Chapter 31
Later that same night I was just telling Rhett what I'd done when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Jenny shouted from the living room. "You seriously floored the guy?!" Rhett shook his head & laughed.
"Yeah, seriously! I don't know what came over me!!"
"Gemma...it's the police!" Jenny said as she walkied into the kitchen followed by 2 uniformed police men! I explained to the officers everything that had happened & they assured me it was just a follow up call! When they saw the size of me compared to the guy they just interviewed they actually found it quite funny! As I was seeing them to the door they smiled & asked me not to go around like 1/3 of Charlie's Angels or I was going to end up in serious trouble! I laughed & assured them it wouldn't be happening again! As I was at the door saying goodbye to the policemen I was gobsmacked to see the figure that appeared infront of me!
"JEFF?!"
He smiled at me, "I was in the neighbourhood....what's with the erm...." he gestured towards the policemen that were leaving. "Oh it's a long story! Come in! What the hell are you doing here?!" My heart pounded, it was the first time I'd seen him since I came back to Australia!
Michael was extremely happy to see Jeff! He ran into his arms with a huge grin on his face, it was the first time in a couple of months I'd seen him so happy! After a couple of hours Rhett, Jenny & Becky left & Jeff took Michael off to bed. I cleared away dishes & tided up, not knowing what exactly Jeff was doing here but very happy that he was!! I'd just finished loading up the dishwasher when Jeff came into the kitchen.
"He's sound asleep!"
"Good!" I smiled, "You want a coffee?"
"Yeah thanks!"
"I can't believe you're here! You must be exhausted?!"
"I'm ok! It was a kinda spur of the moment thing!" he smiled, "I had a week off so I got on the first available flight! Thought I'd surprise you!" "Well you did that alright!" I handed him his coffee. "C'mon let's sit down!" We walked into the sitting room. "It's a nice place!" Jeff said, looking around the room.
"Yeah, thanks to Michael! It's his old appartment, we moved in with him before he died."
"Oh right."
"So what made you fly out here all of a sudden?"
He shrugged, "I missed Mike, missed you, figured it was time I came & saw my boy's room!!" he laughed, "Hey listen you dont mind if I stay do you? I mean I can crash on the couch!"
"No no! I said anytime Jeff! You're always welcome to stay...and we have a spare bed so there's no need for you to sleep on the couch! If you don't mind sleeping in Mike's room that is?"
He smiled, "Not at all! Thanks Gem!" He leaned over & squeezed my hand, it sent shivers through my whole body!
"I guess you're tired....I'll go make up the spare bed!" I stood up but he didn't let go of my hand. "Gem?"
"Yeah?"
He stood up beside me. "Thanks!" I wasn't quite sure why he was thanking me but I just smiled & nodded & went to make up the bed. When I went to bed that night I lay awake thinking. This was totally out of the blue & I still wondered if there was something more to this visit than he was letting on! I didn't really care all that much though! Jeff was here, in bed in the room next to mine & it felt good! I felt safe. I had a really good night's sleep!
******* The next morning when I peered into Michael's room I saw that Mike had woken up during the night & had crawled into bed with Jeff! He had his fingers in Jeff's hair & his head on his shoulder, they looked so sweet & I smiled as I watched them for a few minutes. I got dressed and made a coffee before Michael got up for his breakfast. He was smiling & looked more like the little boy I once knew! He ate his cereal & then got dressed for school. "Can I wake Daddy up?" He asked excitedly. "Oh I dunno Mike he's had a long day yesterday......."
"I'm up!" Jeff called from the doorway of the bedroom. I turned to see him standing there in a pair of shorts & nothing else! I swallowed hard.
"Oh er...hey! I have to get Mike to school in a minute so erm....."
"How long have I got to get dressed? I'm comming with you!"
"Jeff you don't need to......."
"YAY!! Please Mummy?" Michael pleaded with me & as usually the case when it came to that puppy dog look he gave me I couldn't say no! So Jeff got dressed & I drove towards the school. My heart was pounding when we got into the parking lot, I just wasn't sure what the reaction would be from everyone!
We got out & Michael held onto Jeff's hand as we walked through the school gates & went into the yard. The first parents I saw was 'Fat Ass' & his wife & my stomach lurched! I glanced over at them & they were staring at us with their mouths open!! I had to try not to laugh! Jeff gave me a puzzled look!
"That's the guy I floored yesterday!" I whispered from the side of my mouth. "You're kidding?!" Jeff laughed, "Watch this!!" He put his arm around my shoulders, kissed my cheek & then shouted "GOOD MORNING!!" at fat ass & his wife!! I had to turn away I was laughing so much! Some of the other kids started to recognise the famous wrestler in their school yard & a buzz began to grow around us! Mike's real friends ran over to us & Michael excitedly introduced them to his Daddy!! It shouldn't have felt so good, seeing kids eating their words but I couldn't help feeling smug! Even the head master came out & introduced himself, shaking Jeff's hand!!
When Jeff & I left we watched from the gate as a gaggle of kids surrounded Mike, making a huge fuss of him! It was a good sight to see our little boy happy again! "Dad told you didn't he?" I asked as we got into my car. He shrugged his shoulders, "He mentioned something!"
"I knew there was a reason!!!" I smiled. "Reason for what?"
"For you comming out here all of a sudden like you did! It was because of Mike right?"
Jeff just smiled. He didn't say anything!!
Later that same night I was just telling Rhett what I'd done when there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it!" Jenny shouted from the living room. "You seriously floored the guy?!" Rhett shook his head & laughed.
"Yeah, seriously! I don't know what came over me!!"
"Gemma...it's the police!" Jenny said as she walkied into the kitchen followed by 2 uniformed police men! I explained to the officers everything that had happened & they assured me it was just a follow up call! When they saw the size of me compared to the guy they just interviewed they actually found it quite funny! As I was seeing them to the door they smiled & asked me not to go around like 1/3 of Charlie's Angels or I was going to end up in serious trouble! I laughed & assured them it wouldn't be happening again! As I was at the door saying goodbye to the policemen I was gobsmacked to see the figure that appeared infront of me!
"JEFF?!"
He smiled at me, "I was in the neighbourhood....what's with the erm...." he gestured towards the policemen that were leaving. "Oh it's a long story! Come in! What the hell are you doing here?!" My heart pounded, it was the first time I'd seen him since I came back to Australia!
Michael was extremely happy to see Jeff! He ran into his arms with a huge grin on his face, it was the first time in a couple of months I'd seen him so happy! After a couple of hours Rhett, Jenny & Becky left & Jeff took Michael off to bed. I cleared away dishes & tided up, not knowing what exactly Jeff was doing here but very happy that he was!! I'd just finished loading up the dishwasher when Jeff came into the kitchen.
"He's sound asleep!"
"Good!" I smiled, "You want a coffee?"
"Yeah thanks!"
"I can't believe you're here! You must be exhausted?!"
"I'm ok! It was a kinda spur of the moment thing!" he smiled, "I had a week off so I got on the first available flight! Thought I'd surprise you!" "Well you did that alright!" I handed him his coffee. "C'mon let's sit down!" We walked into the sitting room. "It's a nice place!" Jeff said, looking around the room.
"Yeah, thanks to Michael! It's his old appartment, we moved in with him before he died."
"Oh right."
"So what made you fly out here all of a sudden?"
He shrugged, "I missed Mike, missed you, figured it was time I came & saw my boy's room!!" he laughed, "Hey listen you dont mind if I stay do you? I mean I can crash on the couch!"
"No no! I said anytime Jeff! You're always welcome to stay...and we have a spare bed so there's no need for you to sleep on the couch! If you don't mind sleeping in Mike's room that is?"
He smiled, "Not at all! Thanks Gem!" He leaned over & squeezed my hand, it sent shivers through my whole body!
"I guess you're tired....I'll go make up the spare bed!" I stood up but he didn't let go of my hand. "Gem?"
"Yeah?"
He stood up beside me. "Thanks!" I wasn't quite sure why he was thanking me but I just smiled & nodded & went to make up the bed. When I went to bed that night I lay awake thinking. This was totally out of the blue & I still wondered if there was something more to this visit than he was letting on! I didn't really care all that much though! Jeff was here, in bed in the room next to mine & it felt good! I felt safe. I had a really good night's sleep!
******* The next morning when I peered into Michael's room I saw that Mike had woken up during the night & had crawled into bed with Jeff! He had his fingers in Jeff's hair & his head on his shoulder, they looked so sweet & I smiled as I watched them for a few minutes. I got dressed and made a coffee before Michael got up for his breakfast. He was smiling & looked more like the little boy I once knew! He ate his cereal & then got dressed for school. "Can I wake Daddy up?" He asked excitedly. "Oh I dunno Mike he's had a long day yesterday......."
"I'm up!" Jeff called from the doorway of the bedroom. I turned to see him standing there in a pair of shorts & nothing else! I swallowed hard.
"Oh er...hey! I have to get Mike to school in a minute so erm....."
"How long have I got to get dressed? I'm comming with you!"
"Jeff you don't need to......."
"YAY!! Please Mummy?" Michael pleaded with me & as usually the case when it came to that puppy dog look he gave me I couldn't say no! So Jeff got dressed & I drove towards the school. My heart was pounding when we got into the parking lot, I just wasn't sure what the reaction would be from everyone!
We got out & Michael held onto Jeff's hand as we walked through the school gates & went into the yard. The first parents I saw was 'Fat Ass' & his wife & my stomach lurched! I glanced over at them & they were staring at us with their mouths open!! I had to try not to laugh! Jeff gave me a puzzled look!
"That's the guy I floored yesterday!" I whispered from the side of my mouth. "You're kidding?!" Jeff laughed, "Watch this!!" He put his arm around my shoulders, kissed my cheek & then shouted "GOOD MORNING!!" at fat ass & his wife!! I had to turn away I was laughing so much! Some of the other kids started to recognise the famous wrestler in their school yard & a buzz began to grow around us! Mike's real friends ran over to us & Michael excitedly introduced them to his Daddy!! It shouldn't have felt so good, seeing kids eating their words but I couldn't help feeling smug! Even the head master came out & introduced himself, shaking Jeff's hand!!
When Jeff & I left we watched from the gate as a gaggle of kids surrounded Mike, making a huge fuss of him! It was a good sight to see our little boy happy again! "Dad told you didn't he?" I asked as we got into my car. He shrugged his shoulders, "He mentioned something!"
"I knew there was a reason!!!" I smiled. "Reason for what?"
"For you comming out here all of a sudden like you did! It was because of Mike right?"
Jeff just smiled. He didn't say anything!!