Part 35
“What’s wrong?” Sydney wonders standing right at the oven, cooking dinner for all of us. I heavily sigh and drop my briefcase onto the stool right at the counter with a loud thud. My hand rubs over the wrinkles forming on my forehead while the most recent bad news try to sink into my brain.
Seeing me not responding to her question, she approaches me and places her hand onto my back. I’m aware she is waiting for an answer and also gives me the time I need to get it out of the system.
“I can’t believe they’re doing this!” I exclaim rather irritated, the discussion I have had with my boss just an hour ago still very present. “I have to go to Boston on Wednesday and will only be coming back around Friday late evening if not Saturday morning, depending on which flight they can get me on. They promised to not send me away for at least a month in order for us to settle in. I just…. I’m so mad right now.”
I’m completely up brought about this decision. Of course I can understand that one of our major contractors is sick and somebody has got to do the work, but has it really got to be me? The only explanation they were able to give me, was that I’m the best and I have experiences in that field. Yet other people in the office are able to take over that charge!
“Michael, Laura will be fine here” Sydney tries to assure me. I don’t have any doubts about that.
“But… I promised I wouldn’t leave her that soon. Oh God, I’ll have to talk to her, right?” I stare at Sydney, hoping that there is a secret option number two somewhere. She nods her head as I already hear Laura’s feet stomping down the stairs together with Susan’s.
“Papa, r’garde!” (Daddy, look!) She exclaims holding a piece of paper up into the air, her other hand holding a steady grip on the younger child beside her. “J’ai reçu ça de la maîtresse” (I got this from the teacher), her smile never fading. I briefly glance over the paper telling her how proud I am of her, before sitting down together and explaining her that I would have to leave mid-week.
Of course Laura is not very happy about that and is almost near tears at the end of the conversation, so I end up promising her that I would talk to my boss one more time tomorrow. It is only for two days anyway but I gather that for both of us it will feel endless, because right now she relies on me more than ever before.
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The second weekend in America flies by in a matter of no time. The furniture for Laura’s bedroom has been delivered so I was very busy putting that one together. The boys were a very good helping hand and they even enjoyed spending time with me and Laura. I have noticed that over the last few days, Adam seems to have accepted Laura like a little sister. He even showed her how to play basketball outside in the front yard. It is cute watching them interact together and Laura’s vocabulary grows daily, just like expected.
“Demain matin je pars d’accord?” (Tomorrow I will be leaving) I tell Laura once again bringing her to bed that night. A new bed, a new room she completely made up with her own imagination and it’s simply perfect for a growing little girl. “Tu me fais un câlin?” (Giving me a cuddle?) She complies and even drops several kisses onto my cheek. I try to cheer her up adding that Sydney will be here as well as Adam, Zach and Susan. And besides she will be busy in school and those two days will go by much faster.
We say our goodnights and then I sent up Sydney for her to wish Laura goodnight. Upon Sydney’s return to the basement I wrap my arms around her body and kiss the top of her head.
“You take good care of my little girl?” I question not having the slightest second thoughts or what so ever when it comes to Sydney watching over my daughter. I’m just pointing it out and making sure in a joking way.
“Of course, you know I will. I love her so much”
“Sure you will” I say, pulling her along to sit down onto the couch and settle in for a movie, already wishing the two days to be over.
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“Papa!!!!!!!!!!!!” Laura throws herself into my legs, barely giving me the time to hand my small carry-on luggage to Sydney.
She clings to me like for dear life while the entire family gazes at our embrace with sorrow for the crying girl in my arms. I try to soothe her with French words, which takes me quite a while but it eventually works till only little sobs come from her. I lift her head out of the crook of my neck, the collar of my shirt soaked through from her sad tears and my heart breaking instantly.
“What happened?” I ask Sydney. She shakes her head, mouthing a later to me. All that matters right now is that Laura has her father back. What ever happened while I was gone, I know I will need to have a talk with her again.
I briefly lean into Sydney kissing her sweet lips, apologizing for not being able to give her a proper hug, which she knowingly shrugs off. Sometimes I wonder what I did to deserve such an amazing person like Sydney. We don’t need many words to communicate. We simply seem to know what the other one is thinking or how the other one is feeling by the means of looks.
“Ok, let’s go home then”
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“She was crying for you” Sydney starts the conversation again, her eyes glued to a book she is holding in her hands. She always reads before sleeping whereas I usually don’t really care about those kinds of things. I can go right away from watching TV or whatever I’m doing to bed, turn off the light and catch sleep. Sydney needs her bedtime lecture before drifting off into dreamland.
I turn off the light in the bathroom and lay down in bed beside her. Her glasses are still hanging on the bridge of her nose but then she decides to close her book, placing the pair onto the nightstand together with the tome. I wait for her to continue.
“She was crying for you so bad, I didn’t know what to do…. I had to run to the bathroom again, just like every night” she starts rolling her eyes, I have to smile. “It was on the first night and I heard Laura crying silently in her room. I had to check up on her of course. I wasn’t going to leave her like that, all alone. So I slowly crept inside. She was asking for her papa and I tried to explain her that you would be back soon… I’m not sure but I think she thought that you’d left for good or something… I mean, she was crying so hard so I took her to bed with me. Michael… she cried herself to sleep, just like last night… I tried to do the best I could, but I couldn’t…”
Tears are slowly rolling down her cheeks and thus I reach out to dry them away. “Sydney, oh God, I’m so sorry. I would have called but the meetings lasted late and then I figured you were in bed… you should have called the hotel Sydney…”
“I didn’t want you to be worried” She chokes.
“I was worried Sydney… tears or no tears, my thoughts constantly were with Laura and you… all of you. Next time you’ll call me, ok? No matter what time it is!” I whisper, kissing the last rolling tears away, before they reach her lips. “I’m here now. It’s going to be all fine again.” I nuzzle her nose some more letting her know that nothing in the world would take me away from her. “How did school go?” I still need to know.
“She did well. Mrs Haywood told me today that she can count till twenty in English now, so calculus is slowly moving head. All she needs to do is read the numbers and count. Don’t need to know English for that” Sydney flashes me a dimpled smile, “We still seem to have some trouble with the alphabet though… in PE she watches and follows what the other children are doing and when it comes to crafts she is the best”
I can’t stop gazing at Sydney as I am so full of love with her and my love keeps growing every day for her.
“Thanks” I whisper, nibbling against her lips lovingly, my hand pulling her slightly close up against my head.
“What for?”
“Loving my daughter as much as I do”
“I do Michael… it’s just natural for me… I can’t wait to marry you though. I want to have you as my husband” she declares innocently, her cheeks blushing up rapidly while her fingers are playing with a soft layer of hair covering my chest. She’s practically laying all over me.
“I want you to be my wife too… but first…” I smile devishly, rolling Sydney gradually onto her back “I want to make love to my soon-to-be wife”
“Oh really?” Sydney smiles up at me, combing her fingers with an incredible skilfulness of love through my hair.
“Yeah…” I hush against her pulse and pull the covers over our heads.
End Part 35
i thought you had JUST updated but you updated yesterday anywho