Love Nows No Color

As we walked away from the courthouse, heads held high, I felt a sense of relief. Rose was being sentenced at this very moment. I'd grabbed Shavonda and split with my dark-skinned beauty because I'd seen enough. All the pain Rose had caused to everybody close to her, and I still got the feeling she didn't get it. Rose didn't get just what a disaster her blind hatred of us had caused. She'd gambled everything on breaking us apart and failed. We were still standing, married, stronger than ever. But everything else around her had crumbled. It was such a waste. So much time, stress and money wasted for what? A pointless exercise in self-destruction?

We walked up Grant Street to the busway, and got on a bus to Wilkinsburg, where we'd parked the car. We'd left Althea comforting Barbara in the courtroom. I hoped they were okay, but I was so stressed right now, I couldn't even eat. So, we'd passed up our traditional lunch downtown at Villa Reale. We waited at the old train station for the bus, and rode it east. Though it was standing room only, somebody took pity on Shavonda, who was now in her 24th week of pregnancy, and gave up their seat for her.

We got off at the park n ride, quickly finding the Cruze among the sea of parked cars. Shavonda was on the phone. Calling her mother, no doubt. I really wasn't paying attention to her conversation, being lost in my own world.

"Mama says Rose got 12 to 20," Shavonda told me as she hung up the phone. "They took her into custody right there. She's gone. Barbara is a mess. Althea's bringing her by the house. She shouldn't be alone."

Great! But what if I wanted to be alone? I needed to calm down. I wasn't angry, just upset. I'd seen enough misery to last me a lifetime. Rose's mother Barbara in tears, faced with the loss of her daughter. Brittany and Ethan losing their mother. Though they didn't know it yet, last weekend was the last one they'd spend with their mother. In 12 years, Brittany would be 18, Ethan 16. It didn't have to be that way. Now we'd have to pick up the pieces.

It wasn't like we didn't know this day was coming. I'd actually been happy when Rose had been arrested after trashing Shavonda's shop. I'd been ecstatic when family court awarded the kids to us, first on an emergency basis, then permanently. I'd even been relieved when Rose had taken the plea deal. But the sentencing hearing was different. This was playing for keeps. I'd gone in this morning with my queen, intending to ask the court to throw the book at Rose. I'd even had a prepared statement to read, just as Shavonda had. But in the end, Rose was the woman I'd been married to for six years. And try as I might, as I contemplated the misery around me I couldn't ask them for that. In the end, I had asked the court to get Rose some mental health care. I hoped she'd get it, that they'd listened to my plea. In the end, after all we'd been through, I had forgiven Rose.

I headed for the day care to pick up the kids. We were picking them up early today, for neither of us was working. Arriving there, we quickly strapped them into their car seats and headed back across town to our home. Traffic was rather light for midafternoon, we'd beaten the start of rush hour traffic and were home by 3:15. Althea had already arrived with Barbara. Since she had the key, she'd gone in the house and made tea for a distraught Barbara. The kids were glad to see her, and bounded up the steps shouting, "Grandma!"

Barbara smiled and gave them each a hug, before pulling Ethan on her knee. Shavonda and I sat on folding wooden chairs she'd had on her porch forever. She put her feet in my lap and I instinctively unstrapped her sandals, rubbing her feet.

"Don't worry," I told Barbara. "You won't lose the kids. Von and I have discussed this, and we want to transfer Rose's visitation schedule to you. You can have them every other weekend, and you're welcome to visit them here any time." That seemed to ease her mind a little. But there was still something bothering her.

"Rose told me you won't take the kids to visit her," Barbara stated. I nodded my head, not sure what to say.

"He can't," Althea defended me. "State prison rules won't allow victims to visit convicts. He has a good heart, and if he could I'm sure he would."

"I didn't know that," Barbara said softly. "Rose made it sound like you were doing it out of spite."

"You heard the statement I just gave the court," I replied. "Did I sound spiteful to you?" Barbara shook her head no.

Althea had the solution. "He can't, Barbara, but you can. Jason and Von have given you Rose's visitation rights. That means you have full control of the babies when you have them. What's to stop you from taking them to see their mother? You have no restrictions on visiting her."

"I don't know," Barbara said sadly. "I don't know if I can bear to see her locked up like that. In spite of what she did, she's still my daughter."

"Ms. Barbara, that's a decision you have to make," Shavonda said respectfully. "We can't make it for you. But we will be behind you whatever you decide. You can stay here for a few days if it will make you feel better. We won't turn you away. Jason's birthday is tomorrow and we're having a party. We want you to come. And, even though it isn't Rose's week to have them, you can take the kids this weekend, unless you decide to stay here. Whatever you decide, know that our family will be there when you need us."

I gently lowered Shavonda's legs to the floor and got up. Walking to the kitchen, I found the bottle of black cherry rum we had left over from the honeymoon. It had sat untouched for two and a half months, because Shavonda couldn't drink during her pregnancy, and I didn't want to touch it without her sharing it. I made a stiff drink for Barbara with the Dr. Pepper we had on hand, and brought it to her.

"Here," I said, handing it to her. "Maybe this will help." I watched her take a sip, as I pulled Shavonda's legs back in my lap. Barbara grimaced just a little when she realized how strong I'd made her drink, but she didn't put it down. "Drink up. There's more where that came from. And you're not driving home tonight. You can crash on the couch."

We spent the rest of the evening on the porch, comforting her. Althea insisted on getting up around six, and cooking dinner for us. Barbara alternated between lucid conversation, and uncontrollable bouts of tears. Eventually, her speech started to slur. I cut her off then. A hangover tomorrow was the last thing she needed.

When Althea called us into the kitchen, I put my arm under Barbara's and supported her as I walked her to the kitchen. Althea had fried us some pork chops, with greens and corn. Now I knew where Shavonda had learned how to cook. The food was delicious. Barbara picked at hers for a while, but eventually ate. It was heartbreaking to watch her. After dinner, we let her pass out on the couch. With food on her stomach, I'd let her have some more rum.

Althea stayed until about 10 pm. She wanted to make sure everybody was okay. Her main concern had been Barbara, but she also knew how hard this had been on Shavonda and especially me. "Jason, Von might not agree with me, but what you did in court impressed the hell out of me. Not too many victims are concerned about their attacker's well-being. It took a big heart to do what you did. I'm proud of you."

"I don't know," I said slowly, choosing my words. "I just look at it all and see the wasted life. I see that she hurt the very people she said she cared about the most. I also saw that she still didn't understand that. And I hope that with help she can begin to see what she did and why it was wrong. I don't hate her, just what she did."

"I'm still mad at her," Shavonda said. "I know you meant well, Jason. But I'm convinced she is an evil woman, and I don't think she'll change. I know I'm supposed to forgive her, and eventually I will. But I'm not there yet. The wounds are still open."

"You at least have to give her a chance, baby," Althea said. "Where she's at she can't hurt you. Jason's right. Maybe with help, she'll see what she did was wrong, and she'll be able to get past it and become a better person. Maybe she'll find Jesus in there." Althea's phone rang. "Hello," she said. Pause. "I'm at Von's. Yes, they're okay. I'll be home in a few minutes." She turned to us, hanging up the phone. "Your father wants me to come home. I have to go. I'll see y'all tomorrow for the party." We watched her sway her way down the steps to her car. Damned if she didn't walk like Shavonda. I'd never noticed it before. Wicked hips must be a family thing.

We sat on the porch for a while longer, listening to the crickets. I held Shavonda close telling her, "It's over now." She squeezed me tighter, and I heard a muffled sob. My queen was letting it all out, all the pent-up anger and frustration of the past year. The endless court hearings, the financial hits we'd taken from legal fees, the nagging feeling in the back of our minds that Rose would go back on the deal and we'd face charges. It was all over now. We finally had the clouds that were hanging over our relationship dissipate.

Exhausted, we trudged our way upstairs and helped each other out of our clothes. I held her close, spoon style, as we fell asleep.

Althea arrived late the next morning. She helped Shavonda get set up for the party. They'd planned this well in advance, and as the guests began to arrive, they made the run to Salvatore's for pizza. Barbara had finally awoken, and she seemed in better spirits, if a little numb. The guests kept her busy, talking to her, offering their condolences. They really helped, and by the end of the night, Barbara was well enough to face the world.

Some weeks earlier, we had bought the kids a wooden swing set and play area, which we'd set up in the backyard near the bird feeders. They played in the play area with Patty's kids, who had come over with their mother for the party.

In addition to the pizza, the ladies had gotten me a cake from Oakmont Bakery, which they'd picked up a couple of days before and hidden in the downstairs refrigerator. I hadn't noticed it, even though we'd had train night down there, because Shavonda had made sure to get me whatever I wanted to drink from the refrigerator, so I wouldn't open the door and see the cake.

My queen and her mother had gotten them to decorate the cake in a railroad theme. It was so beautiful I almost hated to cut it. But it was chocolate cake, and I'd been brought up that it was a sin to waste food. Especially chocolate cake. They had put 32 candles on it, and when I went to blow them out, one kept relighting itself while everybody laughed. I was going to get Shavonda good for that. After all, I knew where her sweet spot was.

When we opened the gifts, Althea and James handed me a card. "Happy Birthday, Jason," James said. I opened the card. Inside was a check for $10k. "This is so you can add an extension on the house. You'll need more room for your growing family. Your parents are matching this amount. Consider it a combination birthday and wedding present."

Sure enough, Shavonda brought me the card my parents had sent. Inside was another check for $10k, marked home improvement in the memo section. There was also a newspaper clipping from the Monroe County Times. "Von," I said. "Would you look at this?" I read the clipping. "Jenkins-Waite. On May 18, Shavonda Marie Jenkins of Pittsburgh, Pa married Jefferson Scott Waite, also of Pittsburgh, PA in that city. Mr. Waite is the son of Ed and Julia Waite of Waiteville. The newlyweds will continue to live in Pittsburgh."

"Our wedding notice," Shavonda said. "How nice of them."

"Down there, weddings and funerals are news. Up here they get lost in the shuffle," I explained to everybody.

There were two huge wrapped boxes. One was long and relatively flat, the other was almost the size of a small cabinet. "These two are from me," Shavonda said, with a gleam in her eye. "I think you'll like them."

I opened the flat one first. I couldn't believe what I saw on the box. Shavonda had bought me an electric bass guitar. Kissing her, I turned to the other present. Peeling off the paper, I found the amp to go with the guitar. "Oh, yeah," I said with an evil laugh. "We gonna keep the neighbors up half the night."

"Maybe next time we go to the farm, we can fit these in the jeep and blow your cousins away," Shavonda laughed. "At the very least, you'll be able to practice getting your finger movements right."

Later, after the kids left for the weekend with Barbara, we headed into the bedroom. Shavonda said, "Now for your special birthday present. Unwrap me baby. Hope you're not sleepy, because I'm having you all night long." I pulled her maternity dress over her head, gazing upon her naked body. She'd secretly removed her bra and panties during the party. I noticed her belly button was starting to pop out. I wondered if it was due to the baby growing inside her slowly expanding belly. It looked sexy.

She sat on the bed and pulled my pants down. I stood in front of her as she took me deep into her mouth. Her soft brown lips felt so good on my shaft, working their way up and down its swollen length. "Don't hold back," she said as I fondled her tit, squeezing it softly as I ran my thumb lightly over her nipple. Just to make her point, she stroked me with her hand as her lips moved over the head of my penis. In no time at all, she had me on the edge, pulling me over with her lips. My toes curled in pleasure as I groaned, my muscles clenched and spasmed, releasing my hot load into her waiting mouth. She watched my face as she sucked my orgasm from me, milking me. My legs turned rubbery as my energy drained out of me with each jet of my sperm. Popping me from her mouth, she pulled me onto the bed and rolled me onto my back.

"I had to get the first one out of the way," Shavonda said as she kissed me, her tongue finding mine. "I love watching you when you come. You make the cutest face. And you taste so damn good." She kissed me again. "Tonight, I want you to last. I want you to eat me now. I know that gets you hard. And I want you hard as soon as possible." She straddled my face, rubbing herself back and forth over my mouth and tongue. She rose up off me, and turned around, so she could straddle me while she licked me hard again. I loved this position. I gazed at her moist chocolate folds as I pulled her inner lips apart to reveal the pink within. I licked her, savoring the taste of her juices.

She moaned in pleasure, the vibrations bringing pleasure to my still soft member. I licked her deeper as she moaned again and bucked back against my seeking tongue. I had her scent now, and between it and her wicked tongue I was rapidly inflating again. I could feel her swollen belly pressed hard against my chest as she writhed in pleasure against my tongue, and wondered how much longer we'd be able to do this. I was sure going to miss sixty-nine. She lifted her head off my now erect manhood as she dissolved in orgasm, flooding me with her sticky juices. She rode out her orgasm on my willing face, then loosened my hands from her hips and climbed off me.

"What?" I asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," Shavonda sighed, "You've done everything too well. But if I'm going to give you your birthday gift, I have to stop." She crawled up next to me on hands and knees, and her mouth hovered over mine. "Mmmmm," she purred, "I love a man who tastes like pussy." Her lips met mine and we kissed deeply, her tongue exploring my mouth excitedly. "Get up, birthday boy," she ordered. I complied, willingly. Shavonda put her face down in the pillows, ass in the air, wiggling it at me. She grabbed a tube of anal lube from the nightstand drawer, and reached back for me.

"Let me get you ready," she whispered as she spread lube in the palm of her hand and stroked my length. "I've been thinking about this all day and it's driving me wild." She squirted more lube on her fingers, and slipped them in her ass crack. "I really enjoyed the last time we did this, before the wedding. Jason, make love to my ass." She guided my hardness to her puckered opening, placing the head just outside. "Just let me do the work." Shavonda eased back onto me, her opening giving resistance before finally opening to accept me. She stopped, getting accustomed to my girth within her.

I let her hold me like that for a minute, before I felt her lean forward, then drive her ass back onto me again, impaling herself deeper on my spear. Her hand found her clit, and she rubbed furiously. She did this several times more, driving me deeper inside her most private place, until I was buried up to my balls. Stopping, she let herself adjust to my full length. I felt her take several deep breaths as the relaxed around me. Even with the lube, she was tight and it took some effort to penetrate her this deep.

Shavonda rubbed her clit faster, bringing herself to an orgasm. It was weird to feel this from the other side, as her muscles clenched me and she pushed back into me hard. I could go no deeper. I felt her shudder with a growl as her passion swept her away. I stayed still as the contractions gradually lessened in force and she fell into the afterglow. My queen was totally relaxed now. "Ok, Jason," she said, "Now fuck me good."

I started moving inside her tight hole, the lube easing my way. We'd some anal before, several times. But, due to my size, I had been afraid of hurting her. The last time we'd done it, she finally seemed to really enjoy herself. But this time, she craved it. Shavonda had found the secret, and it was no longer painful for her. She met my thrusts with the same fervor as if I was in her pussy. Her hand was back fingering her clit. I hadn't noticed, but she'd put her finger vibrator on, and was buzzing her sensitive nub with it. I could feel its vibrations through her walls, and they were making me crazy with lust. As another orgasm wracked her body, she arched back into me, her muscles trying to draw me in deeper. "God, YES Jason!" she cried, "Do me just like that!" I was pumping her hard now, and she just kept coming and coming. I felt the old familiar tensing as deep down the geyser got ready to erupt. "Jason, baby are you close?" came her frantic cry, "Come in me baby. Flood my ass with your nut!" I gave up on trying to hold back and let the sensations take over. Pumping hard, I exploded inside her as jet after jet shot out of my throbbing dick deep into her bowels. Spent, I collapsed on the bed, legs rubbery, pulling my wife on her side as I went. We were still connected, and she was not ready to let go just yet.

We lay there, spoon style, panting. "That. Was. Amazing," Shavonda gasped. She lay there and caught her breath before she continued. "I don't know why, I just had the urge to do that. When we did anal before the wedding, it felt good to me. Now I know the secret. I came hard this time."

We lay there on our sides, as some semblance of muscle control slowly returned. I softened and slipped out of her tight hole.

"I enjoyed it too, boo," I said. "I never got the feeling I was hurting you this time. That made it special for me." I eased up off the bed, offering my hand. "Let's go clean up."

We walked to the shower. The lather felt good over our skin, and as usual, we spent a lot of time soaping up our sensitive spots. After the shower, we dried off and headed back to the bedroom. We made love two more times, slowly, deeply, cuddling in between. It was getting light out, when we finally drifted off to sleep. Happy birthday to me.

Saturday, we went to a costume store. The Ren Fests were coming up. The first was next weekend. Obviously, Shavonda wasn't going to fit in her regalia. She found a peasant dress she liked, and I bought her two of them.