A/N: Here we go, guys! This is the last chapter before the epilogue! Even though this is not the end for this story as a sequel is coming right after the end of this book, I can't help but feel nostalgic. I remember when I started this story, I was so unsure about the outcome, and if you guys would love it or not, but you've shown me enormous support through the years, and I cannot thank you enough. I hope you'll follow me to the next adventure that is the sequel! Your comments and votes mean a lot to me. You truly are the best readers ever, thank you <3
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I wiped off my sweaty forehead as I put the brush back in the green paint bucket as I finished painting the walls that used to be the laundry room. My overall was stained with color coating, just like my hands and arms, but I couldn't care less: I was satisfied with the result. Since I had time on my hands, I kept my mind busy by converting the old room into Faraji's new room.
A week had passed since I lost my job, and I had a hard time coping with the fact that I wasn't a doctor at Ronald Reagan Hospital anymore. But Faraji was getting better since I last treated him, and this was the only thing I was able to find comfort in. Since his heart was still fragile, the little one had to stay under observation at the hospital, and as hard as it was for me, I tried to visit him each and every single day.
The child protection service social worker came by the loft a couple of days before, and time had never felt so long before. Naturally, she had a lot of questions concerning the number of people who lived at the loft: Carl had been my roommate for over a year, and ever since they got back together with Alice, she practically lived there too. She questioned my past, and my personal life in general, too, which I expected. The only thing I lied about was my job. I didn't mention the fact that I was unemployed to her, as I hoped Baker would take me back at some point. Of course, it wasn't a pleasant moment, because the more I talked, the more I had this feeling that my life was a giant complicated mess. I just prayed that she saw right through me, and understood that I'd be a great guardian to Faraji.
The ringing of the phone in the kitchen tore me away from my thoughts, and I immediately ran to it, hoping it would be Michael on the other end.
"Hello?"
"Um, hello, is this Ayma?" a man with a strong southern accent asked.
"Ayma? No, sir, I'm sorry. You probably got the wrong number."
"Isn't this Mrs. Dommy?" the man insisted, and I frowned.
"No sir, my name is Hayley Thames. There's no Ayma Dommy he— wait," I stopped in the middle of my sentence when I realized I had been fooled. Before I could even say anything, this oh-so-recognizable laughter was heard on the other end of the phone, and a wide grin appeared on my face. "Michael! Oh my God, I should have known from the start it was you! 'I'm a dummy', really?"
"This was my best prank call, and by far," he laughed some more, and I could hear Bill's laughter in the back as well. "I'm sorry Tickles, I had to."
"I'll get my revenge, I promise you
this," I told him, my stomach erupting with butterflies at the sound of his laugh. I missed it immeasurably.
"Oh I know you will," he told me, as the background sounded more silent, letting me know he was alone. "Anyway, hello my love."
"Why, hello there handsome. I'm glad to hear your voice while you're fully awake this time, even if you're messing with me," I joked, as I remembered his call from two days ago where he literally fell asleep after a couple of minutes on the phone with me.
"I'm sorry about the other night. Your voice is so soothing I couldn't help but fall asleep," he apologized, and I melted at his words, as I sat on the bar stool by the phone with a blissful smile on my face.
"It's alright, honey. I'm glad you managed to get some rest, and that the post-concert adrenaline didn't keep you from getting a good night of sleep," I told him sincerely. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm okay, just a little bit tired. I took some time to call you before I head to rehearsals," he let me know, and I smiled. "How about you? Have you heard from your lawyer yet?"
"Not yet, no," I sighed heavily, as I looked down for a second. "I'm scared I might have said something bad when that woman came over a couple of days ago."
"I'm sure you did great. It's easy to fall in love with you, and I'm pretty sure this woman did," he reassured me, and I could hear that he was smiling while saying that. "You're going to become Faraji's guardian, and we're going to take care of him, together. I really can't wait to start this parenting adventure with you."
When Michael's words came out of his mouth, the memories of the previous week came back to me, and a smile instantly appeared on my face. I remembered the joy in his voice when I told him about my will to become Faraji's referent parent, but also the tears of joy he shed when he understood I wanted him to be by my side. Of course, I wished I could have been able to tell him in person, but some things can't wait, and this was one of the thing that couldn't wait.
"Me neither," I answered, tears of joy gathering in my eyes again. "I miss you so much. I hope British people treat you right."
"Well, apart from the British tabloids, yes. They're all wonderful," he told me, and I could feel he was upset about something.
"Tabloids are trash all around the world," I scoffed, shaking my head. "Can't they leave you alone?"
"Apparently not, since they found me a new nickname. Wacko-Jacko," he let me know, and it pained me to hear this, because I could feel how sad it made him feel inside. "Wacko-Jacko the homo; 'what's wrong with Wacko's face?'; 'is Wacko bleaching his skin?'... That's the kind of headlines I saw there."
"People who write this kind of garbage must have a very sad life," I commented, shaking my head as anger was boiling inside of me. "They can think whatever they want, I know that nothing is wrong with the way you look, and well... that you're definitely not homosexual," I giggled, and Michael slightly laughed along with me. "Michael, baby. Don't let them get to you. You're the most beautiful man I've had the chance to meet in my life, and you should remember that whenever you think they're right. And remember that I love you, the real you. Not the person people think you are."
"Just when I thought I couldn't miss you more," he snorted sarcastically, and I apologized with a small giggle. "I'll try to remember that, then," he said, and I smiled at his words. "I'm dreaming of the day I'll get to hold you in my arms again."
"You and I b—" I was interrupted in the middle of my sentence as someone knocked on the door. "Honey, someone is at the door, can you hold on for a minute? It must be the mailman."
"Yeah sure," he answered naturally, and I put the phone on the table.
I jogged to the entrance of the loft, and opened the front door, only to find Larry Walsh standing there with a manila envelope in his hands. Instantly, my heart started racing, and my palms got sweaty at the sight of my lawyer, whom I didn't expect to come over.
"Mr. Walsh, what's going on? Is there something wrong?" I asked him right away, as I invited him in. "Did I forget to fill something in the forms?"
"No, everything was fine with the forms, Ms. Thames," he reassured with a little smile. "However—"
"Oh no, I knew it. I messed things up with the social worker," I said, as I covered my mouth with my hand, tears gathering in my eyes.
"No! Please, no! This is not what I was about to say," he reassured, and I was confused at that point. "What I was trying to say was 'However, you might want to hurry up with Faraji's room because you're officially his one and only legal parent'!" he cheered, and my eyes widened at the news.
"W—What? It's official? It's done?" I asked for clarification, as I covered my mouth with both of my hands this time.
"It is!" he laughed out loud at my reaction, as I started to jump up and down. "I wanted to come by to tell you the good news and drop these. These are the official papers. Of course we still have a lot to do concerning the American naturalization of the little one, but this is the first big step of this process."
"B—But I thought it would take two weeks. H—How did you do that so quickly?" I asked, confused at that point.
"Let's say a little bird told me to accelerate the process, and I pulled some strings," he shrugged, and I frowned. "Carl told me to. He said you needed something positive after you lost your job unfairly."
"H-He told you?"
"He did. And I also know you told the social worker that you were on leave for a month. Why did you lie?" he wondered, and I looked down for a moment.
"Because I didn't want to jeopardize my chances, and because I hope that my boss is going to take me back," I sincerely told him, and he nodded his head, understanding.
"It would be his loss if he didn't take you back after what you've done for the little one," he smiled genuinely, and I smiled back at him. "Anyway, here are the legal documents. Now, you'll be able to take Faraji home when he'll be discharged from the hospital."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Walsh. For everything—thank you."
"Don't mention it. We'll keep in touch," he said, as he walked out the door. "Have a nice afternoon, Ms. Thames."
"You too," I quickly told him, closing the door carelessly, before I literally ran back to the kitchen and to the phone. "Michael?!" I almost yelled through the receiver, but he didn't answer. "Michael, are you there?"
"Hayley, hey, it's Bill!" Michael's bodyguard announced, and I closed my eyes as I realized Michael was gone already. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.
"Y—Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry!" I reassured, as I wiped the tears of joy from my face. "Where's Michael?"
"He had to leave quickly for rehearsals. He told me to tell you he loves you very much, and that he'll call as soon as he can," he let me know, and I nodded.
"Sure. Tell him to call as soon as possible, alright?" I asked him without going into details. I didn't want Michael to learn about the news by someone other than me.
"Will do. Let me give you Michael's suite's phone number, and mine as well. If you need me to deliver a message, just call me up. Today is my day off," he explained, and I nodded, feeling blessed all of a sudden to have Bill on the phone as he enumerated the phone numbers. "There. Now I'm sorry, but I have to go as well. You take care of yourself, alright?"
"Will do. You do the same, Mr. Bray."
"Don't worry about me, Michael gave me my night off, too. And don't worry about your man. The first thing he told me when we arrived in London was 'there is this giant river in the middle of the city, but still it isn't the Thames I want to see'," he narrated, and I grinned like an idiot at my boyfriend's cheesiness. "Don't tell him I said that, because he said you'd find this cheesy."
"It is cheesy, but I love it," I admitted, shaking my head a little. "Now go before you make the boss angry. Thanks for the phone numbers."
"Anything. Bye kid," Bill said before he hung up the phone.
I put the phone back on its hook, and looked down at the papers Walsh gave me with the widest smile on my face. I couldn't believe any of this was real, as I read the words in front of my eyes:
KALU Faraji
Born on March 12th, 1989
Parent 1: X Parent 2: X
Guardian: Hayley Katherine THAMES
***
As I heard voices echoing through the hall, I left the bathroom with my hair still wet from the shower I had just taken. I put a pair of black jeans on and an over sized t-shirt over my head before I jogged downstairs. To my biggest surprise, Carl, Alice and even Hayden and Andy were there, which brought instant joy in my heart. It had been a few weeks since I last smiled genuinely like that, and it felt good. I was happy that everyone, minus Grams, was there, since I had to break the news of the day. I anticipated everything, and brought a fine bottle of champagne home to celebrate with my best friends, but I was more than happy to have my brother and my nephew by my side, too.
"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, as I was coming down the stairs that led to my bedroom.
"Well, Alice called me earlier today and asked if we would like to come over for dinner, and we accepted," Haze answered, as I took him in my arms. "Hey little sister," he greeted me, as he hugged me tightly. "How are you feeling?" he asked, as he cupped my face in his hands. "Did you get some sleep? You seem tired."
"I did," I reassured him with a smile, as my attention was drawn to my nephew. "Hey cutie pie," I greeted the little one, as I opened my arms for him. "I missed you," I sincerely told him, as he hugged my neck tightly.
"I missed you too, auntie Brit," he answered in that little voice of his. "I miss Michael too. When is he coming back?" he wondered, as I pulled away from him.
"I don't know, but I'm sure he misses you too," I told him with a slight smile, as I pinched his cheek gently. "Now, can you all gather in the living room? I have something to tell you."
Suspicious stares were exchanged in the room, but they all listened and sat on the two couches in the living room. I sat in front of them, on the coffee table, and sighed as nervousness washed over me for some reason.
"What's going on, Brit?" Alice asked, concern filling her voice. "Is there something wrong?"
"Well, she's unemployed, for starters," Haze tried to lighten up the mood, but immediately Carl reacted to his remark with a heavy sight. "What? Too soon?"
"It's fine, don't—"
"No, it's not fine," Carl interrupted me, and I frowned at him. "Brit, I... I tried. I tried my best to knock some sense into Baker."
"He doesn't want to take me back, does he?" I asked, and Carl shook his head no. "Carl, it's fine," I reassured, and he looked from his hands on his lap, to me. "If Baker can't appreciate me for saving lives and for being a dedicated doctor, then it's his loss," I told him, and he looked down sadly again. "Of course I miss my job, everyday since he fired me. But I think I accepted his decision, and I am fine with it. I'll find a job where I'm appreciated for my work."
"It's just weird not having you at the hospital anymore," Alice chimed in, as her eyes started to get watery. "We have so many good memories there, the three of us. It feels like it marks the end of something, and that's why it's hard for us to cope with the news."
"I know, guys. But we've had plenty of memories here too, right? You're still there, you still haven't found a house yet and I'm actually glad you haven't," I chuckled, and Carl snorted, shaking his head. "We're gonna be fine. We're all gonna adjust to the situation, and it's gonna be alright."
"Where does this optimism come from?" Haze asked, raising both of his eyebrows. "Did Michael call or something?"
"He did," I grinned, thinking back at my boyfriend's call from earlier today. "But I guess he isn't the only reason of my sudden cheery mood."
"What's that?" Al asked, as she wiped the tears from under her eyes.
I reached for my back pocket where I put the paper Walsh gave me earlier in the afternoon, and showed it to them.
"I'm officially Faraji's legal guardian," I told everybody, as I started to get emotional again. "It's done!"
"W—What? I'm gonna be an uncle?!" Hayden shouted, and I chuckled at his excitement. "I—I mean, almost one? You didn't adopt him yet, right?"
"Not yet, but well, I guess you can consider yourself as his uncle," I giggled, as my brother stood up and lifted me from the ground and spun me in the air. "Haze, you crazy pants, put me down!"
"Let her go, don't keep her to yourself!" Alice whined, and she quickly took me in her arms once I touched the floor again. "I'm gonna be an auntie Al as well," she cried tears of joy, as she held me tightly. "I'm so happy. You're gonna make a hell of a guardian, Brit," she told me, as I rubbed her back, tears of joy falling from my eyes and well.
My stare crossed Carl's who was standing behind Alice, and I let go of her.
"And you, Carl Meyers," I said, as I walked to him. "Thank you for talking to my lawyer, for asking him to hurry so that he could give me some good news. You didn't have to."
"I couldn't stand to see you down," he just shrugged, as his eyes were glossy as well. "I did what I had to, and I'm happy I did," he told me, and I gave him a tight hug. He squeezed me harder, putting his chin on top of my head. "I'd do anything so that you don't have to go through pain again. Just like everybody in this room."
"I love you guys so much," I sincerely said, as I broke Carl and I's embrace. "You can't imagine how much."
"Now can I have a hug too? I'm gonna be a cousin too!" Andy crossed his arms on his chest, pouting, as we all started laughing at him.
"Oh yes you can, come here little rascal," I said, as I grabbed him and took him in my arms before I attacked his chubby cheeks with kisses which caused him to giggle loudly as he tried to push my face away.
"But now you need to tell us, what did Michael say?" Alice asked eagerly, and I stopped playing with my nephew in a split second. I put him back down, making a face. "You didn't tell him?" she almost yelled, and I rubbed my neck.
"I—I didn't have the time to. Walsh arrived while I was on the phone with him. I told him to hold the line while I get the door, but when I came back, he was gone already. I could have asked Bill to tell him, but I wanted to tell him myself."
"Then why the hell are you still there, exactly?" Haze asked, rising an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused, as my brows knitted together.
"Duh! Why are you still there and not on a plane to wherever Michael is?" Alice chimed in, and I looked at her as if she lost her mind. "Don't give me that look, I'm dead serious right now, Brit."
"I—I don't know, Faraji needs me, I can't just go—"
"Faraji is going to stay at the hospital for at least a couple of weeks, Brit, and you know Alice and I take care of him there. He's in between good hands," Carl added, cutting me off. "I stand with my wife on this. You need to go see your man, Brit. He probably needs it more than you can imagine."
"And I agree with both of them, too," Haze chimed in, and I looked from Carl to him. "How is Michael doing? Is he okay?" my brother wondered, as I crossed my arms on my belly, looking at the floor for a bit.
"Y—Yeah, apart from the tabloids' trash that gets to him and the fact that he misses me and that he is tired, he is okay," I told him, as I looked up to the three of them. "Which means he is not okay."
"And that your presence and the good news you're bringing would do him good," Carl added, as I looked at the floor for some long seconds.
"What the hell am I doing here guys?"
"That's our question for you, dummy!" Al exclaimed, giving me an 'are you dumb' look. "You miss him, he misses you, it's not rocket science now, is it? And to top it all, you need to tell him the good news. So what the hell are you waiting for? You don't have a job, you're as free as the wind, but still you're standing there with your arms crossed on your chest."
I looked into space for a long moment, ignoring the chatter in the room. I was utterly confused at that point, because everything Carl, Hayden and Alice said made sense. I guess I still hadn't wrapped my mind around the fact that I had nothing to do since I was unemployed, and that nothing was keeping me here, minus Faraji. But as Carl rightfully said, I knew he was in between good hands at the hospital, and that now, Alice and him would take their roles as – almost – uncle and aunt seriously.
As I stared into space, many thoughts ran through my head without me being able to stop them. Everything was about to change, because I was ready to start a new life as a parent. I didn't want to be away from Michael anymore, so that I could be there for him to protect him against his demons and anybody who'd try to do him wrong. There was an empire of possibilities, a brand new life waiting for me out there. I was ready to say goodbye to my old life, and let it in the past where it belonged to focus on my future.
"I need to go," I said completely out of the blue, as I came back to my senses.
"You need to go? Like now?" Haze asked, completely dumbfounded. "We didn't mean—"
"Yes, now," I said, as I started to look for my purse around the loft. "You're right. I need to go to London and tell him."
"Can't it wait tomorrow? It's five in the afternoon, and the flight is going to be at least ten hours long. With the jet lag and everything you're—"
"Honey, I think Brit really needs to go there," Alice interrupted her husband, and I looked at her. She had a smile on her face. "She has too many things to tell Michael. Right?"
I nodded, as I was getting emotional. Without speaking a word, Alice got it. She knew what I was thinking about without me speaking a word, like she read my mind. She knew me like the back of her hand, and it sometimes got me wondering: what if she knows me better than I know myself?
"Yeah," I answered, nodding frankly as I put my purse over my shoulder."I have to go there to t—tell him that I love him and that I miss him, t—tell him all of this and more," I stuttered, suddenly overwhelmed. "I'm ready, I need to go."
"Come on, I'm taking you to the airport," she offered, as she took her car keys in her hands.
"We're coming!" Carl, my brother and nephew exclaimed in unison.
***
When we arrived at the airport, we all looked at the screens of arrival and departure times on the wall. Of course, I looked for London in the departure column. People were lined up at the check in desk with suitcases and baggage, while I only had my purse with me. I didn't bother take any luggage, because I wanted to leave the fastest way I could, to be with Michael as soon as possible.
"Holy shit, Brit, look! There's a flight leaving for London in twenty minutes!" my brother pointed to the screen, and my eyes widened as stress washed over me at that point.
"Come on, move!" Alice exclaimed, as she took my hand in hers, and dragged me to the check-in desk. "Good evening ma'am, is there any room left for the next flight to London, please?"
"Ma'am, I'm afraid it's too late. The plane is leaving in twenty minutes, and you still haven't registered your luggage," she regretfully said, looking at Alice and me.
"I'm not going, but she is. She doesn't have any luggage, just her purse. Ma'am, please. She really needs to get on that plane," Alice begged, and I looked at her. She really wanted me to go, because she knew what this meant for me. "She's a fast runner, she can make it."
"You convinced me," she said, as she looked at my passport and typed something on her computer. "I feel like you just left everything behind you to go meet the love of your life on the other end of the world to tell him you love him," she said, and I made a face that made her squeal. "Is this what you're going to do there? If you were a man I would have said you were going to propose!"
"You know I—...," I started, but didn't go any further with this. "Basically, yes. That's why you really need to hurry if you want me to be able to tell him all of this, ma'am. It would be greatly appreciated," I told her with a forced and nervous smile.
"I'm almost done," she reassured, as she was focused on her machine.
"You can do this, alright? Everything is going to be just fine," Alice told me, as she put both of her hands on my shoulders. "Remember? You're ready," she reminded me, and I smiled at her, as my eyes filled with tears. "And you're not going to cry, or I'll start crying too and it's gonna be a mess," she added with a chuckle.
"I love you so much, Al," I told her as I took her in my arms. "Thank you for supporting me in everything I do, even in the craziest shit I come up with," I laughed through my tears. "You're the best."
"You better be careful out there, because I swear I'm going to lose it if anything happens to you," she told me, as a tear escaped her left eye. "You have a little boy to take care of now."
"I know, and I will," I smiled, wiping her tear away. "But if anything happens to me, I know I made the right choice by putting yours and Carl's names in the file in case of emergency."
"I'm sorry to interrupt such a heartfelt moment, but I'm all done. You can now go through security and run to Terminal 4," the check-in lady told me, and I nodded, thanking her. "Thank you for making this job a little more exciting. And good luck, Ms. Thames."
"Thank you," I quickly said, as I jogged towards Carl, Andy and Hayden.
"Are you leaving for sure?" Andy sadly asked.
"Yes I am, there was some room left on the plane," I explained to the little one. "Come here," I beckoned, and gave him a quick hug. "I'll be back home soon, I promise. Be good in the meantime?"
"I'm going to miss you, but I will," he promised, as he let go of me.
"Come here you guys," I told Carl and Hayden and hugged them both at the same time. "You both be good too. Carl, I'm counting on you to take care of Faraji like he is your own son. I trust you with this task," I told him, as I pulled away from them. "And Haze, please tell Grams I needed to leave. She'll understand. Tell her I'll be alright."
"You can count on us," my brother nodded, as he squeezed my hand.
"Now go, don't miss your flight," Carl encouraged with a smile. "Go!" he laughed, as he noticed I wasn't moving.
"Come on! Move that ass!" Alice said, as she shooed me away.
"I love you guys!" I called, as I walked away from them.
The four of them waved at me, which made me emotional. I had the feeling I was abandoning them, even though they perfectly knew I wasn't, and that I would be back soon. I wiped the tears I had under my eyes, and started running to catch my plane, and be on my way to see the love of my life after over a month spent away from him.
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Heathrow Airport. Local time is 10pm and the temperature is 21°C. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about."
After hours in the air, I was relieved to hear that the plane was about to land on the European ground. But I also knew that the most difficult part of this crazy adventure I put myself in was coming. I knew Michael was performing in Wembley, but I had no idea how I was supposed to come in the stadium. Instead, I took a cab to the hotel Bill indicated earlier on the phone.
When I stepped into the hotel's lobby, I opened my eyes widely at the beauty that was surrounding me as I walked to the front desk where I was welcomed by a smiling elderly woman.
"Good evening ma'am, I'm Mary. What can I do for you tonight?" she gently asked in that strong British accent.
"I'm here to see Mr. Bill Bray," I let her know, and she frowned a little. "Can you call him and tell him Hayley Thames is asking to see him, please? I know it's late, but I came all the way from Los Angeles to be here, so I'd appreciate it if you could do this for me."
"Yes, sure. Hold on a minute, please," she politely asked, as she dialed a number on her phone. "Mr. Bray, I'm sorry to bother you this late at night, but a certain Hayley Thames is asking for you. Should I send her your way? You know, since your boss booked the entire floor to be left alone, I won't risk anything," she announced, and then she frowned, and looked in my direction. "He wants to speak to you," she told me, as she passed me the phone.
"Surprise!" I cheered through the phone, and Bill laughed on the other end, not able to say anything. "I know you didn't expect that, am I right?"
"Not at all, you crazy pants! Come up here, room 201, and tell me everything!" he exclaimed, and I laughed at his excited tone.
"Be right up," I giggled, and gave the phone back to Mary. "It's all good. Thank you for your help, ma'am. Have a good evening."
"You too, Miss Thames! It sounds like you belong in London already!" she joked, referring to my last name, and I smiled at her.
Without waiting a second, I took the elevator and went to the second floor of the hotel to meet with Bill. As I expected, the second floor of the hotel was pretty empty, as almost everybody was at the Stadium. I walked a couple of feet, and knocked on the 201 room's door Bill indicated me. About a second later, he opened the door with the biggest grin on his face.
"Hayley Thames, Michael is going to lose his mind because of you," he joked, before he greeted me with a small hug.
"I had some things to tell him, and it couldn't wait," I explained, as I came in his suite. "And since I lost my job... Let's say I have much more time on my hands to travel."
"Yeah I learned. That sucks, I'm sorry," Bill told me, as he offered me to seat on the armchair that was in front of the tall french doors that led on the balcony. "How are you feeling?"
"I accepted it, I'll be alright," I told him with a genuine smile. "I'll have more time to become a good guardian for Faraji," I broke the news with a wide smile on my face.
"Wait, it's done? You're officially and legally the little one's only parent?" he excitedly asked, as he put a hand over his mouth.
"Yes! It's done!" I giggled at his excited self. He really was over the moon for me, and it made me emotional. "I'll have to take care of his American naturalization and prepare for adoption in the following months, but I believe everything will be just fine."
"Michael and you are going to adopt the little one?" Bill asked, completely surprised, but in a good way. He seemed moved at that point. "He didn't tell me anything, I—I... Oh my God, this is amazing!"
"That's because we haven't talked about it yet," I told him, as I rubbed my neck. "Well, he did say that he would love to start this parenting adventure with me, but we haven't talked about adoption, strictly speaking. As I said, if I'm here, it's because I have several things to tell him."
"You seem nervous, though?"
"Not nervous, no," I shook my head, as a little smile appeared on my face. "For once I feel like I have found the answer to many of my questions, and it feels pretty good. Let's say I'm a tiny bit apprehensive."
"Well, I know everything will be alright for the both of you when you'll be near each other," he grinned, as he patted the top of my hand gently. "So tell me, how are you planning on doing this? The surprise, I mean."
"Well, I wish I could just go in his suite and wait in silence until he comes back, but I guess you—," I said, and he waved a key in front of my face. "Wait, is it Michael's suite key?"
"Yes ma'am," he chuckled at my astonished face. "You really thought I was going to leave this man with the key of his hotel suite? You know just as well as me that he would have lost it in the blink of an eye."
"Well that's... Very true," I laughed, shaking my head at my boyfriend's clumsiness. "I guess I'll be able to surprise him in his room, after all," I grinned. "Thanks Bill, you're a life savior."
"Oh believe me, I'm no life savior. You on the other hand... You are," he sincerely and seriously told me. "I've never told you this before, but... Thank you. Thank you for saving Michael from this loneliness that would have killed him, and for always having his back. You're undeniably the best thing that's happened to him, Hayley, and I need you to believe me when I say this. You know I consider Michael like my own son, and I couldn't trust anybody more than I trust you with his life in your hands, because I've never met anybody who loves him the way you do. A love so pure and so real that it can't be ignored."
"And you brought him the father figure he lacked growing up, so thank you for this," I smiled at him, as I patted his forearm gently. "You're one of the good guys."
"There are a lot of snakes, but I'm definitely not one of them," he assured me, and I nodded, agreeing. He looked down at his watch, and his eyes widened a bit. "Well, Michael should be there soon, I'm going to go downstairs with the crew to welcome him. And you, Ms. Thames, are going to do your little thing while I get your man safely back to his room," he explained, as he gave me the key to Michael's suite.
"Thanks, Bill. For everything," I thanked him sincerely, as I pulled him into a hug. "I can't wait to see him on stage tomorrow."
"Be prepared to be blown away, your man is magical on that stage," he chuckled, as we both walked out of the room, and down the hall to the Presidential suite. "Anyway, here's his suite," he let me know, as he opened the door for me. "He should be there in thirty minutes tops. When you'll hear the crew in the hallway, that will be your cue to get prepared. He usually arrives five minutes after them."
"Noted. Thank you Bill," I grinned, as I felt my stomach erupt with butterflies at the simple thought that I would be reunited with my boyfriend in a few. "I'll see you later."
"Right. Enjoy your night," he snorted a little before he walked away.
I closed the door behind me, and threw my purse on the nearest chair. Panicking a bit, I started to run across the gigantic room to find the bathroom, which I found behind the second door I opened. I didn't waste a minute to get rid of my clothes and jumped in the shower. This was the second thing I dreamed off, after being reunited with Michael: a cool shower after spending half a day on a plane.
I got out of the bath quickly, and wrapped a towel around my body and hair. When I spotted Michael's suitcase in a corner of the room, I opened it and rummaged through it to find a clean t-shirt in there since I didn't bring any. I knew for a fact that the first thing I would do in the morning would be to go out shopping to get some clothes.
When I was dressed, I put my things away not to ruin the surprise. As on cue, I heard commotion outside the room, which let me know Michael would be here soon. My heart started pounding inside my chest, as I was more than excited to be reunited with my boyfriend after we spent weeks apart. I couldn't even feel the tiredness from the jetlag yet, as the adrenaline reached its top.
When I heard the key in the keyhole, I jumped a little in surprise, and ran to the other room where Michael wouldn't see me. The grin I had on wouldn't leave my face, as I listened to his conversation with Bill.
"Oh and Bill, what time is it in LA? Do you think I could give a call to Hale before going to sleep?" he asked, and I smiled sweetly at his words.
"I'm pretty sure she's already super busy as we speak," Bill simply answered, and I had to put my hand in front of my mouth to keep myself from laughing too loud. "Good night, Michael. Don't forget to set your alarm clock for tomorrow, you probably won't be able to leave your bed."
"I will," Michael chuckled, without even knowing the meaning of what Bill told him. "Good night, Bill."
I heard the door close, followed by a heavy sigh from my boyfriend. I then heard the sound of the mattress, and soon the beeping of the phone keys. He was calling me, but I perfectly knew that no one would answer the phone since Carl and Alice were back at work. I took one deep breath, and finally came out of my hiding place.
"I'm sorry to break the news to you like this, but it looks like I'm going to be out of town for a few days," I said from behind Michael, and he literally jumped out of the bed in fear, dropping the phone on the floor, as he looked at me with the roundest eyes I had ever seen in my entire life. "Hey handsome," I greeted him, trying to keep my composure as I was freaking out on the inside.
Seconds passed as my brain was taking the information in: he was right there, he was in front of me. I was struggling to comprehend that he wasn't one of the pictures I kept beside my bed, that we were actually in the same room.
"H—Hale?" he almost shouted, as I approached him slowly. "H—How? A—Are you real? Am I hallucinating?"
"No, you're not, I'm really here," I reassured him. He seemed frightened, even panicked. "I'm here, I came here to be with you," I told him, as I finally reached for his hand.
"Oh my God! You're here!" he exclaimed, his voice breaking. Tears welled up in his eyes, but without wasting another second, he took me in his arms and lifted me off of the ground. I let out a heartfelt squeal as he spun me around, and looked down at his happy demeanor. "You're really here!" he exclaimed once again with the brightest smile on his face before he put me down again. "You jumped on a plane and you came all the way here for me," he told me, as he cupped my face in his tall hands. He brought my lips to his and kissed me repeatedly as I held onto his hips. "I love you so much," he said in between kisses, as he shed some more tears of joy.
"I missed you so much," I told him, as a tears fell from my eyes. I went into his arms, and held him close to me, trying to feel all of him against my body. "I couldn't stay another day away from you," I whispered, as I inhaled his reassuring scent.
"I never felt home while on tour until today," he told me, as he put me at an arm's length to look at me. "You have no idea how much this means to me," he almost whispered, probably because of the lump in his throat. One of his hands clasped around my lower back, while the other stroked my hair. With each soft touch more tears fell down. Tears neither of us wiped away.
"I know it means more than words could tell. I'm going to stay with you for a bit," I let him know, as I studied his perfect features as if I discovered them for the first time. "I didn't even bring any clothes, so that explains why I'm wearing one of your t-shirts. I stole it from your suitcase."
"I don't care, you can steal whatever you want from me," he told me, as he attacked my entire face with kisses again, which made me laugh wholeheartedly. "Or even wear nothing at all," he added, and I laughed some more, as we both fell on the bed that was next to us.
My brain couldn't formulate a consistent thought at that moment, for the only thing that was on my mind was him and the fact that I could feel him again, and feel complete again. This feeling of completeness... This was the only thing I wanted to feel for the rest of my life, and I knew for sure that he was the only one who could make me feel this way.
"I love you so much," I said, hovering him, as I looked deeply into his eyes. I pushed a strand of hair out of his beautiful face, and pecked his lips gently. "I missed that flawless face of yours," I grinned, gently tracing my finger from the bridge of his nose, to the cleft in his chin.
"My thoughts exactly," he grinned, putting a strand of my dump hair behind my ear. "This is the best surprise ever."
"What if I told you it's not over yet?" I asked him, as he propped himself up on his elbows.
"I'm all ears," Michael said, as I knelt on the mattress next to him.
"You know, when I told you someone was at the door earlier today, and that I asked you to hold the line for a minute?"
"Speaking about that, I'm really sorry I had to leave so quickly, I—"
"Michael, baby, it's fine, don't apologize," I chuckled softly, putting my hands on his. "Anyway. The person who came by was Mr. Walsh, my lawyer."
"Did he bring some news concerning Faraji's case?" he asked right away, as he sat up completely.
"He did," I nodded, and a grin appeared on my face instantly. "I'm officially Faraji's legal guardian!"
"W—Wait what? I thought it would take two weeks!" Michael said, confused at that point, as he knelt on the mattress just in front of me. "Is it final? I—Is it really happening, for sure?"
"It is! I have the papers and everything, it's done!" I assured him, and once again, tears of joy gathered in his eyes.
"I'm so proud of you, and I'm so happy to be able to be by your side through this," he confessed, as he took me in a tight embrace. "I wished I was there to present myself as the second legal guardian."
"Don't worry about this," I told him, and mentally took a deep breath for what was about to come out of my mouth. "We still have the opportunity to go to court and present ourselves as Faraji's adoptive parents."
"W—What?" Michael asked, as he abruptly pulled away from me to look into my eyes. "D—Do you really mean this? I—I... Wow. Y—You want me to be Faraji's father?"
"I'd like that, yes," I admitted, as I looked down for a second. "No one else but you."
"You want a family with me," he repeated, as he looked at me with thousands of sparkles in his eyes. He took my hands in his and brought them to his lips to kiss them, and looked back at me with the same moved and overjoyed expression on his face. "I want to do this. I've wanted this ever since I met you, I—I've been waiting for someone like you all my life and I don't want to wait anymore, I want it all, I—"
"I want to marry you," I blurted out without being able to stop the words to come out of my mouth. Michael stopped talking right away, and a dumbfounded expression took over his face. "I—I'm sorry, I—I didn't mean to say that like this, but I... I'm ready. I told you you'd know when I am ready, and this is me being ready," I explained, as I looked deep into his eyes again. "I want to marry you, Michael. I want to be with you for the rest of my days, and I've never been so sure of anything before. All you have to do is say yes," I whispered the last sentence, as I looked at his dumbfounded expression.
"I—I...," he tried to say, but not a word came out of his mouth.
"You don't have to say anything just nod yes or no," I told him, as I squeezed his hands in mine. "I—I know this isn't traditional for a woman to propose, but I didn't plan—"
"Yes!" he finally recovered the ability to speak, and I looked at him with a grin slowly appearing on my face.
"Yes?" I asked another time just to be sure.
Instead of answering, Michael cupped my face in his large hands again, and brought my face to his before he crashed his lips on mine.
"A hundred times yes," he mumbled through the numerous kisses he was giving me.
I was so overwhelmed by the previous events that my head started spinning a little from all the joy and love I was feeling all at once. Michael laid me down gently, his lips never leaving mine, and kept on showering me with kisses until he couldn't breathe anymore.
"When did I get so lucky?" he grazed his thumb over my cheek, and laid a little peck on the tip of my nose. "In a matter of a few minutes, you made me the happiest man alive. Everything seems so surreal," he explained, as he looked closely at each line on my face.
"But everything is more than real," I assured him, as I brought his face towards mine and gave him yet another slow yet passionate kiss. "We're getting married, and we're going to become parents."
"I have something for you," he grinned, as he pulled away from me. "Something I have kept hidden for weeks," he explained, as he disappeared in another room of the huge suite.
I propped myself on my elbows and blinked a couple times as I still felt a little numb from the mix of emotions I had just gone through, and as the lack of sleep was starting to kick in. I sat on the edge of the bed, and suddenly felt dizzy, as if I was about to vomit. I stood up from the bed, and lost my balance a couple of times. It's like the strength I had in my body left me abruptly, because my legs were barely able to support my weight, and my head was spinning, so much that I started to question if whether I was in an inebriated state or not.
"M—Michael," I murmured, as I tried to walk to wherever he was. I stopped walking when I realized what was happening to me, even if everything felt different this time for some reason I ignored.
The rapidity of the images going backwards from the first visions I had from the very moment I met Michael, the dozens of different voices invading my mind as if the room I was in was filled with a hundred people,... Everything submerged me in a matter of a couple of seconds, and I felt like I was drowning in the middle of all of these new elements.
I couldn't fight it, I couldn't make it stop. I knew I was bound to endure whatever this was doing to me.
At that precise moment, I felt like I was drained from everything that once made me the person I was.
"M—Michael," I murmured again, my voice barely audible. "I—I'm sorry."
Without pain, without a cry of help, I let go and took one last look at the photograph of me and Faraji that was on Michael's nightstand before I collapsed on the floor in a split second.