From the Author of Michel's List...
The Last Best Part of Me
"There's a vacancy Dr. Sterling," the man said his expression hopeful his voice hesitant.
"Yeah, a vacancy next to us, with us," the perfect little girl with bouncing red curls and hazel eyes, Duval eyes, chimed in happily.
Jeff wanted to speak he did, but he found himself rooted to the spot staring at a point just above the man's head, unshed tears in his eyes. A slight shake of his head 'no' was the only answer he managed to give.
The man inclined his head slightly indicating there was an unspoken understanding there. "I just want you to know," he said, "that I never expected this – your forgiveness, your trust, your affection for my daughter, for me. They are overwhelming and they've made me fall and fall hard for you Jeff Sterling," he hoisted the little girl into his arms and she wrapped her small ones around his neck. "And before we say goodbye, I just wanted you to know that."
Tears were flowing from the little girl's eyes now as she clung to the stuffed animal that Jeff had given her several days ago. "Your daddy gave that monkey to me Rosaline when I was just about your age," Jeff remembered telling her. "Don't cry Rosie," he said in a strangled voice reaching up to wipe the tears away from her eyes. "We will still be friends. I'm sure of it," he said as he fixed her father with a questioning look.
"Of course you will pumpkin," her dad assured her.
"But you two won't be," Rosie sniffed a little hiding her head in her father's shoulder.
"Sometimes pumpkin that's the way that things go," the man sighed and held his hand out to Jeff. "Thank you Dr. Sterling for giving my daughter her life back," he said very formally, very clinically.
Jeff shook his hand and then watched the pair turn away from him and start walking down the long hospital hallway that had actually, surprisingly become quite empty. Rosie clung to her father and turned around to look at Jeff the way that children always gave those haunting looks until something was no longer in their line of sight. Jeff stifled back a sob. At that exact moment, he felt the air around him get palpably heavy. He was no longer alone!
"It's time," the familiar voice beside him made his heart clench. "You're ready!"
"I'm not," Jeff sobbed turning toward the direction of the voice his heart skipping a beat. He let his eyes roam the length of the form from the black dress shoes, to the grey pants, white pressed shirt, blue and red striped tie, and the familiar Dalton blazer, up to those smirking lips and dancing eyes. "Just a little while longer," he begged, "just for a heartbeat."
"I think both you and I know what a single heartbeat means," the man beside him deadpanned. "Your life is passing you by, and you aren't keeping your promise to me, your promise to live it to the fullest, to live it for the both of us."
"You heard that?" Jeff asked astounded.
"I always hear everything you say," the man confided.
"I can't do this," Jeff said, "I can't say goodbye. It's too hard. Look at me, damn it! I'm 28 years old and I'm a mess. I'm a mess without you. I can't. I can't do it alone!"
"You will never be alone Jeffy. I will always have your six, Six," Nick promised.
"Nicky, don't go. Don't leave me," Jeff begged. "I'll do anything. I'll be good. I'll be better than good. I'll be the best."
Nick took a step forward reaching out his hand and almost touching Jeff's cheek. Jeff closed his eyes just for a second and his heart remembered what Nick's hand felt like and that made his skin tingle. A single tear escaped his closed lids and flowed down his cheek. When he opened, his eyes Nick's hand was dropping to his side. "In another life, I will be your man. We'll keep all our promises. It will be us against the world," Nick sings to Jeff. "Jeffy, you will always, always be my Uptown Boy, but it's time now, time for you to close your eyes and leap, time for you to let me go. Let me go Jeffy," Nick begged. "I'm so tired. Please, let me go."
Jeff was crying now - shaking and crying. "Nicky," Jeff pleaded.
"He really loves you. You know? I can tell. I wasn't the man's best friend for eight years and his husband for two without learning how to read him," Nick said looking after the two people walking down the hallway. "There's still time, Jeff. Don't make the same mistakes that I did. Have courage to live this life the way you're supposed to, happy and satisfied. Have courage to take the things that belong to you, to take the things I'm offering you. My gift to you is the last best parts of me," Nick said as he and Jeff looked after the two most important people in their lives. "If the two of you are together than Rosie will never lose me. I am trusting you with my husband's happiness, with my daughter's happiness. If you really want to repay me, please take what I offer. Take it and say goodbye."
Jeff took a deep breath fixing Nick with his unwavering brown eyes. "Tell me how it ends, Three," he begged.
Nick smiled, "you and me…always." There's a warmth that spread over Jeff than and he looked at Nick a bit in awe a bit in panic. Before them in the center of the hallway appeared a bright light blocking everything else from view. "Do you see that light?" Nick whispered. "It's so bright." There were tears in his eyes. "I'm scared Jeffy," he admitted as their last moment together the tables turned and Nick became the vulnerable one.
"There's nothing to be afraid of," Jeff told him surprised at how steady his voice sounded. "You are the bravest and best man that I have ever had the privilege of knowing, Nick Duval."
"I just never imagined I would be doing this so soon, but it's as it should be…I was first…before my offspring, before my husband, and before my soul-mate," he said fixing Jeff with a meaningful look. "You were always forging the way first," Nick smiled. "Now, I'm the one going on ahead. How will I find the courage without you?" he took a step toward Jeff. "I need you to know, I am taking you with me," he said covering his heart with his hand.
"I'm keeping you here," Jeff said through the tears as he mirrored the motion. "I love you Nickolas Duval. Now, go! Don't let anyone steal your spotlight again. This one is meant for you."
Nick grinned letting his hand flutter over Jeff's cheek one last time even though he couldn't touch it. Jeff felt the energy and covered his cheek with his own hand. Nick smiled and turned walking toward the light. He took one last look down the other side of the hallway, one last look at his husband and his daughter, and he knew everything would be alright. He had found the best man for the job. He was sure of it. He turned one last time smiling as he called out to Jeff. "I love you Six, always. I'll be waiting for you, forever," and with those final words Jeff saw Nick turn and walk into the light and the light close behind him.
There might have been a heaviness in Jeff's heart if not for the man holding the little girl. Remnants of the light lingered surrounding the two figures at the other end of the hallway. He heard Nick's voice one last time, "go you idiot."
The man had just come to the end of the corridor and was about to turn the corner and walk out of Jeff's life for maybe forever. Something inside of Jeff Sterling clicked into place. His stethoscope slipped from his damp palm and clattered to the floor making a loud noise that reverberated through the empty hallway. Then, Jeff Sterling found his voice again. "Stop," he shouted as he took off running down the hallway. It took him a matter of moments to cross the expanse…heartbeats really, and once again they were face to face. That eyebrow arched up at him in question as the man and the girl turned to face him. "Yes," Jeff said breathlessly.
"Yes?" the man echoed the word a flash of hope dancing in his emerald eyes. "To which part?" A tiny smirk.
"To everything," Jeff couldn't stop the laugh from escaping, "but most especially yes…yes Sebastian Duval. I will marry you." The next few seconds Jeff Sterling would remember for the rest of his life because they happened in slow motion. Sebastian's free arm shot out and snaked around Jeff's waist splaying across his back as he pushed Jeff flush against him, and lowered his lips to Jeff's in a chaste kiss. The happy squeal from Rosie was all the affirmation they needed, and as Jeff melted into the kiss, he realized it wasn't perfect, but it was right!