How can I just let you walk away
Just to let you leave without a trace?
When I stand here taking every breath with you, ooh ooh
You're the only one who really knew me at all
"Are you going to tell him?" Grace asked her daughter in a hushed voice as she looked over in the direction of her granddaughter who was furiously colouring the paper in front of her.
Sara didn't know how to answer this, she guessed she would eventually see him at least at the wedding rehearsals since she was the maid of honour. The wedding where her daughter is the flower girl. She knew then she couldn't stop the inevitable. She sighed and looked over at her daughter, "I don't know mom."
She couldn't help but feel anxious, like she's on a rollercoaster ride that's about to dip down. Her eyes settled on her daughter which helped her anxiety sort of go away. Maybe he would be angry at her for keeping his daughter away and she was prepared for that. But maybe he had no right to be angry, after all he was the one who shut her out. He was the one who pushed her away.
A month after they slept together and he ran, she tried to contact him, but she was met by an unrecognised number tone. So, she tried the old fashion way, she wrote him a letter. Weeks went by and no reply. So, she wrote another and another. She tried to contact Lincoln but to no avail. She wanted to contact Veronica, but it came to the point where she got tired and stubborn. If he wanted to shut her out and break his promise to her then so be it. So, she left it. Three months after he left, she realised she'd been late. Alarmingly late so she took several pregnancy tests. And they all said the same thing. She was pregnant. She was scared and elated at the same time. Only when she told her family that she realised all her hopes and dreams for the future had to be cast aside. At first, her father had been disappointed and wanted to drag Michael's ass back to Chicago, but Sara had stopped him. She was going to do this by herself because if he didn't want her in his life, why would he want a baby? When Aurora was born, Frank and Grace loved her immediately and were taken by her. She quickly became the apple of Frank's eye.
Her baby girl had forever changed her life but she had no regrets. How could she when she helped create the most beautiful and perfect thing. Sara adored and loved her; she was given purpose in her life at the time she needed it the most. And of course, Aurora was part Michael, something that somehow helped eased the loneliness she felt for him in her being. She was thankful that her family had been so supportive and still are. They looked after Aurora when Sara decide to go back to school and finish her degree and become a qualified Doctor. Every Monday, Thursday and Friday her parents picked up and dropped off Aurora at school since kindergarten. Her father had helped her buy her apartment, for Aurora he said. And she was thankful more than they could ever know.
"He's going to be shocked the poor thing." Grace said, bringing Sara's attention back to her.
Her head turned around at the sound of her mother's voice. "I know." She said quietly. Nine years too long and she never thought this day would actually come. A part of her wished that he'd stay away, this eased her guilt of keeping her daughter away from her father. Suddenly, the house phone rang, and her mother had rushed over to pick it up just in time.
Sara had not been paying attention, so she didn't hear her mother call her name until the house phone was being thrusted in her hands. "It's Veronica."
Sara clears her throat and takes the phone out of her mom's hand. "Well hello Veronica Jane."
On the other line Veronica bit her lip, did she already know. They only used each other's full name when one was upset with the other. "Sara…"
By this time, Sara had walked up to her old room, closing the door behind her. "How could you not tell me?" she hissed down the phone.
"I was going to, really I was but I couldn't. You were so angry every time he came up in the past and I've not seen you in a while and I just wanted to hang out with you and Katie." Veronica paused, "I am sorry I withheld that from you. It was wrong and it will never happen again."
Sara took a deep breath, deep down she knew it's not Veronica's fault. "Honestly, I don't know how or what to feel. I don't know where to begin."
Veronica chewed on the corner of her bottom lip, "I had lunch with Linc and Mike yesterday and I told him to talk to you. I swear we didn't tell him about Aurora."
Sara winced, realising the awkward position she's put Veronica and for goodness sake his brother Linc in. They knew about Aurora, it's been over a year since she introduced her daughter to them, but Aurora only knew them as her mommy's old friends. She had bonded with Lincoln so quickly and even calls him uncle. Only if her daughter knew…
Noticing her mother was no longer around, Aurora walked up to her grandmother around the kitchen island. "Meema, can I play outside?"
Grace glanced over at the window and frowned, she knew it was far from warm outside.
Seeing her grandmother's doubtful expression, she exclaimed "I promise to wrap up. Please?"
Grace couldn't resist her granddaughter, and gave in. "Make sure you zip up your coat."
And just like that Aurora had zipped up her jacket and put her wellies on and she was out of the door. Grace chuckled; her granddaughter was every bit like her daughter. She knew how to get what she wants but Grace didn't mind. Aurora was given everything without her asking but it didn't turn her grandbaby into a brat and for that she was thankful.
"Have you thought about what you're going to tell Aurora?" Veronica asked.
Sara had pondered over this since Aurora was a baby, she was sure that Aurora would be happy to know her father. There had been too many times for Sara's liking that she saw the sadness in her daughter's eyes when she saw a child with a father, one thing Sara could not give her little girl.
"I was thinking of discussing this with Michael first." She paused, pondering whether he would actually want to get to know his daughter. "Providing how he takes the news himself; Michael might not even want to be a part of Aurora's life so there's no point in telling her about him if that's the case."
Veronica was shocked, had Michael jaded Sara this badly. "It's Michael, of course he'll want to know Aurora. He's not the type of man to walk away from his responsibilities."
This cut Sara like a knife. Her eyes flickered with sadness. "Yeah but that was the Michael I used to know. Now, I don't know. Who knows how he's going to react when I tell him."
Michael got out of his car and slowly made his way to the house. God it's been way too long, god knows if he would be welcome. He didn't want to intrude but he could not help himself. He had to come see her. Maybe it was the gravitational pull of the sun. He walked to the side of the house and entered the garden, after all this is their tradition.
Michael suddenly remembered all of the details that ensued the last time he stood in this very garden. He smiled fondly at the memory, but it was bittersweet.
"Excuse me mister, are you lost?" A small voice interrupted his thoughts and turned to the source.
He saw a young girl, her hands stuffed in her grey coat pockets. She was peering up at him with a tiny frown on her face.
He chuckled, "No, I am not lost."
Aurora suspiciously stared at this stranger. "Do you know Mr Tancredi then? This is his house you know." She informed him.
"Yeah I know Mr Tancredi. How do you know Mr Tancredi?" Michael teased.
She laughed as if this was silly of him to say, "Well I am at his house."
Michael felt at ease, suppressing a grin as the little girl stared him defiantly, her nose scrunched up as she scowled. "I'm his granddaughter. My name is Aurora" The little girl stretched her hand out to shake his.
"I'm Michael." Michael felt as though air was sucked out of his lungs. The smile had faded from his lips. This, Veronica could not just have told him. He holds out his hand and shakes hers, "Frank's granddaughter?"
This took her by surprise, "You know his name?" He nodded as they both let go. He didn't know what it was, but he felt somewhat comfortable with her.
"I knew him when I was little." Michael continued to stare at the little girl, now knowing she was Frank's granddaughter meant only three things. Either Sara had moved on, how could he blame her, and is married with this awesome kid or Natasha did. Or the third option Sara's older brother John is this kid's father. He prayed hard that it was either the second or third option, just not the first. "I also loved your grandmother's cooking"
"My Meema's cooking? Yeah, she's the best. Better than my mommy's." Aurora cheekily claimed.
Michael paused, feeling a bile run his throat. Could he handle this? The thought of Sara with another man was something he did not indulge. "Your mom?"
"Yeah she's in there too but I think she is on the phone. Do you know her?"
He decided to take a gamble and shook his head. "I know your daddy though."
He watched the girl's face instantly fall at this, her lips frowning as she bowed her head. "But my daddy isn't here."
This took Michael by surprise. "He's not?"
She shook her head; this kid had looked so sad it was breaking Michael's heart to even look at her. "I've never met my daddy. I don't know where he is. Mommy told me he had to go far away."
Michael felt guilty and wished he kept his mouth shut. "I'm so sorry."
"So it's just me and my mommy."
The little girl lifted her head and her blue eyes bore into his own pair of blue eyes. Michael swallowed thickly, his lips parting. No. There was something familiar about her eyes which scared him half to death. No.
"Are you okay Mister?"
Michael silently nodded, trying to piece the puzzle together. And it all clicked. The puzzles pieced together perfectly. He took a step back trying to process it all.
After what felt like eternity, he heard her voice.
"Michael." Sara called from the kitchen back door ever so softly.
