The CEO's Wife

Chapter 21 - I know it's hard ...

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Michael's POV

Birds chirped their charming song, even more prominently as I slid the glass door open to join my brother, leaving behind my sister-in-law and my cute nephew.

It already smelled of summer, especially in the morning. Or rather, the mornings always smelled different when summer was approaching in France. Matter of fact, even in New York.

The air ... it was hard for me to form into a coherent sentence, but there were prominent changes. In temperature. In scents. Scents became stronger the more the sun came out, the warmer it got. Noises got more livelier. It just seemed everything was buzzing with more life the closer we got to the hotter months.

I turned my head to the smell of tabacco to my left, following the smoke with my eyes.

The glass door softly shut behind me with the faintest clicking noise, my steps as silent as I approached my brother.

I knew from back then he needed his distance after arguing and I doubt he changed in that regard - so I leaned against the house six feet away, careful to not start a conversation as that made him explode.

Neither of us spoke for a while; we just watched the nature around us come more and more to live, we listened to the noises as the country side slowly buzzed with action.

We stood there for at least five minutes, the only audible thing between us Leon's air as he inhaled and exhaled the smoke.

„Those 4 years", Leon silently, finally started, staring at the cigarette in his hand. „I searched all of France for you. Uncle Jacques helped me."

Green eyes avoided mine as I lifted my head in surprise. Leon crossed his arms more and averted his face slightly, his foot tapping repeatedly.

Why on earth did you let him do that, Victor? Jesus christ ...

„Any free second I had between school and university. I even went to nana's. But you were nowhere. I honestly thought you had died."

„Leon ...", at a loss for words, I shut my mouth again. Don't say such things laid on my tongue, but when one is scared, we tend to imagine the worst case scenario. I understood. If he had went silent, I would have thought the same. I would have searched for him as well.

„And then finally oncle Victor stopped this nonsense. Finally he broke the silence and told us the truth. What had really happened four years ago ... nobody could believe their ears. I knew mother could stoop low but that low? I was so happy when oncle gave me your number. I had to call you immediately! My hands were shaking so hard when I dialed your number! And then ... The first time I called you ...."

„September 3rd. I remember, you called me in the middle of lunch." I had dropped my phone in surprise, not believing my ears that day ... 

„And you answered!", Leon's voice broke, full of emotions. „Your accent ... I hardly recognized your voice at first! Your English is so perfect! And your French! The Gorda accent was so strong, as if I was speaking with Marthe and not you!"

„I barely recognized you too", I had to smile. „When we were little, we both had a Normandie accent, didn't we? Now you speak like a typical Parisian."

„It amazed me", Leon shook his head. „Whenever I reached out to you from then on out, you answered! - and my heart always skipped a beat. You spoke to me. After vanishing so suddenly! I can't even begin to describe what I was feeling. Anger. Relief. Love. Your voice touched me in a way that I tended to forget all my worries. Whenever I wanted to yell at you for doing what you did, I just couldn't. I never could raise my voice when you answered my calls with so much patience in your voice", Leon wiped his hand over his eyes. „I was just so happy to hear you again. I had no clue what you were doing in America, but to know you were alived was more than enough for me."