Open When...(Paul Walker Fanfiction)

Twenty

I stop in my spot, but Callie continues to walk past me. Only when she realizes I'm not following does she turn around. "Are you coming in? Everyone is probably waiting."

"You go on in. I've got a phone call to make," I smile briefly, pulling out my phone before she can say anything else.

If she notices anything off, she doesn't mention it. "Alright, just come in when you are finished!" She grins, her mood polar opposite of what it was just a few short moments ago.

Once she enters the building, I find a bench nearby and dial Paul's number before I can talk myself out of it. It starts to ring, and I can feel my heart rate speed up because of it beating wildly in my chest. My palms begin to sweat, something that doesn't normally happen. By the fourth ring, my anxiety is through the roof.

My hopes of talking to my husband are extinguished when his voicemail picks up. On the bright side, it is nice to hear his voice, even if it's just a recording.

Hey, this is Paul. Leave me a message and I'll get back to you.

The following beep signals that the recording has begun, and I am a little confused on what to say. Once I get an idea, the words just start to fall out of my mouth.

"Hey, I don't know if you're filming or purposely avoiding my call, but I just wanted to say a few things. I miss you so much. Every fiber of me is craving you in every way possible. I miss the way you'd look at me and the way that our love is imperfectly perfect. We have things to work through, but we need to do it together. I don't know how much time I may have," my voice cracks as tears threaten to fall over the rim of my eyes. I try to hold them back, but the tears make me angry. "Look, I know you're mad, but you don't leave the people you love alone." I bite my tongue to keep from saying any more bitter words. The last thing I should be doing is putting the blame on him.

"You need to know something. No matter what happens from this point on, I'm still going to love you. Even if you aren't capable of letting me do that. You're in my heart, Paul. I love you. What you choose to do with this voicemail is up to you, but you'll always have me, and I'll always want you no matter what you decide."

I end the phone call, uncertainty floating in the air whether I will get an answer to my voicemail or not.

While I could stay outside and wait for something that may never come, I choose to go back inside and participate in today's events. Callie did ask me to be the godmother a few days ago, so it is better for me to be present for such important things.

--

Halfway through opening gifts, I can feel myself zone out a little from the party. My phone has not buzzed once, which means that Paul hasn't replied to the voicemail. On one hand, he might not have listened to it, but considering the situation, it's more likely he has and just doesn't have anything to say.

I have been put in charge of writing down everything Callie gets and who it's from, so she can write personal thank you notes for everyone.

Andrew is on gift duty, which details him grabbing the gifts off of the table and bringing them to Callie. It's pretty obvious that he is uncomfortable with the opening of gifts since everything is for their baby girl. Of course, all he wants is for the baby to be healthy, but I can tell he's having a tough time smiling whenever a frilly dress is pulled out.