Chapter 6

Finn and Meryl were right; Gale was dead tired.

It was a total of 49 hours trip instead of 38 hours like G****e Maps said. He didn't expect the trip would take that long. He forgot that human needs to sleep at least for 8 hours a day. Tiredness took over him and he had to stay the night at the nearest motel he could find after 16 hours driving more or less (Because Gale was a git; no B&B would take him in without a reservation. He thought he didn't need to stop at B&B and could easily sleep in his car if he needs to. What a stupid notion.)

The motel was located somewhere in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

At least the bed was comfortable. The night he spent there was a dreamless night. He slept like a baby and honestly it was relieving and he needed the rest so much. Gale was determined to continue the trip before seven am. And so he did. He checked out from the motel at six. He drove for another 23 hours with around 1 to 2 hours accumulated rest on the side of the road to stretch his muscle. No sleep at all. This kind of long trip definitely needs to be done by two or more people, so they can save time by switching drivers. Again; Finn and Meryl were right.

It was already morning when Gale pulled up on Ben's curb. He has just exited his car when he heard the door of the house he will be staying in for the next twenty days open. "Gabriel! You little shit!" Ben exclaimed happily as he strode out of his house, despite the nickname he used to call Gale.

He was so tired, he really needed a shower and then sleep before doing anything but that was proved to be impossible because by the time Ben reached him with a toothy grin plastered across his face; Gale was suddenly engulfed in a tight embrace, and he couldn't help but laugh and hugs his cousin back.

"Thank you, Lord this dumbass has finally arrived... I thought he went missing!" Ben said loudly. A hint of humour in his voice; Ben knows Gale was not missing because they had talked in a phone call until Gale's phone died ten minutes ago. He had to ask locals how to get to Ben's house because even though he remembers the address – he was unfamiliar with the town.

"Oh Lord, I thought I am the one who suffered amnesia. Turns out it's my cousin!" Gale countered back with dark humour that made Ben stop snickering but those perfect teeth still in a full show of his famous grin.

Ben stepped back and holds Gale by the shoulders. Then he rolled his eyes. "Don't exaggerate. I was only joking."

"I know," Gale grinned. "Mee too."

"Ohhh boy, you don't know how happy I am to finally see you after a year and a half! You fucking nerd! Stop locking yourself in that small office of yours!" Ben gave a firm squeeze and drop his hand to the side.

"Sorry," Gale doesn't sound sorry at all. "And I am so happy to see you too!"

The front door of the house opens again, revealing Molly who looks at Gale like she couldn't believe he was real. "Gale! Oh my goodness, I can't believe you're really here!" She jogs a little toward where Gale and Ben were standing on the side of the car but before she could hug Gale, he stopped her.

"Wait! Pass the baby to Ben. I'm so dirty, I haven't taken a shower in 25 hours. Not that I stink, but I let down my window most of the time so I'm covered in dust and dirt from the road. I don't want to touch her while I'm still dirty."

And so, Molly gave the baby to her husband and when she's sure Dani was safely tucked so no mosquito could bite her; she turned on her heels and gave Gale a bone-crushing hug.

"We missed you so much!"

"I miss you guys too... God, it's been so long since I last saw you." Gale said softly to the older woman.

Ben who watched the whole thing was smiling gently.

Molly pulled away and looks at Gale with glee but then her face dropped. Her brows furrowed.

"Gale, when was the last time you sleep?" She interrogated.

Gale wipes down his face with both hands. He finally brought back to the fact that he was extremely exhausted. "About 25 hours ago," he said.

Molly and Ben's face turned hard. "Gale, are you crazy? Come on inside, you need to rest." Ben chimed from behind Molly who looked at Gale in disbelief.

"Okay, let me get my-"

"Leave it, we’ll take care of your things."

"But I need clean clothes to change," Gale argues.

"I will prepare it for you real quick. You don't mind if I open your luggage, don't you?"

Gale sighed. "Yes, of course, I don't mind. I just don't want to trouble you too much." He looked back and forth between Molly and Ben. Their faces softened. Then Ben gave back the baby to his wife.

"You are not. We love taking care of you. Give me the key." Ben assured Gale as he took the key from him and patted another hand to his left shoulder. "You can use the bathroom upstairs; it's on the left, third door from the stairs. Go now."

Ben shooed Gale away as he walks to the car.

Gale walked fast to get inside the house that was supposed to be filled with memories and yet he doesn't remember anything. It gives him a pang in his heart that before the accident; he had a whole big family. This has been very hard for both Gale and Ben.

He saw the stairs and ascends them two at a time. Despite the sadness that he felt because he couldn't remember anything that this house stored; he also couldn't wait to be rid of any clothing he wears since he left the motel and relaxed under the shower. When he reached the bathroom and enters it, he locked the door and stripped immediately. He stood under the shower and let the cold water pouring on him. It helps relieve the tightness and soreness of his whole body from driving. He releases a sigh of relief.

This is very nice.

He finished quickly and when he was drying himself with a fresh towel that was neatly folded on top of the counter; he heard a knock on the door.

"Gale, your clothes," Ben said from the other side of the door.

"Wait a sec," he covers himself with the towel around his waist and opened the door.

Ben was waiting with his clothes in his hands. The man's eyes grew wide as he inspects Gale's body.

"You certainly not always in that office of yours," Ben commented teasingly.

Gale rolled his eyes and huffed. "Of course. Give me my clothes, old man."

"Just because I am a dad now, that doesn't mean I'm old."

"Yes but you're older than me," Gale said with a smirk.

"Yeah, whatever," Ben said with a feigned offence but then his face turned confused. "You still haven't told me what made your engagement with Meryl ended. I mean-" Ben look at Gale from head to toe and whistled. "If I were attracted to men and have a fiance like yourself – I wouldn't let you go."

"It's complicated. She had been through a lot because of me." Gale explained curtly.

Ben inspects the reaction from his cousin and got more confused. He was so nonchalant. But he decided it wasn’t the right time to interrogate his tired cousin. "Okay, you take a rest. We can catch up tomorrow. Are you hungry, though? Molly can make you something simple to eat before sleep."

Gale shook his head. "I'm fine, I'll just go straight to bed."

"Okay, your room is there," Ben pointed to the door across the bathroom.

Gale only nodded and gave Ben a tight smile and Ben turned around to leave but was stopped when Gale called. "Hey, can you text Finn or Meryl? Tell them I already arrived. My phone is dead."

"Sure. All your stuff already inside the room. Plug your phone."

"Okay, thanks again, Ben."

Ben only smiled and wiggled his eyebrows before he descends the stairs and leaves Gale.

-----

"Morning," Gale greeted Ben who was seated in the dining room with a laptop in front of him.

"It's barely morning," Ben replied with a snort.

Gale rolled his eyes. "It's eleven am, it's still morning for me." He yawned.

"You can sleep some more, you know," Ben pointed to the plate that is covered with a lid. Gale opened the lid and found his breakfast.

"I know, but I don't sleep much – three hours is enough. I'll sleep again later. Thanks for the breakfast by the way. Where's Molly?" He asked while munching his sandwich.

"Outside. She hasn't gone inside after sunbathing Dani since four hours ago. She loves the breeze." Ben said with a smile but still focused on the laptop.

"Jesus, it's Sunday. Stop working, Ben."

"Speak for yourself. I was just checking my emails." Ben said as he closed the laptop. "Eat quickly. I want you to meet my baby girl."

As soon as Gale finished his coffee; Ben got up and leads the way to the patio in the backyard of his house. Molly was seated in one of the chairs – reading a book and the baby crate was situated beside her. No wonder she loves to stay outside. The air was clean and fresh and the wind was so good. When she heard someone approaching and noted Ben walking together with Gale; she smiled brightly at them.

She stood up and walked slowly towards them.

"Hey, you. Feeling better?" She asked Gale.

He nodded his head gratefully. "I am fully recharged. How are you guys? I'm sorry I was so tired, I didn't get the chance to ask."

"We are very happy and happier that you finally here!" She exclaimed. "Come, meet my beautiful girl." Molly tugged on Gale's arm and he goes willingly. He couldn't wait to cradle the baby in his arms.

When he peered inside the crate; his heart melted.

The baby inside it – Dani – she was delicate. Her dark brown skin looked very soft. The dark curls on her head were so puffy and she wears a little bandana around her head.

Absolutely beautiful.

Gale felt like crying when her little hands reaching up as if she wants to touch him. Her brown eyes looking straight at him and a small toothless smile make her even more adorable.

"Oh my God, she's so precious. Can I hold her?" Gale cooing at the baby and makes her giggle.

"Of course," Mary said kindly. She stepped aside and lets Gale take the baby from the crate.

Gale lifts Dani and carefully holds her in his arms. He looks at her for a long time and his eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

A sense of longing sparkling inside of his chest. He never realized it before, but he really wanted his own family after losing the one that he had and forgotten about them. He wanted to build his own family and thought he would build it with Meryl but then things happened.

The engagement broke off, and now he's a single man searching for a mythical woman named Ava Shelley.

A tear slipped out of Gale's lid without him noticing. He was so focused staring at little Dani who seems to like his hair so much.

Strangers who see them would think that Gale was just a friend because he was the only one with different skin colour here. Ben and Molly are black and he is white. But no matter what people say, Ben and Molly are his family and he wouldn't trade them with anything in this world.

"Why are you crying?" Ben asked teasingly but his own eyes were glistening.

"I'm crying?" Gale asked back, totally not realizing the feeling of tears streaming down his face.

"Yes, you are," Molly confirmed.

Then Gale laughs as he wipes his wet cheeks with one of his hands. The sight of Dani was too overwhelming. He was very happy for Ben and Molly to finally have a child but there's another feeling that was making him sad in a way that he doesn't quite understand.

"I'm sorry," Gale said while sniffling, finally the snot came out. "I am just extremely happy for you guys."

"Thank you, Gale," Ben said sincerely while circling his hand around Gale's shoulders.

"She's a sweet little thing, isn't she? I'm so grateful to be able to give birth to such a beautiful, healthy baby as her. She's my world." Molly remarks dreamily.

"She's a miracle." Still cooing Dani, Gale suddenly commented. "I'm glad you look like your Mama, little Dani... You are absolutely beautiful just like her."

"Hey, she got my eyes!" Ben interjected with a mock offence.

"I didn't say she doesn't have your eyes." Gale teased Ben and made Molly held back laughter.

"You know he's just joking. Dani has your eyes and they're very beautiful." Molly tried to reassure Ben.

"I know he did," Ben replied with a fond smile while looking at Gale and his daughter.

"Oh, I want a baby for myself..." Gale suddenly chimed absentmindedly.

Ben then bark out a loud laugh.

Molly looks at her husband curiously and Gale just raised one eyebrow confusedly.

"Sorry," Ben said as he controlling his breath. "You do realize to get one of these;" Ben pointed to his daughter. "You need a partner, right?"

"Well, that's not necessarily true. Yes, if I want to have my own biological children. However, I could just sign up for adoption. It might take a while, but I literally could become a single parent to an orphan baby." Gale argued critically.

"You are right. But that can only work when you adopt a child around eight to seventeen years old. Having a baby as a single parent? That's the same as suicide. Unless you have other relatives that willing to take care of the baby when you go to work which in your case you don't have in Toronto because I live here." Bash countered. "And... I'm not trying to force you to tell us what happened between you and Meryl but I think we deserve an explanation."

"Ben was right, Gale. Raising a child is not an easy thing. You need all the help you can get." Molly looks at him concernedly.

Gale sighed. He thought that he could stall the explanation until maybe a week after his arrival but he should know better... That Ben couldn't wait any longer. He had been patiently waiting for an explanation since April. And Gale managed to dodge them with an excuse of being busy at the hospital.

This is inevitable. He would tell them today about what happened with Meryl – what had caused the separation and how Ava Shelley took a big part in it.