Chapter 5
Michaela giggled as she read the text from Hunter. She’d been back from her impromptu trip for two weeks and her work on the murals was progressing nicely. They’d talked just about every night, discussed their mistakes, and made promises to always be transparent with each other. The closeness they’d previously shared seemed to be even better this time.
Melanie reached over and snatched the phone. “We did not come to spend our Friday evening watching you send nasty text messages to Hunter. I thought we came to celebrate the start of your art career, which technically, was supposed to happentwo weeks agountil somebody, who shall remain nameless, up and flew across the country.”
She grabbed the phone back. “It was for a good reason.”
“I guess so, because your ass hasn’t stopped smiling since we got here,” Lana said. “And I want to know what happened. Are you and Hunter back together or what?”
“Yep.”
Melanie narrowed her gaze. “Okay, color me confused. You hooked back up with the man who pretty much left you at the altar, that had you depressed and hiding out in your house for a good three months, and you’re…happy? Who. Does. That?”
Michaela leaned back and closed her eyes. “It wasn’t completely his fault.”
Lana held up her hands. “Wait, wait, wait. How isn’t it his fault? Wasn’t he the one who left the voicemail saying ‘something came up’ and he wasn’t going to make it? Sounds like it iscompletelyhis fault. Ooh, these men will say anything to get back in your good graces. And don’t jump back into bed with them because it’ll be a wrap and you’ll be back exactly where you started.” She skewered Michaela with a look. “You didn’t give up the goodies, did you?”
“No, I did not, and he hasn’t tried to get me into bed. I’m not saying him up and disappearing the way he did isn’t his fault. It is. But after talking to him and listening to what he had to say, I realized that I had some responsibility in the way things went down. I’m going to share this, but it better not leave this room.” Hunter had always valued his privacy and she doubted he wanted his business spread all over town. With him being one ofThePrescotts, it would spread faster than a brushfire. Michaela divided her gaze between her friends, waiting for a sign of agreement.
Both nodded and Lana said, “I’ll take it to the grave, girl.”
“Okay, he has an inflammatory muscle disease and was in the hospital from the time he left the bachelor party until July. I know it sounds like he was full of it, but I saw the pictures of him. It was bad.” Every time she thought about how he’d been alone, it made her heart ache. He’d even opened up to her a little about his depression. She wished she could go back in time and slap a hand over her mouth to keep from spouting that foolishness about what she wouldn’t do. Now that she had finally gotten her head back on straight, she could very well see his point of view. Had he said something similar to her, she might have made the same choice. “He lost the ability to move and needed someone to help him with everything, and I do meaneverything.He even had to learn how to walk all over again.” Michaela told herself she wasn’t going to cry again as she felt the tears stinging her eyes. She’d shed more tears in the past two weeks than she had in eight months.
“Damn. Well, you did say the only excuse you would accept was him being dead or close to it, and I hate to tell you, sis, but this sounds like he was close and you’re going to have to give the brother a pass.” Lana snapped her fingers. “Oh, so that’s why he has the cane.”
“That still doesn’t explain why it wasn’t his fault,” Melanie said.
“He left because of something I’d said in passing early in our relationship about not wanting to be like my mother when she took care of my dad.” Melanie and Lana knew well how Michaela felt during that time, as she had vented to them often. She shared the details of her conversation with Hunter and how it had impacted his decision. “The thing is, I don’t think he would’ve been wrong back then. All I remember thinking is I didn’t want to end up like my mom. That’s not the case now.”
“I remember you being upset and worried that your mother was going to end up sick because of all the things she had to do to help your father. I can’t imagine how hard that had to be, in both cases, but I’m guessing if you say you love someone, you have to take the bad with the good.”
“Which is exactly what my mother said to me. She reminded me that love is an action word, and not just an emotion. So, yeah, I am partly to blame.”
“Are you guys going to set a new date?” Melanie asked.
“We just started talking again, and it’s way too early to bring it up.”
“But if he asked you to marry him again, would you do it?”
“In a heartbeat.” When she thought she hated Hunter, deep inside, she realized the hate hadn’t erased the love and she couldn’t imagine spending the rest of her life with anyone other than him. She felt even stronger about her decision now that the animosity had dissipated.
“That’s double good news, then. I really am happy for you, Michaela. We always thought you and Hunter belonged together and I hope you two make it this time.”
“Thanks, Lana. I hope we do, too.” Michaela wouldn’t accept anything less.
“We need to toast and get this party started. To the start of Michaela’s new career and a stronger love.” Melanie cranked up the music and the three woman danced and sang.
Michaela hadn’t felt this relaxed and happy in a long time. These two woman had been by her side almost her entire life, sharing in her triumphs and failures. And this moment definitely qualified as the former.
It was well after midnight, when she saw her friends out and fell across her bed and into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Michaela dressed and drove over to the hospital to work on the mural. In hindsight, she should have asked about the weekend hours, but almost squealed when the guard said she could go in. She had decided to start on the children’s side first and loved how the scene was coming together. With her music playing in the background and Hunter in her life again, her concentration had skyrocketed and the hours passed in a blur. It took the security guard reminding her that the doors would be locked soon for her to clean up and leave.
Michaela checked the time and realized she had less than fifteen minutes to get to her mother’s house for dinner. She glanced down at her paint-splotched clothes and debated whether to go home and change first and be late or go as-is and decided on the latter.
When her mother opened the door, she just shook her head. “My child still loves to play in paint. Come on in.”
Laughing, she said, “I thought about going home to change, but I know how you are about being on time for dinner. I had only planned to paint for three or four hours, but lost track of time.”
