Chapter Seventeen #2
The institutional hallways stretched before Jilly as she signed in at the front desk, and it took thirty-four minutes and three floors of searching before she finally found her husband in Room 312.
Oh Guy.
He was on his knees in his navy maintenance uniform, wearing the same outfit as the other staff members, his face half-hidden behind a surgical mask as he methodically mopped vomit from around eighty-five-year-old Tessie’s wheelchair.
The nameplate on her door identified her as a former librarian who loved mystery novels and had three cats before moving here, but right now she was just another resident whose body had betrayed her in the most human of ways.
Tessie’s daughter and granddaughter stood nearby, and they were alternately ranting at Hollywood’s richest and once most ruthless billionaire for being too slow to answer their service call.
“Just look at my dress!”
Jilly privately decided to think of the granddaughter as Tessie III, watching as the young woman gestured dramatically at a silk outfit.
“If you had come sooner, Grandma wouldn’t have ruined it!”
“Be quicker next time,” Tessie II ordered, her voice carrying the tone of someone who’d never had to clean up anyone else’s mess, “or I’ll have you reported to management.”
Guy then rose to his feet, and Jilly swallowed back a laugh as Tessie II and Tessie III took a step back simultaneously as they were belatedly reminded by his towering height and build.
Even in his humble uniform, and with cleaning supplies in his hands, Guy de la Rocq still cut an intimidating figure.
Guy’s gaze narrowed at them then, and the two women took another step back.
He very much looked like the Grim Reaper weighing their sins, and when she thought about all the things Poppy had shared about how Guy had changed, Jilly could easily imagine her husband seriously asking God: Am I allowed to unleash my inner Hollywood villain? Can I say it's for Your glory?
Jilly was just the slightest bit worried that was exactly what would happen, but when her husband finally answered—
“Apologies, ma’am. It won’t happen again.”
He was obviously choosing humility, and one moment, she was this close to laughing, and another moment, she was fighting back tears as she stepped back to avoid being seen.
How could I have been so blind?
In the sixteen years she had been his fan, Jilly had seen Guy practically putting everyone in shame with just how handsome he was. How sophisticated and elegant. Everyone in Hollywood feared and adored him. And even in the business world, people always sat up and took notice of every move he made.
But this Guy, oh God...
This Guy in his vomit-splattered overalls with his hair mussed and sweat on his forehead from humble work, this Guy who was choosing grace over pride and service over status, beat all of them because this time he was shining from the inside out.
This was the man God had created him to be, not just the celebrity she had fallen for, and he was more beautiful than she had ever seen him.
Thank You, God. Thank You.
Just like how God had helped Guy see the error in his ways, God was now likewise warning Jilly how she could end up repeating the same mistake if she chose pride over forgiveness.
Guy had just stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around his waist from behind.
What the—
He looked down.
And his heart nearly stopped.
Jillian .
In the two months they had been apart, Guy had envisioned countless scenes of how they would meet again, but none of them had been like this.
Him, Mr. Hollywood Royalty himself, uniform splattered by vomit and his breath likely stinking of dirty water. Because nothing said ‘romantic reunion’ like vomit-splattered overalls and industrial cleaner.
But since he had prayed for God to take away his pride and make him more humble...
Is this the part where You tell me to be careful of what I pray for?
Guy could’ve sworn he felt God smile, but this was for him to digest later, with his wife now tightening her arms around his waist as she spoke in a muffled voice that was coated in tears.
"I'm s-sorry I made you wait for so long."
It wasn't just her voice, but her body that Guy felt was shaking, and his chest tightened even more as his wife's tears soaked through his overalls.
"I was just so blind..."
Guy had yearned for this day to come. Practiced and memorized all the things he had to say to make things right. But right now, he couldn't recall a single word, and all he could do was slowly turn in her embrace, and ah, to see his wife again after all this time...
Thank You, God. Thank You.
It was like reaching the end of the tunnel, with days of darkness finally behind him, and the light of his life returning, now that he had his Jillian back in his arms.
Jilly couldn't help crying harder as her husband cupped her face with fingers that still smelled of industrial cleaner.
Blue eyes collided with green, and oh, the love that she saw in Guy's eyes...
"I know this is late notice," Jilly whispered as a smile wobbled to her trembling lips, "but..."
"But what?"
"I'm thinking of posting a job ad...I'm in need of a permanent pet sitter, bed spacer, and husband—”
Guy glared at her. "You already have one—"
She launched herself back into his arms with a teary laugh, arms locking around his neck as her legs wrapped around his waist. "I know. I'm just kidding."
And because she just couldn't hold it back, just like before—
"I love you, G-Guy. So, so much."
Her words were everything he had dreamed of and more, and of course there was only one thing he could say in return.
"I love you, sweetheart." And despite doing his best to maintain his composure, his own voice cracked in the end, and Guy could already feel his eyes starting to sting.
Thank You.
Dear God...
Thank You.