Life with: Kiana and Sawyer Ep. 02

"Sawyer, I know you hate shopping but I cannot listen to you complain." Kiana was browsing through a rack of clothes when she'd come to the conclusion that she was done with Sawyer. The humorous part about the situation was that she was shopping for him. He had begun his stream of whining after the 15th minute of being in the large shopping mall. Kiana was ready to buy her family a good amount of new clothes for the approaching cold weather, so she had both of her girls securely attached to her in cloth slings. Savannah faced Kiana's chest and was pretty close to falling asleep. She could see her mass of tight blond coils when she checked price tags. But Sydney's cheek was plastered against her mother's back and Kiana was almost certain she was already unconscious. It was a part of Kiana's plan to deprive them of their naps so that they'd be exhausted while she shopped.

Both of her girls were very quiet 6 month old babies. They only cried when they were truly upset and that was when Kiana stopped whatever she was doing to get them quiet again. They were healthy—according to their pediatrician they were too healthy. Their weights were over the 75th percentile in relation to infants their own age. It was difficult not to overfeed them because they had their mother's appetite. She could never quite tell if they were still hungry or just being greedy.

"I'm going to Best Buy." Kiana sighed in relief when she heard his footsteps retreating.

"I'll meet you there in an hour." Kiana was finally at peace and could shift through the Old Navy shelf without hearing a small groan of displeasure every few minutes.

After a half an hour, Kiana had a few things in her basket for Sawyer. She hadn't come across anything else, so she began her voyage to the register.

Her marriage hadn't changed much at all. Their relationship was still a huge battle of egos and opinions that usually led to arguments that deserved to be in some sort of record book. But over the past 10 years, they learned to forget their differences after a few days of ignoring one another. It wouldn't seem like the best solution to someone who was in a more typical relationship, but it was what worked for them. Janelle always questioned the wellbeing of their bond and Kiana always reassured her it was fine. They fought often and forcefully, but they had more than enough respect for one another not to let it go too far.

*

Kiana got a few things for herself from Anthropologie and Forever 21 and spent too much money in The Children's Place. After well over an hour of efficient shopping, she was ready to go home. Her girls were weighing her down and she knew her ankles were swelling in her Sperry's. She waddled her way through the crowded mall and managed to get to Best Buy. She anticipated the moment where Sawyer would relieve her of her bags and at least one of the girls.

The Best Buy store was hectic; it was 6:00 in the evening on a Saturday. There were people all over the place and she groaned at the thought of trying to find her husband. He could've been anywhere because all electronics captured his attention. He loved examining printers as much as the 60 inch TVs. Kiana lulled Savannah back to sleep by smoothing a hand down her back and under her bottom a few times. The noise of people chattering was stirring her a bit and Kiana was not ready to deal with her crankiness.

She strolled down each aisle, occasionally gazing at what the store had to offer before deciding that she didn't need it. When she'd been walking for what she felt was quite awhile she started to get agitated. She juggled with her bags so she could unzip her wristlet and get out her cell phone. Just as she unlocked it and prepared to start finding his number, her attention was drawn elsewhere.

"I have 9 bladed diaphragms on my Nikon." Sawyer was trying to convince someone of something, somewhere. Kiana looked around, searching for a body to match the voice. She turned behind her to catch a glimpse of him over a shelf. She'd managed to stand a bit to his right, so there was a small chance he could see her but his focus was already preoccupied so Kiana was free to ogle.

She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The common feeling of being challenged put adrenaline in her veins.

"Okay, I get that but would you really be able to see the difference in 8 versus 9? Cannons have anti-reflection glass over their LCDs." Kiana had to stop herself from snarling at the girl. She leaned against a shelf in front of Sawyer while he looked at some sort of camera. She watched him examine it, with a small smile pressing at her lips from their little debate. Sawyer took a reflective pause before lifting his eyes to smirk at her, basically agreeing with her rebuttal. The two laughed in synchrony before he returned his attention back to the display.

She was probably a few inches over 5 feet. Her black pants were clinging to her body and her Best Buy uniform polo was a size too small. Kiana could see she was making it a special task to have her full breasts noticeable.

He's an ass man. Kiana thought to herself, fighting back a snarl. She watched the woman flip an artificially red lock of hair over her shoulder before leaning closer to Sawyer. They both looked at something on the screen before she reached out to point toward a feature. Their voices grew quieter when she moved closer so Kiana couldn't really hear them.

Sawyer's thick brows were pushed together while inspecting the unfamiliar screen. His blond feather light neck length hair fell in his eyes but he ignored them, too immersed in whatever the girl was whispering to him. His muscled famed looked lean when he lifted the camera to his eye.

He was relaxed in a plain grey long sleeve sweatshirt and ink black jeans. He and Kiana both decided to wear their boat shoes while running errands. He adjusted the lens expertly with her prattle consistent in his ear. Kiana tried to look preoccupied, in case he decided to look in her direction; she didn't want to be gawking at them from across the store.

Kiana wasn't sure if she should approach them or not. On one hand, Kiana didn't know anything about cameras. So he might be having fun exchanging knowledge about the topic with someone else. She wouldn't want to mess that up. But on another note, she was pissed. It was clear the girl was flirting with him and it almost seemed as if he was responding to it.

She trusted Sawyer, regardless of her jealousy.

Just as she was beginning to walk away, another rupture of laughter came from their direction. Kiana changed her path and headed for the cackling couple. She approached Sawyer from behind and positioned herself on his right. He was still staring at the screen when she approached.

Kiana desperately wanted to lean against the table and relax for a moment, but the children strapped to her made it impossible. She settled for resting a hand against the surface and she leaned into it as much as she could.

"You can also—"The woman on his left of course doubted any association between Kiana and Sawyer, so she continued to talk with him about the camera. But Sawyer's head turned to his wife with a sly smile that forced his smoldering grey eyes to gleam. Kiana's expression was grave and it only seemed to amuse him more.

"Tired?" His sales professional was cut short by Sawyer's sudden lack of attention. The woman peered around his body to lay her eyes on Kiana. She looked to Sawyer once more for confirmation that he'd fathered the children Kiana held before she looked back at the interruption. Kiana, never one to back down, returned her glare. Sawyer shifted on his feet and purposefully broke her line of vision. He snorted before he put down the camera for the first time in 10 minutes. He reached for Savannah and expertly took her out of the sling.

He turned his head to the woman behind him, not wanting to be rude. "Thank you Nina, you were very helpful." The girl nervously pushed hair behind her ear before backing away from the table without a word. Kiana outstretched her hand so that Sawyer could take her bags.

"I'll get Sydney too." Kiana turned around so that he could alleviate her of the second sleeping girl. She could immediately tell the difference and felt much less restriction. She glanced back at Sawyer to make sure he held them securely. Sydney and Savannah were still both sound asleep. Sawyer held them on his shoulder with each of his hands firmly against their lower back. Kiana led the way and knit through all the busy shoppers.

They were still inside the mall so they needed to walk through it to get to their parking section.

Sawyer immediately noticed Kiana's quiet mood and aching limp.

"You want to sit down for a minute?" He asked, looking down on her. He could only see the huge mass of curls she piled on her crown and her flat brown upturned nose.

"No, I just want to go home." She murmured quietly. They found their exit and walked down the parking lot to their car.

It had been a nice fall day with light clouds and some sun, but the evening grew a little chillier.

"After 11 years, we're still getting jealous?" Sawyer was finally acknowledging the death stare Kiana had given the girl and her touchy attitude. He had to suppress any sort of enjoyment because it'd only turn the comment into a portal for an extensive argument.

"Yeah, well women are still flirting with married men so why not."

"You don't trust me?" Kiana rolled her eyes at no one in particular before turning her head to look up at Sawyer.

"Of course I do." She replied tiredly. "It still bothers me." They finally approached their midsized SUV. As soon as Kiana found out she was having twins, she got rid of her sleek, cute two door car and opted for one more family friendly. Sawyer still had his Volkswagen so they traded often. When one of them was traveling with the girls, they'd use the larger car. Kiana was thankful for the system they had because she couldn't imagine transporting them in a tiny car.

Kiana and Sawyer approached the backseat door and she opened it for him. He handed Sydney to her mother while he climbed into the car to get Savannah settled in her seat on the opposite side.

Kiana watched his taut bottom sit high in the air while he focused on the buckles. She didn't have a clear view of his face but she could see that he was focused. A few jerking motions of his arms signaled that he was testing the straps for security. When he climbed out, he outstretched his hands for Sydney. Kiana walked around to the passenger side door and got inside. Relief of finally being off of her feet evoked a massive sigh to fill the car. She kicked off her shoes, crossed her legs and was in the midst of reaching for the seatbelt when her car door reopened.

Sawyer appeared with a slight grin that forced only one of his cheeks to raise. Kiana wasn't quite in the mood for any of his games—she was worn-out and agitated. Although knowing him, trying to explain that would only push him to further rouse her. She gave him a bland yet expectant expression; trying to convey her short level of tolerance.

"I really—" She was just about to protest when he'd leaned into the car. One of his hands spread against the base of her neck, adding a little pressure to push her in his direction but for the most part, he did much of the leaning. Kiana let her eyes shut delicately as Sawyer kissed her for the first time all day. His opposite hand gently ran up her folded thigh a few times.

His burst of affection only seemed to last for 2 seconds before he'd began pulling away. Kiana purred out a tiny accidental noise of unhappiness when he did. With a face stone cold, he bore into her with his piercing orbs.

"Tell me you love me." Kiana was taken aback by the hint of dominance in his tone.

It wasn't as if she hadn't heard it before but it never came after such a lovely kiss.

"I love you." He voice was cautious and timid, as if trying to see what the words would cause him to do next. But against her predictions, his face softened and he returned to her lips for another tiny peck.

"Good." He reached for her seatbelt and effortlessly strapped her in. "I love you too." He ended the sentence by closing the passenger side door, leaving Kiana dazed and slightly turned on.

*

"Kiana, Naomi is asking for you." Kiana furrowed her brows before she put down her towel.

Kiana's dancing had morphed into a dependent mean of stress relief. She couldn't give it up but it definitely couldn't become her three times a week ritual. So instead she joined an older group of women every Saturday night. The good thing about the meetings was that it didn't need to be religious. When she was too consumed with grading research papers or caring for her family, she could opt out of going for the week and not miss anything. Each session was completely new material and just served as a way for women with talent to do what they love without the emphasis on commitment.

Their lesson was a few minutes from beginning and she was dressed in her leggings and tee-shirt. She whirled through the locker room to get to Naomi's office. She rapped on the frame twice before opening it.

Naomi hadn't aged much since Kiana first joined her dance company. She was nearing her 40's and still looked as if she were merely 30. Her flawless almond skin was radiant and her short black bob style shined healthily.

"Hey Key," She rustled through some papers in search of something specific. When she found what she was looking for, she held it out to Kiana. It was a tiny letter with only her name written on the front, so someone had brought it to the dance studio in person.

"Who's it from?" Kiana asked Naomi, a little scared to pull back the opening. Naomi shrugged her shoulders before she spoke.

"My assistant just said a man came in and requested it be given to you." Naomi put on her headband and stepped around Kiana to give her privacy with the letter.

Once she was alone in the room and could only hear her own labored breathing, she carefully opened the paper.

"Hi Kiana, it's Richard." That was as far as she could go before she took had to rest her weight against the wall adjacent to her.

"I've been thinking about my family lately—you and Sawyer in particular. I hope Sawyer hasn't fucked up, and you two are still together. I'm also hoping you're a Wolfe. A lot has changed for me and I'm interested in knowing what you've been doing too. Give me a call sometime or write me back." Kiana knew he was clean. Something about the letter had her almost certain that he was doing better. He had a phone number and address written at the bottom of the page. The idea of catching up with him after over 10 years excited her. She hadn't even heard his news but she was already excited for him.

*

Kiana sat in the parking lot of her dance studio. The session was over and Kiana immediately wanted to speak to Richard. She rummaged through her dance bag in search for her phone and the letter. Once she had both, she dialed the number that Richard put at the end of his note.

The phone rang a few times but he answered fairly quickly. Kiana's heart sped up at the small click on the other line.

"Hello?' Kiana fiddled with the hem of her jacket. Her dashboard lit up the car but her radio was off.

"H—Hi Richard. It's Kiana." Richard's intonation jumped five notches and Kiana jumped a little in her seat.

"Kiana! How you doin'?! What's been going on?!" Kiana unconsciously put a hand against her chest before laughing lightly. His enthusiasm and friendly dialect warmed her heart. It was one thing she really valued in him. His optimism and constant upbeat attitude.

"I'm great,--" How would she tell him that she and Sawyer were now married, with two kids? She didn't want to make him feel left out or detached, but there was honestly no way to avoid it. She couldn't feel bad that he wasn't in the right position to be involved. That had nothing to do with her.

"Sawyer—We... um," She swallowed roughly, "Sawyer and I got married. " Kiana chirped out a yelp when Richard bellowed in her ear. It was a howling cheer that sounded like something a person would do when their team scored points during the last 5 seconds at a basketball game. She laughed heftily in his ear as her worries ceased. She should've known Richard would be happy for them.

"Thank God he didn't let you go; I was so worried he'd run you off." Kiana was anxious to tell him more news.

"I don't know; I think I was just as capable of running him off. Oh, and you're a grandpa too." Contrasting with his previous sentiments, Richard was silent on the other line. Kiana's brow furrowed nervously. After an extended pause on both ends, she decided to speak. "Richard?" After she called for him, a rough sniffle filled the receiver. Kiana cackled admiringly.

"Don't cry." She replied on a light laugh, somewhat hushed. She could hear rustling in her ear and she patiently waited for him collect himself.

"I always thought," He sniffled again. "Sawyer would never know how it felt to be loved or learn to love another person. He was just so... cold and mean. I blamed myself for that because I never showed him what it felt like to have someone care, and how important it was to experience that in life. I stopped his mother from showing him the affection he deserved because she was so worried about me. But I was too fucking high to care." Frustration was heavy in his voice. But soon he sighed and started again. "He just thought that no one in the world had anything to offer him. But over the years I would pray that you'd be what it took to open him up. I wanted you to make him feel how powerful and important love was." Kiana could feel her own tears surfacing.

She and Sawyer had definitely been through a lot. Their relationship started as blooming fragments of unplaced emotions and guards as high as skyscrapers. Sawyer was defensive yet undoubtedly loving toward her at times while she was focused, frustrated and bitter. But it took Sawyer to wear her down and she did the same for him. After that rough transitional process was complete, it was certain they'd never find another person like the other. They had essentially molded each other to be the 'perfect' spouse.

"Well, I definitely love him." Kiana confessed, remembering when she had such a hard time coming to terms with the idea. Now it was the most factual thing she knew.

"And I sure as hell know he loves you." The both laughed. "So what is my grandbaby's name?" Kiana snorted.

"Grandbabies—we had twins."

"You're shittin' me!" His yelling arose again, and Kiana had to pull her phone away from her ears for just a second to spare her eardrums.

"Nope, Sydney and Savannah. They'll be 7 months in 2 weeks."

"I know they're beautiful—just like they're mama." Kiana smiled bashfully.

"Thank you." Kiana shifted in her seat; she couldn't disregard her angst any longer. "How are you doing, Richard?" They both knew what her question was getting at.

A small beep on her line drew her attention before he could answer. Annoyed by the disturbance, she looked at the caller waiting on hold. It was Sawyer. Fearing something was wrong with the girls, she stopped Richard mid-sentence.

"Hold on, Sawyer is calling—give me one second." She hastily clicked over. Kiana was taken aback by all the wailing coming from his line.

"Kiana, where are you?" Sawyer sounded strained, tired and defeated.

"I'm on my way in like 10 minutes, what's wrong?" She had to practically scream the question because she doubted he'd be able to hear her.

"I can't get them down." Kiana smiled, Sawyer was still trying to get the hang of taking care of the girls on his own. It was especially difficult for him to get them to bed without her, considering they needed to eat, be changed and get baths too.