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Chapter 15

Michael's POV

My heart skips a beat when I feel the phone buzzing in my pocket. Worry flashes over me when I move to answer it. I make sure to find a place out of sight by others so that I can talk to my son in private. I told him to only use the phone if he absolutely had to, and I'm worried as to what was so bad that he had to call me. I miss all of my children, but I am worried and wondering why he's suddenly calling me after two years.

I cover my face with the long black veil that I'm wearing and flip open the phone. I press it to my ear and grow even more worried when I hear nothing but sniffles and cries on the other end.

"Blanket?" I ask for my son but he doesn't answer me.

"Blanket? Hello?" I say again. I can tell the cries are coming from a girl—a young girl—and I begin to wonder how she got a hold of my son's emergency spare phone.

I ask for Blanket one last time before the girl finally speaks. "Daddy, it's Nat." her voice is low and shaky. I nearly drop the phone. Tears come flowing with no warning and my hand immediately finds my lips. I cannot find the words to say.

Natalie? I haven't spoken to Natalie since she was three. I haven't seen her in years. How does she know about me? How did she get Blanket's phone? How does she know all of this? 

"Natalie, baby, hi. How are you sweetheart? Oh my goodness." I say and look around to make sure nobody is near.

"We don't have long to talk." Natalie says, sounding a bit calmer now. "I know, honey. How did you get this phone?" I ask, trying to calm myself down. "I can explain that later when we have time." she says and I can hear Paris and Blanket's voices on the other end.

"I didn't know you still lived in California." I coo, receiving sniffles in response. "Yeah, we never moved." I  hear more of each of their voices and mentally beg that the time for conversation could be longer.

My heart sinks at the sound of their voices. I still question myself as to how Natalie found out about us, and more importantly why Blanket let her use the only call he had to me so that she could talk to me. God, do I miss them. I miss my whole family. 

I hear a few ruffled noises, and then Blanket's voice sounds through the speaker. "Hi, dad." he says and I say it back. "We have five more minutes, so I need to say this and I need to say it quick. Wherever you are, you need to come home."

I stay silent, as I am speechless. "Blanket, what are you—"

"We can explain everything later, it's important. Please, dad." my son begs and I cannot say no to the sound of his voice. "Okay. I will try. Tell the others that I love them and miss them dearly and that I may see them soon."

Blanket's voice sounds muffled, and while he says "Okay." and a few other words, the phone disconnects. I sit there on the bench for a few moments listening to the buzzing before I finally drop my arm. I rest my elbows on my knees and press my hands to my face crying. 

Natalie. 

Natalie, Natalie, Natalie.

How did this happen? Did somebody say something they shouldn't have? How did Natalie figure out that I'm still alive? Did someone slip up? Oh no. What if she told someone? What if the word is out?

No.

My Natalie wouldn't do that. None of my children would.

Would they?

I sit on the bench for a few more minutes thinking about how I am going to get home. I will need to get a hold of one of my agents and tell them I need a two way flight back to California. If she asks why, I will tell her that I will have to explain later. 

I remove my sunglasses to wipe my face and look around.

"Miguel?" a woman's voice asks. I quickly put my glasses back on again and cover my face with the veil.

"Hello, Adonia." I say in my best Spanish accent.

"We are gathering for supper now. Would you care to join?" I nod.

"Oh, how I would love to." I agree, and she holds her hand out to me. I take it and stand to my full height.

Adonia is the most beautiful woman I have met since I moved to Spain.