Maripolite

Untitled Part 13

"I have missed you so much," Nathalie said with tears in her eyes bending over Jessie to hug her again

Jessie opened her mouth in a weakened attempt to speak prompting Nathalie to reach for the cup of water on the nightstand and put the straw to Jessie's lips for her to sip her hands shaking with each move.

Awakedly she turned to Charles who stood to the corner of the bed taking everything in "Does Doctor James know as yet do we need to call him?"

He nervously wiped his upper lip and rubbed his eyes dragging himself out of his daze "He's already been by and left he said he would stop by tomorrow to talk through his recommendations"

"You're going to be ok," Nathalie whispered to her daughter wiping tears from her face

"Who are you?"

Nathalie looked at Charles unable to judge if he had been thrown by the question but neither found the immediate answer to Jessie's question.

"I think I'd like to borrow your mother," Charles addressed Jessie then quickly turned his eyes on me and I felt them on my back and knew his thoughts before he voiced them "Maybe we should talk this over briefly"

I followed silently as he walked away from the bottom of Jessie's bed where he stood winking at Jessie before I left

"I want to tell her," he began as soon we exited her room

"Are you sure? What did Dr. James say? I don't want to shock her and make her recovery difficult in any way."

"Calm down Nats," Charles said and reaching over and putting his hands on my shoulders "She is my daughter and she does not know perhaps I would like to hug her too!"

Folding my arms over my chest I took two very deliberate steps away from Charles firm hands on my shoulders and stood in Jessie's doorway. I had denied him sixteen years with his child, looking in on her in such a fragile state I wondered if I had the right to deny him any more especially after all that he had done for us, for us both... "I understand that and I'm scared for her"

"I know, me too" the silence between us as we stood at the doorway looking in on Jessie was as fragile as frozen glass "but I promised to take care of you both and I would like to walk this path with you, with the both of you as Jessie's father as your lover but never as a family friend"

Taking my hand he guided me back towards her bedside "Jessie, Charles and I have something important to tell you."

"Well, my name is Charles" he rolled his lips into a thin line and put his hands in his pockets taking a deep breath and leaning his head back "I... am I" he paused again looking over to me for the words that I did not have to help and without taking his eyes off me he said "I knew your mother in college a long time ago and we got pregnant together with you"

Taking his hands out of his pockets he sat on the bed and we both faced her "with me" Jessie croaked deeply then rolled her head slowly between us both

"Charles is your father!" I said seeing the confusion on her pale face, Jessie tried to sit and we had to put our hands on her shoulders and hold her back

"Breathe," Charles said addressing Jessie "Are you alright?" Turning to me he repeated the same question "Are you alright?" I wasn't but I nodded my head slowly "ok, everyone's alright let's just let it all settle in"

As we all sat in silence Jessies' eyes never left Charles she looked him over carefully moving her eyes over every inch of him that was visible he didn't flinch and held her gaze knowingly then he offered his smoothest smile and Jessie reciprocated "It is very nice to meet you, Jessie. I have been looking forward to it a lot, more than I've expressed to your mother since you've both been here."