midwife » michael gray. [completed]

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE.

→ CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE; INSATIABLE.

The cottage that Michael had picked out for their countryside holiday, away from the smoke-filled and monotonous Birmingham, was something that Hannah typically saw in the magazines that Alexandra read. It was stunning; affluent rugs, furniture that looked like they had been brought straight out of the palaces living rooms, views for miles that showed the real beauty of nature. It all seemed like a daydream to Hannah. She had spent months and months working long-shifts at the religious foundation, infinite nights of not sleeping properly and the judging stares from the mothers so to be away from it all was a blessing in her eyes. Michael felt the same, he needed some freedom for a short while and the stress of the business was dragging him down slowly. He did not want to be a broken man for Hannah.

"Jesus, this is beautiful," Hannah said, placing the luggage down in the hallway. Michael hummed in agreement before wrapping his arms around Hannah's waist and pressing light kisses against her neck. Giggling, Hannah tried to move away but eventually gave up and twisted her head to the side to capture Michael's lips. "What's got into you, Michael Gray?"

"Nothing, it's just lovely to be away from Birmingham. Some time to ourselves, nice trails to walk along, plenty of rooms to fuck in."

"Michael," Hannah hissed, turning around and playfully hitting him on the arm. "That is not appropriate."

"You aren't near the convent anymore, darling." Michael pressed his lips against Hannah's again, this time short-lived and it felt as his lips were only just there. "For now, I think we should go and explore the countryside. It's not very often that we get breath in fresh air and see green grass."

Hannah nodded her head before grabbing her suitcase and walking towards the grand staircase. Halfway up the steps, she turned around to Michael and smiled boldly.

"I think we have enough time to test out the bed in our room."

"Or maybe even the sofa?" Michael raised one eyebrow before looking towards the open living room. "I'm not particularly fussed."

"Nor am I."

+++

Green trees surrounded the young couple as they strolled hand in hand through the wooden area. It was soon becoming summer and the warm sun was shining on them both whenever they managed to get away from the shadow of the trees. Michael was informally speaking about his life before he was reintroduced to his biological mother. It was something that the two of them had discussed before but not with such length and detail. It seemed like a painful conversation for Michael – his whole life had theoretically been a lie and because of it, he had lost his sister and many years with his mother.

"Do you not miss that life? The countryside, the peace..." Hannah continued to list off the things that seemed like paradise to her, but Michael pulled a face; he didn't miss anything about it, at least not anymore.

"There are times when I do require the peace, but my life back there was a not real. It was false and a story that would protect me from the real world. I was told that I was someone else, I had no knowledge of my real mother who had lived so many years in the dark and worst of all, I wouldn't have met you."

Hannah smiled tenderly and leaned into Michael's physique. "I suppose you are right."

"Do you miss home?"

Hannah had hardly thought about her life before moving to Small Heath. It all seemed like a distant memory, a series of events that had happened and gone without anything else. No longer did she care for the long streets filled with houses for the rich, the smell of food cooking down at the market on a Saturday afternoon or the bustling noise that came with London. She didn't even miss her parents. They had made no effort with her and Hannah was not going to make the leap and contact them – the same went with her friends. Hannah had tried calling them a couple of times when she had first moved to Small Heath and during the small period that she was feeling homesick, but they never answered her calls and they never returned them, signalling to Hannah that she was no longer wanted down at London.