by Grace Kagni
Gently brushing her cheek with his fingers, he waited for her to open her eyes. “It’s been a long day, Sweet Pea. We’re home now so let’s go inside.” He opened his door and walked around to wait for Milania to step out of the car.
“Oh, I think a combination of jet lag and a full day’s work has hit me. I feel completely drained of energy,” she said walking to the front door.
“All you need to do now, Baby Doll, is change into something comfortable and sit down to have a bite to eat. By the expression on your face, you’ll have an early night tonight.” They walked into the house and each went to change for dinner.
When they went back down to the kitchen, they found the housekeeper had left dinner on the cooker and all they had to do was heat it up. “It’s great not having to make dinner,” she said.
“Yes, I adore my housekeeper, Filomena. She has always left me dinner on the stove since she knows I normally work late into the night. I don’t think I would have survived without her.” He pulled out plates and utensils to set the table while the food was heating up.
“How often do you work into the night?” she asked, knowing he was a hard worker but she wondered if he preferred to work than deal with those demons.
“Quite often actually since I deal with our offices around the world. The time difference doesn’t always make it possible to deal with issues during US office hours so I need to contact our people at a descent time for them.”
“Interesting, so when do you rest?” she wanted to understand how he worked and his hours but she was beginning to understand that he works long hours no matter the time.
“I sleep when I feel I need to,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
It didn’t seem a healthy way to live but Milania wasn’t going to argue with him on it. They finally sat down and had a nice meal with some red wine. He insisted she needed to eat well and have some wine to relieve some of he stress of the day.
“I had a great day at work. How was your day?” she asked, wanting to know more about Liam.
“It was good to be back. I found many urgent issues needing my attention and we’ve managed to deal with a good portion today but I haven’t finished for the day.” He took a sip of the wine before continuing. “So do you like your team?”
She smiled. “Yes, I love my team. Everyone is enthusiastic and ready to provide guidance when I need it. I’ve never worked on a team before so it will be a good change for me.” She yawned a moment later.
“I think it’s time you go up to bed. I’ll take care of clearing the table,” he said as he got up to put the plates in the dishwasher.
“Good night and thank you for today,” she said before leaving.
“Sweet dreams, Baby Doll.”
She went upstairs to her room and got into bed. As soon as she put her head down on the pillow, she dozed off.
Liam went to his study to continue working. He worked straight into the night until his eyes felt like they were about to shut so he turned off his computer and decided to go up to bed. He hoped the demons wouldn’t bother him tonight but there was no such luck; they came back in full force like any other night.
When Milania heard her alarm ring the next morning, she yawned and stretched before getting out of bed. She’d slept well all night and felt really good so after getting out of bed, she put on her housecoat and slippers to go downstairs. As she was about to go down the stairs, she heard Liam softly snoring through his door that was left ajar and wondered whether she should wake him. She decided to go down for breakfast and give him a little more time before waking him up. He obviously didn’t sleep much, which was why he wasn’t up yet.
She was making coffee when Liam walked into the kitchen barefoot and wearing pajamas. “Good morning. You look like you didn’t get much sleep last night. Are you all right?” She walked to him and placed her hand on his arm, worried by the sight of him.
“I’ll be okay after a coffee and shower. Did you have a restful night, Sweet Pea?” He pulled out of the cupboard two cups and then pulled out sliced bread to make toast. “Do you want some toast or would you prefer cereal? Sorry but I’m not really in the mood to cook breakfast this morning.”
“Why don’t you sit down at the table and let me make you breakfast for a change. What do you want to eat?” She started to pull eggs out from the fridge but he went to her to stop her.
“No, Darling. I’m not really hungry. Just make something for yourself. I’ll get a cup of coffee when it’s ready.”
“Oh no you don’t. You’ve been bossing me around telling me to eat and now it’s my turn so sit down and tell me what you want. Toast? Eggs? Cereal?” When he didn’t answer she went to him and took his hands. “Listen, I worry about you just as much as you worry about me so please let me get you something for breakfast. You need to eat and then tonight, I insist that you go to bed early. You can’t work all the time. Your body needs to sleep just as much as it needs food. Will you promise me you’ll go to bed earlier tonight?”
“Thank you for worrying about me but I’ll be fine when I’ve had a shower.”
“No Liam. You’re worrying me now and I don’t know what to do about it. I won’t stay and watch you destroy yourself. I’ll go back to Italy if you continue like this,” her anger seeped through as clear as day.
“I promise to sleep tonight if you promise not to leave,” he whispered. He needed her now more than ever.
She poured him a cup of coffee and then placed a bowl of cereal before him. Now it was up to him if he wanted to eat it. Then she poured herself a cup of coffee and took it upstairs while she got ready for work.
He watched as she left and smiled at how she had the courage to stand up to him. She was tiny but feisty as a lion. He would do everything in his power to keep her in his life.
After a coffee, cereal and a shower, Liam felt better and was dressed, ready for the day when Milania joined him in the foyer. She didn’t say a word, which meant she was still angry with him but that was good. He was happy she was still there and he would work on going to bed earlier for her. The time was irrelevant because the nightmares hit as soon as he shut his eyes. It was the reason why he preferred to work than sleep but things needed to change if he wanted Milania to stay and he was prepared to face the demons for her.
There was more silence in the car as they drove to the office and she barely wished him a good day at work before going to her office. He needed to clear the air and decided to send her a text to apologize and promise to take better care of himself. She responded telling him she forgave him and then he asked if he could take her out for lunch, which she accepted.
Her morning passed quickly and when it was time for lunch, she decided to go to Liam’s office when she didn’t see him coming. She found him behind his desk, submerged in paperwork.
“Is it already lunchtime?” he asked when he saw her enter his office.
“It is and you promised to take me to lunch so let’s go. I have only sixty minutes for lunch.” She went around his desk to pull his arm to get him up and as soon as he stood, she noticed the fatigue in his eyes. “You need a break so let’s go.”
They walked out of the building to a restaurant down the street. As soon as they sat down, they ordered their meal but no wine or Liam would fall asleep at his desk.
“Listen, Sweet Pea, I need to go to Las Vegas over the weekend to deal with a problem at our hotel out there. I would feel much better if you come with me. I don’t like leaving you on your own,” he said while he ate his food.
“Las Vegas? I’ve never been there so I guess I could go with you as long as you maintain your part of the deal,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
“Deal?”
“Have you already forgotten? You promised not to work at night so if you do that, I’ll go to Las Vegas with you.”
“Yes, I won’t work until late anymore.”
“Deal. I’ll go to Las Vegas with you.”
He grinned, knowing she would be there
with him. “Thank you.”
They went back to the office shortly after and the afternoon passed quickly for Milania. When she noticed everybody had gone, she decided it was time to find Liam to go home. He needed to get home after a long day and if she didn’t tell him it was time to leave, he’d probably work until it was night. In fact, she found him on the phone when she walked into his office and as he waved her to the sofa, she sat down and waited patiently. She had waited nearly forty minutes when he finally hung up.
“I’m sorry, Doll. It’s later than I expected. Let’s go home and have some dinner. You must be tired.” He turned off his computer and led her out to the elevator.
“Doesn’t your body ever shut down?”
“No, Baby Doll. I used to go for days without sleep when I was in the army.”
“Liam, the word is used to. You’re not in the army anymore so you don’t need to treat your body like that. It’s a machine or a car if you prefer, and after a while the body starts to complain if it’s not treated well.”
“How come you’re so smart?”
She smiled. “Do you want me to drive?”
“Do you feel up to driving?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll drive if you’re too tired,” she took the keys from him and unlocked the car.
“Be gentle on her, please.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember you’re driving a high performance car.”
“I know how to drive.” She looked at him wondering what he meant by that. She’d been driving for years and in Italian traffic, which is a challenge.
“I’m aware of that. I actually had the pleasure of driving with you if you’ve forgotten. All I mean is that this is a powerful car so just remember when you put your foot down on the accelerator.”
“Okay,” she smiled as she heard the engine purr like a cat. “Oh, listen to it roar.”
“I’m glad you like the sound of it so how about we go home now.” He was starting to feel queasy and needed to get home soon.
She backed the car out of the spot and put it in first gear. It moved quickly so she slowed down and took her time getting out of the parking lot. It was a pleasure to drive and when they finally got home, Liam opened the gate to pass through. As soon as Milania parked the car, she turned off the engine and smiled at Liam for having driven his beautiful car home. When she looked at him, he looked pale and was sweating.
“Hey, are you feeling okay?” she asked, feeling his forehead while he kept his eyes closed.
“I’ll be okay,” he said, stepping out of the car.
Milania got out and walked around to his side while he got out. “It’s not what I asked you. Are you feeling sick?”
“I’m a little queasy to tell you the truth but it’ll pass as soon as I get out of these clothes,” he said, pulling his tie loose.
“Liam, why don’t you go change and I’ll make you a tea with lemon. Do you have a thermometer in the house?”
“I don’t need one because I’m not sick,” he said, walking into the house.
“You’re like a child. Why won’t you admit you’re sick? I can see you’re not well so there’s no point hiding it.” She walked to the kitchen to put on the kettle for the tea. “Go upstairs to change and I’ll bring you something warm.”
He wasn’t sick. His body had been through this many other times after he left the army but he couldn’t explain it to Milania. It went through a natural desensitization of anxiety, which weakened his body. He went upstairs to change into a tracksuit and t-shirt before Milania came in. He was sitting on the bed as his head was spinning.
“Liam? Are you okay?” She could sense there was something wrong. When he didn’t say anything, she walked to him slowly and waited for him to look at her.
He looked at her and felt his nerves crumble. “I can’t do this.” He couldn’t let her witness his weakness. He’d never let anyone see him like that and he wasn’t going to let Milania experience it. “Please go to your room where you’ll be safe.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You won’t hurt me.” She was sure he would not harm her and she couldn’t leave him like that on his own.
“I don’t know that and I can’t protect you if I loose my mind in the process.”
“It’s not going to happen. You saved me and I know right here in your heart that you won’t harm me,” she said, placing her hand over his heart.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to control my actions and I’ll hurt you,” he whispered.
“I’m not leaving you,” she said as she sat down on the bed and put her arms around him, waiting for him to do something.
He pulled her close. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never,” she said as they rested on the bed waiting for the rush of emotions to pass.
He went though difficult moments when he was lucid but semi conscious. His world went spinning and only when he heard Milania’s voice whispering in his ear did he come back to his senses. The evening turned to night until they both fell asleep in each other’s arms, tired but free of demons.
When Milania awoke in the early morning, she felt exhaustion from the tension but was relieved to see Liam sleeping peacefully. She got up and went to her room to get a few more hours of sleep. It was late morning when she finally awoke and got up to see if Liam was awake. He was not in his bed so she went downstairs to see where he was. She found him in the kitchen having coffee.
“Hey, how are you?” she asked, walking to the coffee machine to pour herself a cup of coffee.
“Better and I need to thank you. I don’t think I’ve slept that well in weeks so I appreciate that you stayed with me.” He took another sip of his coffee.
“I’m happy I was able to help you. I didn’t do much but stay by your side.”
“You did more than you’ll ever know.” He knew she had the power to calm him in a way he’s never experienced.
“So I guess we’ll be calling in sick today?” she grinned.
“You call in sick, I need to go to the office for a meeting.” He finished his coffee and put his cup in the dishwasher.
“You’re joking. After what you went through last nigh, you still need to go to the office?”
“I do, Sweet Pea, but I appreciate your concern. You take the day off and rest. You can’t have gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep,” he said, leaving the kitchen.
She poured herself a cup of coffee and got ready to go to work. There was no way she was letting him go on his own after last night.
She was ready before Liam and he was angry when he saw her waiting in the foyer, ready for work.
”What part of staying home didn’t you understand?” His eyes were dark when he looked down at her as she waited to leave.
“What part didn’t you understand?” she challenged him.
He narrowed his eyes and grinned at her feistiness. “Okay, Sweet Pea, you win. We won’t have a long day. I promise.”
“I’ll keep you to your word,” she smirked.
“I know you will.” He waited for her to pass through the door before leaving the house and shutting the door. She was certainly a welcomed change in his life and he needed to work on making it permanent.
The day passed quickly since it was nearly lunchtime when they arrived at work. She had lunch delivered to his office because she was sure he would not take the time to eat.
Liam was submerged in papers he needed to read before his afternoon meeting and was happy when he saw the lunch delivery arrive. He sent Milania a text message to thank her. It made him smile, knowing Milania was looking out for him. It had been a long time since he had anybody look after him and the person before had been his own mother so it was a welcomed change, which warmed his heart to know Milania was there for him.
By the end of the day, they went home tired and hungry. They had a quiet dinner, eating what the housekeeper had prepared and then they each went to their room to bed. They were leaving for Las Vegas the next morning so
they needed to get a good night’s sleep.
Milania had packed a weekend bag with a few things for the trip but because she wasn’t sure on the temperature, she brought a coat and scarf to keep her warm. It was the first week of December and Malibu still had nice warm weather so it would be a nice change for the weekend.
Liam took her bag and placed it in his car beside his and then they drove to the airport. When they drove up to a private jet, Milania suddenly became apprehensive. She’d never flown on a small plane and didn’t know if her nerves could take it. She wasn’t a fan of flying but in a large plane it wasn’t too bad; in a small one would be a completely different circumstance.
Liam sensed something was wrong and as soon as he stepped out of the car, he asked what was wrong.
“I don’t like flying but especially scared in a small plane like this.” Her eyes reflected the fear she felt inside.
“Baby Doll, there’s nothing to worry about. The flight won’t be very long and I’ll be by your side the entire flight.”
“It doesn’t change anything. You’ll have to give me something to get me on that plane,” she said, feeling nauseous at the sight of it.
“I have some sleeping pills when I don’t sleep well at night. Do you want one of those?”
“Can I take two?” she joked to relieve the tension.
“Baby Doll, I’ll give you half of one if it’ll make you feel better. I take a full one but I’m twice your size and weight.”
“Only half?” she looked worried.
“Sweet Pea, it’ll be enough for you. Trust me,” Liam said pulling out from his bag a pillbox. “Go inside and I’ll ask the flight attendant to bring you a glass of water.
She stepped onto the plane and was amazed at the beauty within. It was decorated in creams and dark veneer, an elegant combination for the interior. She smiled as she passed her fingers over the wood and walked to a seat.
Liam sat down beside her and gave her a glass of water along with half a sleeping tablet. “Now put on your seatbelt since we’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”