Hidden treasures

Chapter three

It's been nine years. Nine years since they've last seen each other. Well, if he sees her now it's going to be questions.
"Mommy," Annalie pull on her mother's sleef. Lilliana look down at her nine-year-old. She has soft brown hair like her daddy and the very same brown eyes. Such lovely, complete and wondering eyes of a child. "May I have a chocolate?"
"Honey, you know what sugar does to you," she reply and give a heavy sighed. "Sure."
"Thank you mommy!" she run to the shelf taking her time to make her pick. So many that she likes, only one choice she's allowed to make. Lilliana loves watching her make choices just to see the end result. She goes on her toes and then bow down to examine every chocolate. She take one with a smile and start to think. Her smile disappear. She put the chocolate back looking for another one. Lilliana admire her little girl waiting patiently. Well, you never know patients until you're raising a kid on your own.
She take a chocolate and look at it. She smile satisfied and run to her mother. Lilliana give her a smile. The little girl put her arm around her mother and give her a hug.
"Thank you mommy."
"It's a pleasure cupcake," Lilliana smile to her and show her to walk on.

Lucy knew since the day Annalie was born that her mother will nevet be the same again. This little girl has given light to Lilliana's life. Lucy is her oldest daughter near her thirties and already married.
"What if she asks about her dad?" Lucy ask her mother where they sit at the kitchen table watching her play with her dolls.
"Don't get started on that. She already did," Lilliana chuckle and tuck her hair behind her ear. "I'm fifty one and I'm raising a child on my own. Who ever thought I'd do something like this?"
"I'm not surprised mom," Lucy reply and rest her chin on her fist. "What did you tell her?"
"She got delivered by Storks," Lilliana shrug her shoulders. "I haven't given her the talk about the birds and the bees yet, so till then she is allowed to believe in anything shw needs to."
Lucy nod her head and pull a magazine closer. She look at it and start to page through. Lilliana just stare af Annalie that jumped up speaking with the doll. She's such an interesting child.
"Sometimes I think about calling him and telling him about her you know, but I just can't. I don't have it in me," Lilliana whisper and dry off a little tear. "Imagine how his family will be destroyed, the press not leaving him alone and poor little Annalie."
She bite her lip at the thoughts of everybody else's except hers. Well, when you have a family, you have to be selfless, but that doesn't mean you have to stop living for yourself. Else, what's the use of life then?
"Oh my gosh," Lucy mutter and pick the magazine up. She show it to Lilliana that gave her an odd look. "Jeffrey finally opened up about his divorce eight years ago."
"What?" she bark and grab the magazine. "I didn't even know he's divorced."
"You're celebrities, mom how didn't you know?" she ask terrified and pick her little sister up that ran to her. She look at Annalie that rested her head against her chest. "Do you want something sweet?"
Annalie nod her head with a big smile on her lips. Lucy take out a candy bar and give it to her. Lilliana put the magazine down and pull her lips in looking at her little girl.
"The award show is on tomorrow night. I should probably call my agent for the latest update," Lilliana mutter and exit the kitchen. Her heart breaks at remembering his face, his voice, his touch, eyes and just being in his presence. Life took a complete turn on her. Will she ever tell him about their daughter?

Lilliana spend her whole night reading over and over through his piece in the magazine. He admit that he fell in love with another woman while filming nine years ago, but he doesn't say who. Was he seeing someone else while they had an affair or is he referring to her? Does he even know she got divorced?
"Mommy?"
Lilliana look at her door at Annalie that came in sleepy. She rub out her eyes and walk to the bed.
"There's something in my closet," she say. Lilliana give her a smile and open her bed. She knows how scared her baby can get sometimes.
"Come lay with mommy," she smile and tap her hand on the bed. Annalie climb in the bed and cuddle up against her mother. She look at the magazine and touch the paper.
"Mommy, who is that?" she ask her mother. Lilliana give her a little smile and climb deeper in the bed.
"That is a friend of mine," Lilliana smile allowing her daughter to atleast look at him. They look so much alike.
"Is he also famous?"
"Yes. He sings and plays in movies too," Lillian smile and put the magazine away. She kiss her daughter's front head and take her into her arms.
"So mommy, how did the storks then made me?" she ask a little confused. Lilliana giggle softly.
"Sleep now, okay? We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Okay mommy," she smile and close her eyes. Lilliana spend a while admiring her daughter's face before also drifting off to a peaceful sleep. This perfect little human being changed her whole life. Well, she made her life.

Jeffrey look at his reflection in the mirror. The courage to have growing a beard over these last few years is the only thing that gave him a positive appearance. He cuts it short and keep it in shape with his hair. Well, give me one man that has a beard that doesn't love it. They just got to love it.
He walk back into his room and take a seat on his bed. Well, he's got the awards coming up. So atleast that's one thing to look forward to.

In a perfect long black dress and hair tied up with pins, Lilliana walks upob the red carpet. She flashes her usual beautiful smiles and poses for the cameras. The dress has no shoulder cover which pushes up her breasts to a complete round form and gives more volume to her neck form. What a goddess.
"Lilliana!"
She wave at the crowd and then look at her agent that showed her they beed to move. She follow them in and went to the table with the people she just recently worked with.
Jeffrey has no desire to even smile at the camera or wave at the crowd. Rude? No, he just gets tired of this. It's not new and there's no more excitement in being admired.
He walk in and take a seat at his table. Well, atleast he's miles away from Lilliana. They don't even know about each other's pesence at this moment. The nominations is what woke him up.
"The nominees are," the man and woman open the envelope to look at the list of names as theh make turns. "Evelyn Shaw that plays the leading role in the biography of Caitlyn Mac in One step closer."
"Jesica Pouwel that plays a journalist, Kathy in No proof."
"Lilliana Johnson that plays the leading role of an Alzheimer patient, Carolina Harbert in Till her last."
Jeffery's eyes shot up. Did he hear correctly? He look around him. No sign of her.
"Stacey Ulward for leading role of Monica Grey in Monica in Paris."
"Carol Dickson as a doctor Charlotte Quinn in Deep wounds."
"Under the category of Best supporting actress, the award goes to..." theh open the final envelope. They take out the paper and read it out loud. "Lilliana Johnson in Till her last."
Lilliana turn bright red in her face. She stand up along with the audience that gave her an applause. She give the directer of this movie a kiss and a hug before going up to the stage to receive her award. Jeffrey look amazed at her and just like usual she nearly falls herself to death. She either has to get better shoes or shorter dress.
"Thank you," she giggle and take her award. She start behind the microphone and turn red in her face as she laugh. "I haven't even gotten into the alcohol and I'm falling already."
Everyone knows how funny it is to make fun of a situation. She loves it so they have to.
"I really feel so fortunate to have played this character. Although, I hate to be reminded I'm getting old. First of all, David Zilweinzer, thank you for casting me in this beautiful piece you created. I'm sure I'll never feel that old again."
After doing her speech she went down and took her seat again completely unconscious to the fact that she's being admired by the man who had his wonders up about her for nine years.
This is all about the truth now. Well, no, the truth doesn't always have to be spoken. Lilliana has her guard up. She knows now also that Jeffrey is here. She might not have seen him yet, but that doesn't mean she doesn't. She's been wondering for nine years now. She wants to see him just once, but at the same time she's so afraid to face him. Perhaps if she just get a view of his face then she wouldn't have to talk to him at all. Within less than an hour the alcohol has already gotten to her.
"Lilliana, how do you think your character inspires the world?" the reporter ask her.
"Well, it's just for everyone to realise the seriousness of old people getting Alzheimers. I think in this movie everyone will actually know how to communicate with someone that has Alzheimers," Lilliana smile.
"Lil?"
Her body turn ice cold. The voice she remembers so well.