I Never Left You

25. The meeting

I woke up feeling more cheerful and excited.  I got up and danced with Christa. Am glad to be back home to my family, to people who glow with love ,I couldn't be happier. I carried my baby all day,  I missed her more than anything. I called Rachel and asked her to concentrate for both of us, I will be using her notes when I go back to campus.
Yesterday from the hospital, I picked essential stuff from campus ,bought that chocolate cake I badly wanted and we continued home. On opening my phone, texts and missed calls started flooding in. Most of them we group chats talking about my disappearance, of course the negative texts had to be in claiming am pulling a stunt to get popular. I reply to my bosses at the orphanage and inform them that am safe now. As  am about to ignore my phone an email catches my eye. When I go through it my eyes go wide;
Dearest Azra:
If your reading this then you must be alive, am apologizing for my dishonesty and abducting you when all u did was trust me and be nice to me. Everything I told you was a lie, am an orphan and all he stories about my mother were fake. I only did this such that I could win your trust and abduct you without any suspicions, I highly regret my actions, but I did all this for the loyalty I had to Mr. Steven, he found me on the streets and raised me as his own. I was torn between him and you so I had to do what I had to do. I hope Ray rescued you safely. He is a wonderful guy and he loves you unconditionally. He almost ran mad when he figured you were missing. The only thing that was real about me was "the calming place" it's open to you any time you feel like. Am going somewhere far from you, don't ever think of me a threat ever again. My mum used to tell me that were all bad people and the only the ones that are not are those with good intentions. And you are a person with good intentions, I hope you could find it in your heart and forgive me.
Regards, Trevis.
I was left speechless by Trevis' email. He did what he had to do indeed.  Today am expecting Ray so am trying to remain as positive as I can. I decided not to be a prisoner of the past and moved on. Having wiped my plate clean with a tasty breakfast, I tidy Christa's hair. Soon enough the door bell rings and the expected person is here.
"Honey please get the door" mum shouts from the kitchen.
"Am on it mum" am glad Allan is at school other wise he would have teased me about the nervousness am feeling right now. I lift Christa and we go to open the door.
"Good morning Azra," he says revealing the daisys he's brought me.
"Ummm, you didn't have to. But thanks" I say as I take the flowers while holding Christa in the other. "Please do come in", I say to Ray who can't stop looking at Christa.
"Can I hold her?" He says
"Of course!" I hand him the baby and he hands me a bag he's holding in the other hand, chocolate bars already peeping out of it.
"Please have a seat", I motion  him to an empty couch. Nervousness is killing me,my palms are even sweating.
"She's very beautiful" Ray is observing her, holding her delicately like she's very fragile
"Dada" Christa says shocking both of us, she's usually quiet around strangers but I guess blood is thicker  than water or she loved the compliment. Am fumbling with words in my mind on seeing the interaction between father and daughter. Gladly mum comes and saves the situation.
"Azra honey wont you put the flowers in the vase?" I hadn't realized that am still holding them.I quickly go grab a vase with water in the kitchen.
"Its a pleasure to have you again Mr Fisher," I hear mum greeting Ray.
"Please call me Ray mum,the pleasure is all mine and besides this is like my second home so am always happy to be here." Ray greets my mum and sits back. Not letting go of his daughter.
"I see the two of you are already bonding" mum says to the adorable father and son.
"She's even called him Dada already" I chip in sitting down again.
"Wow now that' a bond" mum laughs lightly ,"Ray what can I get you?" I ask him
"Tea would been fine" I dash of to the kitchen leaving my mum chatting with Ray. Its finally here, a moment I never imagined. I push away the tears starting to form in my eyes and make tea for Ray.
I bring in the tray a few minutes later and find Ray telling mum about his life in the military. When I come in, mum excuses herself claiming she has laundry to do. And with that she's disappears.
"Ummm hello, welcome" I tell him nervously
"You look lovely today" he complements me trying to break the awkwardness between us.
"Thank you" I manage to say as he picks up his tea with one hand and the other holding Christa. "Can I hold her for a minute while you take tea", I say carrying the baby from his hands. "Did you manage to find out the reason for my kidnap." I decide to start from there. He tells me the whole story from how they have been hunting me since the arrest of Clara in high school. I show him the email Trevis left me and he tells me about the plot Pen had in for him. And assures me that the government has promised to give them the punishment that they deserve. By the time the kidnap saga is finished, Christa is already asleep so I take her to her sleeping cot downstairs near the stairs.
Ray tells  me about his nightmares of the woman carrying a baby always begging him to stay. He confesses that if he knew I was pregnant, he would have abandoned everything and came back right away and took care of us.
"For the millionth time Azra, Am really sorry for doing this to you" he holds my hand looking at me in the most humble way I have ever seen him."it was never in my intentions to leave you alone dear". I equally confess to him that I was mad at him for having to go through all that alone. I even tell him the part where I thought about giving her up for adoption.
"Am glad you didn't, I would have been devastated Ra"
"Me too" I reply back. We keep silent for a while  lost in our own thoughts.
"So now what happens now?" I release the question that has been on my mind since I came back from the hospital.
"Meaning? " he looks at me
"Are you going to take her away?"
"No!!, I mean I can't do an evil thing like that my love, am not that inhuman."  He replies.
"My love?" I ask thinking out loud.
"Yes Azra, am sorry but I didn't forget about you, I have never stopped loving you Azra Falls." He confesses. I thought by the time I came back you would have moved on, but you don't know how excited to find you at campus and later on in my year." He pauses to see my neutral reaction .
"How sure are you that I haven't moved on, what makes you think I am not dating anyone. " I ask him.
"Hihihi that's a nice one Ra", he comes to the sofa am sitting on. His actions scare me and I shift away from him. "Cause the way you look at me hasn't changed Ra" he  says to me. "And your not bothered when I call you Ra, if you didn't still love me you would have told me off already" he says tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
"You-your so wrong Mr Fisher", its my turn to stammer now. "I have a boyfriend, in fact he's been taking care of Christa. He treats her like his own". I lie
"Ok, then I will leave and forget this day happened, I will even forget I found out I had a daughter" he stands and starts heading out. I quickly run and hug him from behind. He stops in his tracks. "Your eyes still blink very fast Ra when your lying," he turns and embraces me.I take in his familiar scent. I never want to let go of him ,ever again. "I never left you Azra, I may have left but you have always been in my heart." He says  cupping my face in his hands. My heart is racing .
"Am sorry I lied" I manage to say.
"I already knew, it escaped Leah's mouth the day you were abducted. I came looking for you" he inches closer, his eyes searching for mine. His lips are about to meet mine, when footsteps come hurrying downstairs. We both turn to her direction.
"My oooh my, looks like I came in at the wrong time, I came to pick my phone to inform Mrs Nate to pack for me bread and send it, but I can come back later." Mum smiles giving me that look."
"Why not pick the phone and go back mum" I say trying to kill the embarassment of my mum finding us in action. Mum disappears in the kitchen
"I was on my way out actually", Ray defends himself. "Really!" I say to him ,
"Yaaaa, but tomorrow am coming to pick you we go back to campus together, we've missed a lot of lectures." He reminds me. I agree to that. Am sad that he's leaving so soon. "But we still have a lot to talk about." He quickly steals a kiss on my lips and whispers in my ear "I would have kissed you longer but your mum is still peeping on us. my stomach is in knots I look down feeling shy. I missed these moments with Ray. "I will walk you to the door" I say to him. "Christa will be devastated to wake up without you" I say to him. He walks back to where the cot is and kisses her forehead . "Dad will be back soon baby" he whispers to sleeping Christa. "Good day Mrs Falls" he says as wraps his arms around my waist. I guess we are back to old times. I walk him to his car. He hugs me tightly and promises to see me tomorrow.