“Don’t worry about me. I’m like a cat. I’m pretty sure I have at least three of my nine lives left.”
“I believe you.” I smile. “I saw you with Aleksei.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to getting to know him. I always felt like his father even when I didn’t know he was alive. I had that sense of responsibility. It’s good to get to live it.”
“He’s lucky to have you.”
“I think I’m lucky for the chance to have him back. feels like I walked through hell.”
“You did.”
“Yeah, and lost people along the way.”
“Did… Ilya make it?”
He shakes his head. “No.”
“I’m so sorry. I blame myself.”
“Don’t. I blamed myself too. then I realized it would have happened wherever you were. Jude was working overtime to get you back.”
“I’m still sorry. What about Maksim?”
“He just came out of surgery. He was shot but he’s going to be okay. He’ll probably be here for another week before we can move him back to L.A.”
“My God, I’m so sorry.”
“Maksim will pull through. He’s tougher than I give him credit for.” We stare at each other for a few moments and I know from the shift in the mood the conversation is about to change. “Your doctor said you should be able to leave in a few hours so we’ve arranged for fly you and Eric back to San Francisco tonight. Dominic will accompany you. I’m going to hang around Brazil until Maksim can be transferred.”
“Of course, and thank you. I keep saying I can’t thank you enough and I can’t. I can never thank you enough for everything.”
“I might have helped you, but you made this all possible. I would have never found my son if not for you. So, Thank you. I don’t know anybody who would have done what you did. They certainly wouldn’t have braved meeting me. That makes you one hell of a woman and I’m glad I met you.”
That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me, and I wish this wasn’t goodbye.
“I’m glad I met you too.”
He reaches over to give my hand a gentle squeeze and I savor his touch, but it’s unlike him and the simple act is not the only thing I want him to do to me.
I stare down at his hand on mine with those prison tattoos on his knuckles. We opposites yet it feels like we belong together.
When we look at each other the magnetism that always pulls us together is very much there no matter that this is supposed to be a parting meeting. It doesn’t seem to car about that. so when he moves to me, I do too and I make sure I absorb every ounce of the kiss he gives me that’s very much him.
It’s enchanting and spellbinding, one that speaks of forever and beyond that.
It’s the kind of kiss you wish for and when pulls away it feels like the energy that binds us together aches from the loss.
He doesn’t say anything more and I don’t know whether to be happy he didn’t say goodbye or sad.
I just watch him walks away and I take the click of the door closing behind him as our goodbye.