Chapter Twelve

"It's just through here," Josef brought his rented car up to the gates of Sunny Meadows. "She gave me the combination to the gates so we can get in."

"We probably should have called her first," Elizabeth remarked. "She said she wanted to pick us up from the airport. I doubt she would have minded that we took an earlier flight."

"This way we can surprise her." Smiling Josef closed his window and drove his car through the rod-iron gates. "She lives on Wildflower Circle." Maneuvering his car down the subdivisions Josef rehearsed what he was going to say to his daughter once he saw her. A smile instantly appeared on his face and instinctively he reached over and clasped Elizabeth's hand.

"Seems as thought she picked a respectable neighborhood to live in." Elizabeth noticed many families outside playing on their lawns.

"Here we are," Josef pulled into a nice two-story brick house.

"She planted flowers!" Elizabeth smiled. "At least she learned one thing from me."

"Come on!" Josef practically jumped from his side of the car.

Jogging up the walk Josef stepped on the porch and gave a glace to his wife before he knocked on the door. "Michaela," he called. Looking through the beveled glass window he saw no movement. "Michaela?" he knocked again.

"Perhaps she's not home," Elizabeth looked around. "Maybe she's at the hospital and she was planning on picking us up from there. I don't see a car," she glanced in the driveway.

'Maybe it's in the garage." Touching the knob Josef tried turning it and much to his surprise it opened. "Elizabeth," he motioned. "Look."

"Michaela?" she walked in, passing Josef.

"Wait," Josef held her arm. "Let me go first."

"Josef," Elizabeth was scared. For a split second flashes of Jack finding her daughter flashed through her mind.

Walking down the hall they stopped and looked into each bedroom.

The sun peeked through Michaela's curtains casting a bright ray across her eyelids. Flinching she opened her eyes and immediately became aware that she wasn't alone. Feeling two strong arms engulfing her midsection and she held her breath. Turing around she came face to face with Sully. "Oh my goodness," she thought. "What did I do?" Getting up she pulled the covers down and noticed they both still had their clothes on. She tried to think back to the night before but her head began to pound.

Looking back up she became aware to two shadows making their way down the hallway. Squinting she focused on the moving object and her heart fell to the bottom of her stomach.

"Michaela!"

"M-mother?" her eyes grew wide.

"Oh Michaela!" Elizabeth rushed past Josef and into the room before coming to a dead stop.

"M-michaela," a male voice came from beneath the covers. Moving around Sully poked his head from under the sheets. "Hey," he smiled looking directly at Michaela. "I must have fallen asleep after last night. How you feeling? You we're looking pretty rough last night," he laughed. Looking in her eyes he immediately noticed something wasn't right. "What's wrong?"

"Michaela?" Josef's voice echoed through the room. Looking to his daughter then to the man in bed he cast a disapproving gaze. "We'll be in the living room." Grabbing Elizabeth by the arm he pulled her out of the room and closed the door behind them.

"Oh God," Michaela held her head in her hands. "Oh, no."

"We're those your parents?" Sully feared, frowning.

Jumping out of bed Michaela began to pace the room. "What am I going to say to them? Oh God, their never going to believe me! I'm so stupid!" Clasping onto the poster of the bed Michaela began to feel dizzy. "I'm gonna be sick." Rushing to the bathroom Michaela fell to the floor next to the toilet and threw up. Her stomach retched up what little it had left in it. Soon she felt her hair being picked up from her neck and a hand gently rubbing her back.

Vomiting a little more Michaela took a deep breath and laid back against the wall. Handing her a towel to wipe her face Sully sat down next to her. "Nothing happened you know."

"That's the problem," Michaela turned to him. "I don't know. I can't even remember what happened last night."

"Michaela," Sully reached for her hand. "I would never take advantage of you. You just wanted somebody to talk to last night and I was here. I'm sorry that I fell asleep. That was my fault. I'm sorry."

Michaela saw the sincerity in his eyes and she knew that nothing sexual happened between them. Squeezing his hand she smiled for the first time. "Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid last night."

"Stupid no. Entertaining yes." Smiling Sully remembered last night in his truck when Michaela wanted to have sex. Deciding to leave that bit of information out Sully spoke again, "We had a lot of fun."

Rubbing her temples Michaela shook her head. "Don't tell me now," she held out her hand. "I have some damage control to do."

"Do you want me to talk to them?"

"Oh, no," Michaela shook her head. "You don't know my mother. I don't want to put you through that right now."

"I'm sorry," he said again. "I never meant for this to happen, for you to be in this predicament with your folks."

Laughing Michaela shook her head. "I feel like a teenager and my parents catching me with a boy in my room, not a grown woman. And don't be sorry. It wasn't your fault."

"Well," Sully scratched the back of his neck. "This wasn't how I was planning on meeting your parents. I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to look your father in the eyes again."

"My father's not like my mother," she patted his hand. "But this is a situation."

"Do you want me to go, or come with you?"

"You better go, just for now. My parents and I have quite a bit to talk about." Thinking about the conversation that her and her parents were about to embark on made Michaela's stomach do flips. This was the conversation she was dreading on having for the past four years. "I'll come and see you later alright?" Her eyes searched his for understanding.

"Sure," he kissed her cheek. Standing up he held his hand out for her pulling her up. "I'll sneak out the back."

"Thank you."

"Good luck," he smiled. "I hope everything goes the way you want it to."

"So do I." Lifting up she returned the kiss on the cheek. "See you later."

Michaela watched as Sully exited the room and quietly walked down the hallway surpassing the living room and making his way out the kitchen door. Sighing she couldn't even imagine what her parents must be thinking. Well they were probably thinking the same thing she though when she woke up and found herself in Sully's arms.

Even though she was feeling the effects of last night spinning in her head she had to say she had the best night sleep in over four years. She felt as if she wanted to smile but the thought of what was to come clouded over that decision. Walking over to her mirror she fixed her hair and threw it back into a pony tail, wiped her eyes of the mascara than ran to almost her cheeks and then changed her clothes, a nice shower would come later.

Bracing herself she slowly walked down the hallway to the living room. Her parents were not speaking. Her mother sat in the chair next to the window as her father sat on the couch watching the walls as if they were going to move. As she rounded the corner the floorboard squeaked giving away her presences. Both her parents' faces shot up in Michaela's direction.

Standing there in the center of the room Michaela felt as if her feet were in cement and couldn't move. Looking to her father her chin began to tremble and her vision soon began to blur as well.

"Mike," Josef got up pulling her into his arms.

Michaela readily embraced her father burying her head in his chest breathing in his familiar scent. She felt as if she were ten years old again, the years just coming back to her as if the horrible moments in her life never existed. Soon she felt the tears slide from her eye lids wetting her father shirt.

"Oh Mike," Josef also began to cry. "I'd thought I'd never see you again."

Her and her father had been close and had hugged numerous times, but it had been so long since she'd been so emotional with him. He was holding her so closely she could feel the heaving of his chest from his cries. "I'm sorry," Michaela cried. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you the first time it happened. I'm so sorry I made you go though all of this."

Stepping away from her Josef held her face in his hands as if she were a child. "It's okay," he smiled. "You're okay, Mike. You're okay."

"Oh! Oh, Dad," she again wrapped her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're here."

Turning his head Josef cast a glace at his wife trying to get her to come over. Her eyes held still and he knew she was upset. Michaela backed away and two turned to look at her mother. In her heart she wished she could receive the same reception from her, but she knew that was now out of the question. Walking over to her mother she stood before her.

Elizabeth stared at her daughter and she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around her and thank god for giving her daughter back to her. But the burning questions took over her mind and spilled forth. Looking up to her daughter but not standing, Elizabeth spoke up. "Are you having an affair?"

"What?" Michaela was totally flabbergasted.

"Did you leave Jack to come out here and be with that man?" Elizabeth knew her accusations weren't true but the shock of seeing that man in bed with her daughter clouded her judgment. "Because if you did-"

"Mother!" Michaela shook her head. "No, of course not."

"Elizabeth," Josef shook his head.

"Don't Elizabeth me," she stood. "I know you were just as shocked as I was to see what you saw!"

"Mother," Michaela said calmly knowing she had to explain and wanting to do it quickly. "Let's sit down."

Huffing Elizabeth sat down and turned her attention to her daughter. "Go on."

"I went out last night," Michaela began. "I went with Sully…that's my neighbor, and a few of his friends." As she began to explain the more nervous she became. Michaela could feel her hands shaking and she felt as if nothing was coming out right. "I had a little too much to drink so Sully drove me home. I must have passed out in his car," she blushed, "Because the next thing I knew he was putting me in bed. We just started talking and I guess we just both fell asleep. That…that was it," she sputtered.

Clicking her tongue Elizabeth gave out a snort. "Why were you out with him in the first place?"

"Elizabeth," Josef broke in. "Michaela's aloud to have friends."

"I'm not sure these are the sort friends she should be having. There are other things she needs to be focusing on right now."

Watching her parents bicker back and forth started to play its toll on Michaela's emotions. The reunion she dreamed of was going down the tubes faster than she could blink. Getting up she walked to the window and looking out she noticed Sully walking down the street just about to exit their subdivision. Wrapping her arms around herself she began to cry, no mater how much she told herself not to.

Turning, Josef noticed his daughter crying by the window. "Mike," he whispered. "Your mother doesn't mean it."

Turning around Michaela wiped away her tears. "Do you know how long it took me to even be able to talk to Sully? Do you know how afraid I was? Do you even have a clue how afraid I still am?"

"We want to know," Josef took her hands. "We want you to tell us. We want you to heal."

Elizabeth walked up to her daughter. "I'm not saying you can't have friends. But Michaela with you being alive you can't forget you're still married to Jack. There is still so much that needs to be sorted out. A relationship isn't a good idea right now. You're vulnerable, you don't know what you want. Michaela, it's too soon."

Sitting down Michaela absorbed her mother's words. She was right and she didn't even realize that she was indeed still married to Jack. Was she just trying to forget her problems? Is that why she went out with Sully? She couldn't even remember the last time she had that much to drink. It wasn't like her at all. What was she doing? "You're right," Michaela whispered. "I need to go one step at a time."