I still love you

Pastor Joseph walked up to Jackson and patted him on the shoulder. "Are you okay? Am I still conducting the service?" he asked? Jackson stood up and wiped his eyes with his hand. Joseph lends him his handkerchief. "Thank you, and I am sorry. The vow renewal got canceled. But I will pay for your time wasted here." Jackson replied.

The pastor waved his hands. "No! I can't take your money. I did not perform my job, so you need not pay me." He replied with a smile. Jackson touches his pocket for his phone and realizes that he forgot it in Jennie's car. "If that's your wish, then I will respect it. Pardon me. Can I use your phone?" He asked the pastor. Joseph hands his phone over to Jackson. "Yes, it's my wish," he replied

The pastor put a few distances separating him and Jackson to create privacy between them. "Calvin, I need you to please get my car from the café and drive it to the beach." He said on his call. After that call ended, Jackson made another one.

"Freddie, I need your clean-up crew at the beach. Please dispose of everything except Jennie and I photo. I will pick them up from your office in the morning." He said. The other end of the line got quiet for a while, then Freddie asked, "What should I do with the items." Jackson gazed at the moon in the gray sky. "I purchased everything, so thrash them." He said with a bitter smile.

Jackson ended the call and returned pastor Joseph's phone. "Take heart, my son. God is in control. If you need couples therapy, you can hit me up anytime." Joseph said, and they shook hands. "Thank you, pastor. I appreciate the encouragement." Jackson replied. He leaves after their brief conversation and heads toward the beach entrance.

When Jackson got on the major road, he saw Jennie sitting by the sidewalk with her head resting on her knee. Jennie heard his footsteps, and she turned her head towards him. At that moment, Calvin drove up in Jennie's car. He got out of the vehicle, approached Jackson, and dropped her keys in his hands. "Thanks, man. Also, can you please return these bicycles for me?" Jackson asked, clasping the keys in his grip. "No problem, brother!" Calvin replied as Jackson took out three hundred bills from his pocket and gave it to him. "Thank you, dude. I owe you one!" Jackson said.

Calvin smiled, then unlocked the bikes, handled one with his left, the other with his right, and rode them away. Jackson advanced toward Jennie, squatted, smiled at her, and asked. "Are you ready to go home?" Jennie nodded her head. Jackson stretched out his hands, and she held it. He pulled Jennie up, accompanied her to the car, opened the door, helped her in, and closed the door. Jackson sat in the driver seat and started the car.

"I am sorry for shouting at you. I did not mean to get angry. If you say our old vows are okay, then I agree that we don't need to renew our vows. Just don't be sad anymore." He pleads with his wife. Jennie nodded her head, relaxed in her seat, and stared out her window. Three minutes passed, and Jackson saw that his hubby was sound at sleep. He sighs, parks the car, takes out his coat, and covers her with it before he drives back on the road.

When they reached home, Jackson got out of the vehicle, unlocked their door, and returned to the car. He took Jennie out, carried her into their bedroom, and laid her on the bed. Their room lights got dim as Jackson adjusted the switch to prevent the bright light from waking Jennie up. The house grew quieter as time flew by, and Jackson finally had the chance to process everything that happened today. Plus, he could now grieve because of the pain in his heart without hurting Jennie or making her feel guilty.

First, he removed the dress, threw it in the basket, wiped Jennie up, and changed her into a comfortable panda pajama. Next, he took a warm shower and wore his robe. Finally, Jackson went to the bar in their living room, grabbed a bottle of white wine, and drank his sorrows away. Jennie woke up around eleven p.m. and felt Jackson's side of the bed, but he was not there.

She got out of bed, checked their bathroom, the kitchen, guest room, guest bathroom, game room, family room, home office, library, home gym room, storage room, indoor pool, wine cellar, and finally the living room. Jennie saw Jackson sitting on a stool at the bar. He was asleep with his head relaxed on the counter and an empty wine bottle next to him. She rushes to his side and taps him gently on his back.

"Babe, you need to wake up." She said. After ten more gentle slaps on his cheek, Jackson's eyes opened. He stared at her, smiled, and said, "You are awake, my love." Jennie lifts Jackson's arm and places it around her shoulder. Afterward, she helped him stand up and gently led him towards their room.

The entire time they were walking, Jackson kept shouting random statements like, "My wife is the cutest!" or "You are my everything!" and "My heart is beating for you alone!" Jennie opened their room door and carried him inside. She pushed her husband on the bed and covered him with a comforter. Jackson continued with his murmuring as he tried to fall asleep.

However, the last sentence he said before drifting up to sleep was, "I still love you, babe." Jennie stared at his cute sleeping face and grin. She plays with his hair and kisses him on the nose, then his lips. Jennie sat on the window seat and took out her phone. She scrolls through it, then stops scrolling. "How am I going to explain this to you without crushing your heart?" She said, wiping away her tears.