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When Theodosia met Jacques everything was perfect.
It had been her senior year of high school. He was new. Hot. Untouchable. Dangerous. But he came to her. She was young. Vulnerable. A little desperate for company. And high school Theodosia had a thing for bad boys.
When Theodosia started to date Jacques everything was perfect.
He took her out to fancy restaurants. He whispered sweet nothings to her on warm spring days. They would spend whole days together doing nothing and everything. And Theodosia thought it was the most romantic thing in the world. She should have known. The little signs were there, of course. They were unavoidable. The way he squeezed her arm too hard. The way he stalked through her phone messages like he had to find something wrong. The way he teased her a little too much about cheating on him. The way he got angry too much to be considered normal. The way he took her away from her friends too quickly. She should have known.
When Theodosia went to college with Jacques everything was perfect. Until it wasn't.
The couple had gone out to a club. Jacques was drunk. Theodosia was not. She remembered that night all too well. She hadn't gotten drunk since high school. Jacques hadn't allowed her to. Theodosia didn't want to get Jacques angry. Jacques was always angry at her these days. She had walked into his apartment, almost dragging a wasted Jacques through the door. The next thing she remembered she was being pinned against the doorway while Jacques hit her with no abandon. Punches on her face, arms, and chest, wherever he could land a hit. Theodosia wore makeup for months to cover up her bruises.
When Theodosia moved in with Jacques nothing was perfect.
First he only hit her when he was drunk. Then when he was angry. Then when he wanted to have sex with her. Then when he thought or felt she did something wrong. And he always found something wrong. Theodosia gave up on short sleeves. It became a daily routine: get home from classes, maybe do some homework, wait in anxiety for Jacques to get home, maybe have sex, maybe make sex, maybe have dinner. It all depended on the mood he was in. Theodosia could not defend herself if she tried. And she tried. She failed. He learned to write with both hands. He always said he loved her. Theodosia could not return the words.
When Theodosia started her own business perfect was a distant memory.
Theodosia had always loved painting. After Jacques had revealed his true nature it became a coping mechanism. It was one of the only things Jacques allowed her to do. She painted. She made money. Jacques took it. He spent it on whatever wasn't her. Theodosia worked. She began to resent the word perfect.
When Theodosia met Aaron she began to know the real meaning of perfect.
Aaron was amazing. It wasn't fake love like Jacques'. He understood. They were broken souls, slowly mending each other's heart. And it was never truly perfect. The sneaking matches. But at the end, it was worth it. And they were perfect in their own way.
When Jacques shot Aaron, Theodosia's perfect shattered.
Aaron fell to the ground. There was blood everywhere. Theodosia snapped. She turned to Jacques with his gun still in hand. " Back off, bitch", he had said to her. He was scared. She slowly stalked towards him, only seeing red. She felt like she could kill him. There was a fire raging in her soul and she wasn't about to let it go out. But she decided she was above it. She snatched the gun out of his hand and threw it on the ground. "Stay out of my life", she said, venom practically oozing out of her voice. She knelt down next to Aaron. A tear fell down her face, hot and slow. A sob escaped her. She couldn't lose him now. She cradled his head in her lap. A bystander called an ambulance. Theodosia didn't care. She prayed to every god she knew, or the ones who would listen. She felt like she was the one who got shot.
When Aaron proposed to Theodosia, perfect began to mean something again.
They had been walking in the park. They did that a lot nowadays. Aaron liked the fresh air and Theodosia liked the sights. And so, they so, they walked. Peggy joked that they walked the length of the city. So they had been walking in the park, and all of a sudden Aaron wanted to rest. He pointed to a nearby bench. " There", he said. Theodosia cocked an eyebrow playfully but complied. And all of sudden Aaron was on one knee, eyes full of fear and hope. The box was in his hand. It was a small ring, silver with tints of blue, her favorite color. Their shared anxiety could choke them both. Finally Theodosia got her breath back and she breathed out a small, "Yes". He slipped the ring on her left ring finger and both smiled at each other for the rest of the day.
When Theodosia found out she was pregnant with her first child, perfect was very familiar.
Theodosia had been sick all week. Aaron was worried down to his toes. He hadn't slept in a week and was irritable. It was the 5th day of vomiting up everything she had ever eaten when she decided to take the test. When she got the results, she almost screamed. Her eyes filled with joyful tears. She called Aaron over. He froze. He started to cry. He held her close. They cried together. They could finally start a life together. It was becoming perfect.
When Theodosia married Aaron, she had no doubt that this was the definition of perfect.
Theodosia had always wanted a small wedding. Not too big, only close relatives and friends. And Aaron gave it to her. Thomas always joked that he was whipped. But the same could be said for Thomas when James came around. Theodosia undoubtedly loved Aaron. Not only was he absolutely amazing, but with him came a set of supportive and wonderful friends. She knew that if things didn't work out between them she could always count on her friends. There was Alex, who at a first glance seemed abrasive and talkative, but once you got to know him, was the biggest sweetheart ever. He was the first to suggest going baby clothes shopping. And there was John, who was like a more contained Alex, but with a soft side. He loved painting and turtles and was a firm believer in equality for all. There was Hercules and Lafayette, who were sweethearts and pampering the Baby before it was even born. Then there were the Schuyler Sisters: Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy; who always had helpful pregnancy advice. Then there were Maria, Thomas, and James, who were always there. They didn't necessarily have anything to offer, except an overabundance of baby stuff from Thomas, but were there to help regardless. Maria and James were always there to offer up a listening ear, and Theodosia appreciated getting listened to, not talked to. By the time Theodosia and Aaron were ready to get married, Theodosia was only 3 months along, but she like she already knew so much. She walked down the aisle in white that day, and she knew that her mother didn't approve. Her mother never approved of anything Theodosia liked. So far she had only been right about Jacques. But she wasn't going to think about that now. Aaron was handsome in a suit, his smile stayed on his face all day. It wasn't fake. It was real. Theodosia didn't like traditional stuff. So her vows were original, and from the heart. There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel that day after they both finished their vows. Even the pastor she'd a few tears. If you asked Theodosia to pick the best day of her life, she could easily say it was her wedding day.
When Theodosia II was born, perfection was achieved.
Theodosia had spent 9 hours in hard labor. She was sweating profusely and she was tired and she was in pain and she just wanted it to be over. Finally, at 10:03 on Monday, February 6, 2017, Theodosia II was born. Aaron and Peggy were right there by her hand and encouraging her. The name had been Aaron's idea in the beginning, but they had toyed with the idea for a while. In the end, they were pretty divided over it. But when Theodosia saw her small daughter, she knew that it was the perfect name. She also knew that there were at least 5 anxious people outside waiting to see their new goddaughter. So she chose the name Theodosia II, and they called her little Theo. And it was perfect. For once.
Epilogue-
Life went on, and they all grew up. People got married. Their group of 13 people grew with more little additions. Alex and John adopted little Phillip. Thomas and James had Lynette. Eliza and Maria adopted 7 children. Hercules and Lafayette had Luna. Angelina met a man named John Church and they moved to London. They had no children, but we're still very happy. Peggy stayed single, content to have children through her friends. And for Aaron and Theodosia? They stayed with little Theo. It was more than enough energy with just her. They were fine. Their friends were fine. And everything was perfect.
THE END