Gabriel was nowhere in sight, like so many times before, he just disappeared. No one knew where he went. When he says, “I’ll take care of it,” he usually does, maybe that’s where he was off to. She knew better not to look for him and focus her energy on her project instead.
There were no notes in her meals, she kind of missed it. No one lurked around the restaurant to spy on her. No one dismissed Melvin every sunset. He didn’t even text her or annoy her with his nosy questions whether she was taking care of herself or not. Most of all, she missed the bottled up intensity between them, not knowing if he was going to be super sweet or super irritating, or both.
He was gone for two weeks, still no one heard anything from him. She was starting to worry. She wanted to call him but she didn’t know where his mind was since he saw that video of her and Eddie. She didn’t know how long he watched it, which part of it and she can only imagine how he must’ve felt about her after that. She was starting to believe that they might have lost that chance to build something between them.
A familiar face emerged from The Peninsula against the sunlight. She shielded her eyes, couldn’t believe what she saw. She screamed and ran towards him, “Oh my God! When did you come? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?” she kissed him all over his face.
“I missed you too babe, I thought I’d surprise you … hold on … let me look at you,” Perry broke off their embrace, her stomach was starting to show, especially under her tight tank top and above the pants waist. He gasped, “How long has it been? Can I touch it?”
She took his hand and put it on her tummy. It didn’t feel much like anything other than a round tummy as opposed to her usually flat stomach. Perry got teary, he was going to be an uncle, it was starting to take form.
“Owh … come here … I’m not done hugging you yet,” she pulled him close and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I missed you so much, please tell me you’re staying longer … you didn’t book a room did you? You can sleep in my suite, please … please … I need girl talk.”
“I did book a room … I’ll visit your suite, I don’t think I’m allowed to stay in your room, right? Wasn’t that stated in your contract?” he remembered.
“Shit, you’re right, he’s been gone for two weeks, I don’t know where he is,” it was the first thing she told him, it’s what was occupying her mind.
“Let’s go somewhere and catch up, how ’bout that? … by the way, who is that scary-looking man staring at me?” Perry asked.
She looked over her shoulder, “Oh, that’s Melvin, I told you about him, right?” she waved at Melvin playfully.
“That’s Melvin? I had an image of a sweet teddy bear you kept mentioning.”
She laughed and introduced them. They walked along the shore to the next beach to get some coffee and snacks by the beach, with Melvin in tow. He followed them about ten steps behind.
“So … this is the life of a Bhorma princess, huh?”
They chuckled.
“Depends on how you see it … it feels like being captive at times but with royal treatment,” she smiled.
“He’s been treating you well?”
She nodded, “Better than I expected,” it made her miss him even more.
Perry smiled, “That’s good then … have you discussed what you’re going to do when the baby’s born?”
“Not really, other than what we’ve discussed before, I’m just glad the divorce is final, one thing is out of the way … and the baby bump is starting to show, I don’t think anyone knows about it here yet, they might suspect something going on between me and Gabriel.”
“Are you going to have the baby here?”
It struck her, she hadn’t really thought about anything yet. “I haven’t even been to my first appointment with the OBGYN … which reminds me, will you come with me on Monday?”
“Me? What about Gabriel? I think he would want to be there.”
“I’m not comfortable going with him, I mean, not with what’s going on right now … I don’t even know where he is, he hadn’t said anything to me after that video incident,” she looped her arm around his.
“Wow … I’m still trying to take it all in … of course I’ll go, I’d love to, we really are going to have a baby?” he squeezed her hand.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, it was surreal even to her.
**********
She sped him up to date overnight, not that there was a lot he missed out on ’cause they were constantly in contact with each other. They missed the late-night conversations they used to share in their house and stayed in his room that night.
They discussed which room was going to be the nursery, how they were going to change their living room into a playroom. Perry was most excited about it. He loved redecorating the house, for a baby nonetheless.
They were at the breakfast buffet in the morning when one of her crew came running, “Ms. Knox … they’re hatching!” he said.
She dropped her plate and ran after him, “Come on!” she said to Perry and they went to the shed.
He was squatting by the hatchling isolation area, his sunglasses hung on his head. Shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms, he stood up when he saw her came.
“Gabriel … I didn’t know you were back,” she said.
He was distracted by the presence of a tall handsome man beside her. Perry was pretty much starstruck to see him.
Gabriel extended his arm, “Gabriel … you must be Perry?” he remembered.
Perry shook his hand, nearly blushing at how attractive this dark-haired man in front of him.
They quickly averted their attention to the hatchlings. Tiny little turtles emerged from under the pit of sand. They were the cutest thing.
Both men stood observing Jamie who did her thing. She carefully moved the new hatchlings to a container and transferred them to the hatchling pool they’d prepared for them. They will stay in the conservation for at least a month or more before they can be released to the ocean.
Jamie wanted the babies to grow strong enough to increase their survival rate, especially the hawksbill turtles that are critically endangered. Soon the other batches will hatch too and her conservation will be busier than ever.
She was glistening under the sun, happy and pregnant.