Motion (Sequel to "Collide")

CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

Silence filled the room once I was done talking. Alice and Carl exchanged sorry stares, while Hayden was holding my hand, and Grams was rubbing my back. They let me speak, without interrupting me. They were patient with me, even when I barely could finish a coherent sentence because of the incessant sobs in my words. Though it was painful and exhausting to tell them everything, I somehow felt lighter. I wouldn't have been able to bear this on my own, which made me even more grateful to have my family with me.

And though I wanted to thank my husband for making this happen, I wouldn't.

"I'm sorry," I finally apologized, wiping my nose with a tissue. "I'm sure this isn't how you expected our reunion to be like."

"Don't apologize, honey. We're happy to be here," Grams reassured me, as she kept rubbing my back.

"I'm happy you're here, too," I sobbed, resting my head on my grandmother's shoulder like I used to when I was just a little girl who needed comfort. "All of you."

"We had been thinking of surprising you for a while, but Michael beat us to it," Alice let me know. "We thought you might need some time off, and he thought the same."

"You've been through quite a lot lately," Carl added, and I looked in his direction. "Between John telling the press about you, Branca plotting against Michael and now this... We hope you'll find a bit of serenity back with us around."

"I'll be okay, eventually," I tried to convince them, forcing a small smile.

"I'm sure everything will be fine once you talk things out with Michael. You guys can't stay mad at each other more than five minutes," Alice teased, which made me chuckle slightly. "And I know this argument was just a huge misunderstanding."

"I hope so," I nodded, inhaling sharply. "Enough about me, though. Tell me. What have you guys been up to?"

"You know, work, mostly," Carl answered, leaning deeper in the comfy couch across from me. "Things can get pretty intense when my best friend gives me work from the other end of the world."

"Al mentioned you were working two jobs," I told him, and his demeanor shifted. He looked suddenly tensed. "Do you feel like you do? Does working for the Foundation add more to your plate?"

"Oh," he said under his breath. "N—No, not really. It's a lot of work, but you know I love it."

"You'd tell me if it was too much, right?" I asked, sensing his sudden uneasiness.

"Of course I would. Don't overthink it, Brit. Everything is just fine."

I nodded, giving in. "Is Svetlana recovering okay?"

"She is. She just started physiotherapy. Everything is fine," he reassured, giving me a soft smile. "Let's not talk about work, though."

"Let's talk about babies," Alice said, and I looked at her with widened eyes. "Mine, more specifically," she added, and I breathed out in relief. "I brought pictures."

I hadn't told Grams and Hayden about the fact that I would get pregnant in the near future yet. Not because I didn't trust them with that secret, because I did. I just didn't want to jeopardize the future by telling everybody while keeping it from Michael.

I knew my secret was safe with Alice, that's why she was the first person I called when I found out.

Alice handed me the pictures of my goddaughter, and a genuine smile spread across my face at the sight of her chubby cheeks. She had changed so much since I last saw her. Babies changed in the blink of an eye, and in Brianna's case, she only got cuter as days went by. She was the perfect mix of both her parents: she had Alice's big blue eyes, and Carl's thick brown hair. She was perfect.