First Love..again

Chapter Three: Preparing For His Journey

Benjamin sat at his dining room table fully surrounded by Heather and their six young kids. As they all held hands, they too said ‘Grace’ before dinner.

"Lord thank you for the gifts that we are about to received, and bless Daddy for a safe trip, and bless the people of the Helios Islands," Hannah stated confidently despite a slight lisp of the tongue!

"I don't want you to leave tomorrow, Daddy," Hannah quickly followed up her prayer and squeezed her Daddy’s hand abruptly!

"I know Baby," Benjamin gave her a warm smile and a lighter, but still as appreciative hand squeeze back.

"Dad has to go. He's helping people, Hannah Banana," Harrison, the oldest boy of the bunch, explained to his youngest sister!

"That's right Harrison, and I expect you to help your Mother, and be the Man of the House while I'm gone," Benjamin informed his young man with a wink!

"Yes, Dad," Harrison promptly accepted the task.

"That means be home each day after school," Benjamin ordered!

"But...Dad...what about Claire? I've been trying to get her to go out with me for months and she finally agreed yesterday! She's going to want to hang out after school sometimes, I'm sure of it," Harrison explained to his father!

"Right home, young man! Plus, you're too young to date," he stated firmly but still with a caring tone.

"You're so not fair! You don't know what it's like...I'm almost 15," Harrison debated harder now. He hoped that his uneducated father would reconsider.

“He didn’t respond, maybe he will change his mind,” Harrison pondered eagerly.

“Please, think before you speak,” his eldest daughter held her breath in hopes that her father wouldn’t pullback and shoot her brother down on a matter of principle and authority. She knew that she soon would be the next in line to start dating and she wanted to see his thoughts on the matter.

Benjamin looked away from his oldest son, not wanting to get angry with him for arguing, especially since he did know what his son was feeling.

He took a big deep breath in.

In that moment, Ben thought back to when he was 15 years old. He had just started seeing Madison. She was his first girlfriend and he loved her more than anything else in the world at that time. All he wanted to do was be with her, too, twenty-four, seven.

Benjamin was then interrupted from his treasured memories by his wife, who was now giving him a glare. Heather knew all too well how young Benjamin was when he himself started dating.

Benjamin immediately spoke up from his thoughts, after getting the side eye from his wife.

"Okay Son," you may visit with Claire after school twice a week...but here only, or a public place. You can take one of your siblings with you," Benjamin added.

The whole table of kids just chuckled at their father's statement!

"Yuck, I don't want to see any smooching," Bradley, the youngest boy joked!

"I'll go with you Bro," Tanner stated! "Claire is hot!"

Harrison punched his brother slightly in the shoulder.

"That's enough, boys," Heather used an authoritative tone!

Ben laughed under his breath. He loved watching his kids banter and do all the things that kids should do. Yes, Ben was a proud father.

...........

After dinner, Benjamin played a game of Monopoly with the family, then one by one he tucked each child into bed before retiring to his room to pack his belongings for the next week. He had a lot to fit into a small bag. Thankfully he was fully prepared how to travel lightly. Now if Heather had been joining him, there wouldn’t have been enough room in the car to pack all her belongings. She wasn’t exactly known for being a minimalist!

A short while later, once he was nearly packed, Heather joined him upstairs in the master bedroom.

She came up from behind him and squeezed him tightly. There was no shock factor here. Heather wasn’t one for sneaking up on people, plus, she was a heavy footed in her walk. He could hear her coming up the stairs way before she arrived.

Happy to see her, Benjamin turned her around and stared into her bright blue eyes and ran his fingers through her long jet black hair.

"I'm going to miss you, you know," Benjamin stated softly!

"You had better," she said in a joking manner!

"How couldn't I," he asked?

"Oh I don't know...maybe a week away from this chaos would be a vacation for you," she chuckled! “We do run a full ring circus!”

"True, but I'd miss you after the week was over," he joked back! “ I like being the showman!”

“If you’re the snowman, I’m most definitely the juggler,” she grinned

Ben knew that Heather did have a lot on her plate with the family.

"Just don't have too much fun without me," she half heartedly noted. What she really wanted was nothing more than to tell him not to go!

"I'm going for work...not pleasure, Heather," he assured her! “Trust me,” he grabbed her arms and squeezed her tightly.

"I know," she responded. “And I do,” she whispered.

Benjamin hugged his wife tightly. He did truly mean what he had said. However, he knew what he was about to say would rock his wife. Madison immediately came to his thoughts. He hadn't yet told his Heather the specific people who was going on the mission.

He knew that he needed to tell her. He wasn’t one for hiding things. He just wasn’t sure how to say it so she knew that it was just coincidental. He could always go and not say anything or tell her after he returned. She would never know the wiser. But, he knew that telling her the right thing to do. So he mustered up the courage.

"Heather, I want to tell you something without you getting mad or upset," he said softly in her ear.

"Oh that sounds comforting," she pulled away and sat down on the bed!

"I just don't want to keep anything from you!”

“OKAY,” she sighed, knowing full well that she wasn’t going to like what she was about to hear.

Benjamin sat down beside her and grabbed her hand with both of his and faced her. It was confession time.

“When I met the relief group at the Chamber last week, I learned that someone we know is also going! Someone you don't care much for," he added!

"Oh, Whom would that be," Heather asked?

“Anyone but Madison. Anyone but Madison,” she repeated to herself over and over again in her head.

Benjamin looked at her with hesitation. He could not get her name to come out of his mouth. It was in the tip of his tongue, as if he had said it everyday for the last year, but still, it was stuck.

"Oh come on, Ben! It's not like it's an old flame of yours or something," she joked, hoping that if she out her worst fear into the universe, that it wouldn’t come true!

Benjamin put his head down, knowing his wife would no doubt be upset now. She wouldn’t understand.

"What? No Ben! Please tell me it's not Madison," she asked for reassurance!

"It is, I'm afraid, Love," he grabbed her hands for comfort again! “I’m sorry!”

Heather looked at him in shock. "No," the tears began welling in her eyes. "This can't be," Heather added!

"I'm sorry Heather. Really! I had no idea that she'd be going as well when I signed up," her husband added honestly!

He meant it to. He had had no idea and he was sorry to put his wife through this. But to be honest, he hadn’t seen her in forever, and he looked forward to hopefully catching up a little. He truly enjoyed Madison’s company. They were very in their likes and they always got along well.

"I know...but you've known for a whole week before you told me, haven’t you," Heather stated in a betrayed manner?

"That is true, Love," Benjamin told her.

Heather sobbed again, now covering her eyes.

“What if he was happy to see her? What if he regained old feelings,” she asked herself.

"I just didn't know how to tell you. I knew you would be upset about it, but I had already made the commitment to go. I also knew that if I told you last week, you would tell me to find someone else at the company to go in my place. I am one of the top Executives of this company, Heather, I can't just back out of something that I committed to last minute! I hope you'll understand, Babe!”

Heather got up from the bed, without answering her husband and headed toward the master bathroom. She then proceeded to lock herself inside. She didn’t want to see him or anyone else right now. She needed time alone to herself.

Benjamin, who was now lying on the bed, knew that he had a long night ahead of him. He got up and proceeded to go over to the door. He needed to make things right.

“Knock knock!”

"Heather, please let me in," he stated softly!.

"No Ben. I need to be alone," she said between tears that streamed down her cheeks.

"Heather, I know you're upset, but what is the worst thing that could happen? I'm going to be there for a week, with 11 other people doing mission work. We probably won't even see each other that much, to be honest," Ben tried to rationalize the logistics with his Wife!

"What if you realize that you made a mistake, and you fall back in love with her?”

“Don’t be silly, Heather!”

“It’s not silly!”

Benjamin thought to himself how easily it would be to fall back in love with Madison, because, honestly, he never stooped loving her. But they were not obviously meant to be. They had each moved on.

“What if she tries to seduce you," Heather stated in an elevated tone, trying not to wake the children?

"Heather... You're reading way too much into this," he said jokingly!

"It's not funny, Ben," Heather sobbed! “Im serious!”

"I know. It just sounds silly to me, Love! We are both happily married," he explained! "Please come out, Heather?"

Ben could hear her sob a bit more and his heart ached for her.

"I will in a little bit," Heather whispered. "I want to get myself together," she added.

"Okay," Ben agreed to leave her be. He then got undressed, down to his boxers, and laid in bed. He was hoping to get in a s*x session with his wife before he left for a week, but now, after that conversation, the likelihood of that was quickly dwindling before his eyes. So after twenty minutes of waiting for his wife, Ben decided to get some rest before his long trip the next day. That was all that he could do. He hoped Heather would understand. He hoped that she would come around and still support his decision. That would mean everything to him.

.....

I Hope that you are enjoying my story. Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment! -Crystal Lee