Motion (Sequel to "Collide")

CHAPTER FORTY NINE

My irises were welcomed by the pitch black of our hotel bedroom. My heart rate was steady, although my heart was full by my last discovery. I was fine. I wasn't panicked. It was the first time I ever woke up right after a vision. It used to take me hours to come back from them. If I weren't too shaken up by everything I had just witnessed, I would have been able to feel the utter relief I was feeling deep inside.

I looked at the clock on the nightstand, which indicated 4:30AM. I turned my head on the other side, only to see that my husband was sound asleep. His beautiful face looked at ease, even if his hair was covering half of it. I gently removed his arm that was on my stomach, and silently got out of bed. I grabbed my black négligé from the chair, and tip toed out of the room. I closed the door quietly behind me, and peeked inside Faraji's room. He was also fast asleep, his Mickey night light still on. I closed his door as well, and headed on the other side of the suite, in the kitchen. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and leaned against the sink with a heavy sigh.

There was a mix of emotions battling inside me. A part of me could have cried right here and then to be lucky enough to know that Michael and I would conceive a child. This is what we had been hoping for. I knew Paris and Prince would be here in a few years, but I never expected we would welcome our own child before that. The first time I met my older self was in a vision from 1996. That's when she told me about my condition, and about Debbie Rowe offering to be our surrogate. Experiencing that vision changed our future for the better. Without it, I wouldn't have known about my condition before that moment, and we wouldn't have asked for help at the fertility clinic. For that, I was thankful for my ability.

However, this newly found joy was shadowed by the rest of that vision, making it hard for me to solely focus on the positive aspect of it all. I was angry, disgusted, even. Michael didn't deserve any of what Branca would put him through.

I drank a sip of my water, alone with my own thoughts. The only light on in the kitchen was the one emanating from above the sink. I needed a minute to collect my thoughts, to think about what to do next. How would I tell Michael about Branca's betrayal? Was it safe for me to tell him about my pregnancy? Wouldn't it jeopardize the unfolding of our future?

I quickly did the math, and decided to call home for much needed advice. It was 2:30PM in Los Angeles, meaning Hayden was still at work. I decided to call Alice instead. I knew she would find the right words and offer all the guidance I needed. I needed her, because I was aware that I would drive myself crazy if I let the same questions run through my head over and over again.

I made my way to huge living room and carefully closed the door behind me. I sat on the comfy armchair and dialed the loft's number. It took four ringtones for my best friend to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" she huffed in a slightly irritated voice.

"Hey, it's me."

"Brit, hi," she greeted me back, her tone softening a bit. "I—I didn't expect you to call so soon."

"What? I didn't leave you enough time to miss me yet?" I joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"N—No, it's not that. You know I miss you," she answered, and my eyebrows knitted together as she didn't find something smart to reply as she usually would. "How's Thailand?"

"Al, are you alright?" I asked, ignoring her formal question. "You sound a little bit off. Is everything okay at home?"

"Um yeah, I'm just swamped with work and chores. And Bree's teething so we barely sleep at all. I'm okay, though. I just need some time to adjust to Carl being back to work, I guess," she told me, but I wasn't having it.

"I'm miles away from you, yet I can still sense when you're not being fully honest with me, Alice," I disputed, urging her to tell me the truth. "What's going on?"