Falling for Forever

Tough Love Realization!

I woke up feeling hot & crushed under something heavy. I was tangled with Zane, half of him breathing on me. My cellphone was dancing by the bedside, ready to jump and slap me to answer. With all the strength, surprisingly, I managed to roll Zane aside on bed and answered my phone. Jayden! s**t I forgot!

“Hello, uh, Hi”

“—W HAT the f**k Melissa! Where the hell are you?” he barked on the other side, “you didn’t take the car last night, didn’t care to tell me you reached home or not. I have been trying to reach you for an hour NOW!”

“Jayden breath! Let me speak. I am….um” could I be more stupid? “…with Zane. At his place. He drove me last night. I’m sorry…it slipped my mind.. I didn’t mean to worry you, I’m sorry”

“worry me! alright. You nearly got me REPORTING YOU MISSING TO THE COPS & LAUNCH A SEARCH OPERATION YOU i***t!”

Jeeez… I’m fine! “I’m fine, I’m fine. Calm down please” I winced at his voice.

Zane was enjoying the early morning over dramatic show, kissing my shoulder, twirling his fingers in my hair and playing with the sheet I was wrapped in. I disconnected the call leaving Jayden to deal with his anger for the moment and leaned in to kiss him, only for my phone to cry again- Alicia calling.

“what?” I answered, exasperated. What’s it with this woman interrupting my private moments?

“don’t you ‘what’ me! You had a meeting with Mr. Jeffrey. Where the hell are you?” s**t! What’s the time? “don’t tell me I missed it!”

“you didn’t but you have an hour to come. I’ll debrief you”

“oh! I could kiss you Alicia! You’re a live-saver!”

“David would love it” she muttered hanging up. What? She & David?

I jumped of the bed, disregarding Zane who fell off from the bed on the other side, running to gather my clothes & stuff.

“you’re not going anywhere until we talk” he called, wincing as he got up from the floor.

“not now Knight. I have a meeting in an hour” I said, breathlessly pacing in the room, “do me a favor for now drop me home. Pleeeaaasssseeee” I begged. I can’t blow this deal!

We were on the way driving to mine, when Zane said, “Babygirl listen, we need to talk, okay, this is… important”, he rubbed his hands through his hair.

“Knight, we can talk, I am not running away, I just have something urgent waiting for me right now, unavoidable. Let me finish off with this one and I’ll take you out to a date, we can talk all you want” I kissed him rushing out. As I reached the office, running late, Alicia cornered me again asking for my travel bag.

“what?”

“—what, what? Aren’t you going to site visits with him?”

“yes, so?”

“GOD WOMAN! Have you left your brain somewhere on the way? It’ll be an out of the town trip i***t. You’ll be staying the night at the site” s**t! I’m stupid stupid stupid woman! “—go get them talking. I’ll arrange for something” she said, turning to make arrangements.

I promise I’m gonna treat you with pizza when I return!

***

Next day was obviously busy for me. I didn’t get time to breath. My day was packed, site visiting and back to back meetings with brokers, engineers, suppliers. Only the thought that Zane was begging me to return as soon as possible kept me going through the day. Naturally he was pissed for I didn’t mean a two day business trip when I left him that morning. This project, as a joint venture would be huge for HiSkyline. Finishing the work and locking the deal, I called David explaining him the paperwork and finalizing details. He was optimistic.

“can I have another day off Alicia?” I asked her calling in the evening. I need a damn break!

“you are the boss Melissa. Sure, your schedule has nothing of much consequence anyway.. But just so you know, Mark is behaving weird. You better meet him when you return.”

“yeah I will. Okay and…Alicia, could you tell Zane I’m extending my trip for another day?”

“of course” she said, disconnecting. I decided to drive to a living heaven, to meet the kids and Zane’s mother. I need a Damn break!

***

Andrea watched me perplexed from a distance, in the garden as my car pulled up in front of the mansion. I ran and hugged her like a kid meeting his mother after ages. At first Andrea was worried, asking if everything was alright but then delighted to see me again.

“I thought Zane pulled a prank on me bringing you here, only to get me off his back” she chuckle, walking me in, “but now you’re here and I’m glad you are”

Andrea reminds me of my mother, rather to put it better I forget to think of my mom with her. She loves me like her own; graceful, bubbly and naughty, as if I found an older version of myself. I don’t remember feeling this calm, cared and loved with anyone else other than my mom before. I miss her, yes, and coming here was indeed a great decision, because I found a part of her in Andrea.

It was a week day evening; kids were tired in their rooms, preparing for school tomorrow. I only got to see them at the dinner table. They were delighted to see me, they always welcome company. Dan was particularly thrilled to see me.

“Meli! I thought you got lost in the world of making money!” he taunted

I grin, “I wouldn’t dare!”

“how is Zane?”

“fine. No silly bed time stories and he let me drink coffee too” I was feeling chatty.

“Oh! Good. See I told you, you look smart. He’ll grow up” I laughed. Baby adult!

“Melissa, dear, Zane is on the call wanting to talk to you. Looks like the old man can’t stay away from you at all” she said, handing me the phone.

“Knight”

“So this was your extended unavoidable meeting babygirl. I don’t like liars, seem like you need punishments.” Damn! I forgot!

“I think I can act on my free will, now that I am an adult. Coming here is great, especially with you not hovering like a mama hen” I tease.

“I see, my mom is a dangerous influence on you. Remind me to keep her away from you next time.”

I laugh “maybe I like your mom more than I like you Mr.Knight. She’s always sweet unlike some others.” She reminds me of mine, a mother I didn’t have enough time with.

“when are you planning to return? I’m dying here”

“ooh hush, let me enjoy my vacation till it last”.

Finishing dinner, Andrea asked me if I’d like to stay the night with her. Of course, that’s why I came here in the first place, to spend time with her.

“Melissa, do you mind me… asking something?” she was anxiously prevaricating. What’s it?

“of course, anything”

“Zane introduced you as fiancée in the very first meeting. He never mentioned you before, which is –er –unlike him. Is there something I am missing?” Damn! I didn’t see that coming!

“—uh no. It all just happened so fast.. “

“don’t get me wrong, I love you too. But I’ve seen my son avoiding dates for quite a long time and now he proposed you. I hope you both ain’t rushing into nothing”

Andrea’s concerns hit the right spot. It wasn’t just about Zane, I or business. There were hearts and people involved now. I feel terrible lying to her! My conscience wasn’t ready to admit the lie. I do like Zane genuinely. Another voice in my brain snorted, Only Like?

“—I am happy for both of you. I’ve seen his face lit like a Christmas when he mentions you. I see the way he looks at you Melissa. I can tell he adores you.” Woaah! Andrea, please you’re torturing me now! “—but I don’t want you starting a new life on a wrong foot.”

I was contemplating my choices. For a second I was almost ready to tell her the truth. The guilt of hurting her would be too much for to redeem for the rest of my life. The chain of my thoughts were broken by her again. Perhaps she saw you zoning out you i***t! I scolded myself.

“Melissa, whatever it is, just remember, entering to the journey of life without love will eventually suffocate you. Everything you compromise with right now, things that seem too trivial to be considered in a relationship will pose to be the reasons of the fallout later. I love you as my own daughter. I’d hate to see you both struggling to keep up with ‘life’ ahead because of hasty decisions. Don’t do anything you’re not sure of. Think carefully okay?” I nodded. My eyes brimmed with tears. I felt my mom talking to me after ages, here in person.

“I’m lucky woman to have Zane in my life Andrea. If anything, regret will never follow getting into any journey with him” I assured.

If I be completely honest with myself right now, I can’t even see a life without Zane anymore. In the little games, bickering and dates, he actually made his way to my heart. He has grown to be the reason I look forward to for starting a day and someone seek comfort with during the nights. I am falling for Zane Knight. I finally admit.

Love.

Now I see what it meant by ‘love brings you home, comforts you and creeps into your life without a dramatic welcome at the most unexpected times’. I fell in love with a most unexpected person, completely out of the turn when I wasn’t prepared to fall in love. This person happens to be the reason of chaos in my life. Also, the only one who makes the chaos of my life seem too trivial compared to my strengths. He makes me feel beautiful and strong inside out. He is the calm and he is the storm. My black and white life has been glowing with the colors of the rainbow ever since Zane happened.

We might have started out on a wrong foot, but I know what we have become. I can’t let this slip away. Zane is probably one of those few right things that have happened to me; One of the rare unexpected of my life that didn’t disappoint me for ruining my plans but rather fixed my life.

Had the situation been different, I’d embrace this newly dawned realization with open arms, but right now the possibilities were frightening. The feeling was frightening.

I’ll fix things with him now.

If we start a forever, it wouldn’t be a business arrangement.

Andrea hugged me, sensing the battles I was fighting within. She hugged me tight, with all the warmth and motherly love I’ve been craving for all my life. Unusual that it is, I didn’t feel the need to sleep away my new complex emotional feelings with her around me. Instead, I wanted to stay tumbling on this treacherous river of my emotions and enjoy falling, for a change.

I owe this to you. No one but you could see through me. Thank you!

Wednesday, August 24th 2016

Next morning, I dragged Andrea to the kitchen, demanding to learn the magic of her baking. I know she’ll send me some anything I want, but it was something worth learning.

“—where’s Zane’s father?” I blurred out, without realizing the depth of the question “—uh sorry I didn’t mean… I was just” Damn you & your big mouth Melissa!

“it’s okay dear. Zane’s father Zach Andreson and I dated for a couple of years. I got pregnant soon after we finished the college. He had his ambitions, different dreams. He wanted to travel & explore. Not ready to settle. I decided to let him carry on and raise Zane alone, of my own.” She smiled with a dreamy look on her face.

“why didn’t you marry again?” the words came out without my permission. s**t! talk about timing for brain to mouth filter malfunctioning! Andrea looked thoughtful and surprised at my question.

“I never felt a need for a man in my life” she said, as if answering to herself, “I had a job, financial & emotional independence, a kid like Zane to love & loving me back unconditionally. I had everything I needed to give him a good life, what more could I ask for. I felt complete as it is.” she chuckle, “maybe this is why I never thought about it”

I decided to rest my overly curious prying brain and shift the subject to Zane’s childhood stories. With now have realized & admitted my true feelings for him, I couldn’t wait to get back in his arms again.

***

“hello?” my phone rang while I was packing back my stuffs ready to leave.

“am I speaking to Melissa Rose?”

“yes please”

“are you acquainted with Neil Linc?” s**t! what happened?

“yes, he’s my brother. Is he okay?”

“he’s been charged with drunk driving madam. I must tell you this is second time inspite of a formal warning last time. I’m afraid third would count for formal actions”

Bloody Hell! “I am sorry officer, I’m out of the town at the moment. Should be back tomorrow. Someone will get in touch on my behalf soon for the formalities. Is he okay?”

“drunk” why Neil?

“uh.. I’m sorry”

So much for a peaceful vacation….