Michael by Kirby Elaine

myself that this trip was for me. Instead I walked towards my husband and he stood raking his hair back and smiling. I couldn’t stand how undeniably gorgeous he was in nothing but his swim trunks and sunglasses. I immediately embraced him and he didn’t hesitate to pull me tightly against him.
    “This is going to be hard.” He whispered.
    “Which part, the diaper changing or the missing me?” I asked looking up at the man who easily exceeded six feet.
    “Both. But mostly the being without you part. I thought that I was coming home to you and you leave two days after I come in. I don’t know how to do this.”
    “Well, you’re going to have to figure this out. You have a company to run and children to rear. You’ll hardly realize that I’m gone. I promise.” I smiled and pecked his lips.
    “Call me every night?” He pecked me back.
    “I’ll try.”
    “Send me pictures?” He poked his bottom lip out.
    “Yes.”
    “Are you sure you two don’t want the plane?”
    “Yes Michael. I can survive first class.” I laughed.
    “Okay. I love you, Krishna Scott.”
    “I love you, Michael Scott.” He pinched my bottom before enveloping me in a kiss. I was glad that my bags were packed else I would have been persuaded to stay in that very second. I pulled away from him to see we had an audience and I was sure that I was blushing from head to toe as Michael grabbed my hand and walked me to the car with Abi.
    “Take care of her.” He said to Abi who was standing outside the open driver’s side door looking over the roof of his rented Audi.
    “She’s my sister. I’ll have a constant eye on her. I’m staying in Canada for as long as she needs to be there. Business can wait.” Abi smiled.
    “See.” I whispered to Michael as I embraced him a final time. “I’ll be fine.”
    “I know.” He mumbled back and pulled away. “Be safe, call me when you land.”
    I ducked into the car and fastened my belt watching Michael stand there hands in pocket. He gave Abi a nod and then we were off towards the airport.
    “He’s a little overprotective of you, isn’t he?” Abi asked with a laugh.
    “He’s like that with all the women in his life. He was the only child of a single mother; it’s just how he was raised.”
    “Only child? I thought he was Liam’s brother.”
    “You’re obviously blind if you can’t see the genetic differences.” I laughed.
    “Michael seriously looks like a tanner darker haired version of Liam. They look identical otherwise.” He rebutted.
    “Really?” I tried to picture the two side by side but I couldn’t see the similarities outside of their crooked smiles.
    “Really! You might know them too well to see it. So what’s their story?”
    “Michael and Liam and Leah, who are twins by the way, have the same father. Michael went to live with them when he was a teenager, his mother died and he wanted to know Michael Scott Sr. so he made that decision on his own to go there and become a part of that family. It’s a crazy hectic story. But long story short, they’re best of friends. And both are very protective.”
    “They all seem like a great bunch.”
    “They are. They have been great to me. I love having a big family.” I smiled thinking about how far we’ve come.
    “And your kids are beautiful. That little Lincoln is quite a handful.”
    “She really took to you. Which is great, I hope you’ll get to spend more time with them.”
    “Uncle Abi. Never thought I’d see the day.” He smiled, almost to himself.
    “What was it like for you growing up?” I wanted to know what I had missed and a part of me felt like I was betraying my parents for feeling that way.
    “Well, my father was pretty affluent. I had his expectations to meet left and right. My parents were very strict and pushed me to excel in school. I didn’t have much of a childhood.”
    “That sucks.”
    “Yeah, it did. But looking back, I’m grateful for it. I get to play a lot now because my father