know how to find my father?"

Her face grew crimson. "No. I'm sorry. You probably think I'm a slut."

Philip pulled her into a hug. "No, Carolyn, I don't. I have no right to judge you. Lord knows I haven't been pure and holy. I've had my share of flings and there were times I was irresponsible. Carolyn, I just want to be happy. I want Tiara happy, Matt, Janie, Pop and even you."

He kissed the top of her head and stood up. "I need to hunt down that woman of mine. I have a question to ask her." He winked and headed back into the cabin. He paused at the door. "Matt's on his way down to pick you up, seems he's growing anxious and wants you home." He watched her blush and then left her as he went in search of Tiara.

Philip found her in his bedroom. "Hey beautiful," he said, closing the door behind him. Tiara turned and smiled.

He closed the distance and dragged her against him. Her hands moved over his chest and then up to his neck. Her fingers slipped into his hair and she toyed with the locks. Their tongues slid back and forth, each one stroking and tasting as they danced together. She tilted her head and pressed herself tighter against him. "Philip," she whispered.

His mouth skated down her neck and then over to her ear. Her teeth moved to nibble as best she could on his skin. Their hands moved simultaneously, each one working buttons or ties, wanting nothing between them. Her shirt was pulled free of her slacks and tossed over his shoulder. His buttons flew left and right when they became more of an annoyance then her slim fingers wanted to deal with.

Philip chuckled as he watched her wretch her bra off, letting her breasts bounce free and sway gently. "God, baby," he groaned. He watched her drop to her knees and quickly free him of his shoes, socks and slacks. His sex ached and throbbed, his boxers showing off his need for her.

Tiara moaned and kissed the fabric, yanked it down with one hard pull and then captured his bouncing member with her mouth. Philip groaned and buried his fingers in her hair. He wasn't expecting this, hadn't come home to have her take him in her mouth. He'd wanted to make love to her, slow, torturous and tormenting. He wanted to feel her sex surround him, whisper his desire for her and then tell her how badly he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Now as he gazed down he was enthralled by her beauty. Philip growled and wrapped his hands around her arms and lifted her from his cock.

"Tiara," he moaned. "Wait, baby."

She smirked and winked. "I've waited two weeks, Philip."

"Then two minutes won't kill you."

She laughed and slid her fingers around his shaft. She stroked him, urging him to continue talking while she tried to distract him.

Philip hissed. "Tiara, I love you." His hand grabbed hers and he forced her to leave his member alone. He bent down and lifted stepped out of his pants and boxers. Philip lifted his jeans up and dipped his fingers into the pocket. He pulled out the ring he'd purchased a few weeks before he'd found out about his life. He dropped to one knee and looked up at her.

Tiara swallowed and felt her skin grow hot as his words of confession filled her soul. There was only one word she had to whisper. The simple "yes" fell from her lips and he pulled her against him. He kissed her stomach and licked a path back up to her breasts, before covering her lips with his. He slipped the ring on her finger and clenched her hand in his. They made love, slow and tedious, each one renewing the scents and tastes of the other.

When they left the room, it was to find Carolyn gone, her love had picked her up and Chad had fallen asleep holding a portrait of his wife, and three kids.

Chad didn't wake up from his rest that day and later his family said their goodbyes. Several months after that, Philip married Tiara, his brother Matt, stood as his best man; Matt's wife Carolyn, stood as Maid of Honor. Janie accepted both women into her brother's life, though at times she still worried, neither was good enough for him.