Note to readers: I sincerely apologize for taking so long to update Cherished. Things have been crazy in my personal life over these past few months and unfortunately, the inspiration for the next chapter just wasn't there. Things continue to be kind of crazy for me, and like I said in my update of Clarisse's Pearl, I'll post what I can, when I can. I want you all to know, though, that I am truly sorry for the wait. I also want you to know that your ongoing support means the world to me, and I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to everyone who has faved, followed, or reviewed Cherished. I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter. :)
Chapter 35: I'll Wait for You
Three weeks later, in early April, Mia got quite a shock. She'd had to remain in the hospital for two weeks to recover from her pneumonia, and she'd been back home in the palace for the past eight days when it happened. It was twenty minutes after eight, and Mia had just tucked Gracie into bed and walked into her suite when she heard a sudden tapping on her window. She went over to the window, and much to her surprise, it was actually Andrew of all people, carrying a bouquet of roses!
Mia opened her window and saw that Andrew was actually standing on a ladder. After he handed her the bouquet, Mia asked, "Andrew, what's all this? What are you doing here, on a ladder of all things?"
"If you'll be so kind as to follow me down, I have a little surprise arranged for you out at the lake."
"You mean follow you down the ladder?"
"Yes. I'll go down first, and then I'll hold it steady for you."
Mia laughed a bit and shook her head for a second, unable to believe her ears. It was all so unlike Andrew. "Okay, Andrew," she said dubiously, not really sure what she was getting herself into. "Just let me go put these in some water right quick, and then I'll be right down."
"I'll be here waiting," Andrew told her, and as she went to get a vase, he climbed down the ladder and waited for her to return to the window.
Mia returned to the window a few moments later, stuck her head out, and said, "I'm back now, Andrew. Are you ready for me to come down?"
"Yes. I'm holding the ladder now."
"Alright," Mia said, and then she started slowly but surely descending the ladder while Andrew held it firmly in place for her. Once Mia was on the ground, she said, "Maybe we better make a run for it, before any of the guards see us."
"No, it's alright, Mia. I had a long talk with Joseph, and he had a talk with the guards, and everything's all been taken care of. You and I officially have this evening to ourselves."
Mia laughed again and said, "Andrew, what are you up to?"
"You'll see. Come on. Let's go to the stables. I left my horse there, so we'll go get him and you can get your horse as well, and we'll both ride out to the lake together."
"Okay," Mia said, and then she and Andrew went and got their horses.
Once they made it out to the lake, Mia saw Andrew's big surprise: a romantic candlelit dinner for two with champagne just waiting for them.
"So that's why I couldn't get near the kitchen to get something to eat earlier this evening," said Mia, who was still sitting on her horse. "The chef claimed that he had to close the kitchen down because gallons of Pine Sol had gotten spilled all over the kitchen floor and people kept tripping and falling down. He claimed that he'd tripped and fallen too many times to be able to prepare dinner for everybody and he wouldn't let me in there. He wouldn't let me get near the refrigerator."
Andrew had a big smile on his face then and he said, "I had my accomplices in my little scheme."
"I never knew you could be so sneaky. You are just full of surprises all of the sudden," Mia told him as he climbed down from his horse. Then Andrew held his arms up to Mia and helped her down too, which she appreciated. She and Andrew had gone horseback riding together many times over the years, and every single time, he always helped her down from her horse and made sure she didn't fall, like the true gentleman he was. He was constantly looking out for her in little ways like that, both because he was a gentleman and because he well knew how clumsy she could be at times and he didn't want her to hurt herself, a fact that had always touched Mia.
"That I am," he agreed as they started walking arm in arm towards the small round table, which was covered in a fancy white tablecloth that had been embroidered with some of Genovia's famous lace. For whatever reason, there was also a brown leather bag sitting on the ground next to the table.
Without further ado, Mia and Andrew sat down at the table together and ate in the romantic candlelight. Since the chef had successfully kept Mia out of the kitchen all evening and she hadn't had anything to eat since lunch that afternoon, she really was starved, so she didn't pause between bites very often for a lot of conversation with Andrew. Andrew had had the chef prepare some of Mia's favorite dishes for their dinner that evening, so that only made her want to eat more and more. And quite frankly, Andrew was very grateful for the way Mia was wolfing down her dinner. It gave him more time to prepare himself inside for what he was about to tell her that night.
A little while later, after they were both finished eating, Mia patted her stomach and said, "Wow, Andrew. That dinner was really delicious."
Andrew smiled and said, "I'm glad you enjoyed it."
"I did! This was a really sweet surprise. Thank you."
In the moment she said that, Andrew realized that Mia still didn't fully understand what was going on. He realized then that she had mistakenly believed that the roses and the candlelight dinner was just a nice surprise an old friend had conjured up for her out of kindness, perhaps a way to welcome her home from the hospital. And even though he wanted to continue putting off telling her the full truth, he knew that he couldn't do that any longer. As frightening as it was, he had to put his heart out on the line and let the chips fall where they may.
Andrew locked his eyes with Mia's a second later and told her, "Mia, the roses I gave you…and this candlelight dinner…all of it was more than just a friendly little surprise. I meant for this night to actually be a…romantic occasion."
"A romantic occasion?" Mia repeated in utter disbelief.
"Yes, that's right. Oh Mia, I may as well come right out and say it. I know there weren't any 'sparks' between us as you put it back when we were engaged all those years ago, but for me, things have really changed. I've fallen in love with you, Mia. I've been in love with you for years. I just didn't tell you because I knew you didn't share those feelings. As a matter of fact, I know you still don't. The purpose of this dinner is so I can ask you to give me a chance. I'm basically asking you for your permission to start courting you."
"Courting me?" Mia said, once again in disbelief.
"Alright, I know 'courting' is a really old-fashioned term, but yes, that's basically what I'm talking about. I realize that back when we were engaged, Nicholas Devereaux put far more effort into showing you how much he cared for you than I did. I realize that I didn't even try to win your heart the way I should have. Well now, I want to start trying. I want you to let me start taking you places and doing things with you, not as friends, but as a couple. Let me prove to you just how much I love you, Mia," he said so softly. Then he reached across the table, took her hand in his, and added, "Please."
Mia's face really softened when Andrew said that, and she responded, "Andrew, you don't have to prove anything to me. I know how much you care about me."
During the next several moments, there was a long, uncomfortable silence between the two as Mia debated it inside as to how to handle this. Mia had made up her mind years ago that she was going to remain single for the rest of her life, and to that very day, she was still completely uninterested in the thought of getting into any kind of romantic relationship with a man. She was perfectly happy with her life the way it already was. It was true that she did get lonely sometimes, but for the most part, she was satisfied with being a daughter, a granddaughter, a co-parent to Isaac, a future mother to Gracie, a big sister to Trevor, and a queen, and she didn't want to change things.
However, as she looked into Andrew's handsome, sweet, hopeful face, she just couldn't bring herself to tell him that and break his heart. Andrew really was such a kind, gentle, loving man and a very dear friend to her, and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt him. So hesitantly, she told him, "Give me some time, Andrew. Let me think about it."
Andrew smiled and said, "Of course. You just take as much time as you need. In the meantime, come over here with me for a second. I have one last little surprise for you tonight."
Mia laughed a little nervously and said, "Oh, my. What now?"
"You'll see," said Andrew as he walked a few steps away from the table with Mia, carrying the brown leather bag over his shoulder. A moment later, he set the bag down on the ground and took out a CD player, and he pressed the play button. Suddenly, the song Unforgettable by Nat King Cole started filling the air, which was one of Mia's favorite songs ever.
"Oh, my goodness!" Mia said with a surprised laugh.
"May I have this dance?" asked Andrew.
"Of course," Mia replied with a smile, and then the couple started dancing to the music. And as they danced over the next couple of minutes, something very unexpected – and very uncomfortable – started happening to Mia. All of the emotions she'd managed to shut herself off from for the past several years began coming to the surface. She'd known for quite a long time that her feelings for Andrew were very different now than they had been back when they'd first met. They were much closer and their feelings for one another undoubtedly ran much deeper now than they had in the beginning. There had been a small part of her deep down over the years that had sometimes fantasized about what it would be like to be in a romantic relationship with him, but she'd managed to shut those thoughts and feelings down in the past, not wanting to take any more chances with her heart or make any changes to her life. But now, suddenly, as she was in his arms, looking into his eyes and dancing with him to one of her favorite love songs, she was having a much harder time shutting those thoughts and feelings down, and it started to scare her.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Clarisse was in her suite, and she too was dancing, only with Joseph, of course. While Clarisse had been one of the people in on Andrew's little scheme to surprise Mia with a romantic dinner, she had become quite frustrated earlier that evening when the chef also prevented her from getting supper. However, she was pleasantly surprised when she found out that after they'd gotten Isaac settled into bed for the night – in one of the guest suites – Joseph had also made plans for a little late romantic candlelight dinner of his own with her.
"Joseph, I don't know what to say," Clarisse said with a laugh as he held out one of the two chairs at their small table for her to sit down, and then she took her seat. "You really outdid yourself this evening."
"Well, my dear," he said as he sat down across the table from her, "things have been so hectic here lately and it really has been too long since you and I have done something special together, just the two of us."
"Life is always hectic when you're raising an eight-year-old." Isaac wasn't quite eight years-old yet, but it was April now and he was going to turn eight and Mia was going to turn thirty on the fourteenth of June.
"Yes, that's true. Life never really turns out the way you plan, does it? I had believed that these past nine years you and I have been married would have been spent by the two of us simply relaxing and enjoying our retirement." That got a sarcastic chuckle out of Clarisse. "Instead, we've spent them changing diapers, mopping up drool, dealing with temper tantrums, bandaging scraped knees, putting our son in time-out and taking away various privileges whenever he gets into trouble – which is always – and dealing with our resulting headaches."
"Uh huh," Clarisse said with another laugh.
"But you know something, darling? These past eight years that we've spent changing diapers, mopping up drool, dealing with temper tantrums, bandaging scraped knees, and handling Isaac whenever he gets into trouble – which again, is always – have been the happiest years of my entire life."
"Oh Joseph, they've been the happiest years of my life, too," Clarisse beamed at him, and he smiled back at her and reached across the table and took her hand in his. "You know, back when Pierre and Philippe were little, of course, I made certain to spend as much time with them as I possibly could, but you know that when they both turned six years-old and it was time to put them in school, Rupert absolutely insisted that we ship them away to his old boarding school, the same boarding school where generations of Renaldi royals had always gone. Naturally, because I was a woman and because I was only royal by marriage, I didn't have the power or the authority back then that I needed to put my foot down and say no. Not even being their mother was enough by everyone's standards back in those days. And while I did do as much as I could for them while they were here, that blasted nanny Rupert always insisted on having around got in the way so much of the time, so really, I was never able to be the kind of mother to Pierre and Philippe that I'm able to be to Isaac now. To tell the truth, it makes me happier than ever that I always got to be the one to change Isaac's diapers and feed him his bottles and mop up his drool when he was a baby, and it makes me happier than ever now that I get to be here to deal with the occasional temper tantrums and that I get to bandage his scraped knees. It even makes me happy to have to deal with him when he gets into trouble because, again, this time I'm the one who gets to do it and not some nanny or boarding school."
"Well, like you said, you were there for them as much as you possibly could be under the circumstances. You bandaged Pierre's and Philippe's knees and you nursed them through colds whenever you could. But I know how much it hurt you to not be able to see them every day as they were growing up. I know how your royal position robbed you of so many things. You're absolutely right. You would think being their mother would have given you all the authority you needed to say no and put a stop to Rupert shipping them off to boarding school when they were children, but sadly, it really was a man's world back in those days. Thankfully, though, a lot of things have really changed around here since then, and no one is ever going to keep you away from Isaac."
"I know," Clarisse said with a warm smile. Then she held up her glass, which Joseph had filled with champagne several minutes before, and she said, "Joseph, I'd like to make a toast."
"Of course," Joseph said, and then he held up his glass too, and he got up from his seat.
The next moment, Clarisse got up from her seat and walked over closer to Joseph and said, "Here's to you, me, and our son, and to almost nine wonderful years together."
Joseph smiled, and after he hooked his arm through Clarisse's, he said, "I'll drink to that." A second later, the couple each took a sip of champagne.
Then after enjoying a very pleasant dinner together, Joseph put on some nice soft romantic jazz music in the background and they danced for quite a long time before they eventually went to bed.
The next day, which was a Saturday, Lilly came to the palace to visit Mia, and they spent some time together in Mia's suite. Mia soon found out that Lilly had also been aware of Andrew's plans to take her out on a surprise date the night before, and as they sat together on the loveseat, her eyes bore into Mia's while she relentlessly hounded the poor young Queen for details.
"How was it, Mia? How was it?" Lilly questioned her while Mia hesitated.
"I don't know, Lilly. It was…a strange combination of things. It was nice. It was all very sweet. But it was pretty awkward, too. I happen to really like my life the way it is right now. I don't want to complicate things even more than they already are as a queen and an adoptive mother-to-be. But I knew that if I actually told him that, it would break his heart. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him that that's how I really felt."
"Mia, I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I can't help but want to ask…what's wrong with you?"
"What do you mean?"
"First Nicholas Deverat, then Jacques Beaumont. Why do you find jerks like them attractive? I mean, yeah, sure, they're hot and sexy-looking, but at the end of the day, if the man at your side isn't someone you can fully trust, what good is he? I'm not saying it's not important to take good care of your personal appearance, but you cannot base an entire relationship on just that. What's going on with a man's heart is so much more important than how sexy he looks. And in case you haven't noticed, Andrew is just as good-looking as Nicholas Deverat and Jacques, you know. So how come you get attracted to sexy-looking creeps like Nicholas Deverat and Jacques, but not to a sexy-looking man with a kind heart who obviously loves you like Andrew? I just don't get it. You've told me before how much it's always hurt you that no man has ever been willing to choose you, not even your own father. Mia, Andrew has left behind his country, his home, his family, and his military career to come live in Genovia, not to teach anthropology at Pyrus University, but to be near you. Your father may have chosen his country over you, but not Andrew. He chose you over his country. He has shown nothing but pure love and devotion to you. How can you say no to something that wonderful?"
In the next moment, Mia had to wipe tears from her eyes. Lilly hated it that she'd brought her best friend to tears, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel irritated at her for making such stupid choices when in love. It simply made no sense to her and she couldn't understand it.
Finally Mia answered, "Because there's only so much I can handle at one time, Lilly. I have the weight of an entire country on my shoulders constantly, in case you hadn't noticed. On top of that, I have to make certain that I can balance all of my responsibilities as a queen with all of my responsibilities as a future mother to Gracie. In addition to making sure I don't let our country down, I have to make sure I don't let that precious baby girl down and even though I'm doing okay so far, I'm still terrified that I won't get it right; that I'll wind up making a terrible mistake somehow that'll leave her even more psychologically scarred than she already is. The last thing I need in my life right now is to add even more fear into the equation. I'm going through enough fear as it is. I do not need the added complication of yet another relationship that is eventually going to blow up in my face just like every other relationship with every other man in my life has. I'm under a load that's already more than heavy enough. I am not adding more weight to that load, and as wonderful as Andrew is and as much as I do love him, a romantic relationship with him would just be more dead weight to me that I do not need.
"When it comes to Nicholas Deverat and Jacques Beaumont, I chose them because I was immature and silly. More than anything else, I liked going out with them because in both cases, it gave me an adrenaline rush. I liked the risk. I liked the excitement. It was fun breaking the rules and going behind everybody's backs to date them. Of course today, I can see it for myself how childish and stupid it was, but back then, I was simply too immature to understand what bad choices I was making.
"But with Andrew, it's different. Believe me, Lilly, I do know how wonderful he is. When he first came into my life, again, I was too immature to be able to fully appreciate him. I was stupid and judgmental of him. Even though it was wrong, I couldn't help but want to mentally compare him with Nicholas and whenever I did, I always came to the same conclusion that Nicholas was exciting and Andrew was boring. It wasn't until I really got to know him after the engagement that I realized just how much depth there is to him and how special and incredible he is."
As Lilly saw the light in Mia's eyes in the moment she spoke that last sentence, it hit her.
"You're in love with him!" Lilly shrieked.
"Lilly," Mia sighed, which only confirmed Lilly's suspicions.
"It's true, isn't it?! Deep down, you've really been in love with him all these years, just as much as he's been in love with you!"
"Lilly, stop it," Mia told her quietly as she got up from her seat and walked a few steps away from Lilly.
"I can't believe it! I can't believe I didn't see it until just now! You actually have been in love with Andrew for ages now and you just wouldn't admit it to yourself!" Lilly cried out, and then she stood up as well.
Mia then turned around to face Lilly and folded her arms. "Yes, well, none of it matters anyway because it's not like it can ever actually work! A romantic relationship with Andrew is not an option for me, Lilly, no matter how much I do love him. And anyway, this entire conversation about Andrew is getting on my last nerve. You are getting on my last nerve, so just cut it out!"
"I'm sorry, Mia," Lilly said as she approached her. "I didn't mean to upset you. It's just that I can't help but want for you the same kind of incredible relationship that I have with Kip and that Queen Clarisse has with Joseph."
"Yes, well, marriage isn't for everybody, Lilly. Not everybody can handle it."
"I know. And I know that it's really unfair the way that society tends to look down on people who prefer to remain single all their lives. I know if you decide to never give marriage a shot, that's your choice and not mine. But the thing is, you're my best friend and I've known you forever, and I really do believe that if you do decide to never try to give it a shot with Andrew or with any other man, it won't be because you're someone who isn't meant for marriage. It'll simply be because you're afraid.
"I know that after everything you've been through in your life, you can't help but be terrified of taking a chance and it ending with yet another rejection. I know that your entire life feels like it's been nothing but one giant rejection, starting with your own father. But just because things ended badly in your other relationships, it does not mean that that is automatically going to happen with Andrew. He left behind everything just to be near you, Mia. Everything. You're the only woman he ever thinks about, just like your grandmother is the only woman Joseph ever thinks about. I know that you think that a romantic relationship with Andrew would only add dead weight to the tremendous loads you're already carrying every day because you feel certain that a relationship with him or with any man would automatically be doomed to failure. But Mia, I believe with all my heart that if you will just give the two of you a chance, Andrew will make all your burdens lighter, not heavier. I really am convinced that Andrew is literally the last person on the planet who would ever do anything to hurt you, and I'm equally convinced that Andrew could very well be one of the best things that's ever happened to you, just like Kip is one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
"I don't know, Lilly," Mia sighed. "I just don't know if I'm ready for something like that right now, or if I'll ever really be ready for it. Anyway, like I eventually told Andrew last night, I'll have to take some time to really think about this."
"Well don't make him wait too long. He has been waiting for you for a lot of years already, you know."
"Actually, I didn't know that until last night. I know that the media has certainly made a lot of speculation about Andrew having feelings for me ever since he moved to Genovia nearly seven years ago, but until Andrew told me what his true feelings were last night, I never took any of it seriously."
"Well it is true, Mia. He does love you, and don't try to deny it that you love him too because we both know you do. And a love like Andrew's is not something that comes along every day, so just be sure you don't take it for granted."
"I don't take it for granted, Lilly, and I don't take Andrew for granted either."
"I'm not saying that you do. I'm just reminding you not to. I'm just saying that it wouldn't be fair of you to expect Andrew to always be there waiting for you to make up your mind for the whole rest of his life. What happened with your cancer diagnosis several years ago reminded all of us how precious life really is. Just like all the rest of us, Andrew's not going to be around forever, and he has needs too. I'm just trying to remind you to be sensitive to that."
"I get what you're saying and I agree that Andrew has needs too, and yes, I am going to remember to be sensitive to that and not keep him waiting forever. I was never going to keep him waiting forever, Lilly, so please be fair to me and give me a little credit. But I really do need to take some time to sort all of this out in my head first."
"I understand. I know that if you go through with this, it'll be a pretty big step for you."
"And considering everything else I have to deal with on a daily basis, I need to make absolutely certain it's a step I'm ready to take."
"I know you're really scared, but I think that way deep down, you're a lot more ready for this than you think," Lilly stubbornly insisted, which again, really got on Mia's nerves. Yeah, Lilly was Mia's best friend and had been for most of her life, and they had literally grown up sharing all the details of their lives, even the most personal ones, with each other. However, Mia sometimes had moments like these when she wished there was more of a sense of boundaries in her friendship with Lilly. Mia knew, of course, that Lilly never meant to be nosey and drive her crazy. It was never on purpose. It was just Lilly's style. Whenever Lilly felt strongly about something that Mia was hesitant about, it was simply her nature to want to push Mia into it because she felt so certain it was the best thing for her to do. More often than not, whenever Lilly acted that way, she ended up being in the right about it, but Mia still wished sometimes that she would be more respectful of her privacy and let her come to her own conclusions for herself without Lilly pushing her into anything. As much as she did love Lilly and respect her opinion, quite frankly, there were some things in life that were simply none of her business, and this was one of them – even if she was right.
One day about two weeks later in mid-April, Andrew made one last check of things. He'd already put his carry-on bag and the smaller pieces of luggage in his car, and the two largest rolling suitcases were still sitting in the doorway of his house, ready to be loaded along with everything else. Rain was really pouring that day, and the weather outside perfectly matched how Andrew was feeling inside.
He was just about to take the last of the luggage out to the car when he heard the sound of a car pulling up in his driveway. He looked out the window and saw that it was a black SUV he didn't recognize, and he couldn't help but feel a great deal of irritation. He didn't know who this stranger was or what he or she wanted with him, but whatever it was, he was not in the mood to deal with it now. When the doorbell rang a few seconds later, Andrew let out a sigh of frustration, but then he regained his composure like the gentleman he was and opened the door – and much to his surprise, he immediately saw that it was Mia standing outside underneath a green, white, and blue umbrella that Lionel was holding over their heads.
"Mia," Andrew gasped. Even though they'd been such close friends all these years, it was still a pretty rare thing for the Queen of Genovia to come visit him at his house in person. It had always been much easier for Andrew to simply come to the palace to see her over the years.
"Hi, Andrew," Mia responded, obviously feeling kind of awkward.
"I'm terribly sorry. I'm forgetting my manners. Please, please come in."
"Thank you," said Mia.
"I appreciate the invitation, sir, but I'll just go and wait outside in the car," said Lionel.
"Are you sure? You're more than welcome to come inside," Andrew said, but it was only to be polite. In truth, he really would have felt much more comfortable talking inside alone with Mia.
"No, thank you. That's fine. I'll just wait in the car," Lionel insisted, much to Andrew's relief.
"Very well," Andrew said, and then once Mia was inside, he shut the door as Lionel headed back out to the car to give them the privacy they needed.
As soon as Andrew let Mia inside, she instantly spotted the luggage standing in the entrance hall, and she got a sinking feeling.
"What's the luggage for?" she asked.
"Why don't you come into the kitchen with me for a minute or two so we can talk?" Andrew suggested, and Mia could tell from his serious tone of voice that this was not going to be good news. Even though Andrew was typically a very handsome guy, today, his eyes were bloodshot and he even looked as if he'd been crying. Mia was really worried.
"Okay," Mia said quietly, and then she followed him into his kitchen.
"Whose car is that, by the way?" Andrew asked as they walked together, and again, it was another indicator to Mia that this was not good because she knew better than anyone that whenever Andrew had anything tough he needed to say to someone, he always nervously made small talk first.
"It's Lionel's," Mia answered as they entered the kitchen, which had matching white counters and cabinets with a white stove and white refrigerator, as well as a small round table with four chairs around it. After Andrew held out one of the chairs for Mia and she sat down, she explained, "After what happened the last time we saw each other, I wanted to come and talk to you in person, and once Shades, Lionel, and I all discussed it, we decided it would be best to take Lionel's car. If we used one of our typical vehicles, the press and the paparazzi would be swarming around us, and I don't want the media making a big fuss over me coming here to see you."
"Got you," Andrew told her after he sat down across from her.
"So anyway, you were going to tell me about the luggage. What's up? Where are you going?"
"Ah, yes. Um…well, Mia, there's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it: something's happened and I'm leaving Genovia and going back to my family's home in Britain. Indefinitely. I've resigned my position at Pyrus University, effective immediately, and I honestly cannot tell you when I'll be able to come back to Genovia."
To say the very least, Mia truly felt as though Andrew had just kicked her in the stomach. She was devastated.
Mia spent the next several uncomfortable moments fighting off tears, and then when she could actually bring herself to speak again, she asked, "What's happened?"
"My parents were in a terrible car accident last night. They had a head-on collision with a drunk driver."
Mia responded by reaching across the table and taking Andrew's hand in hers. "Andrew, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry. How bad is it?"
"My father's in a coma. It's too early to say how it's all going to turn out with him but according to the tests they've done so far, there's very little brain activity. It doesn't look good."
"Oh, God," Mia whispered as she squeezed Andrew's hand. "And your mom?"
"All of the trauma to her head caused her to suffer a stroke. She's been in and out of consciousness all night. And very early this morning, she regained consciousness for several minutes, and she was actually alert enough to have one of the nurses call me. We had a brief conversation before she lost consciousness again."
It was no secret to Mia that Andrew had never really been close to either one of his adoptive parents. He had admitted it to her over the years that his adoptive father was almost never at home because he'd always been too busy with his business – or with chasing after other women – and consequently, by the time Andrew was grown, he barely even knew the man at all. And he'd also admitted to Mia that his adoptive mother had been an impossible woman to get very close to and had had equally little interest in having a real relationship with him. While Susan Hurst was certainly a cultured, sophisticated, well-to-do socialite in British high society, none of that changed the fact that the woman was practically an iceberg. All throughout Andrew's life, she'd rarely shown him very much compassion. Susan Hurst's life was never one that had revolved around love, but rather, around rules, and that was always the attitude she'd shown to Andrew. Susan had always acted as though she would only be willing to have anything to do with Andrew at all as long as he lived up to her expectations, and that was something that had constantly stuck with him over the years.
But something unbelievably strange happened when Susan had called Andrew on the phone that morning. As much as it shocked Andrew, Susan almost sounded like a frightened child when she'd talked to him. For the first time in his life, she'd actually sounded…human.
"How was she?" asked Mia.
"She was scared, Mia. It was unbelievable. For the first time ever, she actually sounded scared to me. She sounded like a terrified little girl who was lost in the woods alone at night. I have to go to her."
"Well of course you do. I just don't understand why you feel it's necessary to quit your position at Pyrus University. You know they'll be understanding about your circumstances and give you time off."
After letting out a sigh, Andrew explained, "Her grandmother, my adoptive great-grandmother, spent the last few years of her life in a nursing home. She hated it there. She was miserable, and seeing her there in so much physical and emotional pain was something Mummy was never able to forget. I think that deep down, it's always been her deepest fear that one day, she'd eventually die alone and miserable in some lonely nursing home somewhere, just like her own grandmother did. When she talked to me this morning, Mia, she begged me to come back home and take care of her so that that wouldn't happen to her. We may never have been very close. Heck, we may not even like each other very much, but it would still be cruel and inhumane for me to deny her request."
"I know," Mia said as she locked her eyes with his.
"Before I go, though, I just want to say that I hope you'll just forget that crazy date I took you on. The whole thing was stupid. I was stupid. I was just trying to impress you by taking a page of out Nicholas Deverat's playbook."
Those words ripped Mia's heart in two, and it now clearly showed on her face.
"Oh," she said quietly. "So that means you didn't mean what you said?"
"Oh, no. I meant every word. But your hesitation to say yes that night and your silence over the past two weeks spoke volumes to me, Mia. I know it now that you'll never feel the same way about me that I feel about you. That whole surprise date thing was just a ridiculous idea and the only thing it accomplished was making us both feel terribly uncomfortable. I think it's best if we just forget that that entire incident ever happened."
Mia shook her head and told him, "I don't think we can forget about it, Andrew. And I don't think we should forget about it, either. Andrew, it's a good thing that you finally told me how you really felt because the truth is, deep down, I've felt the same way for several years now. I just couldn't bring myself to admit it because I was so scared. In case you haven't noticed, relationships with the men in my life almost never work out very well. I usually end up getting rejected and for the longest time, I couldn't help but believe that if you and I were to ever end up a couple again, that relationship, too, would inevitably end up in rejection like all my others have.
"But then my stubborn, nosey, pushy, irritating, highly intelligent, compassionate, and wonderful best friend Lilly said something to me a little while back that really got me thinking."
"She has a way of doing that," Andrew observed as he thought back to the conversation they had in the hospital.
"No kidding," Mia agreed. "Anyway, she reminded me of all the incredible things you've done for me over the years – things no other man has ever done for me before, not even my own father. For nearly seven years, you gave up your military career, your home, even your country, just to be near me here in Genovia. No man has ever loved me that much before. You are the most beautiful man I have ever known, and the worst part of it is, I think I ended up taking you and all the wonderful things about you for granted all these years, without ever realizing it or meaning to."
"Well you are a reigning queen, you know. You do have a lot on your mind," Andrew kidded, but in reality he knew better than most how true that statement actually was. Mia had far more on her shoulders every single day as Queen than most people could even imagine.
Mia laughed quietly for a second and said, "But anyhow, the bottom line is, I do love you, Andrew William Jacoby. With all my heart. I've been in love with you for a long time, and I don't want to hide from those feelings any longer out of fear. And I had Lionel bring me here today because I was going to tell you that the answer to your question is yes. I do want us to start 'courting' or 'dating' or whatever you want to call it.
"But first, I know you have to go and be with your parents. I know that's what's most important right now. No matter how long you have to be gone, though, I'll wait for you. I want you to know that."
Tears were now freely flowing from Andrew's eyes as he said, "Mia, it could be years before I'll be able to come back to Genovia. God, Himself only knows what's going to happen with my father and especially with my mother. She could need me to take care of her for a very long time."
Again, she squeezed his hand and told him, "I realize that, and I don't care how long it takes. You waited for me for many years. Now, if you need me to wait years for you, I will. Lilly reminded me of the fact that you have needs, too, and she was right. You've always been there for me whenever I've needed you. Now it's my turn. I love you more than anything, Andrew, and no matter what happens in England with your parents, I'll always be here for you in Genovia."
"I don't know what to say," Andrew gasped.
"It's okay, Andrew. You don't have to say anything," Mia said as she got up from her seat. Then she held out her arms and told Andrew, "Just come here."
Andrew quickly got up and walked into Mia's embrace. He kissed her cheek, and then he just held onto her for the longest time, and she him, as silent tears rolled down his cheeks.
"I just can't believe this is happening," he said quietly.
"I know, but it's going to be okay. Everything will be alright," Mia said softly as she rubbed his back.
A couple of moments later after Andrew caught his breath, he still stood there with Mia with his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him and looking down into her face. Then suddenly, Mia surprised him with the biggest, most incredible kiss of his life. As Mia started kissing him with fervor, he returned the kiss with an equal amount of passion.
The first time they'd kissed all those years ago, Mia had been right when she'd said that there hadn't been any sparks. And there weren't any sparks in this kiss between them now, either. This was something that ran much, much deeper than mere sparks. This was passion. This was commitment. Mia loved this man. With Michael, it had been puppy love. With Nicholas, she had mistaken infatuation for true love. And she'd really only wanted to be with Jacques because having a hot, sexy French boyfriend like him had made her feel more confident in her own womanhood after going through her hysterectomy and surgical menopause. But what Mia was experiencing with Andrew now was far different from anything else she'd ever had with any other guy before him, and she knew beyond a doubt that he felt the same way about her.
As for Andrew, obviously, he'd been waiting for this moment for years. Although the timing of the kiss was awkward given everything else that was going on in his life right now, he didn't hesitate to drink in Mia's love like a man dying of thirst in the desert would guzzle down water in an oasis. Things were crazier and more messed up than ever in his life, but yet, he knew it now that with Mia's love, he could handle anything life threw at him.
Several long moments later, the kiss finally ended, and both Andrew and Mia had to take a second to really catch their breath. It had really left their hearts racing.
Finally, Andrew said, "Mia, I'd give anything if I could just stay here with my arms around you forever. But I have to go now. I really do."
Mia nodded and said, "I understand. Listen, why don't we put all your things into Lionel's car and have him drive us to the airport together?"
Andrew shook his head and explained, "If I were to let you come with me to the airport, I'd never be able to leave. It's best if we say goodbye here."
"Are you sure that's what you want to do?"
Andrew nodded and told her, "It's for the best."
"Okay," Mia whispered, and then once again, she gave him another long, passionate kiss.
It was hard for both of them, but they eventually forced themselves to let each other go. Mia then helped Andrew load his last two rolling suitcases into his car, and after one last kiss, Andrew got into his car and Mia got into Lionel's.
For the next few moments, Mia simply sat next to Lionel in the front seat of his car in utter silence, with tears quietly streaming down her cheeks.
"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?" asked Lionel.
Before Mia could answer, Andrew surprised both of them by suddenly getting out of his car again. Mia didn't hesitate to get out of Lionel's SUV, and they quickly ran into each other's arms and kissed once again in the pouring rain. This kiss was even longer and more passionate than the ones before, and although the couple was clearly getting soaked, neither one of them cared.
Once the kiss finally came to an end, Mia looked up into Andrew's eyes and said, "I don't know how I'll swing it, but I will find a way to get out of all my other duties here for a while and I will come to see you soon. Very soon."
"I'll call you and e-mail you and text you every day, Mia. Every day."
"I know you will. And I'll call and e-mail and text you, too, just as often as I possibly can."
"I know."
"I'll think of you every second, Andrew."
"I'll always be thinking about you, too. I'll miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too, but this is going to work out. You're going to be okay. After all, God's brought us this far, hasn't He?"
"He has," Andrew agreed as he nodded. "Pray for them, Mia."
"I'll pray for all of you."
After gazing into her beautiful eyes for another long moment, Andrew finally said, "Alright, Mia, uh…as much as we don't want to, we really do have to say goodbye now before you catch pneumonia again."
Mia shook her head and said, "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. You just take good care of yourself now, huh?"
"I will. You too. I love you, Mia."
"I love you too, Andrew."
After one long final hug, the couple tore themselves away from each other at long last and left Andrew's house.