Hello!
Here's the second chapter of The family woman and I hope you guys like it (:
Ipublished this rather quickly, but I think you have to wait a bit for chapter 3, though, because I haven't even started it yet :P
She realized something was wrong even before opening her eyes.
The room wasn't dark and she could sense the sunlight coming from a window on the left of the bed; the sheets were made of a different fabric from the one she was used to, but not necessarily less comfortable, and she wasn't wearing her nightgown, but something larger and warmer. She could feel the buzzing of a refrigerator in the other room and the sound of a TV playing something that looked like cartoons.
That sound alerted her. She didn't have any cartoon channels on her TV.
She immediately opened her eyes and she found herself staring at the profile of a curly haired man sleeping peacefully next to her. She stood silent for a second, frozen, as he mumbled something in his sleep and hugged the pillow tightly.
" Ahhhhhhhh! " the scream escaped her mouth before she realized and the man woke up suddenly and feel out of the bed with a loud thump!
" Blair! " he exclaimed as soon as he got up, looking at her with concern " What's wrong? "
Blair stared at the man in underwear right before her eyes. Sure, he was slightly older and it looked like he hadn't shaved in a long time, but she couldn't mistake him with anyone else.
Dan Humphrey.
Same hair, same face, same eyes that looked at her with the same amount of love and concern as they did all those years ago.
" What's wrong? " he repeated " Did you have a nightmare? "
She was about to say she was living a nightmare now, not knowing where she was and why, when a little girl, probably around four or five years old, entered the room with a Cabbage Patch in her hands.
Blair froze.
The little kid had curly brown hair, beautiful but messy, big puppy dog eyes and fair skin. She was not too chubby or too thin, she was simply the cutest girl she had ever seen. She was smiling, so Blair could notice her missing tooth.
The perfect combination of you and me.
Dan's words from all those years ago echoed in her mind, even if she knew he had been referring to something else entirely. But she couldn't find a better definition.
She is my daughter. Mine and Dan's.
The little girl was looking at her as if she saw her for the first time, and not the other way around; Blair just wanted to run from the room and never come back again. Then the little girl talked:
" Mummy, is everything okay? "
Blair just nodded weakly, even if she was very, very far from okay.
" Mummy just had a nightmare, Audrey, there is nothing to worry about " intervened Dan gently.
Audrey. They had called her Audrey.
" Why don't you just go to the living room to watch cartoons, and then we'll get ready to go out in a while? " he asked her.
Audrey beamed at him and ran to the other room without making complaints, thing that made Blair understand she was a daddy's girl.
As soon as their daughter left the room, Dan turned to look at her again with a worried expression on his face. Then, seeing that she probably looked like a fish out of water, his expression softened and he reached out to hug her.
" It's that dream again, isn't it? The one where you lose the baby? " he whispered in her ear after he had put his arms around her. She had forgotten how nice he smelled, and how comfortable she felt whenever he hugged her.
" It's not gonna happen again, okay? " he kept talking into her ear " I promise you, next time you'll get pregnant will be the lucky time "
So am I having trouble getting pregnant? was her first thought, followed by a very embarrassing one, when she realized that in order to have pregnancy, there had to be sex. With Dan Humphrey.
" Why don't you take it calmly and join us at my dad and Lily's for lunch? Audrey and I will go right away... she's been dying to open her presents " said Dan before kissing her head sofly and walking to the bathroom.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Blair sighed in relief and took a deep breath. What was going on with her life? She had gone to sleep the night before in her bed, in her apartment, with her nightgown on, and now she found herself in Dan Humphrey's bed at his loft, with one of his horrible flannel shirts on.
And the thing that bothered her the most was that that shirt wasn't even that uncomfortable.
She sat on the bed and waited, rather patiently given the situation, that Dan got dressed, yelled at Audrey to get dressed, dressed her himself because otherwise she'd put her dress at reverse, and finally they left the house hand in hand.
As soon as she heard the door close behind them, she let out the scream she'd been holding all this time. Then she breathed deeply, washed her face quickly and opened her wardrobe. She was incredibly reassured when she noticed her clothes were similar to the ones she was used to, even if maybe not as expansive. She put on the first thing she could find - a very soft long sleeved dress - and left the house almost running.
She took a deep breath as she was out, trying to calm herself. The first thing she would do would be to go to her office in the Upper East Side and... then what? She honestly didn't know, but at least she would be someplace familiar.
" Excuse me! " she asked to an old woman passing by " Can you tell me where can I get a cab to the Upper East Side, please? "
The woman shook her head " The cabs usually never go around here. But there's a metro station just around the corner " she added kindly before walking away.
Blair would have never taken the metro if it hadn't been such an emergency. She climbed down the dirty steps with disgust and she was careful of not touching anything on the train, poles included, which caused her to fall at least three times.
When she finally got in front of her office, she sighed in relief. Everything looked normal, the exact same way she had left it the night before. She opened the door and almost thanked the Lord when she saw Marla at the desk, typing away.
" Marla! " Blair had never been more grateful to see her.
" Mrs. Humphrey! " she exclaimed, surprised, and Blair wondered who she was talking to until she realized Humphrey would be her last name now. Then she frowned; Marla always called with her first name... why would that be different now?
" Can I do something for you before going? " asked Marla " Jenny left me the day off so I can spend Christmas with the family. I just came here to rearrange a few things "
" Jenny? " asked Blair, confused, but Marla didn't seem to notice.
" If you're here to see the new collection for the article you're writing, Jenny told me to tell you she'd pass by to show them to you tomorrow. But I guess you'll see her soon, right? Maybe she can show you now, if you're such in a hurry "
" Jenny? New collection? Article? " Blair was more confused than ever, and panic was starting already to creep up her spine again " Why would I be writing an article? "
Marla was now looking at her with a confused expression " To promote your sister-in-law's collection on your magazine, of course "
Blair stared at Marla in shock " Jenny Humphrey is running my company? " she asked weakly.
" Uhm, yes " Marla had a compassionate expression on her face, and Blair wondered if she thought she were going crazy " You gave it to her seven years ago, remember? "
Blair didn't answer and just kept looking at the floor. What the heck was going on?
" Mrs. Humphrey? Do you... do you want a glass of water or something? " asked her ex-assistant, worried " Is it because of... you know... " she lowered her voice even if there was no one but them in the lobby " ... your problems with the pregnancy? "
" What? No, no, not at all. I'm fine. I'm fine " she answered, and wondered if she had ever felt less fine that in that moment.
" I probably should go " she muttered then and headed towards the door without answering to Marla's cheerful Marry Christmas.
She spotted him immediately as she went out. The man of the evening before, leaning casually on the wall of the building.
" You! " she marched towards him, knowing that somehow it was all his fault the was living... well, whatever she was living.
" Hey, Blair " he smiled at her as if nothing had happened.
" Don't hey-Blair me! What is going on? " she screamed at him.
" I'll explain everything to you if you let me talk. Just remember you brought this on yourself, Blair "
" Brought what on myself? " she asked just like the night before, frustrated.
" I got everything I need " he mocked her " Sounds familiar? "
" Just tell me what is going on, or I swear to you - "
" All right, all right " he cut her off " Blair, this is a glimpse "
" A glimpse? " she was so confused that she abandoned her furious tone for a second.
" A glimpse "
" A glimpse of what? " she threw her hands in the air.
" You have to figure this out yourself, but don't worry, you've got plenty of time "
Blair's heart sank a little further " How much time? "
" As much time as it takes, and looking at you I dare say it's gonna be considerable " answered the man, who seemed relaxed as ever.
Blair inhaled deeply " Look " she started with her best bitchy tone " I just want my life back. How much do you want? "
" How much money? " the man laughed " Blair, it doesn't work like that "
" Why not? " she whined " What do I have to do to have my life back? "
" Just go with the flow and live life as it goes " he smiled at her.
" But... how... I mean... what... " she started talking, but she couldn't finish any of those sentences.
" You should go now. Your family is waiting to spend Christmas with you. Oh, and before you go " he added, and pulled out something from his pocket " You should have this "
He handed the object to her and Blair almost laughed " A bell bicycle? Is this a joke? "
" Just keep it " he said, before turning the corner and disappearing from her sight just like the night before.
Blair's confused thoughts were interrupted by the ringtone of her phone; when she took it out of the pocket and saw it was Dan she was almost tempted not to answer, but then the instinct took over - she couldn't stand to watch her phone ring and not pick up - and answered.
" Hey " Dan's warm voice greeted her " Everything okay? "
" Yeah " she managed to say " I'm... I'm fine "
She heard him sigh in relief " Are you coming over? "
Blair looked at the possibilities. Food and a warm place with people she hadn't seen in years or being alone and cold all day long.
" I'll be right over "
I just wanted to thank so much everyone who reviewed, you guys make my day!
So keep doing it.
XD XD
