The One (57 page)

The
wake, a few hours ago, had been hard. He had to attend it because he was the
Premier but also a personal friend of the family, and Julian disappearing act
had thrown most people for a loop but he knew better, and wasn
’
t sure how he
’
s react when his mother would pass on. He
knew Julian simply couldn
’
t
bear to be surrounded by strangers in his mother
’
s home, toasting her, while he had been
absent of her life most of the past twenty. Yes, Ethan understood why he hid in
his bedroom. Fortunately, people didn
’
t question it because they assumed he was
ill, which wasn
’
t
far from the truth anyway.

Tomorrow
would be the memorial service and burial, it would be the hardest day for all
of them.

((~~!~~))

Cerulean eyes met navy blue ones, as they
relaxed their grip on each other. Like two sumo wrestlers, their hands found
themselves cupping each other cheeks, their faces inches apart, the gesture was
almost feminine, tender, between the two men standing in the rain, not caring
for their surroundings.

While
everyone else had black umbrellas, and were waiting for some signal to
disperse, they were two black shadows under the rain, rooted at one spot,
separated from the attending pack: oblivious.

“
You
’
re gonna be okay, you know that, right?
”
asked Ethan putting all the conviction he
could in his voice and pressing Julian cheeks, forcing him to stare him back as
he was feeling his friend shaking.

He
could see tears mingling with raindrops on his friend face and felt his heart
tighten in his chest.

“
Jay
…
Look at me
…
You are going to be okay. She loved you.
”
he felt his friend
’
s body tense.

“
She loved you,
“
he repeated,
“
Never forget you were her son. I wasn
’
t. She loved you even if she never said
it.
”

Finally,
Julian nodded, a lightening stroke pierced the dark sky as if God was sealing
Ethan
’
s
words, causing both men to look up, and they finally moved.

((~~!~~))

While Charlie had taken the three girls to
Sydney Botanic Gardens in the company of Marcus, Todd and the day nurse for an
impromptu picnic, and much needed outside activities and fresh air; the two
siblings were in the kitchen having lunch the day after the burial.

“
I just want to leave as soon as possible.
Every time I
’
m
here, something terrible happens. I don
’
t think I can bear another tragedy this
year, Mel
…”
Julian said, his fingers running through his dishevelled hair.

“
Well, what are the doctors saying?
”
she asked cautiously.

“
Maddie is much better, everything is fine
…
but air pressurisation is still a risk,
16 hours in the air is a bit too long for their taste, they say I should split
it, if I can
…”
he shrugged his shoulders.

“
Well, it
’
s not like you have to be in LA
…”
she replied lightly, playing with the
food on her plate.

“
Mel, I have to get out of here, I can
’
t breathe
…
. I
’
m telling you, I
’
m suffocating, being in this house
…”

He
sighed heavily,
“
I
’
ve been here since March, that
’
s over four months, and we are at two
disasters. Everyone knows they come in three...
”

He
looked up at her, his voice low, almost scared, he continued,
“
I need to leave before something else
happens
…
First
Maddie, then mother, I don
’
t
want to know what could be next
…”

Uneasy,
she tried to use a reassuring tone,
“
Julian, you can go to any hotel you want,
rent a penthouse somewhere, you don
’
t have to stay here
…”
She tried to calm him, she could sense,
he was genuinely tired and afraid that something would happen.

“
Maddie is used to the house. She has her
playroom, and the gardens
…
That
’
s
the only comfort I have. It
’
s bad enough she misses Belinda
…”
he retorted, a harder edge to his voice.

“
I can
’
t uproot her to a hotel with the nurse
…”
he added with a trailing voice.

“
Speaking of which, have you reconsidered
about Belinda? It
’
s
been months, I mean
, surely you
’
ve calmed down
…”
his sister said inconspicuously, trying
to steer the conversation.

“
Don
’
t
,
“
he interrupted, anger brewing in him.

”
Just don
’
t. She
’
s out of my life. I have sole custody.
That
’
s
all there is to it. The only reason I allow her to see Maddie is because my
baby asks for it, and I can stand to see her cry.
”
he spouted, getting animated.

 
”
Once, we
’
re back in LA, trust me, Belinda will be
forgotten, this is why I
’
m
not having her here every day, so Maddie gets used to not seeing her that much,
then it will be not at all
…”
he concluded, pouring himself coffee.

“
Julian, I simply can
’
t condone this. She IS her mother! I get
you are furious about what she did, but this is her child. If Charlie ever did
this to me, I
’
ll
kill him first before he could separate me from my babies!
”
she countered in a cold tone, as she met
her brother
’
s
eyes, giving him a hard stare.

He
chuckled and bitterly said,
“
Well,
she did say I
’
d
have to kill her first
…
but turns out, I just needed a good lawyer
…”

Melissa
’
s eyebrows arched, and Julian
’
s snort died in his throat, he could tell
his sister was getting angry with him.

Confirmation
came in her next sentence, uttered calmly while her eyes were still blazing,
“
Hmm, whatever you say Jul, but I suspect
this
isn
’
t
the end for her
…
Once you
’re
back in LA, you can bet she
’
ll drag you to court to have the order
reversed. I
’
m
sure Todd already warned you
…”

“
Getting full custody only alienated her,
you
’
ve
got years of legal proceedings ahead of you if you don
’
t...
”
her voice trailed, as she bit in a garden
tomato.

“
She
’
ll spend every penny she has before I make
a single digit dent in my checking account! She doesn
’
t have enough money in the world for it, I
do
…”
he interrupted his sister with a good-hearted laugh.

“
She
’
s a non-working actress who is not even
with a comeback in sight
…“
he smirked.

“…
And I am who I am. I will keep my
daughter.
”
he concluded adamantly.

“
Julian
…
You should reconsider, seriously
…”
Melissa tried to insist, but once more,
he dismissively interrupted her.

“
Mel, we are not talking about Belinda
anymore.
”
he said through gritted teeth,
“
This
is done. I just need to find a way to get Maddie back home
,
safe. Being in this house is eating me up. I don
’
t want to stay in Sydney
…
My life is not here. It
’
s in LA. Besides, I want to go back to
work.
”

“
Have you told Belinda of your plans?
”
she asked warily.

“
I don
’
t have to tell her anything! But to answer
your question, no, I haven
’
t.
I will get her to say a final goodbye to Maddie very soon. He birthday is
coming in 3
½
weeks and I want to leave either the week before or just after, I can
’
t bear to be here any more than another
month. I
’
m
supposed to shoot in New Zealand in September, so if the doctors are still
worried about the long flight, it won
’
t matter, Wellington is only three and a
half hours away, I
’
ll
take my daughter with me, and that
’
ll
be it. I would prefer to have her back in LA, settled at home, but at least we
’
ll be together until we can get there.
”
He firmly responded, indicating the
subject was closed.