The Talk

Thanks for sticking with this story! I finally finished the ending and I think it just makes sense with what we all wanted this story to end with. Thank you for all the reviews and I hope to write more stories in the future! Cheers to the final chapter!

Gil starts driving away from the house and heads towards the desert. He can't stop his hands from sweating. Can't we calm down? It's Sara we are talking about here not some stranger we don't know. He knows why. Because he cares. He cares for her and for Henry already and he's afraid of losing the pair of them so soon.

He pauses and looks to his side and Sara looks to be just as nervous as he is. We both have something to lose. I'm afraid she will reject me and she's afraid that I will reject our son. Gil looks away and pauses. He doesn't know what to do except keep going.

"I want to talk, but umm I'd rather do it when I am not behind the wheel. When I get to the spot, do you mind if I park and we get out?" Gil states nervously. "Umm sure. Makes sense to me." Sara replies. Gil takes a shallow breath and exhales. Okay I can do this.

Sara sits in the car nervous. I know where we are going physically, but I am so nervous about where he wants to truly go from here. What does he want with Henry? What does he want with me? What do the flowers mean?

Gil tries to lightly feel in his chest pocket. That errand he had to run for Brass? He went to go pick up his mothers ring from the cleaners. Even if Sara wants to take it slow and he knows that she does. He wants to be prepared just in case. Don't get your hopes up. I don't even know if she feels that way about me.

Gil turns to pull into their spot in the desert. The stars are shinning bright and Gil smiles slightly. It's a perfect evening.

He gets the door for her once more and she gets out of the car. He grabs the snacks and flowers. "I didn't know if these would be helpful, but I know they wouldn't be unhelpful." Gil says awkwardly. Yeah I'm still just as rusty as ever. "Thanks, they are beautiful."

They walk out in front of the car to sit on the picnic table in front of them. Thankfully, no one else was there. If anyone had discovered their secret spot, at least they weren't there tonight.

"The sky looks heavenly." Sara exclaims softly while looking up. Gil can't help but look at him for just a moment. God, you're beautiful.

Gil pauses. It's time. "Sara, you deserve to know what I want. I mean this week has been rather unexpected in almost every sense of the word." Sara nods. "I mean if you weren't feeling that way after seeing Henry for the first time, I'd worry you were closer to a robot than originally posed by Greg and Nick." Gil smiles remembering their old friends. "Henry is beautiful, Sara. You've done an amazing job with him and you deserve all the praise for that. You've done it alone and yes you've had Jack and Louis, but you did so much of this journey on your own." Sara again nods. Gil isn't saying anything that she didn't already know. "So I want you to know that I'm going to share a few things, but as Henry's mother and primary caregiver since he was born. You have every right to reject any and everything. You've taken care of him and he's your son." Sara nods again. "Alright, Gil. Say what is on your mind."

Gil pauses. This first part needs to be about the boy before it's about them. "Alright. I want to be a part of Henry's life. I know I haven't been, but I didn't know about him and I understand why you made that choice. The way we left things… I can understand that I wasn't much of a partner that you would have wanted to talk to let alone share something life altering with." Gil paused. Sara was listening intently and so he continued. "I want to be present for him. However, I know that means a lot of shifting of my lifestyle to make that happen. So I had a few ideas as far as options go. Door one- my least favorite- I pay child support for Henry and I remain in San Diego far from Henry. Door two- I pay child support for Henry and come to Vegas when possible and see him on occasion. Door three- I pay child support and find a way to move back to Vegas to be closer to Henry in the hopes that I can see him more frequently. I think you already knew these options, Sara, but I want to know firstly, which one you are most comfortable with."

Sara paused. This is a lot to think about. "Gil, I think I am comfortable with any of those options. However, my request is that if you want to move back here, I need to know that you are committed to Henry. He is my son and I won't let him face the pain of rejection from you. He deserves better and if you're confident you can provide that kind of stability then I want you to be there for him. But, I am unwilling to let him suffer because we can't figure out our adult issues. Whatever they may be. Henry comes first in my life and if you want to be his father, then you have to be willing to make that same commitment. I won't lie and say it's easy. However, I've had to grow a lot when I had him. He needs me more than anyone else and I've had to be willing to make sacrifices and so I would need to know that you would do the same for him."

Gil listens intently. Sara has grown so much. She's a mother and she wants her son to be happy above all else. How can I fault her for that? She is prioritizing him regardless of my choices. How could I have let this woman walk out of my life?

Gil answers her. "Sara, if this is where you want to be and Henry is. Then I want to come to Vegas. I don't want to miss any more time with him. You know me or you used to know me. Look into my eyes." Sara turns to face Gil. "I vow to you that I will be there for our son. I will do what I can when I can to make his life better than ours. I don't ever intend on leaving him. He gets the best parts of me not the leftovers." Those words stung Sara a little as she heard them. She knew Gil was sharing his truth, but she wished he could have said them earlier in their marriage.

Gil knew what he needed to say next. Alright here it comes. I can do this. "Sara look at me." Sara turns towards him again. A little uncomfortable this time. "Sara I have to say this or I'm afraid I never will." Sara's heart begins to flutter slightly. Gil rarely shares his thoughts and feelings. Most of the time she has to guess and this time she realizes he's going to say it.

"Sara, I still love you." Gil labors out. Each word was hard to say because he was so afraid of what she was thinking. He stares into her eyes and can see her melting a little and trying her best not to show it. "Sara, I am so sorry. You deserve so much more than me and what I have done to you these past few years. But please. I can't keep pretending like I don't love you. That I don't wake up every morning wishing you were beside me. Yes we have a son and that adds layers to this, but darlin' my heart only ever belonged to you."

Sara stares at him. He's giving me the power to reject him this time. He's not running and making the decision for me. She pauses. She knows that she loves him but she's afraid. "Gil, I can't have my heart broken again. Regardless if those feelings of mine stayed or went away, I can't have you leave again. I'm afraid if that happens. I'll self destruct and never make my way out again. My son needs me, I have to put his needs before mine."

Gil sighs. "Sara I don't want to hurt you again. I'm asking for another chance. I want to spend the rest of our lives together. My heart never really belonged to anyone but you. You make me the best version of me. I didn't believe in love until I met you."

Gil was surprised how easily the words were flowing out of him. He usually struggled, but it's like he was finally able to share part of his heart with her in a way that he had never been able to do.

Sara looked at him. Sara saw the truth in his eyes. She smiled slightly and pulled his face close to hers. She felt his rough lips and pushed hers onto his. She could feel the hunger in his mouth and he opened up to her touch. "Sara, please." He groaned.

She pulled away for a moment and thought to herself. I am never going to be truly happy as long as I know that he is out there somewhere. She paused again to gather her thoughts. "Gil, I never stopped loving you." She saw the look on his face and he brought his lips back to hers in less than a second. She smiled into the kiss this time. Gil savored this moment with her. Sara pulls away. "Gil, I only ask that we go slow. I can't have our son getting mixed messaging. We need to go slow for his sake. There is a lot of emotional baggage we need to work out first before we can move forward." Gil responds, "That's okay with me. As long as we promise that we will work through it. For our own sakes as well as Henry's." Sara nodded. "I think I can work with that." Gil smiled. "Then I can too."

Sara pulled away for a moment and smiled. For the first time in a while, life seemed to be just falling into place. Her family may be bruised and worn, but it was hers. Maybe she just might find the life she had been looking for.

Gil looked into her eyes elated. He finally admitted to her what he had know for a long time. His whale song was waiting for her and she finally heard his song. His song was only for her.