Moore Than Forever (23 page)

“What time is it?” Mia was startled and slightly disoriented. “Aren’t we supposed to meet the Castillo’s for breakfast?” Her eyes were still swollen from crying the night before.

Schooner reached for her and pulled her to his chest, “No, I cancelled. I’m having breakfast brought to the room,” he kissed the top of her head and tightened his arms around her. “You know you can tell me anything, Mia. There is nothing that is ever going to make me stop loving you. I hope you know that,” he tipped up her chin, so that he could look into her eyes.

“I think I didn’t tell you about Michael because we were so new last year and then we got caught up in the L9/NYC opening. In the back of my mind, it was a conversation I thought we’d have right after the opening. 9/11 was the following week, it was your first 9/11 living in New York and when it came around, I was in the hospital barely conscious, so we never talked about it. 9/11 had passed before I was even aware of what day it was. The rest of that stuff isn’t good stuff for me, Schooner,” her eyes reflected pain.

Smoothing down her hair, “I know that, Baby Girl, but those experiences are what make you so incredibly strong and wonderful. I can’t even express to you how proud I am of you for seeking help and working on getting healthy. I know that had to have been both painful and difficult. And I have to be honest, for me, it makes our time apart feel even more distressing, because you know how I am about wanting to fix things.”

She nodded, her eyes ready to spill tears.

“That takes guts, Mia, something you are not short of,” his eyes crinkled with his smile. “I don’t know if you realize how much I admire you and your strength. You make me stronger.”

“I don’t think so,” she shook her head.

“Yeah, you do. I have to be formidable just to keep up with you. You challenge and push me. I feel like I can do anything with you at my side.”

Shimmying up the cool sheet so that she was facing him across the pillow, Mia just stared into Schooner’s clear blue eyes, a smile brightening her face. “I feel like I can do anything with you at my side. I love the way you step in and create and build and take charge. You are this huge presence and sometimes I am just in awe of you.”

“You’re stealing my lines,” he laughed, leaning forward, he brushed her lips softly with his. “Last night you let me into a very painful and dark place and I thank you for letting me through that door. I know it wasn’t easy. But I’m really glad it’s not a locked door between us anymore.” Gently stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, “I don’t want you to ever feel that Michael is an off-limits topic with me, honor him the way you want and need to, ok. I will always be ok with that.”

Burning tears spilled in hot splashes onto her cheeks. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Kissing her forehead softly, “No more secrets, Baby Girl.” He closed his eyes, momentarily overcome by grief. Secrets had caused him to doubt everything he knew to be true, everything that gave him life. Secrets were the only thing that could drive a wedge between them and destroy them.

“Schooner, there isn’t anything or any part of my life that I don’t want to share with you.” Pulling him on top of her, she smiled up into his handsome face, “and right now, I just want you to kiss me.”

Chapter Forty-one

With her camera trained on the smiling faces of Schooner, Berto and Sonkwe, Mia watched with pride as she shot frame after frame of handshake after handshake with officials, the cutting of the ceremonial ribbon and the groundbreaking first shovels full of dirt. Wearing a construction hardhat, Schooner Moore was in his element and Mia could not help but wonder if one of the people he was schmoozing would ultimately be the person responsible for allowing them to adopt Portia.

Earlier that afternoon, when Sonkwe apprised them of the dismally low number of children that the government had allowed foreign families to adopt, Mia’s spirit took a nose dive. She hadn’t even considered that the government wouldn’t permit them to adopt a child in need of a loving family. To hear that in a country with 1.3 million orphans that the government had permitted under twenty children to be internationally adopted, was deflating.

Although Los Angeles was ten hours behind, Schooner called Aaron Bender, waking him, “I know this might be a long shot, but who do we know with high level contacts at the State Department?” explaining the circumstances to his lawyer.

“Probably two ways to go at it,” Aaron’s voice was rough from sleep, “I know a lawyer in DC that works with USAID, his contacts report directly to the Secretary of State and I’ve got a client who is a retired Admiral in the Navy. He’s very connected throughout Washington. They can at least help us get to the right people and my buddy in DC owes me one, so let’s see what he can come up with.”

Taking her face in both hands, Schooner shook his head, “Do not lose hope. Don’t even go there, ok. We are in a very different position than most people. Very different. I’m not leaving here without her, don’t you worry.” He was so confident in his conviction that Mia clung to those words and his positive attitude.

“Ok?” he reiterated.

Mia nodded, forcing a smile.

“Say it, Mia,” he demanded.

“We will get Portia. We will bring her home.”

Smiling, he gave her a quick swat on her bottom, “Damn right we will. I have a lot of leverage. People want things from me and there’s only one way they’ll get what they want.”

“But Schooner, there’s a three month in-country foster period.”

“Yeah, well that’s nice. Give me three weeks,” and with his confident All-American boy smile, Schooner Moore strode out onto the field to break ground for the new L9 Physical Rehabilitation and Prosthetic facility and to broker the deal of his lifetime.

Chapter Forty-two

The lines in Customs at JFK International Airport were insane. Knowing that Nathaniel was outside a door at the end of the line made the wait interminable. Closing her eyes, Mia pictured his reaction upon seeing her. His beautiful smile and bright eyes both beaming, his face becoming totally animated. Every minute without him in her arms became more painful. Mia Silver needed to hold her son.

Searching the crowd as she exited Customs, she saw Seth’s arms waving. Standing next to him was her mother holding Nathaniel. Trapped behind slow moving tourists, Mia attempted to negotiate through the crowd without being rude and was finding that to be impossible as she started to weave through people, bumping them.

“Nathaniel,” she yelled out, trying to get his attention over the noise.

Turning at the sound of his mother’s voice, his arms reaching up in the air in her direction as he tried to wriggle out of Lois’ arms, his need to get to Mia as strong as hers to hold him.

And then he was in her arms and for every kiss she planted on his chubby cheeks, he mirrored it back with his open-mouthed goopy kiss, until mother and son were in their own world of laughter, neither hearing or seeing anyone around them in the crowded airline terminal.

“I missed you so much,” tears streamed down her face.

“Ma-ma,” he nestled his head into her neck.

“Did he just say Mama?” Mia looked at Seth and her mother with total surprise.

“He’s been saying it non-stop for the last four days,” Lois leaned over and gave her daughter a kiss.

“Did you miss Mama, sweet boy?” As Mia held him tighter, Nathaniel becoming more content. He had been saying Da-da for a while, and like most new mothers, although knowing that the “m” sound comes later to speech, she longed to hear her son call her Mama. “Well, that was the best homecoming present a mommy could ever ask for,” wiping her tears, “I missed him so much.”

“So what, did they detain Schooner in Customs for being gorgeous or something?” Seth was looking over the crowd for a tall blonde coming at them.

“Schooner didn’t come home,” Mia surprised them both.

“Is the project delayed?” Lois asked.

“Let’s get out of the fray here and get over to baggage claim and I will tell you all about it.”

As they coursed through the crowd, “Please don’t tell me you ran him off, BBC.” Seth was starting to go into panic mode.

“I did and now he’s all yours. But you’re going to have to go to Africa for him,” Mia laughed at the horrified look on Seth’s face. “Was Poopy Boy here good for you?”

“Don’t change the subject. Where is Schooner and why isn’t he here?” Seth was getting annoyed.

They reached the baggage claim, which was surrounded by passengers, but no luggage.

“Let’s go grab some seats,” Mia headed for a bank of chairs. Lois sat down next to her, while Seth remained standing, hands on his hips, now glaring at Mia.

“I’ve got some news,” Mia looked at Lois and Seth, a bemused grin on her face, “Breathe, you two. This isn’t bad news.” Pausing, just to torture them a little more, “Nathaniel is soon going to have a sister.”

“You’re pregnant?” Lois’ face was a portrait in shock.

“No. Oh God, no,” Mia laughed.

Seth’s hand flew to his mouth with a gasp, his eyes wide.

“One Angelina Jolie comment out of you,” Mia was pointing at him, “and I will fuck you up.”

“Mia, watch your language around Nathaniel,” Lois admonished.

Mia turned to her mother with a look saying, “That’s what you took from this?”

Lois smiled, “Well, I was thinking more Mia Farrow.”

“Eww,” Seth looked at Lois, “Schooner is so Brad Pitt and thank God not Woody Allen.”

Mia sat silently in disbelief that this was the conversation after she had just dropped a bombshell. And then it hit them both.

“A sister?” Lois’ eyes filled with tears.

“Oh my God, oh my God,” Seth sat down on the other side of Mia, “I’m going to be an uncle again. Don’t just sit there BBC, tell us what is going on.”

“She’s three years old, almost four. She’s absolutely precious, personality to burn. She’s like a little ray of sunshine. I miss her already,” Mia’s smile was that of a mother talking about her child. “Oh, there’s my bag,” pointing to the carousel.

Seth jumped up and grabbed it, wheeling it back to them and sitting down, “What is her name?”

“Well, they call her Msikana.”

“What does that mean?” It was all beginning to sink in for Lois that she was about to have a granddaughter.

Mia’s eyes burned with tears, “It means ‘Baby Girl’.”

Both Lois and Seth gasped and Mia could feel Seth’s fingers digging into her upper arm.

“It’s a sign,” they said in stereo.

Mia nodded, “That was the first sign.”

“There’s more?” Lois was on the edge of her seat.

“Her birthday is September 11th.”

“Michael,” Lois took a sharp intake of breath, her hand reflexively flying to her mouth.

“Oh my God,” was all Seth could repeat, his grasp on Mia’s arm becoming tighter.

“We’re going to call her Portia. Portia Msikana,” Mia kissed Nathaniel’s head as tears started to flow.

“Portia. After Michael. Portman. It’s his initials reversed.” Seth tightened his jaw, trying to control the onslaught of emotion that was surfacing. “Does Schooner know?”

She nodded, “Schooner knows. He knows everything.”

“Everything?” Seth’s voice rose an octave.

“What is everything?” Lois asked.

“Trust me, Mom, you don’t need to know everything. Schooner, on the other hand, needed to know everything.”

“And he was ok? He still wants to marry you?” Seth broke the tension with a snark.

“Fuck you, Princess, of course he still wants to marry me.”

“God Angelina, you are such a touchy BBC.”

Mia sat back in the chair, Nathaniel now fast asleep on her shoulder, laughing, “I really missed you guys.”

“Back to Portia…” Lois was not going to let them get sidetracked.

“So, from the minute I met her, we just had this bond and then there was the ‘Baby Girl’ thing and when I found out that she was born on 9/11, it just felt like Michael was giving me signs. Signs that she should be mine. Mine and Schooner’s. And that it would be a way of honoring and memorializing him. If that makes sense.” Mia noticed that all the people from her flight were gone and passengers from the next flight to claim their luggage were arriving.

“When will Schooner be back with her?” Seth had finally let go of Mia’s arm.

“Hopefully in a few weeks. Zambia is non-Hague Agreement country and it’s very difficult to do international adoptions from there. Aaron Bender has legal contacts that work for USAID, which is part of the State Department, so we’re hoping between them and the contacts that Schooner has in Lusaka that we won’t have the typical red tape.”

Shaking her head, Lois looked at her daughter with deep pride, “The two of you go off to help build a physical therapy center and come home with a daughter. You two really are perfect for one another.”

“More than anyone can ever imagine.” Smiling, clearly reminiscing, “This one is definitely going to be daddy’s girl. You should see her with him. When he’s holding her in his arms, she dips her head down and looks up at him through her eyelashes,” Mia pulled out her phone, finally remembering she had photos and there it was, the scene she had just described.