Chapter 111

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I stopped the car in front of the facility feeling my heart skipping beats and missing my breath. Suddenly, my hands started sweating as I gripped onto the steering wheel. I didn't know if I was anxious to see him or if I was afraid of what I was going to find. After his midnight call, he never contacted me again so I had no clue of how he was doing besides the doctor's reports which was not the same at all. I had so much to tell him. How people cared about him. How our babies were fine and how I had finally heard their heartbeat, and yet I knew all I wanted was to listen to him and say nothing, just listen to his voice. The door in front of me opened and I raised my head to see a woman coming out of it. She was pregnant too, but unlike me, her belly was huge already and that made me feel less stressed. It made me realize other women were going through the same thing I was. It made me feel less alone. It brought a sense of normality and a sudden reassurance that everything was going to be alright. It was on that moment that I finally took the keys from the ignition and grabbed my purse that was sitting on the passenger seat and with my legs shaking a little, I got out of the car. As I passed by the woman, we smiled at each other. A sympathetic smile, a sisterhood smile maybe because only wives or husbands, family members coming in and out of facilities all over the world knew exactly how it felt like to have one of ours locked in there. Then, I rung the bell and a girl, maybe new, opened it for me.

"Good afternoon." She greeted me with kind eyes and smile which I appreciated immensely that instant.

"Hi." My voice choked unexpectedly and I cleared my throat. "I am here to see my husband."

"Come on in." She strayed to let me go through the door and I looked around to see if I could see James somewhere but nothing...

"Your name?" She asked already behind the counter of the front desk.

"Leandra Hetfield." I responded and she nodded.

"Mr. Hetfield is in his room. Do you know where it is?" I nodded. "So, you can go."

My heart pounded as I started walking in the direction of the last place where I had seen him. I could imagine James was feeling as anxious as I was. He knew that I was coming that day, he just didn't know when. He had no cellphone. I was going to give it to him finally. From then on, we could at least talk on the phone once a day. When I saw the door of his accommodations, I stopped walking and took a deep breath, preparing myself for our encounter. When I started walking again, the door opened and he go out. I stopped again, feeling my heart pounding so strongly inside my chest. My James... my biggest love was right there in front of me. Acknowledging the presence of someone glued to the floor of that immense hallway, he raised his eyes and that's when he saw me. For a few seconds, we just stayed motionless looking at one another. I noticed his chest raising and falling as rapidly as mine was.

"Babe?" He finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"James..." I gasped and run to him.

He opened his arms even before I got there and when I did, I clutched onto his neck as if I was holding onto dear life. When I felt his arms wrapping around me and holding me strongly, tears came to my eyes. I realized right there that my James wasn't gone and replaced with a second version of him. It was just a better version. A healthier version. I felt his face burying in my neck and his hot breath coming out really quickly off his mouth and I realized that he was crying too.

"I missed you so much..." I patted his hair and kissed his cheek.

Then, not caring we were in public domains, he strayed and held my face between his hands and kissed me. I reciprocated the kiss with all that I am. When we separated, he held my hand and pulled me inside a more private space.

"Let me see you." His eyes studied every little line of my face as we sat on his bed.

"How are you? Tell me everything..." I pleaded.

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