Chapter 39: I Missed You

Chapter 39: I Missed You Abigail’s heart raced as she pushed open the door to the ladies’ restroom at an upper floor of the airport and stepped inside. The space was quiet except for the distant airport noise filtering in through the vents. She glanced around, her heart pounding in anticipation. She had no idea who this woman was, what she looked like or what she had to say, but she had a feeling it would change everything. Taking a deep breath, she moved to the sink and pretended to wash her hands, all the while stealing glances at the mirrors, scanning the reflection of the restroom’s entrance. Nothing. No one unusual. She dried her hands and stepped to the side, leaning against the wall. Minutes passed. The anxiety coiling in her stomach tightened with every tick of the clock. What if she had misunderstood the text? What if this was some kind of setup? She couldn’t be here for too long since Ryan knew the time of her flight and she was very certain he knew she had arrived by now. She bit her lip, her fingers tapping against her thigh. Just when she was considering leaving, her phone buzzed. Her breath hitched. She snatched it up and opened the message. It was a text from the anonymous lady: [Too many eyes at the airport. Had to leave. We’ll meet another time.] Abigail’s grip on her phone tightened. Frustration flared in her chest. She had come all this way, heart racing, only for this woman to disappear? She quickly typed a response. [What eyes? Are you hiding from someone? Who was watching? Can’t you just tell me over the phone? When can we meet again?] She waited. No reply. She clenched her jaw, her pulse hammering in her ears. She had been so close to finding answers, only to be left with more questions. Coward. If she was going to bail out this way then she never should have contacted her in the first place. With a deep breath, Abigail shoved her phone into her pocket and turned toward the exit. Her steps were brisk, fueled by irritation and disappointment. As she stepped out of the restroom, she stopped by the security checkpoint where she had left her luggage asking them to keep an eye on it, and after picking them up, she made her way toward the airport’s main exit. She stopped her in her tracks when something— or rather, someone— caught her attention. Ryan. Her heart almost flew out of her chest when she saw him standing there, looking every bit the distinguished gentleman everyone in the country knew him to be. Was he the person the lady had run from? She mused, but she didn’t have the time to dwell on it when her gaze fell on the little one standing beside Ryan. Her frustration melted away in an instant. Just then Ryan saw her, and he said something to Josh before pointing in her direction. Abigail watched as Josh’s face lit up when he spotted her, his hands flew into the air as he waved enthusiastically. "Abi!" Abigail’s lips curved into a wide smile, her entire body suddenly feeling light, as if she could float. She barely noticed Ryan anymore. Josh took off running toward her, and she felt a laugh bubbling in her throat at the sight of his excited little feet carrying him as fast as they could. She let go of her luggage and met him halfway, catching him in her arms and lifting him off the ground. She spun him slightly, ruffling his golden curls as a deep warmth spread through her chest. Oh, how she had missed her baby. Although Ryan had made sure they did video calls daily even though it was only to stare at each other’s face and most times Ryan interpreted her sign language to Josh and he responded. Now she wanted to tell Josh that she missed him so very much. She wanted to whisper how much she loved him. But all she could do was smile. She desperately wished he knew that she was his mother and not his sister. She wished he called her Mom and not Abi. But she knew without a doubt that the time for that would come, and for now she had to endure a little longer. When she set him down, he pulled back slightly and looked up at her with bright hazel eyes. Then, to her complete shock, he raised his hands and signed: [I missed you.] Abigail’s breath caught. Her eyes flickered to Ryan, her lips parting in disbelief. Ryan gave her a small smile. "He said he wanted to learn how to sign so he could communicate with you. I also wanted him to be able to communicate with you easily since I might not always be around to interpret and I do not want to have to get an interpreter either, so I made him learn to sign. He wanted to surprise you in person so we have kept it a secret for a while now." A lump formed in Abigail’s throat. Her vision blurred. She turned back to Josh and cupped his face, her fingers trembling before she signed back: [I missed you very much. How are you? You are almost as tall as I am now.] Josh giggled at the obvious fib. [I’m a big boy now. I can ride my bike without help now!] A watery chuckle escaped her as she pulled him into another hug, squeezing him tighter. [That’s wonderful. I can’t wait to see you ride one.] she signed as she pulled back to look into his face. Josh beamed up at her, his small hands squeezing hers. Ryan watched the scene before him with a pleased smile. He was happy to see that she was back and his plan worked very well. Abigail looked like a completely different person now and no one would ever guess she was Dawn. And seeing how she was very much attached to Josh, he knew without a doubt that she wouldn’t think of defying him if she wanted to remain in Josh’s life.