Tumblr fanfic

Charis chapter 1

Hannah leans against the waist-high wall easily, watching the river below her ripple in the spring rain. It's barely dawn and the streets are deserted, but Hannah is wide awake. There's something about Paris that's always felt so solid to her, like she can feel the millennia of history under her feet.
She'd agreed to have children after their huge fight in Tokyo, but Eric had still been angry. He'd accused her of only agreeing to placate him, and had left the house for almost two weeks. Hannah had spent the time he was gone wallowing in self-loathing. She threw herself into her job, working 18 hour days to avoid her empty home, or meeting Nadine in hotels, and by the end of the second week she'd made some decisions.
She wasn't in denial about being gay, not any more. She knew exactly what kind of person she was. She also knew that every time she fell in love, really fell in love, her life fell apart. She might not love Eric the way he thought, but she did love him. He was kind and funny and their life together was good. Surely, she'd decided, a calm and steady life with a good man was better than the wreckage that Grace had left? Okay, so she'd never feel the elation, the passion, the delirium she'd felt around Grace, but at the same time he would never break her heart. He'd follow her as her career took her from place to place and he'd be her friend and companion for their whole lives. He'd be a fantastic father, she had no doubt, and she really did want to have children. A lifetime with him would be fine. She'd be content. Maybe even happy. That was enough.
She'd had her wedding ring resized to a proper fit as a silent promise to herself, and begged Eric to come home. She'd apologised and they'd talked, and then hugged, and when she'd said with absolute conviction that she wanted to have his children, he'd kissed her and taken her to bed.
She was so determined to keep her promise than when she'd been asked to transfer to Paris to take over the new office six months later, she'd refused. She'd told Eric that she couldn't do both, and she chose to be a mother. Eric had smiled, and told her to pack.
"We've been trying for six months," he'd said. "I never meant we should put our whole lives on hold. We'll go to Paris and if it happens, we'll have the kid there."
Hannah Hobbs might be gay, but she really did love her husband.
The rain shower passes and Hannah looks up, watching the sunlight glint off the wet metal of the Eiffel Tower. From behind her, she hears a voice.
"Hey,"
She turns and smiles.
"Hey," she responds in kind, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee being offered.
Eric leans on the wall, smiling back at her.
"Here we are," he says.
Hannah nods.
"What do you want to-" he starts to say, but Hannah shushes him.
"I have 15 hours before I have to start dealing with work again, babe. Let me enjoy the quiet while I can."
He smiles again and nods, miming zipping his lips. They stand together in comfortable silence, watching the city sleep. After a few minutes the rain starts back up again and Eric puts his arm around her, kissing the top of her head.
She turns and smiles at him again.
"Let's go," she says.
He holds out his hand and she takes it, lacing their fingers together as they head back to their apartment. As they walk, Hannah's thoughts slide to work. Things are finally running smoothly after a hectic and eventful year and there's been talk of another promotion. She smiles wryly as it occurs to her that if she gets promoted a few more times she'll be head of the whole European division. Maybe she should teach a class. Heartbreak and Sexual Denial as Tools To Advance in Business.
She laughs softly at herself and shakes her head at Eric's quizzical look.
"Just a dumb thought."
It's barely seven when they get home but Hannah's phone is already showing several missed calls and more than 20 emails. Eric grins knowingly at her as she sighs.
"It's not too late to give it up and become a kept woman," he teases. She scowls at him and tosses the phone aside, determined to enjoy the last few hours of her time off.
"Sure thing," she replies with mock annoyance, "you can work the fifteen hour days and I'll stay home and make brioche."
He laughs. "Hannah, I wouldn't trust you to make a cheese sandwich."
"Are you implying I can't cook?" She demands, her smile ruining her outraged expression.
"Nope," he says, "I'm telling you upfront. You suck at cooking."
"Jerk," she mutters, shoving him playfully.
He laughs again and hugs her.
The last day of Hannah's vacation passes too quickly and she has to force herself to sit down at her desk and start looking at work again. She checks her email, notes the senders of the four URGENT emails and deletes them all without reading them, making a note to explain what 'out of office', 'unreachable', and 'vacation' actually mean. She checks her voicemail and discovers that two of the messages are also urgent requests, and notes down another name. The rest is routine stuff for the most part until she reaches a message from her assistant asking her to call head office as soon as she's back at work.
She considers ignoring it until the morning, but something in the tone of the message tells her that her vacation is officially over. She checks the time difference, takes a moment to remember the international code for New York and before she quite knows what's happening, she's speaking to the Chief Operating Officer of the whole company.
"Good to finally speak to you, Hannah," he says.
"Yes, sir," she replies cautiously.
"I've had my eye on you for a while, you know."
"You have?"
"I used to play golf with Ellis Hobbs whenever he was in the States. He told me you were one to watch. He wasn't wrong."
Ellis' face flashes into her mind for a moment and she feels a pang of grief.
"He was a great man, Mr Williams."
"He was," Williams agrees. "You married his son, is that right?"
Hannah frowns.
"Did you call me to talk about my family, sir?" She asks, polite but pointedly.
Williams chuckles.
"No. I called to ask if you'd like to come home."
Hannah pauses.
"What do you mean, sir?"
"You're a bright kid, Hannah, you know you're in the running for the London job. Truthfully, you're a dead cert. Paris was a mess before you stepped in and we both know it. Thing is, I think you'd be wasted there. I want you to come back to New York and be my Vice President for International Development."
Hannah's jaw drops in astonishment.
"Mr Williams, that's....that's a hell of an offer."
"I know," he agrees. "The details are with your assistant. Talk it over with your husband and give me an answer by Friday."
"Friday?" Hannah repeats, still in shock. "So soon?"
"I'm head-hunting you, kid. I need an answer by then or I'll have to look elsewhere. 3pm Friday, my time. Think about it."
The dial tone drones in her ear for a moment before she remembers to actually put the phone down.
New York.
Memories and the echoes of old emotions jolt through her and she feels her heart start to thump in her chest. Her first instinct is to say no, to stay away from the city that still holds so many fragments of herself. New York means Grace; means Mamrie; means Eris and Mel and the tortured ecstasy of being in love and hating herself for it.
On the other hand, taking the job would mean leapfrogging so many rungs on the career ladder that no metaphor could be mixed enough to do it justice. It would mean more responsibility, more influence, and certainly more money. Hannah never expected to enjoy corporate life, but being an executive suits her and she's confident that she's up to the job. International development would probably keep her out of the city, and most likely the country, for extended periods, and in a city the size of New York what are the chances of her bumping into ghosts from the past?
"Babe?" Eric's voice comes accompanied by a gentle knock, "do you want some tea?"
"Eric, come here a minute," she says shakily.
He opens the study door, sees her expression and immediately rushes to her.
"What's wrong?" He asks urgently.
"I got offered a promotion," she says.
"The London job? That's great!"
"No, Eric, not the London job."
She outlines the offer and Eric's eyebrows hit his hairline.
"Wow," he says eventually, "I knew my dad put you on the inside track but... Jesus, Hannah, that's huge!"
"Yeah," Hannah agrees, "what do you think?"
"Are you kidding? Let's do it!"
His enthusiasm throws Hannah even more.
"Really?"
"Hell yeah, babe. This is way too good to pass up. Besides, my mom just moved to Jersey so we can finally have Christmas together!"
"But what about kids?" Hannah asks, "I can't do both, Eric. This job will mean we have to stop trying."
"Honey, we've been trying for a year. To be honest I could do with a break. Besides, this is once in a lifetime stuff. If you decide you hate it, we'll retire to a farm in Ohio and have twelve of the little monsters, but I'm not letting you pass on this just to make me happy, okay? We'll get a dog or something."
She laughs softly and he gathers her into a hug.
"My wife, the company superstar," Eric murmurs, "Dad would be so proud!"
Hannah smiles against his shoulder.
"We're going to New York," she whispers, and she can't deny she's excited.