Chapter5

#Chapter5

/"Hello beautiful/" a man's voice drifted into her hers and she furrowed her brows, trying to recognize the voice. It didn't take her long to remember since only one person always answers her call with a 'hello beautiful'.

/"Craig/" she said in surprise, /"my my what a surprise./"

/"I was thinking I have to explain myself to you. You know, make you remember me./"

/"Haha, of course not. But I'm still surprise, this is not your number, I mean I still have the other one/" she paced around the room, picking up from the floor a picture frame Michael has knocked down from the drawer when he was trying to catch her as they did a little chase in the room when they entered.

/"Yes, I lost the other one and lucky me, I copied out your number in a pad that I left in my car./"

/"Your car? Hold on, are you in LA?/" She asked with an airy tone, briefly taking her eyes off the fourteen year old Michael in the picture, the face she fell in love with, so young and with no problem in the world.

/"Bingo baby./"

/"My, my, when did you arrive?/"

/"Just tonight and I decided to call you. I haven't forgotten today is your birthday after all, so happy birthday beautiful./"

/"Aww, thank you./"

/"You celebrating it?/"

/"Yeah, Michael threw me a surprise party at home but it's just friends and family, no big guests./"

/"So am I a friend?/"

/"Of course/" she giggled.

/"But I wasn't invited!/"

/"Ha Craig, Michael threw the party, I'm sure it skipped his mind to invite you besides, you weren't in town./"

/"Do you think he would have invited me if he knew I'm in town?/"

/"Of course, why wouldn't he? You are my friend./"

/"I doubt he would. Anyway, I owe you an apology for not attending your second wedding, I was just too busy./"

/"That's okay, I got your present after all and your apology letter./"

/"Yea. Well, since I'm in town now, how about I ask you out for old time sake. Just as friends anyway, I will pop a champagne for you in congratulations to your marriage and the arrival of your son, and our own celebration of your birthday. What do you say? Don't forget, just as friends./"

Sasha laughed, /"of course Craig, when will you be free?/"

/"Say tomorrow evening?/"

/"Oh no, Michael and I will be dinning out tomorrow. How about you join us then?/"

/"No I will pass. I'm pretty sure your husband won't want to see me./"

/"Craig, Michael is not like that./"

/"Really?/"

/"Yes, he is totally a changed man. We have never had a fight since we were married./"

/"Wow, but I still insist he wouldn't want to see me./"

/"Okay then, how about lunch tomorrow? I can be able to meet you at lunch./"

/"Lunch it is then. See you at our usual by twelve./"

/"I will be there. Bye Craig, it's nice hearing from you again./"

/"Same here beautiful./"

The call ended with Sasha smiling softly, she placed Michael's picture back on the drawer before leaving the room.

She went downstairs to meet her family singing to an old yodelling song, dancing to it where Agatha, Janet and the children, while the rest sat, singing and clapping.

Her son was also enjoying the song as he was jumping on his father's thigh and clapping his hands, with Michael trying to hold onto him so that he wouldn't fall and was laughing in the process as well.

Sasha sighed as she watched her little family, ever since the birth of their son, Michael seemed to be laughing every single time, a sight she had longed to witness in their first marriage but wasn't blessed to. She could never stopped thanking Janet for the advice she gave her that day and also to her intuition which insisted she go up to the attic to find a box to pack Michael's belongings neither will she stop thanking Gary who purposely left the clothes in the closet and leaving the box in the attic. He had admitted it to her one day during one of their talks.

/"Oh Sasha is finally here, she can dance to the song very well/" Janet said, bringing everyone's attention to her on the stairs.

/"I'm not sure I still remember the moves Janey/" she said, climbing down the stairs to meet them.

/"Oh please, it's your birthday and let Michael dance with you./"

/"Who, me?/" Michael looked up from his son, /"I can't dance./"

/"Nonsense, there is not much dancing, just jumping around in circles/" Vanessa admonished him.

/"But I'm holding onto Chris/" he tried to hide behind his son.

/"I can do that/" Angelica said, getting up immediately and taking Chris from him, /"come, let grandma hold you honey./"

/"What excuse do you have now Michael?/" Agatha asked with a raised eyebrow and he rolled his eyes before getting up.

Gary started the song again and everyone joined while Sasha and Michael stood in the middle and danced, more like Sasha dancing and Michael laughing. Janet's husband, Patrick stood up then and said /"okay let's help Michael by not letting him be the only man dancing./"

/"You are right/" Ethan, Agnes' husband said and Philip and Eric agreed before standing up. Each taking their wife's hands as they joined in the dance. Gary ended up asking Jessica to join him and no one missed that but they all said nothing.

Later in the car as Michael drove his family home, Sasha was carrying the sleeping Chris as she had her eyes closed, her head resting on her seat, /"I really had fun tonight, thank you Michael/" she looked at him with a smile.

Michael leaned closer to her and pecked her lips before looking back on the road immediately, /"anything for you love. You deserve all the happiness you can get./"

/"I'm still surprise how dad let you throw the party at home when we have ours./"

/"Oh you know how he is, anything for his daughter in law./"