No one else but you (Book 3. of „Only you")

The dean

Narrator POV

„Come on in its open." the dean spoke up after Lizzie knocked on his ginormous wooden door.
She opened the heavy door slightly and closed it behind her to walk in. His office is surrounded by book shelves and the office table stands on a orient red carpet. He has little hints of red as the main color of his office is brown.

He turned around from standing at the window to see who it is and he smiled towards Lizzie.
„What a surprise to see you here Elizabeth.
I haven't seen you in a while." he greeted her as he stepped to the chair to sit down on it as he signed for Lizzie to sit down as well.

„What brings you here to me? Can I help you with anything?" he asked as he leaned into the chair.

The dean has become a complete different person after Nora faked her death and her whole family has changed their behavior since Lizzie has been there for a couple of times due to the fact that the dean always is the host at big events.

„There actually is something you can help me with." Lizzie began as she leaned against the chair arm.

„I am all ears." he says with a soft smile on his face.

„I have someone in my close family circle that is really really sick and I need to take of her kids until she is back on her feet. So what I wanted to ask is..." she held back for a moment because she never asked her boss for such a big favor.

„Would it be possible to give me a few months off? I am the only one who can take of the kids and they need a lot of help since they are still six."
Lizzie began to ramble and the dean leaned forward letting his head rest on his hands.

„oh wow... first off I am really sorry to hear that a family member of yours is in these conditions right now. How long did you wanted to have your time off?" he asked her genuinely.

„I don't really know when she will be back on her feet. But maybe three months as a start off? I can still do the work online and at home but I have to stay with the kids and you know I can't really take them to my lectures since they have school as well and..."

„Oh I know the drill Elizabeth. I had to go through the same with my kids so I understand. But three months is a lot and..."

„George... please. I can't let them down they are so young and they are relying on me. I promise I'll be back I just need time with them and I'll find out how I manage to keep up with work. I feel like a parent now. So... from parent to parent please let me get this time off." Lizzie pleaded not letting the dean end his sentence.

„Okay. I'll give you the time you need. I do it in the sake of Nora because I know now that the kids deserve a parent by their side. She would have wanted me to help more."

„I am sure she would."

„I know I was the most horrible father ever to her..." he spoke up and Lizzie couldn't really deny it since she knew exactly how he was. She even saw how he treated her. So she staid silent and leaned back listening to what he has to say.

„Can I show you something?" he asked and Lizzie was a bit surprised on what he wanted to show her but she was curious so she nod.
He pulled his wallet out and opened it to take out a picture that he unfolded to handed over to Lizzie.

Lizzie looked at a picture where he was on it with a pregnant woman that looked so familiar.
„This is Margot. She is the love of my life."
He told Lizzie and she looked up at him in slight shock. She looked back down again and now she realizes that she is first off Nora's mother and they look so much alike.

„She looks beautiful." she replied in the present time since he talked about her in this way too. As if she wouldn't be dead.

„She was eight months pregnant with Nora during that picture. We were on a walk through the park and I remember that day as if it was yesterday. The sun beamed so beautifully through the trees and they made her deep brown eyes shine so mesmerizingly. Some minutes later after that picture a bird shit down on me and Margot bursted into laughter so hard that it made her cry.  And I couldn't help but to stand there and watch her laugh. After she came down from her laugh she helped me to wipe it off. And then I remember her saying „all good things come from above my love!" she told me it would bring me luck. But I never believed in things like that. Not like her. She did."

„She sounds like a lovely person."

„Oh she is. The loveliest I have ever met. I was never the same after her death. Something in me died that day." he told her and Lizzie started to feel bad for the person who did Nora so wrong.

„She died while giving birth to Nora. I never told this Nora but I was fighting with Margot that day. It's so absurd because I don't even remember what we where fighting about. Probably some silly shit.
But she drove off telling me she wanted to go to the park for walk and I let her walk out the door that day. I wish I would have never let her go. Or at least that I would have drove behind her."
He told her as he was looking at the picture that Lizzie held in her hand.

„After around 30 minutes I got a call from her phone. A man who was a paramedic told me that my wife was involved in a hit and run. She had green on a crossing street and one car came from the right driving into her. She would have died on the spot if the car would have came from the left."
Lizzie placed the picture down onto the table handing it him back and he glanced at it while talking.

„I can't remember how I got to the hospital. I still have so many gaps from that day and it has been almost 30 years. I saw her in so much pain and agony I will never forget the pain written all over her face. The eyes that gave me comfort every time when I looked into them where filled with so much fear that she almost wasn't recognizable. Then I remember her grabbing my hand tight. She pulled me in and whispered „safe our baby love."
She was so fixated on saving Nora but I was so blinded by love and the fear of losing her that I screamed at the doctors to safe Margot. It didn't last long until they lost her and then I heard our baby scream. I was so... angry at the world for taking my wife away. The love of my life. That I took it out on Nora. I blamed her her whole life and I even said it once in an argument that she killed her mom. And I can never make up for what I said and for what I did." he was in tears and Lizzie didn't really know what to do so she pulled a tissue out of her pocket and handed it over to him and he nod thankfully.

...