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The phone rang over and over again with no answer. Cecilia could just imagine some mindless polyphonic ringtone going off without end in the heart of GlenOak, annoying anyone who heard it. Just as she was mentally preparing herself to leave a vague but harsh message on his voice mail, Simon answered the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hi," she said. She figured they'd had enough phone conversations by now that she didn't need to identify herself anymore.
"Cecilia?" he asked just to clarify for himself. "How did you get this number?"
"Never mind that, we need to talk."
"I'm driving," Simon explained. "Can I call you back?"
Driving seemed like such a normal and mundane task for one like Simon; she was shocked. "Sure."
She only had to wait a few minutes for Simon to call her back. He had reached the driveway of his parents' house and dialed her number on his way out of the car. As he contemplated going inside or staying around the backyard, he chose the latter. He didn't need everyone overhearing his conversation.
"So what's up?"
He nonchalant attitude perturbed her. "What's up?" she asked angrily. "I just got papers from a lawyer telling me that I need to give up custody of my daughter!" Cecilia was surprised at how angry she had become so quickly, but she didn't feel that bad once she remembered why she had called in the first place.
"OK, don't get so worked up honey."
"First off, don't call me 'honey'. Second, why? Why are you doing this to me?"
"You can't just keep her for forever Cecilia. She's just as much me as she is you."
"This whole thing is about me not wanting to see you, isn't it?"
"I just don't understand how you can sleep with someone like that and then want them out of your life the way you do."
She wanted to hang up on him right there, but her better judgment got a hold of her before that happened. "I cannot believe that you just said that to me! Have you not been around for the past sixteen months Simon?! I left GlenOak and came here because no one, including you, wanted me there- not even a little bit."
"That's not true. We all wanted you to stay, but we were shocked by the announcement."
Now she was fuming. "You are completely and totally clueless to the world around you. How do you expect to take care of a baby, even for five minutes? How do you expect me to trust you with Juliet when you say things like that?"
"That's up to the courts to decide, not you."
Cecilia calmed down a bit. Yelling at him would only add fuel to his fire at a time when she really needed the help of the fire department. "Simon, you and I both know you don't want the burden or responsibility of an infant right now. If I let you see her, would you stop all of this bologna with the custody?"
He mulled over her offer. "What are you suggesting?"
"I'll come out to California with Juliet. I don't know how I am going to get there and where I am going to get the money to make the trip, but I'd be willing to do that if we have an agreement over the legality issues regarding our daughter."
Simon was surprised that Cecilia knew such big words. "Sure, fine. You have my word CeCe." She growled. "Sorry. Cecilia."
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Cecilia walked into Wilson's bedroom and plopped down in his bed, Wilson following right behind her. He put his hands on her thighs as an attempt to coax her out of whatever mood she was in. Her gaze failed to meet his.
"You seem distressed tonight. I thought last night had made you more relaxed."
She smiled faintly. "It did, but that was before I had to go to California."
"What?" Wilson questioned.
"I talked to Juliet's father and I told him that I'd go to California and take her to see him to avoid causing some big rift between us."
Wilson sighed and didn't respond to that. This whole idea wasn't sitting with him quite right, but there was no way he was going to voice that to Cecilia. Wilson stood up and turned down the other side of the bed and she climbed right in. He smiled and got in next to her, placing his arm around her waist as she reached up to turn off the light.
Neither of them were ready to sleep, so they both lay their quiet as their minds raced. Both of them were well aware of the fact that no one in the room was getting any real rest, and that comforted them. Staying up awake worrying by yourself isn't as fun as sharing it with someone else. A half an hour went by and the pair was still awake. Wilson lightly kissed the back of Cecilia neck and she replied with a heavy sigh.
Cecilia mentioning that she was going back home, even for a visit, threatened Wilson. He couldn't stay quiet about that forever. "Your leaving me, aren't you?"
"What do you mean? Like breaking up with you?"
"Sort of." Wilson placed his head closer to her hair so he could take in her scent. "More like moving away."
"Don't worry," she said calmly. "I'd be coming back. You couldn't pay me enough to get me to stay there. I don't even want to go in the first place."
"But you are going back."
She didn't quite understand what he was getting at. "What are you saying?"
"From what I understand, you left home abruptly. You've got a lot of unsolved conflicts there. Dealing with them long distance isn't working out so you are going back. You're forever bonded to those people there- your parents, his parents, him. Going home, seeing all of them, this is going to be a defining moment for you Cecilia."
"What, are you afraid that I am going to be sucked into some vortex over there and become so overcome with emotion that I'll stay?"
"It could happen."
She scoffed. "I sincerely doubt that." The room was silent again, and in that short time she realized how the quiet could speak volumes. "Do you think that I'm going to go back with my old boyfriend?" She felt and heard him hesitate. "Give me the truth Wilson."
"Maybe."
Cecilia rolled over so that she was facing Wilson. "Let me tell you something in case you already haven't figured it out. Juliet's' father is a boy. You're a man- a real man. I need a man in my life; I need you. He'd never be anywhere near enough for me, regardless of any history that we have together."
"OK," he said and kissed her forehead.
"And you could be worrying over nothing. I don't even know how I am going to get there. Flying could cost four hundred, five hundred dollars. That's money I just don't have for a trip I really don't want to make."
"You could take the train," he suggested.
"I'm not a train type of gal."
He laughed at her. "OK. Would you drive it? That would be the cheapest way to do it."
"How long would that take?"
Wilson shrugged. "It depends on how long you want to drive straight through. Two days minimum, but four would probably be about right." Cecilia looked like she was absorbing the information. "I always thought that would be fun. You load up your car with a bunch of stuff and someone you could stand being with for that long just drive and drive until you get to your destination. Plus I love driving."
Cecilia's face perked up. "That sounds great. Let's do it."
"What?"
"We can take a road trip together. I don't want to drive that way all by myself, the thought of me having to leave you makes me kind of queasy, you don't want me to leave and not come back- let's go together."
He looked slightly skeptical. "I don't know. Are you sure? I would hate to interfere with that part of your life. Maybe we should have some boundaries."
"No boundaries. I don't need them. I'd really like for you to come and for us to do this together," she said with complete honesty.
"Could I think about it?"
"Sure," she responded.
Wilson kissed her lips whole-heartedly and they both knew everything between them was OK. Just because the future was uncertain doesn't mean that the present was necessarily ominous. If living in the moment was what it took, that was what they were going to do to make this relationship work. They both cared too much to let it dwindle away.
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A/N: Hrm. I didn't like this chapter at first, but hen I reread it and I like it a little more now. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole Wilson being vulnerable thing, though. He's a strong guy- Cecilia's protector almost. Him faltering like this is so OOC. Oh well. It's staying.
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Road trip! Woo! What do you think about traveling across the country with Cecilia?
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