Chapter Twenty-Eight
It’s amazing how quickly your life can change.
We just get out of the shower when Daniel saturates a hand towel and twists it tightly.
I’m not quick enough so I yelp as his home-made whip stings my arse.
I squeal and have a fit of the giggles with every lash.
His laughter-filled grunts follow me around the bathroom as I stop.
“Come on, beautiful, I know you love it.”
“Give me a minute,” I puff, but he catches me again when I’m off guard.
“Hey! Not fair!” I can’t breathe for giggling and he gives up once he scores a perfect ten.
I try to catch him unaware with my pathetic attempt at retaliation; soaking wet cotton wool balls.
My aim is poor, and when they hit, he stands with his arms out to his sides. “Really? Is that all you’ve got?”
Our war ends with him manhandling me into a crouching position. Giddy with laughter, I can’t muster the strength to fight him off. He picks me up and carries me to our bed.
I’m still giggling when he throws me onto the mattress and straddles my wriggling body.
His eyes devour me right where I lay and the familiar throb between my legs has made a welcome appearance.
His kiss is so urgent that my skin prickles with desire from head to foot.
His hand moves towards my bare breast as the phone rings.
We stop for a second until it goes to voicemail.
Our heated gaze locks as we dive into the other and continue with deep sensuous kisses.
His fingertips knead my nipple as I scratch my fingernails down his chest, but the ringing starts again.
“Leave it,” he whispers.
My fingers comb through his hair while he licks and sucks my breast and we do our best to ignore the continued ringing in the background. We don’t notice it stop until it starts again. Daniel and I are in our own bubble, just the two of us.
Daniel’s mobile vibrates against the wooden cabinet. My skin is bereft of his warmth when he rolls away to lie on his back. A groan escapes his throat, and his arm covers his eyes with frustration. I roll on my side and admire his form while he removes his hands from his face.
“I’m sorry, baby. Someone really wants to talk to me.” He picks up his phone but his eyebrows pull together, “I have no idea who that was. No caller ID.” The moment is lost so I sit up and blow out a defeated sigh, although Daniel has other ideas.
“Err excuse me, I haven’t finished with you yet.”
He reaches over, dragging me on top of his firm body. God, I love my sexy, determined man with his sexy, swirly accent. Before we know it, our skin heats and re-connects. We’re back in the zone.
I’m barely awake when Daniel bolts up from the bed. The door has been buzzing continuously.
“Who the fuck can that be at this time of night?”
He stops being so mad when he picks up his phone and realises it has just gone nine in the evening.
We haven’t managed to leave the house and grab any dinner yet.
After we’d made love— again—our bodies entwined and sleep quickly drifted over our tired bones.
Now we realise only an hour has passed by.
Daniel stumbles, still half a sleep and reaches for his tracksuit bottoms, slipping them over his tight behind.
I sit up and watch him leave the bedroom.
Even slightly moody, he is doing things to my lower regions.
I slump back on the pillow and listen to mumbled voices.
I can’t work out who’s here, but Daniel’s puzzled expression worries me as he re-enters our room.
“It’s Richard?”
“Really? What, my boss Richard?”
“Well, yeah. Do you know another one?” He smirks, so I sit up and throw my pillow at him.
“If he weren’t sitting in our lounge room, you’d be for it, Miss May. You better get dressed,” he says while slipping his sweatshirt over his lean body. “He wants a quick word with me before he speaks to you.”
“Oh… ok, well I’ll be out in a sec then.”
I’ve already finished a full day’s work. Sometimes Richard is never satisfied. I wonder what is so important that he has to visit our home, but this is a first so I let him off.
I’m still in the bedroom, trying to listen to Richard and Daniel talking in hushed tones.
I can’t make out a single word they say and I worry about what it is they don’t want me to hear.
My stomach takes a nervous nosedive as I slowly button up my shirt and draw my jeans over my legs, but it’s not until Daniel returns that my fears are realised.
He doesn’t speak as he holds out his hand, our fingers link tightly and I glance into his worried eyes.
Oh God. What the hell is it? I feel sick.
Richard is staring at his hands when we walk into the lounge. He stands to greet me and takes both my hands in his before taking a deep breath. “Come, sit down Hannah. ”
The atmosphere in the room is dark, I don’t like it. “Just tell me, Richard. I know something’s up. What is it?”
He gestures for me to sit while his mouth purses and jumps from side to side in contemplation. Then our eyes make direct contact and his hand grips mine before he begins, “It’s your mum, Hannah. I’m afraid she’s had a stroke.”
My blood runs cold while my light head tries to take in his words. I’m confused. He must have got it wrong.
“What do you mean a stroke? She’s fit as a fiddle… she’s not old enough.”
As I look between them, Richard eyes Daniel with uncertainty, but Daniel gives a slight nod.
“It’s not possible.”
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” Richard says, his head bowed.
This cannot be happening. My mum is the life and soul. I don’t understand. “How?” The warmth of Daniel’s body is beside me as Richard continues, “She was out having lunch with your dad and… it just happened.”
“Oh God.” My head falls to my palms as it spins and my limbs crumble beneath me. I try hard to stop myself shaking and regain my composure, but my world is suddenly tumbling down around me and I have nothing to hold on to. “Tell me mum has recovered, that it was a warning to take it easier.”
“I wish I could, Hannah,” he sighs, “She’s not good I’m afraid… there may be some brain damage and it could affect her speech. They can’t be sure her body will function in the same way again.”
“What does that mean?”
“She may not walk or move her arms again. To be honest, the doctors don’t know the extent of her condition until she is conscious and…
” He stalls for a moment, and my stomach knots.
This is bad. Very, very bad. Richard would usually sugar-coat terrible news.
Not this time. “… they’re unsure if she will make it at all. Hannah, I am so sorry. ”
“No, no, no. You’re talking as if she’s already gone and I won’t believe it. Not my mum. This is not happening.”
Daniel brings my head to his body. “It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. We can get hold of someone at the hospital and find out everything we can.”
I’m shot to bits. I could curl into a ball and block this cruel world out, but Daniel’s tight hold keeps me in place.
My mind spins with what I need to do. I have to get home.
I have to go back now. I want my mum… and my dad.
Where is my dad? Is he okay? Who’s with him?
Oh my God, who is with my poor dad? Please don’t let him be on his own.
I blindly move one hand to Daniel’s cheek, “I want to go home.”
He nods, then looks over at Richard. “I’ll get Jennifer to help us out with flights. I’ll call dad now.”
Daniel kneels beside me before he reaches for his phone. He gently wipes my silent tears away with the pad of his thumb. “We will get you home as quickly as possible baby, okay?”
I nod, “Okay.”
I feel numb, helpless even. From where I’m sitting there is nothing I can do, not until I’m with her. I’m sure I can sort this out then. Someone has made a mistake. Not my mum. Not my wonderful, vibrant mum.
I catch Daniel’s low tone as he talks to his father. Richard shifts closer. He hasn’t let go of my hands this whole time, even when I was securely anchored in Daniel’s arms.
“I’m so sorry, Hannah, I wish there was something more I could do to help you.”
“Who called to let you know?” I ask in a trance while transfixed on our clasped hands.
The more I stare, the more my tears spill over my cheeks.
They blur my vision, which I find strangely comforting.
It’s as if I’m in a world not related to this one.
Everything is fine here until Richard’s voice brings me back.
“Your dad. He’s been trying to get hold of you.
When he didn’t have any luck, he tried me.
I gave him Daniel’s mobile number, and in the meantime, I thought I would try you here.
If you weren’t around, I was sure you wouldn’t be far away.
Even if your dad had reached you, I wanted to be here for you.
I spoke to him briefly before I came and reassured him we would get you home safely. He told me to tell you he loves you.”
Oh my God, my lovely dad. How the hell is he coping?
My stomach turns at the thought of him being alone.
My sobs are uncontrollable, and Richard is unsure what to do.
He puts his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his embrace.
Then he rubs my back and tries to comfort me.
“Shh, it’s all right. It will be all right, Hannah. ”
I sit myself up, tears streaming down my cheeks quicker than I can catch them.
Richard is gone momentarily while he retrieves a piece of kitchen roll from the holder and hands it to me.
I wipe my face as the tears continue to stream.
Richard means well and is desperately thinking of the right thing to say.
He’s been straight with me so far and I want him to continue that way.
“Please don’t say things that may not be true. We can’t be certain she’ll fully recover. Not even the doctors know. You said so yourself.”
He rubs the palm of his hand over mine and tries to look me in the eye, but I can only focus on my feet.
“Listen to me, your mum is a strong woman and still young. You need to be positive.”
Not that easy when you’re on the other side of the world feeling lost. Richard is doing his best to keep me going. What else can he do?
Daniel surfaces out of the bedroom and Richard looks to him for our next move .
“I’ve spoken to dad. They are booking flights now and they’ll confirm as quickly as they can.”
A heavy silence falls over the three of us for just a few seconds. Neither Richard nor Daniel can heal this horrendous pain in my heart, but they do everything possible to sooth it.
“I don’t want you to worry about a thing here, Hannah,” Richard reassures. It’s the last thing on my mind, but I think he said it because he’s stuck for what to say. “And if there is anything Alison and I can do, we’re here for you.”
I glance towards him and smile through my tears. “I know Richard, thank you. I have no idea when I’ll be back.”
“Don’t give it a second thought. You need to be with your parents. They both need you.”
With that, I continue to wipe the raw skin around my eyes. Daniel crouches beside me and slides his hand through my hair. Just his touch comforts me while my mind swims.
“I need to pack, get ready to go home. I might get a flight any minute, and I want to be prepared to leave the second I hear.”
“It’s okay, don’t panic,” Daniel soothes.
Richard looks between the two of us. He knows he can’t do anymore.
“I think I will leave you both alone now. If you need anything, Hannah, anything at all, okay?”
“Thank you, Richard.”
He stands to leave and Daniel is about to follow so he can see him out when Richard gestures with his hand towards me. “Look after her,” he says with a sad smile.
“Always.”
Daniel encases me in his embrace as if it will protect me from the pain. I lay my head against him as one continuous, awful thought runs through my mind.
“Daniel?”
“Yes? ”
“Dad is all alone.”
“He won’t be on his own baby. He’s at the hospital with your mum. She’s the only person he will want to be with.”
“But there’s no one there to support him.”
“What about other family members? Can he call on them?”
“There isn’t anyone. Both mum and dad are only children, and my grandparents died a while ago. There is no one.”
He can sense my anxiety. How well he knows me now. “Let me make some phone calls. I’ll see what I can find out.”
One of my biggest fears has always been my parents being left on their own.
Mum and dad are soul mates and I’m sure dad will feel lost right now.
I literally sit and twiddle my thumbs nervously while Daniel makes a few calls.
I have no idea who he is speaking to, and he seems to take an age, but when he comes back, I realise exactly why I fell in love with him.
“I’ve had a go at contacting the hospital and explained our situation but they couldn’t give me any details about your mum because I’m not family so then I called Lucy. She told me her parents went straight there as soon as they heard. They are with your dad now.”
“You spoke to Lucy? How did you get her number?”
“From your mobile.”
“Oh… of course. Thank you for doing that. It makes me feel better knowing dad is with them.”
“Good and Lucy was great. She sounds like a good friend.”
“How was she?” I ask in a trance.
“Pretty shaken. She’s known your mum and dad for a long time, right?”
“Yes. We went to school together and our parents became friends.”
“I’ve got to let Lucy know as soon as they confirm our travel plans and she’ll pick us up at the airport.”
I glance over at him and the shock is very clear in my expression. “Sorry, did you just say our travel plans? ”
He turns me around, his hands are on my shoulders and he’s looking straight into my eyes.
“I can’t let you go home alone. Of course, I’m coming with you.”
My stomach flutters as I can’t believe the depth of this incredible man. Even though I am racked with worry and fear about what might happen, I’m fully aware he has commitments here. “Daniel, I have no idea how long I’ll be away. What if they need you here?”
“Hannah, I can work from anywhere. In fact, I’ll travel to the London office if necessary.”
It wasn’t just his job I was thinking of. “What about your parents?”
“They’ll be okay. It’s only for a few weeks. Whatever you say, I’m not letting you go on your own.”
“Your mind is made up?”
“There was never any doubt. It was the first thing I said to my dad, and he understood completely. I want to be there for you, Hannah. I don’t want you to go through this alone.
I told you, you’re it for me—absolutely one hundred percent.
If you’re in pain, I’ll do whatever I have to do to help you heal. ”
I fall into his arms and sob. It’s a mixture of tears for my parents and relief I have Daniel in my life. I thank God for him every single day.
“I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.”