'Yesterday brought the beginning; tomorrow brings the end and somewhere in the middle we became the best of friends.'
Sonny pulled her jacket closed feeling a chill pass through her. Why had he left the hotel? Had he gone back to England to shoot his new movie? Had he returned back to the States in the wake of their argument? She had no idea, but she would go to Devon's apartment to see if he was there.
The leafy suburb in New York was quiet, only the distant rumbling of traffic reached her ears. Walking slowly, head down, her uncertain gait reflecting of her state of mind; she noticed a few people, although not paying much attention she smiled politely, if not absentmindedly, when they greeted her as they passed.
'What ifs' and 'maybes' flooded her mind, her heart heavy in her chest and aching for release, but she fought it. She couldn't cry; if she'd allow that then they'd be no stopping of the flood that would ensue.
She turned different corners of different streets, slowly making her way into the old Victorian house, where Devon's apartment was located. Devon and Chad had been inseparable friends for nearly 25 years and he'd mentioned four days earlier that he was going up country for a few days. She hoped Chad hadn't tagged along, as time was of the essence.
She needed to speak to Chad. She had to speak to Chad; he was the only person who could help her.
She considered the possibility that she may have to buzz to gain access to the premises housing Devon's apartment, but she was resourceful, she would find a way in without having to announce herself.
Soon she was standing outside what must have been a grand Victorian mansion in its day, red bricked, plastered around the windows, the facades painted gleaming white and huddled in a lush garden, with summer flowers and conifers. There were indeed a selection of buttons at the door; only three, and the chances of anyone being in today was small, being a working day.
She lingered, contemplating her options when a man carrying a ladder and bucket of paint in his spare hand opened the door to the entrance from the inside.
"Ah! What luck!" he smiled, "be a love and hold the door for me please, dahlin"
"Yes, yes of course," said Sonny, amazed at her good fortune.
"Ta," he thanked her, exiting the building. Then turning to her, "You alright, luv?"
"Yes, thank you, I was worried that I'd misplaced the keys to my friend's apartment and I need to water his plants but I have it now," she lied, waving her own house key at the man.
"There ya go! Well, have a good day then, sweetheart!" he called as he walked down the stairs towards his vehicle in the shade of a large Plane tree.
"Thank you, you too," she smiled, waving at him.
Sonny stepped cautiously into the hallway, checking the lock on the door to ensure she could exit easily should the apartment prove to be a dead end. Yes, the lock could be easily opened from the inside. She closed the door quietly, as if to avoid attention to her illicit entry, hesitating in the hallway in a vain attempt to regain her composure. Her shaking hands and pounding heart made her distress.
Devon's apartment was on the top floor. She climbed the stairs cautiously. Reality began trickling home and she wondered if she was doing the right thing.
She left hurriedly after the doctor's telephone call that morning. Driven by anger, frustration and above all, fear, she was acting on impulse rather than her usual rational thought. It felt somewhat Fatal Attraction-like to be searching for someone who most likely didn't want to be found.
Chad hadn't called her since their fight. She tried once to call him, but she put the phone down before it connected. She convinced herself that he'd left her again and wasn't coming back, but she knew he had more to lose than he did. Too much water had passed through too many bridges in their lives, but this may have been the end. She would survive, she always did, but she didn't want to, not when she'd just found him again.
She stopped briefly on the first floor considering whether she should leave, the prospect of being discovered felt embarrassing. A possible conversation began to play in her mind. She considered what words she would use, she had always tried to pre-empt an encounter.
She played this game every time and it rarely turned out as anticipated, but she would always counter and debate her words from all possible angles to try and prepare herself for any eventually (usually those with the paparazzi). She liked to be prepared and she knew if she wasn't, words would fail her at the last minute and she would be left mumbling; incoherently grasping at random thoughts.
She rubbed her face and ran her hands through her hair, they only marginally less shaky than before. Approaching the door, she raised her hands to knock and quickly dropped it. She needed to calm down. Breathing deeply, counting to five in her head on each inhale and exhale, she stood back slightly and knocked very gently, almost willing no one to hear
….
Chad had been pacing in Devon's apartment for hours. He hadn't slept in days. He loved Sonny, he needed her, and he wanted to hold her and tell her that everything would be fine.
Ten years had passed since they had laid eyes on each other, right in the middle of the cafeteria in Condor Studios. Had it not been for the comedy show that he constantly mocked, they may never have met, but they did and it was as though they had known each other over many lifetimes. It was his insecurities that had caused them to become separated from each other, not only by time, but also by continents. Had he known the moment he fell in love with her that her son was also his son too and that he should never have allowed her to leave all those years back.
After the doctors call earlier, he had showered and put on a pot of coffee. Thoughts had been flooding his mind, plans forming and flopping before they made any sense. Chad knew that he had to find Sonny, before she did something they would both regret.
Where to start? It was the greatest challenge. Her phone was switched off and he was fearful that she may run and hide and he may never see her again. He needed her, he always had and he needed her to hear him say those words.
He thought he heard movement outside the front door, but the peep hole showed no one there. He went into the kitchen and poured another cup of coffee, nursing it with both hands as if seeking much needed comfort.
He heard a gentle knock on the door, his fist thought was the neighbor's children were fooling around, so he lunged at the front door, pulling it in frustration.
"Why don't you play in the garden?"
Sonny looked at him; tears welled in her chocolate brown eyes. She was about to turn and flee but Chad reached for her arm and pulled her inside the flat.
"Sonny!"
His blue eyes expressed joy, pain and relief all at once.
"Chad," was all Sonny could say before she started sobbing.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his warm hard body, unable to say anything, feeling only peace at having her near, knowing she was safe. She responded, holding him and burying her face in his, her tears flowing freely. Chad put his hands on either side of Sonny's face, wiping her tears gently and looking into her eyes.
"I'm pregnant," Sonny whispered in a broken sob
"I know," Chad nodded. Sonny looked at him quizzically.
"The doctor called me thinking you were here, I gave him your number,"
Sonny nodded, "I can't do this anymore, I can't do this alone. I'm scared."
Chad felt her pain, and it wrenched his heart, "I'm not going anywhere Sonny, We can do this together, we'll do this together, the way it should have been all these years."
"But," he put his finger on her mouth.
Looking into her eyes he whispered, "It's always been you. There's always been one woman for me, you. I need you, I love you."
Unable to verbalize a response, Sonny nodded in acceptance.
Chad leaned in kissing her, gently taking her lips in his, Sonny responded passionately, pressing her body into his.
They needed each other, they had never had a doubt about of that in their minds, but now was not a time of words. They would speak later, now they had to express their love for and words were inadequate.
It's SonShineDays' birthday...
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Happy Birthday Lieson... Hope you enjoyed reading this... And ya having fabulous birthday so far…
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This was way different than what I usually write… so thank you DiamondDweller for helping me out. :)
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