5 years ago
Toni's POV
"Babe I'm sorry," Cher says from the other end of the phone "I love you and I want to marry you but I won't put you in danger. It'll be easier, you'll see,"
"Cher What are you talking about?" I ask panicked "what's going on do you need help?"
"I'm ok TT," She says "it's for you,"
"Cher," I say starting to cry "I'm on my way over,"
"T I just need one thing, please,"
"Of course C, anything,"
"Tell me you love me,"
"I love you Cheryl Blossom, always have always will," I say "baby please tell me what's going on, I can help,"
"I'll never forget you and I hope we can continue this journey babes- but not right now," she says "I love you forever, remember that,"
"I love you too, and I trust you but I'll never stop loving you,"
"Don't forget me Topaz, be the girl I know you are,"
And with that she hangs up and I start bawling and run to Thistlehouse
Empty.
Present day
I think about that night a lot. I miss her so much and I still love her. She's been off the grid for 5 years and I can't find a single trace of her. I'm a travelling photo journalist and sometimes do commercial photography on the side but other than that life sucks. I want her back, I need her.
I'm shooting today at a school in Miami for some side cash. It's a nice little school, private. People with lots of money send their kids here. Something me and Cher talked about.
Speaking of Cheryl... she's standing right there.
"Toni?"
"Cher?"
She runs over and hugs me and I smile
I missed this
"TT What are you doing here?"
"I'm a photo journalist now," I say "I'm taking pictures of this school for their website,"
"I saw you got very successful, I'm so proud of you Toni," she says
"What about you? You've been dark since you left,"
"I operate Blossom Industry under the wire, just needed to stay away," she says "but Hiram is dead now, I was actually just working up the nerve to contact you again,"
"All this time- you were scared of Hiram Lodge?"
"We were business competition and I was a high schooler out doing him. He was jealous and he threatened you twice,"
"And that's when you left?"
She nods and looks at me.
"Have you found anyone.. you love?"
"Just did, she's standing infront of me,"
"Still slick Topaz," she laughs
"What about you?"
"I always hoped we could be together again and I didn't find anyone,"
"Me too," I say "Cheryl Blossom do you still want to marry me?"
"I do Toni," she says, sighing with a hint of sadness "but there's a problem I don't want to pull you into. Well not a problem, but a different obstacle I guess,"
"Mommy!" I hear from behind us
A little boy, about 4 years old runs and jumps into Cheryl's arm.
"Hey baby boy," she smiles kissing his cheek "How was school?"
"It was good," he says "May I go talk to Timmy?"
"Sure buddy, 5 minutes though ok?"
"Thank you mommy,"
She puts the boy down and he runs off to his friend. He's a red head, pale, looks JUST like Jason did as a kid, maybe a little small for his age but definitely has Cheryl's smile.
"That's my son, Tucker," she says "I was raped almost a year after I left and ended up being pregnant. I decided to keep him though, I wanted to raise a kid and be a mom,"
"Well he's a very cute kid," I say
"Ya he definitely has my looks,"
"I'm so sorry that happened to you though Cher,"
"I'm ok, I healed," she says "plus I love Tuck so much,"
"I still want you Cheryl," I say
"Toni, you're a photo journalist, I'm not making you settle down in Miami and I can't move tuck around that much," she says "I love you, but I can't do that to you,"
"Cher, have you read my latest story?"
"No I was busy, I was going to read it tonight,"
I pull it up and give her my phone.
A piece on wanting to settle down. I have travelled the world, I have been to every single state and that was for one reason, to find my fiancé who disappeared. I am ready to settle down and I promised my self in this piece that I would.
"See Cher? I don't want to always be on the move, I don't want to be in a new country every other day. I want to be home, and home is wherever you want to be,"
"I'd have to warm Tucker up to the idea of it," she says "it's only been us his entire life, he hasn't had a major change and meeting you and then you immediately being in his house? I think that would be too much,"
"I completely agree," I say "I want what's best for you and your son Cheryl. Whatever that is, I was supposed to shoot down here for a few weeks so my company got me a loft anyways,"
"It's not forever, he'll like you," she says
"He's a Blossom Cher, Of course he'll like me," I joke
"That's funny babe," she says rolling her eyes "but are you sure you want to stop your life for me? I'm not the same person I was 5 years ago,"
"I look into your eyes and see the same thing- pure love," I say "I've missed you so much C, I don't want to spend anymore time apart,"
She smiles and looks at the ground.
I catch a glimpse of her hand.
"You still wear it?" I laugh looking at her ring
"It reminded me of you and why I live here," she says "to protect you,"
She glances at my lips and leans in and I kiss her.
All the memories, all the feeling come back, and the pain and the fear of the last 5 years i had just rolls away.
I love her
"I love you Cheryl Blossom,"
"I love you too Toni Topaz," she says
"Mommy!" Tucker says coming back over
"Hey Tuck," she laughs picking him up
"Hi I'm Tucker," he says to me "what's your name?"
"I'm Toni Topaz," I say "it's nice to meet you,"
"How do you know my mom?" He Asks
"We're old..." I say, stuttering
It's her kid, I don't know what to say
"Toni's my girlfriend buddy," Cheryl says "I left a while ago before you were born,"
"Is she the girl in the pictures?" He asks
She nods and kisses his cheek
"She sure is buddy," she laughs "do you mind if Toni comes over for dinner tonight?"
"Can you?" He asks me excitedly
"For sure," I laugh
"We live walking distance from here, I don't know if you have a car,"
"Not here," I say
She readjusts Tucker so she can grab my hand.
We walk to her house, just as you'd expect it's huge and gated.
"Tuck do you have homework?"
"No I finished all my work,"
"Alright go play upstairs, I need to talk to Toni,"
"Ok mommy,"
He runs upstairs and Cher turns and looks at me.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know what you wanted him to know about us to start,"
"Tuck is shy, really really shy, but he opened right up to you and talked," she says "I've never seen him do that before,"
"Oh uh,,"
"No T, it's a good thing. He's always scared of other adults and he's a great judge of character. He likes you, a lot," she says "and he doesn't know a lot about my sexuality, I told him stories of us so he knows I like girls, but it doesn't really bother him. He's so young he doesn't know being gay is non-traditional,"
"I didn't need to come over today," I say
I don't want to impose on her life.
"I want him to know you," she says "the sooner that happens the sooner we can get right back to where we were,"
"What pictures was he talking about?" I ask
She leads me to what's looks to be a living room. In the walls are a bunch of pictures of Cheryl and Tucker and on the other wall is pictures of her life. Her childhood and all the high school photos- I'm in, or I took.
"These were my favourite photos," she says "I'm smiling, and happy and I was only happy with you. I wanted tucker to see what happiness was and I needed these pictures to remind me who I was,"
"They're some of my best work that's for sure," I joke
"I've seen your professional work T, it's amazing,"
"Thank you," I sigh
"You still don't take compliments," she laughs
I help her make dinner and she yells up for tucker.
"Buddy wash your hands," she says as he walks in
He climbs on a stool and washes his hands in the sink.
"Good job buddy," she smiles
Wow, she's such a good mom.
Part 2 coming soon
