"Bye, boy. I'll see you soon." Wolf whined a little nudging her and she gave him a cuddle.
"Anthony will spoil you rotten." She was going home to her sister's for Thanksgiving and Wolf was staying behind.
She did not realize how much she missed her furry friend until that evening when she was all alone in bed at Rebecca's– it was awfully quiet.
The next afternoon she went for a walk on the Common in Boston.
She had gotten used to taking walks with Wolf and even without his company she decided she needed the fresh air.
The weather was getting colder. She liked Autumn and the transition from Summer to Winter.
She sat down on a bench near the Ducklings and fell into thought. It was still strange only visiting her home town,
but each time she went back it felt like moving to Colorado had been the right decision.
Suddenly a familiar voice brought her back to reality.
"Hi" she wasn't sure if she had dozed off and was dreaming, but there it was again:"Michaela?"
He was standing right in front of her.
"Sully…" she felt her stomach turn and simply stared at him.
"Mind if I sit?" she shook her head and he sat down on the bench.
They were silent for a moment then he said "You're back for Thanksgiving?"
"Yes… I needed some fresh air" she smiled at him "my mother is driving every one crazy".
They were sitting quite close, and soon their knees touched.
"I think I owe you an apology…" he finally said eyeing her, and she leaned forward resting her elbows on her thighs.
"Why?" their eyes met, and she felt a tingle in her leg.
"I was selfish to say… what I did. I had no right to put you in that position," he explained softly, and she could sense a sadness in his voice.
"You didn't mean it?" the words flew out of her mouth before she had time to think, and he looked at her slightly surprised.
"Yes, but…" his eyes searched hers as if asking: "how could you doubt that?"
"I'm okay" she assured him, and touched his thigh lightly.
"How are you?" William's words echoed at the back of her mind when he put his hand on top of hers.
"It has been better" he admitted.
"Annabel?"
His expression told her everything, and he shook his head sighing. "I'm trying to figure that out… we haven't really spoken lately."
"Oh…" she wasn't sure what to say, and he gave her hand a squeeze
"I'm glad you're here."
They both leaned closer on the bench, and somehow she ended up leaning on his shoulder in the chilly Autumn air.
"Tell me about Colorado…" his voice was soft, and she told him all about it.
When she got around to telling about Wolf he smiled into her hair.
"I'm glad you're not all on your own at night." Then they got up.
Michaela realized she had been away for quite some time when Rebecca sent her a text asking where she was.
"Let me walk you across the Common" he said and they took off.
When they reached the exit they stopped.
"How long are you back for?" he asked.
"I'm going back tomorrow afternoon. I've got work. Are you going home now?" she tilted her head meeting his gaze.
He seemed a little uncomfortable "I'm kind of crashing with Daniel at the moment" he admitted.
"Sully…? " she frowned.
"As I said… I'm trying to figure things out right now." He looked a little embarrassed, and she felt his worry and anguish.
" I hope you find the answers you're looking for." Her voice was soft, and she could not help brushing his arm.
He nodded, and she felt for him. Her heart reached out to his, as she wrapped her arms around his torso allowing herself to bury her face at his neck.
"Take care of yourself…" she whispered inhaling his scent and feeling how he returned her gesture burying his face in her hair.
"Is it okay if I text you some time?" he whispered before letting her go, and she could not refuse him.
She realized just then how much she had missed him.
She turned around and walked off, when he called her name and ran up to her.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Michaela" he said and kissed her on the cheek, before quickly striding off in the opposite direction.
Walking back to her family Michaela felt overwhelmed and… all the feelings she had tried to suppress for a long time came rushing back all at once.
Sully… her heart beat faster at the very thought of him.
Sully's heart was also pounding in his chest as he strode off and left her at the park exit.
When he had seen her sitting on the bench by the Ducklings he thought his mind had played a trick on him.
Seeing her and speaking with her had been wonderful, and they had connected.
For a long time he had been really troubled by what he had told her at the dance, not because he did not mean it – he did love her
– only he felt like he had not been fair to her.
He had been staying with Daniel for the past two weeks.
He and Annabel had had a long talk – finally – after weeks of bad moods… thinking about it, it had been more of an argument,
but it had given him something to think about:
"What is wrong with you?" Annabel was pacing back and forth in front of the hearth. She had just come back from a late meeting and Sully was still up.
He had refused to go with her that night –he could not face her parents and least of all some business associates.
"What do you mean 'what's wrong with me'?" Sully tried not to shout.
"Maybe I just don't want to pretend anymore, because that's what we've been doing recently… pretending." He sighed and looked at his wife.
"Tell me… are you happy, Annabel. Truly happy?"
"Why do you ask?" she said.
"Because I'm not…"
She sighed "What do you want me to say? You think I can't see how moody you are and how we don't talk? I'm happy with my work –that's what I am."
"Your work…" his voice trailed off, and he shook his head.
"Yes, do you think I don't know why you're so upset? It's because of her… frankly I'm glad she's gone, and you need to get yourself together."
Sully stared at Annabel in disbelief "what are you saying?"
Annabel stopped pacing and faced him.
"You think I didn't see how you looked at her at William's house?"
Sully felt his temper rising "Michaela is my friend…we were talking. It's nothing to do with her."
And he realized that moment that his problems with Annabel actually was nothing to with Michaela at all.
"I don't believe you." Annabel continued, and he shook his head.
"You're jealous…" he stated, and she looked at him with fiery eyes.
"No, Sully. I'm furious. You're neglecting our business. Get yourself together."
He stared at her in disbelief "our business?" He had expected her to at least say 'our marriage or relationship'. "
I'm sorry, but I think I need some space." Then he had left the house.
He knew he had to face Annabel again sometime soon, but Thanksgiving was hardly the best time.
She would be at her parents' house no doubt about that, and he would prefer not to have her father hovering in the other room when he spoke to her.
So he went back to Daniel's place. He'd only been back about half an hour when the front door opened, and Daniel came in.
He was spending Thanksgiving at his girlfriend's house but had come back to pick up a few things.
At least that was what he had told her, but the truth was he was worried about Sully who had declined the invitation to join them.
"Sure you don't want to come?" he asked again, and Sully shook his head.
"I'm fine…" Daniel looked at him. Something seemed different in his voice.
"You look better… did something happen?" He decided to sit down next to his friend, and Sully nodded and smiled a little,
"Yeah, I'm going to speak to her and find out if this is it… if I'm leaving her."
Daniel's eyes widened a little. He knew what Sully was giving up. Annabel had made him sign a prenuptial agreement when they married,
and he would not get much if he left her. "Are you sure?" Daniel asked, and Sully nodded. "I just have to figure out how to do this right…"
At the Thanksgiving dinner that evening, Michaela felt a little torn.
Looking to her right she saw her mother –not Charles who should have sat there on the chair next to her, and looking at her mother
she was reminded that her father was missing from the table.
She steadied her breath a little. Seeing Sully had made her happy, but it was situations like these that reminded her of the great tragedy that had hit her family.
Her mother patted her hand, and she knew she was thinking the same
"It's good to have you home, Michaela."
She detected a little sadness in her mother's voice and gave her hand a squeeze –she had lost her husband, her son-in-law and in a way also Michaela
as she had moved so far away. But it was necessary, Michaela thought joining hands with Rebecca on her left side.
If she were to heal properly she needed the space.
Her thoughts went to Wolf –she missed her furry friend and his uncomplicated affection.
While Michaela got ready to go back to Colorado the next day, Sully went to see Annabel.
He had texted her asking her to meet him at their house.
"Hi…" she was in the living room and he gingerly sat down next to her. She looked a little tired, and he felt a surge of guilt wash over him.
Annabel looked at him. "So you wanted to meet?" she said quietly, and he nodded.
"We need to talk… properly this time."
"Dad's picking me up in an hour," she informed him, and he sighed a little.
"This is important, Annabel."
She waited for him to go on, so he took the chance.
"Look, I know you say you don't want any children… that you want to focus on the business…. But I need to know if there is the slightest chance you might want to
reconsider that?"
Annabel stared at him for a while then she said: "That's it? Is that why you're so moody? We had this talk before."
"You know I always wanted a family – a simple life. That's what you said you wanted too – until your Dad signed over the business to you."
Sully looked at her, and she got up.
"That's what I thought I wanted...for a short while. Not anymore. You blinded me… I love you, Sully, but I can't agree to that. I'd have to give up too much."
Sully had anticipated this type of answer. Actually, he did care for Annabel – the Annabel he fell in love with.
Seeing his wife, however, he knew he did not stand a chance.
"So what do we do now?" he asked.
"You know I need you to be in the business… and you know what happens if you leave."
He shook his head. It was always about money, the prestige and more money.
He'd come to a point where those things did not matter much.
When he was younger they had mattered.
He'd grown up in a middle class family, but then his parents and brother died in a horrible car accident leaving him alone.
His uncle had made sure he went to school, and he usually spent the summers at the Cape.
After his rendezvous with Michaela he went to study architecture working his way through college,
and meeting Annabel some years later was his chance to make something of himself.
She was not only rich but also ambitious and they had planned how they would set up their own business and become partners.
They married, and for a good number of years things were fine. They both worked hard and established their own business.
However, then her father fell seriously ill and fearing for his life he pulled in Annabel offering her the family business
if she gave up the business she and Sully had created. That was when the trouble really began.
Annabel felt obliged to do as her father deemed.
Ironically enough he fully recovered and consequently he had a great deal to say when it came to Annabel's life and marriage.
Slowly the business became her baby, and it pained Sully to see that.
He tried many times to get through to her, and sometimes he succeeded, but only for a little while, and it was never quite enough.
She gave up the idea of a family with him, because of that. It was like a drug. Annabel became addicted to the work, the prestige and the money.
Sully kept a distance from this. He had maintained his part of their original business, and primarily worked for Annabel.
Yet he did not like the idea of being dependent of his wife, so he also took on projects of his own.
"Dad's car will be her in 15 minutes. I'm seeing a client.
Are you here when I come back?" she asked, and he nodded adding "I'm going out of town for 3 weeks starting Monday.
Daniel and I are working on a project in Texas." Going away would give him time to figure out the consequences of ending his marriage.
Then she left.
Sitting alone in the big house Sully was perplexed. In a way he had hoped that he could convince her how serious the situation between them was,
but he had failed. She expected him to stay, and she was not willing to be the one to back off.
Was it wrong of him to want to pursue his dream? He wished he could call Michaela and speak to her about it. She understood him so well. He sighed.
This was going to be more difficult than he had expected.
She said she needed him in the business, and he knew he would have to discuss the matter with her father – the obstacles seemed endless.
The outcome would no doubt be that he would have to give up his own business, because of her father's influence in the field.
The question remained what he would gain if he left… he could only hope that Michaela would want to be with him.
"Yes", there was a strong attraction, and "yes" he felt complete when they were together. But he had been wrong before, and there were no guarantees.
After all she had left because of him. He sighed and got up to start packing for his trip.
So much for a simple and uncomplicated life.