Los Angeles, October 1989
Checking her watch, Lisa thought that hers had probably been a terrible idea, after all. Suddenly, she was not entirely sure she could count on Michael like that. Talking over the phone while he was flying all over the world for his tour was one thing, going out with him was something else entirely.
But she had loved those long conversations so much that it had taken her precisely ten seconds to ask him if he wanted to see her, after finding out that he was back in L.A. for a while. And he had said yes right away as if he wanted nothing more than going out with her. It had felt nice. Lisa needed a friend – and Michael was great in that department.
After spending some time together at Branca’s wedding, they had found a rhythm that she had only rarely experienced with anyone. She had expected the superstar, but right from the get-go, Michael had been more like the cute guy next door. Sweet, smart, funny, easygoing, down to earth, so good at listening… and apparently far from punctual.
What had he said, again? That he would pick her up at 4? Lisa scanned her memory one more time. She was pretty sure he had said just that. In that case, he was almost twenty minutes late.
OK. That was it. Lisa would wait for Mr. Michael Joseph Jackson for five more minutes, and then she would go her own merry way. He could moonwalk his cute little ass back home for all she cared.
And just like that – magic! – a car appeared from around the corner, tires screeching as if it was some movie set. Lisa squinted her eyes and, instinctively, pondered over the possibility of throwing herself into a shop, just in case. Who was in there? A runaway robber?
No, it was Michael. Lisa realized it the moment the car pulled over and stopped abruptly. The tinted window rolling down revealed Michael’s beautiful smile. He was wearing his shades and pulled them down on his nose.
“Jump in! Come on!”, he whispered hurriedly, glancing around as if he feared someone would notice him.
Lisa snorted and frowned, walking over to the car. All the while thinking that no, she wouldn’t really have left if he hadn’t arrived just then. But she was so used to playing the bad girl, devil-may-care role that she only rarely showed who she was. Soft. Gentle. Very sweet, deep down. And very much in need of love and affection in her life. Sometimes that part of her was just so well hidden that even she forgot it existed.
“OK… Jeez, where were you running?”.
She was seriously trying not to laugh on his face. He was just so cute, all flustered and wired. And she would have never imagined that he would be all alone, without his entourage. Lisa had been expecting at least a couple of cars, five or six security guys, and a full-body disguise. But no. Michael looked just like his usual, splendid self. Not the stage animal in buckles and leather she had seen on TV, and not even the classy young man in a suit she had met at the wedding, but still very much in tune with himself. That afternoon, he wore simple black slacks and a dark grey shirt, face clean shaved, hair loosely tied in a ponytail. The cute guy next door, once again. One you could easily be friends with.
Lisa closed the car door, and Michael’s scent immediately washed over her. Yeah, he smelled great. All the time. She had already noticed that, too, at the wedding.
Michael rolled up the window and kept smiling at her.
“Hi!”.
“Dude, you’re late.” Lisa watched him with a stern expression.
Michael’s smile faltered, and he looked at her apologetically.
“Am I? I’m sorry… I had to stop at the gas station and…”, he scratched the back of his head. “…I’m so very sorry”.
And then he blushed. Lisa chuckled and shook her head.
“It’s OK. I’m just fucking with you. Don’t worry…”.
“Yeah?”.
“Yeah.” She rested her hand on his and squeezed it for a second. “It’s nice to see you, Michael. It’s been a long time, and I’m happy you’re back.” Her voice sounded suddenly very soft, and Michael smiled again. It was like watching the sun rise on a warm, breezy summer day.
“Me too! I’m so glad you called… and asked me out”.
“I didn’t ask you out,” Lisa laughed, “I just wanted to spend some time with my good friend Mike.”
“For real? Cool”.
He laughed, and she detected something in his eyes, just for a fleeting moment. Something that disappeared almost immediately, sucked back into those dark eyes, something she couldn’t put her finger on – a glimpse that she had already noticed when they had first met again as adults. As if Michael was somehow interested in her, or at least hoped she would be interested in him. But no, it was impossible. That superstar right there, the sexy artist incinerating stage after stage in every corner of the world couldn’t want her, of all people. Not only Lisa was almost ten years younger than Michael, but she also lived a life that was completely different from the only one he had always known. Michael probably didn’t even remember what it felt like not to be famous, or what walking among people going completely unnoticed was like, while she… Well, despite her name and her face, which was a mirror-image of her father’s, she had always had the luxury of living her life freely, coming and going just as she pleased. So, no. It was unlikely that Michael was looking for anything but a few hours out with a sorta-kinda friend, someone he had spent some lovely hours over the phone with, someone who, at times, had also partaken in some intense, serious discussions.
Plus, Michael knew that Lisa had just become a mother, albeit a very young one, and that she was married. And she was under the impression that he was extremely respectful of that. So, friendly meeting indeed. Not that she wanted anything else from him.
“Where are you taking me? And most of all, why were you driving like a madman? I thought you were drunk”.
Michael frowned.
“What? I’m not drunk, and I was going slow”. He glanced at the rear-view mirror and sped off, and the sudden acceleration immediately propelled Lisa backward, against her seat.
“Whoa, what the fuck! Slow down, crazy man! You’re gonna get us killed!”, she laughed nervously.
He giggled, looking completely unfazed.
“Whatcha talking about, girl? I am an excellent driver… I even used the blinker”.
“Oh, did you?”. She threw him a look and shook her head in amusement. He was serious. He was a horrible driver and didn’t know it. Or didn’t care. “Nobody ever said anything to you about the way you drive?”.
Michael shook his head and shrugged.
“Not that I remember… Anyway, to answer your question, we’re going to Echo Park Lake”.
Lisa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Really? That’s an interesting choice… I like it”.
His eyes still focused on the road, he let out a lopsided smirk.
“I’m glad.”
And off to Echo Park Lake they went.
The afternoon was coming to an end, and the silence of the evening had started to envelop the space like a cloak. The park was beautiful and so very quiet at that moment.
It was not deserted, there were people around, mainly joggers, couples, and people walking their dogs, but the environment was peaceful and tranquil enough to allow Michael to relax a little bit. Lisa thought that there had to be a reason why he had picked that place, amongst the many others he could have chosen. Maybe its absolute normalcy, the ordinary beauty it communicated had something to do with it.
As they strolled along the lake, Michael realized that Lisa’s proximity made him feel a little bit more overwhelmed than he had initially expected. When she had asked him if he wanted to see her, he had been surprised and so happy. He had been waiting to see the little Presley girl again since Branca’s wedding, but his tour had kept him busy for so long that he had feared she would forget all about him. That was why he had made a point of calling Lisa at least once a week, it didn’t matter where he was, or how tired he felt. Soon, he had discovered that Lisa’s voice had an incredibly soothing effect on him and that after talking to her, sleep would always come much more easily. On a couple of occasions during those long nights spent over the phone, he had also had the feeling that they were flirting a little, innocently, but he wasn’t sure. They would joke a lot, and banter, and laugh together. They had somehow become intimate, turning that often impersonal tool into a very personal means of communication. The boundaries, at times, would blur and their tone would become hushed, almost whispered, as they spoke about their dreams, their hopes, and their struggles.
So, anyway, when she had asked him out, he had merely run to her. He couldn’t wait to see her. And when he had indeed seen her, she had taken his breath away. He liked Lisa, and couldn’t deny that, to him, she was beautiful and sexy, funny, smart. But she was also married now, had just had a kid, and Michael knew that he could only be sinful with his eyes and his thoughts. His words and actions – well, those were a different business, and they had to stay in check.
“So… how’s life at the ranch? Did you move there already?”.
Michael shrugged.
“Not permanently. I still love hanging out at my hideout… and I still go back to my mom’s every chance I get.”
“What a mamma’s boy…”. She pushed him, lightly.
He snorted.
“I am not.”
“Yes, you are…”, she winked at him, “You love having women take care of you, don’t you?”.
“I can take care of myself just fine, thank you. And, if you really wanna know, I love taking care of my women, too…”. He raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Lisa laughed.
“Hear, hear… Plural, no less!”.
“Let’s just not go there… how’s your little girl?”, Michael turned serious and stared at her as they kept sauntering, side by side, their arms slightly brushing against one another.
Lisa’s features softened immediately.
“Oh, she’s so beautiful, Michael… You have no idea. I hope you’ll have the chance to meet her very soon”.
“I hope so, too… How old is she, now?”.
“She’s almost five months old…”.
“I saw the pictures, you know? The ones on People… You were on the cover… with little Riley. It was sweet”. He smiled at her, very softly, and Lisa blinked. There was a tenderness about Michael, an honest, genuine gentleness that never failed to amaze her. He was thoughtful and attentive, and never forgot a thing. She liked that about him – among other things.
“Yeah, well… I looked a bit bloated, but… hey… all in all, it could have been worse”.
“You looked amazing. And even more so now”. His voice dropped a little in color, becoming deeper, like velvet. Lisa’s eyes lowered, but she kept smiling. Michael cleared his throat.
“Hey… why don’t we sit down on that bench for a while? I wanna see the sunset reflecting on the lake…”.
“Sure, why not?”, Lisa shrugged. And ignored the shivers running down her spine after hearing him compliment her. She was not entirely used to that. Not from Danny, anyway. Not anymore. And anyone else… well, usually they all wanted something from her, and that was why they would try to snow her. Michael, on the other hand, was different. He had everything. Didn’t need anything from her. So she had to assume that he was being honest… or maybe, just a terrific friend.
They sat on the bench, facing the blue sparking surface of the water, not far away from the statute. The Lady of The Lake. They stayed quiet for a long time, just enjoying each other’s company, sitting close, but not really touching. It was incredible how not even silence ever felt uncomfortable, with him. They were both utterly at ease. When Michael spoke again, the sky had taken that bluish tint that always preluded the arrival of the night.
“It’s nice, don’t you think? After a while, you almost forget you’re in the middle of one of the world’s most densely populated cities…”.
“Yeah…”. Lisa could hear the crickets chirping. They sounded as if they were everywhere, and yet she couldn’t see them. She glanced around. “You know what they say about Echo Park Lake, right? That it’s the perfect place for making out… And I gotta admit there’s something about the combination of water shooting into the air, ducks and paddle boats that is deeply romantic. I wonder why no-one ever took me here…”.
“Clearly, because they had no imagination and were not romantic” Michael gave her a sexy little grin, “Or maybe they were just shy and didn’t wanna make out here in the open.”
Lisa chuckled. “What? There might be a lot of people around, but they’re all going to be too busy to notice a little face-sucking”.
“You’re too much, Lisa.”
She just ran her fingers through her hair, and more silence followed, interrupted only by the water splashing in the lake and the slight murmurs of some passers-by. She was right: nobody was paying any attention to them – or Michael, more specifically.
“Are you staying for long? Here in L.A., I mean…”.
“For a few days… I got a couple of weeks before another set of shows… Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio… and so on… And then I’ll be finally done with this tour”.
“Aren’t you tired? It must be exhausting…”. She turned her face to look at him. He was staring at the lake, arms spread on the backrest of the bench, looking pensive.
“It is… But I love being on stage. I don’t necessarily like touring, but connecting with the audience… with all those people… well, that’s the best part of my job. Together with creating music, that is”.
“Do you ever think about… I don’t know… Just… slowing down… Taking some time off and focus on your private life? I mean… Having a job that you love is great, but I believe that having kids, making a family, that’s what keeps it all together”.
“I believe so, too,” Micheal finally turned and looked at her. “And I’d love to have my own family… A wife to go back to… Kids… I just… I don’t think I’ve found the right woman, yet”.
“Oh, but you will… You’ll see, she’ll pop up in your life without you even noticing… I mean, how can she not?”, Lisa smirked at him, and he just mirrored her expression, all the while noticing how her blue irises sparkled in the semi-darkness, fascinated by those hooded eyes of hers. One of her best assets… together with many other very interesting body parts.
For a split second, Michael wondered what it would be like to be at Danny Keough’s place, to have Lisa as his wife. But the thought was a little too intense and unexpected for him, and he chased it away. All that remained was a sudden, intense desire to feel Lisa’s lips on his, under the darkening sky, the almost revealed stars, but not quite visible yet.
Ròs House, Scotland, May 2018
Michael closed his laptop and sat back in his chair, exhaling a long sigh and running his hands over his face.
OK, enough working for the day. His eyes scanned the many pictures he had only recently framed and put on his desk. All pictures taken during the last thirty days… except for one. The first shot of him and Lisa as a couple, after his return. The one that very kind lady had taken of them in Peterhead, after their first night being intimate again. Michael loved that picture. It perfectly represented both the zenith and the nadir of their life together: a new beginning and, at the same time, the end of so many of the things they were before. In their old existence.
The other pictures – well, those mainly had Kellan as the main star. Kellan in his crib, at the hospital nursery, his little fists up mid-air as the best motivator in the world, his big eyes open and that head full of dark curls. Kellan on his first day home, sleeping peacefully in Lisa’s arms, while she looked at him with an expression of pure devotion. Kellan with Janet, sitting on the couch and surrounded by Michael’s kids – all smiling, all looking amazed and happy. A close-up of Paris’ face as she kissed the baby’s chubby cheek with all the tenderness in the world. Michael and Kellan, both asleep, the baby lying on his dad’s naked chest. And finally, Michael and Lisa, together, sitting on the wrought iron bench near the fountain, in the garden, with their baby. Looking so much younger than Michael ever thought possible, deliriously happy… and taxed by the lack of sleep.
There were also pictures of the baby with Priscilla somewhere but, as much as Michael had somehow made peace with his former mother-in-law, having those in plain sight all the time still wasn’t his thing. One step at a time. For now, greeting Priscilla with a light kiss on the cheek would have to do. Lisa had made fun of him for days for that, calling him “the fearless, mighty knight entering the dragon’s den.” Michael knew she was kidding. Sort of.
He relaxed in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. He was tired and sleep-deprived, but only rarely in his life he had experienced such a feeling of absolute fulfillment. He and Lisa had basically been taking care of their baby on their own, except for the support of a nanny who had been hired to help them out part-time, and only if needed. They knew that being parents didn’t mean stopping being lovers and partners, but the truth was that they also loved doing all the hard work personally and that, so far, had been their priority. Changing diapers, feeding and bathing the little boy, lullabying him to sleep and just being there for him every time he needed them, were the actions that now set the rhythm of their days.
Also, since their return home, Michael had made a point of being in charge of specific things, because he wanted Lisa not to wear herself out and take care of herself instead. He wanted her to have time to recover completely. The sooner, the better, since it meant they would get married. He had not brought up the subject again, but he was sure that she knew he was only waiting for her to set the date. He was ready.
Having been by Lisa’s side during the baby’s birth had given Michael a fairly accurate idea of how exhausting and taxing the entire pregnancy and delivery had been for her, and the last thing he wanted was for Lisa to get too stressed out about everything that came with having to deal with a newborn. He now proudly held the championship of getting up at night whenever Kellan would wake up because he was hungry or indisposed: not once Michael had asked Lisa to do it at his place, and he had always happily fed the baby by himself and lullabied him back to sleep.
Lisa had told him that it was not necessary, that they could share duties no problem, that he was cooperative enough, but Michael had stated, very clearly, that he wanted to be the one in charge when it came to taking care of that specific task. Eventually, she had just sighed and thanked him with a grateful smile. As if that experience was somehow new for her. Michael hadn’t had the heart to ask her if taking care of her other babies had somehow shown the inaction and flaws of her previous partners. And he didn’t like thinking about Lisa with anybody else but him, so… it was a moot point.
All the while, they had also managed to take care of the press on their own terms. The moment they noticed the paparazzi outside the hospital and around the perimeter of their property, while going back home after Kellan ’s birth, Lisa and Michael had realized they were probably going to be slightly oppressed and hunted, if they didn’t give the tabloids something to chew on.
Eventually, about a week later, they had decided to release a statement to the public, declaring that they had indeed welcomed a baby boy in their lives, that the baby was healthy and that everyone in the family was okay. The statement had been made via social media, using Lisa’s accounts, and that had been pretty much it, at least for the time being. Whenever the press would contact them, they would only reply by saying that they still hadn’t decided if and when they were going to release official pictures of their family, and to please respect their privacy. For now, the paps had relented, or so it seemed.
Lisa was well. She had been recovering for a little more than a month now, and it was amazing how her body had been reacting to all those sudden changes. During the last two weeks, she had started working out again, jogging on the beach early in the morning, during Kellan’s nap, and sometimes even working out with Michael in their private gym – which was sweet torture for him. Also, Pilates had become her thing.
She looked fantastic. So beautiful and slightly curvier than usual. Sex on a stick, in Michael’s eyes. Now that Lisa was the mother of his son, he desired her even more, if that was ever possible.
Michael shook his head and chased the thought away. No. He just couldn’t go there. Not now. They hadn’t resumed making love, yet. In fact, they hadn’t had sex at all. They wanted to wait to have the green light from the doctors, after Lisa’s 6-week postpartum check-up. The last thing that Michael wanted was for Lisa to feel as if a blowtorch was going where the sun didn’t shine. She had never seemed worried, nor she had ever expressed any concern about resuming their normal sexual activities, but Michael felt uneasy and scared at the possibility of hurting her.
Yet, since day one he had never missed the chance of just snuggling and cuddling with her. They hadn’t needed to talk about it: they were mature enough to know that couples had to remain couples even while parenting, and that their emotional and physical connection was now even more important than ever.
Michael knew how much he desired his woman, but was also very respectful of her recovery time. So for now, he loved just being close to her and hold her, never getting past first base, caressing her gently, kissing her and watching her fall asleep in his arms, all the while reminding her how much he loved her and how beautiful she was. Then, afterward, more often than not, he was so hot and bothered that he needed to take care of himself privately. He had always been a very clean man, but lately, even Lisa had noticed that his showers were more frequent and accurate than usual. She had eyed him suspiciously a few times, asking him what the heck he had been doing, locked in the bathroom for so long. Michael had just shrugged and downplayed the whole thing, not wanting to let her think that she was somehow insufficient. Because she really was not. At the same time, he didn’t want to come across as a sex-starved maniac. Which he was.
However, during the last week or so Lisa’s naughty side had started to reemerge, and her wandering hands and sinful lips had sometimes risked to drive him to distraction. Dang, somehow parenting was even harder if you had a woman that was lust personified in your bed, every night! Or everywhere near you, during the day. But Michael was not the kind of man who would expect his woman to take care of him without reciprocating the favor, and that was the only reason why he had, so far, gently distracted her from taking things further. He was red-blooded and passionate, but never selfish.
Speaking of which… He had worked for the entire afternoon, leaving Lisa all by herself to take care of their baby. Time to take the art dealer hat off and put the dad & partner one on. Plus, he terribly missed her and Kellan.
Michael rose from the chair and walked out of his studio.
Lisa rested her lips on Kellan’s head and inhaled the unique scent of his hair. She was cradling him in her arms after having bathed and fed him and he, as per usual, had been an angel. And so beautiful. He was gorgeous, really, and growing up so fast already. His soft skin, those chubby cheeks, that little wrinkle in between his eyebrows whenever he pouted, those tiny feet… All had the ability to make Lisa fall head over heels every time she looked at him.
Kellan was a very alert and yet calm, good-natured baby. Since he was born, he had never failed to show his peaceful disposition and lovable personality. His eyes bright and lively, he didn’t sleep much for a newborn – he had probably inherited that trait from his dad – but he also rarely fussed. His big, beautiful eyes reflected the same, gentle wonder that Lisa had always seen in Michael’s dark irises. She still remembered how Michael had looked at her, so many years earlier, while they sat on that bench at Echo Park Lake… He had looked at her as if he wanted to kiss her, and yet he hadn’t done it. They were nothing but friends, at that time, and she was married to another man. And however, now Lisa knew that if Michael had kissed her, that night, she would have let him.
The thought made her smile, and she closed her eyes as she kept cradling Kellan, slowly pacing back and forth in his nursery, softly humming to him.
She felt as if Michael had been in her life forever. As if he had been a part of her, forever. And she couldn’t remember a time when she hadn’t been so desperately in love with him. Rationally, she knew there had been a phase when she had seen him strictly as a friend, but now she wondered… she indeed wondered if she hadn’t, indeed, fallen for him right from the get-go, without even noticing. Without even believing it would be possible. Soulmates, indeed.
Well, the reality of things was more than evident and spoke for itself. Michael had been her friend, then her lover, then her husband, then her lover again, then her lost love, and now… well, he was the father of her youngest child. The proof of what they felt, of who they were, was in Lisa’s arms. And soon, Michael would be her husband once again.
She couldn’t wait.
The smile on Lisa’s lips got wider and the baby, as if feeling his mom’s sudden burst of emotion, made a sound. He was so perceptive.
Although still very little, Kellan was already showing some very interesting physical features that would soon become the subject of speculations, Lisa was sure of that. He had Michael’s curly, dark hair and big, doe eyes, although their color was still undefined, oscillating between dark grey and a very peculiar shade of blue. He also had Michael’s perfect ears and forehead. His mouth and nose, apparently, were all Lisa’s instead, just like his pout and frown.
“What’s the matter, little huggy-bear? Why aren’t you burping tonight?”, Lisa whispered, softly, all the while kissing Kellan’s head again and again.
“Because he only burps and barfs all over his daddy.”
Michael’s low, soft voice didn’t exactly startle her, and she was not surprised when, turning around, saw him leaning against the door frame, hands buried in his pockets, staring at her with the slightest smile on his lips. He looked a bit ruffled, his white shirt crumpled, tie loosened and tucked between two buttons of his shirt, hair messy. Tired and oh so very handsome. And sexy. Lisa’s senses reawakened and, once again, she experienced pure amazement at the level of attraction she had been feeling for Michael during the past week or so. After about three full weeks of complete lack of interest in sex, she had a feeling her mojo was finally starting to come back. She supposed that Michael’s constant cuddling her to death, every chance he got, had been working its magic. Too bad her man didn’t seem to respond appropriately to her intentions of moving things a tad bit further.
Lisa smiled, all the while pushing aside the sudden fear of having become undesirable to him. This was not the time, nor the place.
“Wanna try at my place?”, she raised an eyebrow at him, and Michael laughed lowly.
“Of course I wanna try… And I’m also gonna succeed”, He stepped closer and held out his arms. “Come here, lil’ man… Let’s show mommy how it’s done”.
“Yes, lil’ man… go to your very arrogant daddy”.
As Kellan smoothly passed from his mom’s arms to his dad’s, Michael leaned over and gently kissed Lisa on the lips, lingering a little. She sighed in the kiss and, when she backed off, her eyelids felt heavy. She swallowed.
Michael had already started pacing back and forth in the dimly lit room, all the while gently patting the baby’s back. Within a minute, Kellan grasped Michael’s shirt in his tiny fist and burped, then snuggled against Michael’s shoulder.
“There ya go! Heard that?”. Triumphantly, Michael turned to Lisa, his eyes smiling. She just laughed softly at his enthusiastic reaction. He was a nut.
“Yes, Michael. You’re the burp master”.
“I know, right? I have my tricks… they were all on this amazing website called Top Tips for Dads… I kinda needed a refresh course…”, he giggled and kept pacing. “…By the way, I’m sorry I didn’t help you that much today… I can take it from here if you want. The nanny still downstairs?”.
“Yeah, I told her to go and have dinner. She’s gonna stay until midnight, as planned… and then she’ll be back tomorrow evening”. Lisa ran her hand through her hair. “And don’t worry, baby. I know you have to work. Little man and I managed just fine”.
“Great… Well then, your shift is over, woman… I’m gonna put this fussy bean right here to sleep with my magic powers. Whatever it is that you wanna do, now you can… you’re officially off-duty”.
Lisa grinned.
“Whatever it is that I wanna do, um…? OK…”. She shrugged, nonchalantly. “You know what, then? I’ll go downstairs and work out a little… just to blow off some steam… and, Michael? When you’re done here, maybe you can join me. You know I am always in need of my personal trainer supervising me…”.
He knew her well enough to recognize the low, husky tone in her voice. And he was damned if he let her down, making her believe that he wanted to be anywhere but near her. He had to play it safe, though.
“Sure… You go ahead, baby girl… And I’ll join you in a little while”.
The little grin he gave her didn’t have that dirty tint that Lisa would have liked, but managed to make her insides tingle anyway. Feigning a carefreeness that she didn’t feel, Lisa blew Michael a kiss and walked out of the room.
He just watched her go and rested his lips against his son’s tiny ear.
“You have one hot mama, little one…”. Kellan made a cooing sound and Michael giggled. “Yeah, my thoughts exactly.”
Michael had been taking care of his youngest son wonderfully. Lisa had never had any doubts about his skills as a father, and yet the way he had reacted to Kellan’s birth had amazed her, to an extent. Bonding was probably the most appropriate term she could use to describe the relationship Michael had instantly developed with his son.
She knew that, for Michael, the seven years that had followed his disappearance had been tough. A solitary life, a life almost made of nothing, which had been slowly chipping away at the very essence of who he was. Lisa knew that Michael didn’t like to talk about how emotionally robbing his life had been before his return: he just couldn’t go back there. However one night, a few months earlier, as they snuggled in each other’s arms on the couch, before the fireplace, he had slowly opened up. Lisa, draped over his chest, had just let him talk, and he had told her how devastating the sensory deprivation he had experienced had been, for him. Michael was a very physical and affectionate man, and his complete loneliness had been one of the worst consequences of having to build a new identity which required plenty of time alone. In hiding. If he had survived, all the while keeping intact his pure soul, it had just been because Michael was a diamond. Shining, unadulterated, and unbreakable. He had managed to overcome the sudden mutilation of everything that defined him as a man: his family, his mere identity and everything that came with it. He had resisted and had survived, and had even bounced back wonderfully. His mutilated limbs had regrown, even stronger than before.
Kellan was the reflection of who Michael was: a survivor in spite of adversity. The living proof that the light could indeed resurface even after the darkest night. And since day one, Michael had been adamant, both with his words and actions, in his intention of taking care of the baby – and Lisa – completely. Lisa knew that Michael would throw himself in front of a speeding truck to protect anyone he loved. That had never changed. The brand-new little human being that had just landed in their lap had expanded Michael’s heart even more – which was quite a feat in itself.
In this entirely new experience, what hit Lisa with more force was how helpful and dedicated Michael was as a partner. How reliable and supportive he was. Sure, when they were married they had taken care of Lisa’s kids together, but Riley and Ben were not newborns, while with Prince, Paris and Blanket… well, Lisa certainly had had her fair share of diapers to change, but she had always felt as if she was observing the whole thing from the sidelines. Her relationship with Michael, at that point, had been too shaky and complicated to allow her to get completely involved in the practical matters regarding Michael’s kids. He was their dad, and he was a single dad. No matter how many nights Lisa would land in his bed, no matter how many words of eternal devotion were whispered between those various rounds of intense passion, and no matter how much she and Michael loved each other.
So, yeah, Kellan’s birth had changed everything, once again. Michael had been giving Lisa all the time to recover, he had never let her drown in her baby blues, he had lived – with her, always with her – every single moment with the sheer amazement of a kid. Michael was the wise father and the newborn, all at once. Immortal and reborn at the same time.
Every day had been a gift and a surprise.
Kellan starting to recognize his mom’s and dad’s voices, to adjust to the strange new world outside the womb. Michael talking to him all the time, gently, telling him that he would never be alone, that he had his mommy and his daddy. Kellan couldn’t understand Michael’s words, yet, but his love would come through loud and clear.
As weeks went by, the baby had also started to be able to focus on faces and objects. Lisa would continuously look at him as he nursed, moving her head slowly from side to side and smiling whenever his eyes followed her.
Lately, even the way he moved had begun to change. Although still random and jerky, Kellan’s movements had already become more controlled and he was now able to adjust his posture and snuggle whenever someone held him. He was not ready for gym-class, but he could already be pulled to a sitting position. Michael also loved to make Kellan “fly” by resting the baby’s tummy on his forearm, all the while supporting his son’s head with his free hand. And finally, Kellan’s was now using his voice in ways others than crying: he would coo and make “ahh” sounds, especially when he saw Lisa or Michael. He already was a happy kid, and it showed. Of course, Michael had been thrilled and had showered his son with attention, even replaying his sounds back to him.
“Careful there, Mike… he’s gonna find out that his voice has power: he calls, and you appear”, Lisa had told him, barely repressing a chuckle. He was bent over the crib, and had just turned his head to her.
“That’s exactly the point: he calls, and I’m right there. How amazing is that?”. And he had laughed. A laugh that had reached his eyes, making them sparkle and shine. A thousand volts of pure and undiluted happiness that had invested Lisa: the impact had been inevitable. Only one word had come to her mind: perfection.
They had suffered so much, they both had been cut open and hurt so many times, to the point of almost bleeding out. They had been so close to losing each other forever. But it had been all worth it. It didn’t matter how long it had taken to be where they were now. They were.
As thoughts and images kept fluttering in her mind like butterflies, Lisa focused on her workout routine, in the gym, taking it easy. She started by warming up with some light, aerobic exercises and then stepped on the elliptical machine. Within fifteen minutes, she felt stress and fatigue almost entirely disappear. Her mind clear, her blood pumping, her skin sweaty, she was happy with the way her whole body felt. She hadn’t imagined it would be so easy to get back into shape. But everything was so much easier, now. Maybe getting older, wiser, wasn’t so bad after all. Plus, exercising at home had his benefits, since it usually involved Michael.
The moment he stepped into the room, Lisa was taking a break, drinking some Gatorade and gazing at the darkness wrapping itself around the trees, in the huge garden facing the mansion, through the glass walls. She saw him in the reflection of the French doors and smiled when she noticed his eyes narrowing and lowering on her ass for the shortest instant. Then he looked up and grinned, walking over and stopping right behind her. Pulling her into him.
“I’m all sweaty, Mike…”.
“Even better…”. He nuzzled her neck, kissing it softly and she closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling a long breath and leaning back against his chest.
“You gonna keep me company?”.
“Yes… Kellan’s all tuckered out, and Denise is gonna take care of him for a while. We do have a few hours for ourselves…”. Another kiss on her shoulder, partly revealed by her sleeveless workout vest. “…And I do need to relax a little”.
“You feel tense, big guy? I might help you out, you know?”. Lisa’s suddenly husky voice was accompanied by her hand traveling back and in between their bodies. The moment she thought she detected something going on down there, Michael’s fingers closed around her wrist, and he pulled her hand up and to his mouth, kissing it.
“Don’t be naughty…”. He giggled lowly, stepping back with a sigh and Lisa swallowed.
OK. Why was he doing this? Didn’t he realize that she needed to have him close not only as a partner but also as a lover?
She shook her head and dabbed her face with a washcloth, as she studied him through the reflection on the glass. He had already started his routine on the treadmill, keeping a fairly steady pace as if he indeed needed to release some tension.
Alright, then. Leave it to him to run hot and cold, again! Lisa still couldn’t forget how, during their first workout together, about a couple of weeks earlier, they had ended up making out like horny teenagers against the wall. It had been hot and steamy, and sexy as fuck but even then, at one point Michael had stepped back and downplayed the entire situation, apologizing and telling her that “he was sorry he didn’t think about what he was doing” and that he had “lost his head for a moment.”
What the fuck?
Lisa had been so stunned and confused by his reaction that she hadn’t even replied. Yet she was pretty sure that the hardness she had felt pressing against her abdomen wasn’t exactly a sign of rejection. Since then, she had never really dared to make the first move again, and he hadn’t either. Not beyond kissing her and caressing her and holding her, anyway. Frustrating man!
Lisa bit the inside of her cheek, eying him as she lay down on her back, on the floor. She bent her legs and positioned a pillow under her hips, and another one in between her knees. All the while glancing at Michael, and intercepting his gaze, Lisa kept her feet flat on the ground and her arms at her sides. She inhaled and exhaled, then drew her abs in and tucked her pelvis under, slightly. Michael blinked and Lisa bit her lip, holding the position for a several seconds before releasing it. She kept going.
After ten repetitions, Michael’s eyes were fixed on her and Lisa felt the tingling feeling of desire caressing her nerve endings, once again.
“Wanna come here? I might need a hand in a minute or two…”. She spoke a bit breathlessly, as she started drawing her abs up and in, tilting her pelvis up, lifting her hips off the floor and into a bridge. She moved slowly and carefully, and Michael became unable to peel his eyes off her. She noticed his Adam’s apple moving.
“You look like you’re doing great on your own…”. His tone was still casual, but the timbre of his voice had lowered considerably. He cleared his throat.
“Actually, I’m not… I wanna do some sit-ups… but…”, Lisa kept tilting her pelvis up to finish her set of reps, “…I need you to hold me…”. Her blue eyes narrowed as she stared back at him.
Michael’s pace slowed.
“Yeah? Alright, then…”.
He stepped down from the treadmill and slowly walked over to her, at first standing at her feet, and then coming down on his knees in between her legs.
Michael rested his hands on Lisa’s knees, and she stilled her movements.
“No… not there… hold me by my ankles…”.
Michael sniffled and wiped his forehead with his forearm, then complied.
“OK. There you go, baby girl…”.
“Hold me tight”. Lisa’s lopsided smirk made him chuckle, quietly.
“Don’t worry… You’re not going anywhere…”.
Satisfied with his answer, Lisa started to move. Her knees bent, feet pressed against the floor, she performed her sit-ups with her hands crossed over her chest. She kept going, staring right into Michael’s eyes, noticing how they seemed to go darker and darker by the second. He was so close that the scent of his cologne, and something else that was just his, manly and intoxicating, enveloped her.
The last time Lisa sat up, she stilled, her face only a few inches away from Michael’s.
Their eyes locked and the air seemed to thicken and sizzle around them. Out of the corner of her eye, Lisa noticed that his pulse had accelerated.
“Have I become unattractive to you?”, she whispered, her eyes frank and open behind a backdrop of pure desire.
Michael, who until that moment had looked entranced with her movements, blinked suddenly as if he had just been snapped out of a stupor.
“What?”. His voice was barely audible.
Lisa’s hands came up and framed his face, her thumbs stroking his cheeks. Her head tilted to a side, ever so slightly.
“You don’t want me anymore?”.
Michael frowned.
“Lise… No! Why do you say so?”. He sat back on his calves.
“I don’t know, Mike… It’s just… I feel like…”, she shook her head, suddenly shy and confused, and let go of him, trying to get up. “Never mind, I’m gonna-”.
Her words were cut short by Michael’s hand suddenly tangled in her hair, pulling her in, his lips slanting over hers. Lisa moaned against his mouth, opening up to him right away. She closed her eyes and immediately melted, shivering as he replicated her gesture, holding her face in his hands.
“No, you’re not…”, one more kiss, “…You’re not going anywhere… Kiss me, goddamnit…”.
And she did. Their kisses, this time, were so different from the ones they had become accustomed to sharing, lately. They were not tender and innocent. They were passionate, steamy to the point of nuclear reaction. Lisa’s hands glided on Michael’s chest, and she caressed the flat plain of his stomach, then dipped lower, reaching for the waistband of his athletic pants.
“Lise… Lise, wait…”. With the last drop of willpower, he pulled back just enough to inhale a long, shaky breath.
“What’s wrong? Why are you rejecting me again?”. Lisa’s brow furrowed, and he detected hurt in her eyes. No! This was not what it was all about!
“Rejecting you? Lisa, baby… I want you so much, but…”.
“But, what?”.
“But I don’t wanna hurt you. I don’t wanna push you. I don’t want you to think that you have to… you know, take care of my needs or anything… I ain’t gonna be one of those selfish, stupid men who only think with their dick and give nothing in return…”.
Feeling her soul soar and reach out to him, Lisa leaned back onto her arms and kept a stern face instead.
“So is that what this is all about?”.
Michael just stared at her and blinked. He looked confused, but also very honest.
“Yeah… of course. You know we can’t… you know… not yet, at least”. He let out an exasperated sigh. “Fuck, I want you so much, you got no idea. I get hard just by thinking about you. You’re so beautiful, baby girl, so sexy… but we gotta wait… six weeks, right? Which means about another couple of weeks…”. His hopeful look was so cute that she couldn’t help but chuckle. At the same time, all her fears, all her doubts, just melted like snow under the sun and relief was all she felt. It was not that he didn’t want her – quite the opposite, in fact. They had risked slipping into some old, nasty habits, into their old miscommunication patterns, but apparently, their emotional connection was now more solid than ever, stronger than any banana peel thrown their way. Getting emotionally naked was much easier than it had ever been, and Lisa’s chuckle became a full-blown laugh.
Michael turned serious and eyed her suspiciously.
“What you laughing at? You finally done losing your mind, girl”.
“You’re right… I’m so sorry you have to put up with my bullshit…”. Lisa raked her hand through her hair and sat up, pulling Michael’s head closer and kissing him again, her tongue sweeping into his mouth, caressing, stroking. She pulled back.
“Mike…”.
“Yeah…”. He became fascinated by her lips, and his hands slid up on her calves, caressing her through the cotton of her sweatpants. Shivers ran down Lisa’s back.
“You’re right… we can’t have full intercourse, yet… I’m also not supposed to be in the mood, but… baby, you’re so fucking hot it’s not even funny. You have no idea what you do to me. I just want you to undress me and bang me. Just seeing you walk out of the bathroom after you shower, with that towel wrapped around your waist, all wet and glistening…”. She was choosing her words carefully, and grinned. “I know what you being doing in there, by the way… I’m just sorry I didn’t get to enjoy the show…”.
“Girl…”. He spoke in a warning tone – one that Lisa knew very well. Their eyes locked.
“What I wanna say is that… I just wanna make love to you, feel you… all of you… no holds barred… and I can’t wait to pass that goddamn six-week postpartum check-up”.
“Me too..”, he shook his head and smiled, suddenly relaxing. His hands slid further up and rested on Lisa’s knees, and he leaned in, kissing her again. With an undiluted passion. Lisa took full advantage of it and nipped at his bottom lip, teasingly.
The sweet taste of a dodged bullet was intoxicating. Old fears… him not wanting her anymore after having his baby… scattering in the wind of a newfound serenity. Desire amping up. Temperature rising. Body heat suddenly scalding them both from the inside.
“We gonna have to wait for a little while before getting back to our kinky stuff, but Mike… We can still play… And I really, really wanna play with you…”. Lisa’s hands resumed their journey down his torso, and this time he didn’t stop her. Instead, his fingers glided on her thighs, caressing, kneading. When she touched him and found him boiling hot and hard, she smiled against his lips.
“Well, look at that… Let’s get out of here… let’s go somewhere more private…”.
“Lead the way…”.
The reality check of their open, honest conversation in the gym had completely modified Michael’s perception of the current state of affairs. As he kept kissing Lisa, slowly and carefully, he felt every tension and frustration just disappear.
They were in the jacuzzi, immersed in a hot bubble bath, facing each other. The bathroom was dimly lit by candlelight. Their entwined legs kept them physically close enough to allow all the lathering, touching, kissing and teasing they desired without really allowing them to slip into inappropriate – but oh so craved – behaviors. Their souls were just as entangled – they were addicted to each other, and whenever they would kiss, it was always unclear who had reached out first.
Michael pulled back and watched the dream girl in front of him, swallowing. Returning to sex this way was less daunting and more like a natural progression of how things had to be. At times, in the past, he had cringed at Lisa’s bluntness, but he had to admit – hadn’t she brought up the subject, he would have most definitely lost the chance to enjoy her hands on his body, now.
Lisa used a soft sponge to gently stroke his skin. The delicate, warm caress reached his shoulders, his chest and arms, as Lisa’s other hand ran through Michael’s wet hair, combing it back, then slid down on his neck. Then again, Lisa’s hand came up and stroked his cheeks and chin, lovingly. She touched him thoroughly, as if he was the most precious thing in the world, as her blue eyes stared at him. All the while, he massaged her legs with slow, measured movements.
Michael had to close his eyes for a moment when she finally reached down and closed her fingers on his straining erection, under water. He felt her tremble and exhaled a long sigh.
“God, Mike… You can’t possibly know how I’d want you inside me, right now…”, she just whispered, and her other hand let go of the sponge and reached up, pulling him closer. They kissed again, and this time Michael’s lips traveled south, reaching Lisa’s throat.
Fisting his hand in her hair, he pulled her head back gently and sucked on her skin, kissed her neck, nipped at her shoulder. She moaned and held his engorged dick tighter in her hand, stroking him slowly, but with a firm rhythm.
“Fuck… You better slow down, girl, or you’re gonna make me lose it right away…”. The tip of his tongue caressed the hollow of her neck. “…And I want this to last, instead…”.
His warm hand emerged from the water and cupped her breast, and Lisa smiled, feeling him get even fuller.
“Gosh baby, you’re starving… And so am I… I need to feel you”. She found his mouth again and more kissing, caressing, stroking ensued. It was so hot. So arousing. Lisa’s scooted closer to Michael, enough to guide his manhood where she knew she needed it, allowing his cock to glide over her, to caress her slowly. She gasped. Michael’s drugged eyes opened, and he looked at her, trying to regulate his breathing. This was crazy.
“What are you doing?”.
Lisa, too, had troubles keeping her eyes open and stared at him from below her long eyelashes. She looked high. She kept rubbing him against her sensitive core.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”. Her dirty grin did nothing to tame his arousal, and he inhaled a deep breath. “Keep touching me, Mike… Shit…”. She bit her lips, and Michael realized that she was already hurling toward the point of non-return. And if she kept going like that, pretty soon he would, too.
Having a direct connection with his thoughts, Lisa let go of him and started rubbing and caressing the inside of his leg instead, kneading his firm muscles. Michael exhaled and snaked his arm around her waist, his palm wide open on her back. When she arched back, offering herself to him, his kisses descended on her collarbone and then reached her breasts. Lisa let out a moan and held his head down.
“Oh, yeah… There you go… That’s it, baby… Kiss me…”.
Michael smiled against her skin, his eyes closed. He didn’t engage in any rough foreplay but stayed gentle instead, kissing and licking her with extreme attention, worshiping her nipples and silky skin, moving in between her breasts and going down some more, reaching her stomach, nibbling at her skin. He held her by her waist with both hands, now, and Lisa kissed the top of his head, her fingernails scraping his back. She was trembling and panting in his arms. At the same time, Michael’s skin was hyper-sensitized by her touch, and he felt goosebumps arise wherever she touched him. His mouth traveled north once again, and they resumed their intense, open-mouthed kissing.
“You have no idea…”, his voice was low, raspy, “…You can’t possibly know what I’d do to you…”.
All of this was so unusual – and steamy. They usually ran hot and wild, and relegated their slow, sensual lovemaking only to specific moments and circumstances, because their taste was more oriented to passionate, raw sex sessions. But this getting dirty while getting clean was more than good. It was fantastic.
Lisa pulled back slightly and took Michael’s hand. She brought it to her lips and kissed his fingers, one by one, sucked them into her mouth. Then she moved his hand down, resting it in between her legs, pressing it there, against her pulsing flesh. God, she wanted him so much. She felt him trying to pull back and held him there instead.
“Lise… careful… I don’t wanna hurt you”. His voice was still thick with desire, but with a barely perceivable, alarmed undercurrent.
Lisa’s hips moved against his fingers, pushing, rotating.
“It’s OK… I’m fine… I just want you to touch me… like this… God, I need you to touch me so bad, Mike…”.
Michael scooted even closer.
“Then guide me, baby girl… let me feel how you want it…”.
“Shit…”.
She pressed her hand on his fingers and started gliding them against herself, while her other hand reached out and grabbed him, holding him in her firm grasp. Michael’s hand covered hers, and they both started guiding each other’s movements. It was extremely sexy, so erotic, just looking at the expression on the other’s face during their mutual ministrations. This was not an easy, quick and convenient way to release sexual tension. It was not about heavy petting or reaching second base like two adolescents. It was all about reawakening their role as lovers, about increasing their already sky-high pleasure potential, about keeping their profound connection intact.
“Look at me, Lise…”. Michael bit his lip, panting slightly. The reciprocal stimulation was so intense that she struggled to comply. Eventually, she managed to stare back at him, as they continued to caress and stroke each other.
Their foreheads touched.
“Kiss me…”, Lisa whispered, a few inches away from his lips.
Him invading her mouth with his tongue, coupled with his skilled fingers now touching her perfectly, just the way she wanted them to, without hurting her in the least, did her in. Michael felt her grip on his dick tighten even more and then she started shaking against his hand, convulsing, whimpering into his mouth as she climaxed hard. It lasted so long that Michael started wondering if she would ever come down from her high.
When her body finally relaxed, and she sank against him, kissing his chest and letting go of him for a moment, he held her close. Her heartbeat raced, echoing into his chest.
“Shit… you almost killed me… Can you believe it?”. She smiled against his moist skin, and he chuckled, his hand tangled in her hair, kissing her head again and again.
“You wanted it bad, baby girl… needed to take that edge off…”.
“Fuck, I really did…”. She raised her head and framed his face, kissing him once more, deeply. One of Lisa’s many qualities? She almost didn’t need any recovery time, when it came to sex. She and Michael were so similar, in that aspect. Still holding her against his body, Michael took all the time in the world just to kiss her and caress her back, her perfect ass, her toned thighs, her now fuller breasts, using the warm water to stimulate and relax her at the same time. God, she was so perfect. His dick twitched, reminding him that it needed some attention – and relief – too.
Lisa noticed as well, and backed off just enough for him to see her sexy grin.
“Oh, daddy… you’re still aching, aren’t you?”. Her hand found him again, and he inhaled, deeply. “Why don’t you get up on your knees and let me see what I can do for you?”.
Hell, yeah.
Without a word, Michael emerged from the water just enough for her to reach for his impressive, almost painful erection. He looked down at her and recognized the stormy hue in her eyes. His girl was aroused again, just by the sight of him. He thought he was the only one starving, but apparently he was wrong. Lisa needed this just as much as he did.
“I want you to look at me, Mike…”. She held him firmly at the base of his cock, and her other hand reached around, resting on his ass. “Watch me as I take care of you… I want you to feel good…”.
“By all means, then, go ahead”. The slightest smirk spread across his lips.
Both her hands closed in on him, her tongue caressed him. Swallowing, Michael cradled her face ever so slightly, implicitly telling her that she was free to do to him whatever she wanted.
When she took him into her mouth, he thought he would die. The pleasure so unexpected, so surprising in its intensity. It had been quite a long time since they had last been intimate that way, but he thought he remembered how good Lisa was at that. Well, it was clear that no memory could compare to the real thing.
His sighs and moans edged her even further, and she took him with a passion that almost startled her. Within a handful of minutes, Michael’s legs started to shake and he had to let go of her face, holding onto the bathtub instead, fearing his knees would simply give in.
Lisa knew exactly what to do to make him lose his head; she knew how to suck him, how much pressure she needed to apply, the rhythm he craved, how to use her lips, her tongue, her teeth even. She knew when to ease up on him and when to go down to business. No solo session could ever make up for what she did to him. She knew his body by heart.
Michael winced, panting, and his whimpers became more urgent. Once again, his fingers closed in a fist in Lisa’s hair, and he had to struggle to keep a fairly reasonable rhythm, not to be too aggressive.
“Fucking shit… Lise… oh, damn…”, he flinched once again and almost recoiled, but Lisa’s hand on his butt kept him a prisoner of her celestial mouth. She moaned in pleasure, and it was the final push he needed. “I’m gonna… fuck… oh, baby…”.
And then it was nothing but colors, and buzzing sounds in his ears, and liquid heat spreading from his central nervous system and down his spine, directly to his groin as he experienced one of the most intense orgasms he could remember. And Lisa was right there with him, for him, never letting up, but taking all he had to give instead. Michael felt like floating through the clouds, weightlessly, a pure spirit soaring, his whole body becoming nothing but sheer pleasure incarnated.
When the baby monitor signaled that Kellan had awakened, Michael and Lisa were lying in bed, entangled and still very much awake. After their steamy sex game in the bathtub, they had simply moved to the bedroom, spending some more quality time just kissing and cuddling, unable to get enough of each other. Their emotional intimacy had only been amplified by their newly found sexual connection, and sleep, in that very moment, was the last thing they had in mind.
Quietly, Micheal turned his head and grabbed the baby monitor from the nightstand, as Lisa kept kissing and stroking his naked chest.
“He’s hungry… I’m gonna bottle feed him so he can go back to sleep…”.
“You sure you don’t wanna let me do it? I am wide awake this time”. She gave him a sated smile.
Michael gave her a lingering kiss on the lips and sat up.
“It’s OK… Plus, you know I’m responsible for the burping anyway, so…”.
He grabbed his pajama pants from the foot of the bed and put them on.
“You know what? I don’t wanna be asleep when you come back, so I think I’m gonna call Lish. It’s evening there, and I haven’t spoken to her in a while”.
Michael was already standing by the bed.
“Sure, tell her I said hello”. He gave her another quick kiss and strolled out of the bedroom. Lisa watched him go with a smirk, wondering how he could always be so energetic. Even in the middle of the night.
“So you don’t feel like you’re falling apart any longer, um?”. Lish sounded amused.
Lisa smiled, very softly, as she looked up at the starry sky. She was on the patio, wrapped in one of Michael’s sweaters. The night was cool but not chilly, and the air felt clean, the salty breeze coming from the sea exhilarating in the best way imaginable.
“Falling apart?”.
“Yeah… You don’t remember, do you? When you moved to Scotland, that’s what you told me. That you were falling apart”.
Lisa blinked. Yes. She remembered. And it was the truth. She was a desolate land, she was the jagged ruins left after a nuclear blast.
“Well, then no… I am not falling apart any longer. Someone caught me and put all the pieces back together, managing to make everything better than it was in years.”
“The nice man in the checked suit must be something special…”.
“He is… and he’s not always wearing suits, ya know?”. Lisa chuckled, and Alicia didn’t miss the ambiguous undertone in her voice.
“Yeah, I can imagine! Like I said when I met him… you got yourself a smoking hot silver fox, girlfriend”.
“I know. Finally some luck”.
“Indeed… You so deserve it, girl”, Lish paused, and Lisa heard her taking a long breath.
“So you’re really gonna marry him?”.
“That’s our intention. We’ll get married as soon as possible. He’s just waiting for me to tell him when I’m ready”.
“And are you? Ready, I mean…”. Another poignant pause. “Lisa… are you sure about that? It’s not like the last time around, right? When you married that prick that your last husband revealed himself to be because… you know…”.
“Let’s not go back there Lish – please”. Lisa pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes for a moment. She knew that her friend was right. Oh, marrying that man had felt so right somehow, at that time. He seemed safe, secure, reliable. The most comfortable choice, the most convenient. A peaceful, fulfilling future guaranteed instead of the constant emotional roller-coaster that being with Michael was. How naive she had been. And her heart – it had tried to tell her, again and again, its Morse code signaling that she was making the wrong choice. Lisa had purposefully ignored it – and had paid the price for it. A high one, for that. And she had not been the only one. The old sorrow and mourning stirred in the most hidden depths of her soul, and she realized that her mind just couldn’t go back there.
“No, I know, you’re right. Sorry. But it’s all good, right? That guy’s out of your life now, that’s what you told me”.
“Yes, he is. Of course, he will never really disappear since we have kids together and all…”, Lisa cringed, “…But other than that, I hope I won’t have to see his ugly mug any longer. I got the life I’ve always wanted now, and..”. She bit her tongue and closed her mouth.
Alicia’s long silence didn’t feel encouraging.
“…And you guys have a beautiful baby to take care of”.
Lisa could tell that her friend had backed off from her little fishing trip, and sighed.
“Exactly. And a wedding to look forward to”.
“So, did you think about the date, yet?”.
A timid, imperceptible smile appeared on Lisa’s lips, and she stared into space.
“Actually, I did… I still haven’t told him, though”.
“No? And what are you waiting for, you crazy ass? Don’t you think your man’s being patient enough?”, Lish chuckled, “If I were you, I would shackle the guy tomorrow, before another Miss Carroll appears and tries to sneak into his pants to take a closer look at that candy cane”.
“Oh no, you didn’t just say what I think you said”. Lisa’s amused, yet warning tone made Alicia crack up.
“Oh yes, I did”, a rustling noise in the background, signaling that Lish had turned off the engine of her car, “Trust me, Lisa… a man like Ethan doesn’t stay on the market for long. You better hurry up”.
When Lisa opened the door to their bedroom, Michael was lying down on his side, and baby Kellan was right in the center of the bed, tummy up, fists happily swaying in the air. His big eyes were wide open as his gaze roamed over his dad’s face, and he was sucking his bottom lip into his mouth as if it was the most entertaining thing in the world.
Michael, propped up on his elbow, his head resting in his hand, glanced at Lisa and gave her a slight smirk as he kept singing softly. His voice, low in volume and yet so distinctive, controlled, perfect in the execution of every single note, stirred something inside Lisa’s soul and her heart swelled, suddenly cut open by the beauty of it all.
“You are the sun
You make me shine
Or more like the stars
That twinkle at night…”
Lisa walked over and lay down on her side of the bed, mirroring Michael’s position. Kellan’s head turned to her, and he cooed, his chubby legs kicking in the air, his tiny hands opening. Her heart racing in her chest for no apparent reason but the sheer emotion of a normal, yet so extraordinary moment, Lisa reached for Michael’s hand, which rested on the baby’s tummy. Their fingers entwined.
When he resumed singing, she joined him in the soft, almost whispered melody.
“…You are the moon
That glows in my heart
You’re my daytime my nighttime
My world
You’re my life…”.
They repeated the chorus another couple of times, smiling at each other, noticing that Kellan’s eyelids were getting heavier by the second. Within a couple of minutes, he was sound asleep.
Michael and Lisa stood completely still, not to wake him up and just reveling in the moment, and their eyes locked. Their voices were hushed.
“Did you feed him?”.
Michael’s smile became blinding.
“Yes… I changed his diaper, too…”.
“Then why was he still awake? Did he barf?”.
“No, he was not in his exorcist mode… just being a bit fussy. But he’s OK now…”. He tilted his head toward the baby. Kellan had put his little fist into his mouth and was out like a light.
“I love you, Michael…”.
Michael blinked, as if caught off guard by the intense, absolute honesty of her words.
“I love you too, Lise… so much”.
Lisa bit her lip and hesitated a little.
“What?”. Michael chuckled, very softly.
“I have a couple of things to tell you… Maybe three”.
His eyebrows sprung up.
“OK…”.
“What do you think about telling Lish the truth? About you…”.
He studied her face for a moment, very calmly.
“You need to be able to talk to your best friend freely, um?”.
“Yes…”.
“You think we can trust her?”.
“Of course…”.
“Then, baby… I trust you”.
Relieved, Lisa took a deep breath.
“Why don’t you ever tell me anything about how we’re gonna get married? Nothing about the ceremony, nothing about the place… a big, fat, stinky zero…”.
Michael giggled.
“My, my… Aren’t we curious…”.
Lisa made a face.
“Well, yeah… since I’m gonna be the bride, you know…”.
“Point taken. I am telling you a big, fat, stinky zero because I want our wedding to be a surprise… and I need you to have faith in me”.
“You’re such a little control freak”.
“Control freak, yes… Little, eh… I don’t think so”.
Lisa chuckled and shook her head at his cocky, almost indignant tone.
“So? Still nothing?”.
Michael rolled his eyes in feigned exasperation.
“OK, um… let me see… Don’t wear a veil”.
Lisa’s brow furrowed.
“Don’t wear a veil? That’s it?”.
“Wear anything you want, just… no veil. Happy?”.
“Hardly. But OK”.
“Anyway… I don’t even know why we’re talking about this, since you still haven’t even set the date, yet”. His head tilted back, and he studied her reaction, a serious expression on his face.
“Man of little faith. That’s where you’re wrong”.
“Oh yeah? Am I?”, he was daring her, now. But this time she was more than ready.
“Yes, you are. Let’s get married on May 26th”.
His lips parted as if he wanted to say something. Then his eyes smiled and shone with incredible happiness.
“May 26th? In about 20 days you mean?”.
“Yeah… unless you got another date in mind…”.
“No… I told you, it would be your choice”. Michael’s hand left the baby and reached out, caressing Lisa’s face, tracing the contour of her jawline. His thumb stroked her lips, and she kissed it. “But this is perfect… It’s perfect, Lise…”.
His eyes were shiny, and she could see the emotions seeping through. Past, present, future coming together so beautifully, against all the odds.
“We are, Mike. We are perfect”.
Chapter song
