Jillian Michaels sat at the very back of her tour bus, staring longingly back home. Why did she always do this to herself? Being on tour for six weeks was hard enough, but this time she had left her family behind. Taking two little kids on the road wasn't easy, and Heidi had convinced Jill that it wasn't the right thing to do. In her heart, Jillian knew she was right, but she wished it didn't have to be like that. Sure, the kids drove her crazy, but she loved them with all of her heart and she couldn't imagine what the next six weeks had in store for her.
Jillian's phone buzzed, the small screen lighting up with the words "Heidi Rhoades: The kids and I miss you already! Hope you have a great time on the road- go out and change some lives ;)". Jillian began sobbing uncontrollably. What had she done? How could she just leave her family behind? Sure, she had Giancarlo, Janice, and Bob, but she felt like half of her heart was missing. She curled up in her blanket, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes.
When she woke up, she was much more comfortable. She felt strong, muscled arms holding her tight, and warmth surrounded her. For some reason, she felt more at home than she had ever felt in a long, long time. Bob leaned in a little closer and whispered, "you seemed a bit lonely, so I thought I would give you some company," tickling Jillian's ear with his breath. She felt like she was in a dream- was she really in the arms of Bob Harper? They had always been close, but this felt different. This wasn't his way of keeping her company, this was his way of expressing a need for something more than friendship. She reached across his lap and took his hand in hers. She looked into his eyes and saw something she had never seen from Bob Harper. There was something meaningful in the way he looked at her- his eyes were full of pure, raw, emotion, almost like he was about to cry. They stared at each other for what seemed like ages, until Bob broke the silence. "Jillian, I think we need to talk," he said, "and I think we both know that the next six weeks are going to be very different. But first, let's take another nap, because I think we both need some time to think." Jillian silently agreed with him, and then nestled up against his chest. She wished she could stay in his arms forever, free from the worries and harshness of reality.
Bob gazed lovingly at the beautiful woman he was holding in his arms. He knew Jill had a family, which meant they would probably never be together, but he held on to a glimmer of hope. After all, he was spending the next six weeks with her, and anything was possible on the road. He and Jill had been best friends for almost five years, but she didn't know how Bob really felt about her. She didn't realize that he had spent day after day, pretending to be just friends, but secretly wanting more, longing for something bigger, and something better. He was always there to catch her when she fell, to brush her off and tell her everything would be okay. He would drop anything he was doing to be with her, no matter what time it was, no matter the circumstances. He did everything he could to assure her that he was just a phone call away.
Those phone calls would come occasionally, and when they did, he would be at her house within an hour, holding her tight, and telling her it would be ok. Once, Heidi and the kids were away, and Jill had called him sobbing. She was unable to deal with the pain of being alone, and had called Bob almost immediately. He had raced over to her Malibu beach house, not even bothering to knock. He knew exactly where she would be.
When he walked around to the backside of her house, he saw Jillian sitting on her beach, looking alone and heavy-hearted. He quietly joined her side, saying nothing, but putting his arm around her and holding her close. They sat on the beach for hours, watching a rosy sunset flood over the horizon. Bob saw the reflection of the sun in her eyes, and that's when the silence was finally broken. He leaned into her ear, whispering, "Jill... I love you."
The memory of what had happened next was clear in Bob's mind. She had looked him directly in the eyes, and he could see the conflict and confusion in her face. Then, she cupped his cheeks with her hands, whispered, "I know," and kissed him. Her lips were perfect, almost as if they were made to be joined with his own. Bob closed his eyes and sunk into the kiss, and wished he could stay in that moment forever. When she pulled away, she grabbed his hand and repositioned herself so that her head laid on his chest. She fell asleep, listening to Bob's steady breath and the sound of waves breaking on the shore. They slept on the beach that night, and Bob woke up with the girl of his dreams still sleeping in his arms.
And here they were. Together again. Bob took one last look at the woman in his arms, then closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
When Jill woke from her nap, it took her a minute to realize where she was. She had fallen asleep in her best friend's arms- or was he more than a friend? She thought back to that night on the beach, and knew he was dreaming about the same thing. Bob's arms made her feel protected, warm, and safe. It just felt so right. She knew she could never leave her family, but she wanted more. She wanted what they had right now, in this moment- unspoken true love.