Who's Afraid Now? ✔

24/Air it out

Laurent

"No matter." She answered softly checking on my sleeping son still strapped in the stroller. She reached for our daughter, who was still looking at me while sucking on her fist, but I pulled away as I waited not so patiently for her to explain.
"You planning to take her from me?" She dropped her hands and sat down.
"You told me to leave you alone, to move on so I am trying." She shook her head looking at her hands shake then held them together. She was still wearing her wedding band but not the diamond ring. I wanted to touch her but she moved away from my hand. "I am still not sure why you were mad with me but I left like you asked. What did I do?"
"I no was talking to you! I thought you a ..." I forget where I was but she lowered her head as other heads turned to look at us. Larry turned up the music and called everyone's attention back to him because of my outburst. She shook her head.
"Sorry, I just wanted you to know I'm okay, the babies are okay. We are in a safe place. So you don't have to worry about us. I didn't come here to bother you, or ask you to take me back or guilt you into anything. I only wanted to give you a chance to name them." She held the paper out for me. I stared from her face to the paper and back. "If you don't want to, I can come up with something." She pulled her hand back and started to put the papers away.
"Isabelle Laurel Mora Bourgeois." I said looking at my daughter. "And Alexandre Laurent Bourgeois." I said as I placed my daughter in the stroller then took a good look at my sleeping son. Mia wrote the names down then handed me the birth certificate application so I can sign under father. She secured Isabelle in the stroller then accepted the papers when I finished.
"Thank you. " Mia put the papers in her bag then put it on her shoulder. Larry rushed over as Mia stood to leave.
"Where you go with my niece and nephew?" He asked with a hand on the stroller.
"It was good to see you again Larry. Thank you again Laurent." Mia smiled softly patting his hand then gently placed it on his chest before continuing towards the door.
"What I tell Mai?" Larry asked making her pause.
"I will see her soon. I am going to take them to meet their grandmother, now that they have names." Mia answered taking another step away.
"What? You just run away now?" Larry asked following her.
"Is it running if the person you love tells you aren't wanted and to move on?" Mia reached the door, opened it and pulled the stroller out.

Larry

I tell Mia she look good for a dead person, she just smile asking if I think she a ghost. I glance at her then look into the stroller at my niece and nephew. Mia softly place her hand over mine, saying it may be better if she stay a ghost.
She seemed relieved when I offered to take the girl to meet her father. She only asked me not to drop her.

Why Mia think he no want her anymore?
After Mia leave, Laurent walked over to the class and continue the workshop. He no his usual self he ask me which part of the class I want and still say ok when I change my mind.
He was off, he play with me like normal, and he didn't forget his choreo but he also not animated like normal. He not seem to be having fun, almost like he in shock Mia treat him that way. He try to smile when I look at him and put effort into helping the people enjoy the class.
Us finished the workshop really early because he no mess around or do anything to waste time. He skipped the cypher only watching me dance and almost left before the meet and greet.
He rushed people to take pictures and barely talk. A few minutes before the workshop supposed to end, Lau apologize and say us have to go now.
As soon as we say us goodbye, Lau had his bag and was out the door. I followed as quickly as I could but he was gone.

I wondered if I should text Lau when I got home. I park then pull out my phone, Mai text asking me to come straight home. I walked in on Mai talking to Mia.
"I was supposed to be 'in surgery' long enough for me to finish things so when I woke up hours later alone in a room. I did exactly what I planned then came back to meet up with my family, everyone was gone." Mia tried to explain.
"We have been grieving you for months and you just show up like Queen Elizabeth on holiday..." Mai started fussing.
"ENOUGH!" Mia yelled. "I explained what happened and I did try multiple times but between Laurent ignored my every attempt to talk to him and my own twin treating me like a stranger when I tried to talk to her before my own funeral!" She scoffed. "Thank you for coming, I'm sure she would have loved to know you are here. The ceremony will be in the back as you walked right passed me."
"Mia! Don't..."
"It's okay Mai, Zoe won't speak to me either. Thank you for your understanding and don't worry I am fine." She pushed the stroller towards me, "Ironically you were the only person who didn't give me a hard time." She kissed my cheek and I hugged her before she walked straight out the front door.
"Mia!" Mai yelled after her but she continues down the street to a waiting car. A woman rushed to help her and the babies into the car. Before Mai reached the car, Mia and both babies were in the car and driving away.

Mia

Lau looked surprised I was there, then pissed at me, I was expecting as much. Speaking of pissed, Mai's first words out her mouth were, 'You bitch.'
Yeah cause I planned this... it is all my fault. Please note my sarcasm.
Between the workshop and the guilt trip from my sister I just hope Maman isn't mad at me too, but if she is I can move my babies to the Bonaparte residence in Greece. I could raise them in Greece alone, right? I paused outside Maman's door to wipe my tears, fix my face, and check the babies are okay.
Maman greeted me with the biggest hug. After the day I've had, this was the best feeling in the world. I couldn't help but smile and teared up when she released me. She told me to bring her grand-babies in the house. She guided me to the living room where Laurent was waiting. I know the smile slid off my face as I saw the angry look on his face. What now? Know what, forget him, I brought the babies here to meet their grandmother, not deal with him.
"Maman? This is Alexandre and Isabelle." I introduced the babies as I moved the blanket so she could get a good look. She cooed over them briefly then took them with her to finish cooking. I asked if she wanted help but she gave me a simple no.
"Mia? Why did you fake your death?"
"I did not. Charlotte drugged me. The drug slowed my breathing and my heart rate, she thought if I died or looked dead after his public display at the ball, no way they wouldn't arrest him. She found out later that wasn't how it works.
I was in your room in Italy. I cooked and cleaned for you when you got home. I tried to let you know I love you and ask you to tell me what I did wrong, begged you to forgive me but you ignored me. You slept for days at a time. I tried waking you several times but you only talked with me once, I asked you what was wrong. You said everything is perfect now. Your life was perfect. At first I thought you were joking but when I realized you weren't...
It hurt so I prayed you would forgive me and I stupidly thought if I continued to take care of you, clean up the apartment, wash your clothes and dishes... cook your favorite meals... but you barely touched them, if ever.
I set the table determined to try my best to get you to talk to me. I was walking up when you screamed, "Stop it! I no want you here! Just move on now!" I heard you throwing things then the door slammed. I walked in to see everything I prepared had been trashed. It became devastatingly clear, nothing I could do would matter, you wouldn't forgive me and you didn't want me."
I tried to interrupt to tell her she wrong but she held up her hand to stop me.
"I hoped that you not wanting me didn't mean you didn't want to be there for our babies' birth. Ironically, my water broke when I came to ask you. My contractions became more intense and I tried to tell you but you wouldn't wake up. I called Anne and slowly walked the six blocks to the hospital."

Laurent

I realized that my dream she in labor was actually Mia in labor and I was not there for her when she need me. I feel myself getting angry with myself for failing her. She glanced at me then sighed digging out an envelope.
"I didn't know if you want to be a part of the babies lives when I had these separation papers drawn up. You can have your lawyers look over this and make changes as you see fit." She walks over and places the papers in my bag.
"No!" I stepped in front of her. "I no want this!" I yanked the separation papers from my bag. "Not like this!" I ripped up the papers. "No to you leaving me and taking us babies! Now! Sit down!"
She froze looking up at me. "Sit! Down!" I ordered and she dropped into a chair.
"When I saw that sword coming towards us, I could only pray it missed you. I was happy when I wake up to you sleeping on a hospital bed beside me. Charlotte say you fine, us babies fine. Us at your villa, we make love, and I fall asleep with you in my arms. Then Larry wake me up in some strange house, you there but you body cold and some nurse to tell me you dead. I see you everywhere, but when I try to touch you you disappeared. I hear you all the time, smell you everywhere but you not really there. I spend months filled with you haunting me! I would try to touch you, but you would slip through my fingers, your scent lingering in my brain as a constant reminder me that I lost you!" I yelled as she stared at me blankly.
"Then I have days when I wake up and beside you, I can touch you, kiss you, hold you. My mind was calmer because I with you, watching our babies grown inside of you. We were happy together." I kneeled in front of her and pulled her hand into mine. I looked her on the eyes as I softened my voice.
"I almost lose my mind every day I wake up without you. I smell you but no see you then I see you but I no can touch you. I prayed to stop waking up in a world without you. I prayed so hard to be with you and us babies, so I could be happy again. Living without you was hell. Everything you heard me say, I thought I was yelling at your ghost. I wanted your ghost to stop tormenting me, my brain to stop showing me what I couldn't have.
If I was able to touch you once, to hold your hand like now, I would never tell you to leave. I would have been there for you and us babies and never left you alone." I softly touched her face. "I love you Mia. I never stopped loving you, so please belle, no leave me again."