Chapter 18
The days carried on and we were growing stronger as a family. Nicolai was a handful, but it was great. While I was painitng in my studio Teddy came in carrying Nic.
"He seems relaxed" I said surprised to see him sleeping.
"I was just singing to him with my guitar."
"Oh, that explains it. Your songs could make anyone fall asleep" I said jokingly.
He laughed and sat down in a rocking chair near the window. I loved watching the two of them together.
"Stay right there, just like that" I said to Ted. "I want to paint a picture of you two."
We sat there long into the night. Every once in a while I would blow Ted a kiss.
"Finished" I said surveying my work. "Come look at it."
"It looks amazing" he said studying the picture.
"We should put it up in the living room" he suggested.
"I think I know just the place for it" I said carrying it to the living room.
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"Natalie! Are you ready to go yet?" My mom called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Yea, I'm just getting Nic's bottle ready" I shouted back.
I was flying back to LA with my mom and Nicolai to visit my friends and family. And of course to show off Nic. Teddy had to stay behind to finish up his album. It was complete for the most part, he just needed to write the last song.
I gave Teddy the biggest hug and kiss before leaving. I had never had such a hard time before.
"I love you and I'll miss you very much" I said looking into his eyes. As I was turning to board the plane, he took me into his arms one last time.
"You are the love of my life Natalie." His eyes sparkled as he said it.
"You are mine" I said with another kiss.
Teddy was on my mind the entire trip. His words had seemed so passionate. I knew he loved me, he had said it a billion times before. There was something about the way he looked when he said it this time. It was different.
Holly and Lisa went crazy when they saw Nicolai.
"This is the cutest baby I have ever seen!" Holly announced.
"He looks so much like both of you" Lisa commented. They were over at my family's house to have dinner with us.
We were in the middle of a game of charades when my dad when my dad walked out holding the phone.
"Natalie" my dad called with a shaky voice. I walked into the kitchen where he was standing. I could definitely tell something was not right.
"Dad? What is it?" He lead me upstairs to his room and shut the door behind him.
"Dr. Fidel was on the phone." "Natalie............................" There was a very long silence before my dad spoke up again.
"Teddy has passed away."
With those words I felt my whole world come crashing down around me. I stood there and just stared, before falling to the floor in a fit of tears.
"He can't be gone dad! He's at home working on his album!" He is waiting for me and Nic to come home!"
I could feel my stomach beginning to turn. I went to the bathroom to be sick.
"I'll pack your things" he said through the door.
When I came downstairs everyone was staring at me. I could see that they had all been crying too. I gathered my things and Nic and headed back to the airport. I was silent the entire way back. my thoughts were crashing into eachother, nothing was clear.
I went directly to the hospital to talk to Dr. Fidel.
"I'm very sorry for your loss" he said with sad eyes. "I'm going to need to run some tests on you and your son."
"Why is that necessary?" I asked curiously.
"He never told you?"
I began to feel panicked. "No, told me about what?"
"Teddy had AIDS, he had contracted it from his previous relationship, but neither of them knew."
My head floated away into space after I heard what Teddy had died from.
"He came here for a checkup and when he did we found the virus." I expected he would have told you."
I had a million questions running through my mind. Why didn't he tell us? Why hadn't he received treatment? Did he want to leave us?
After goign through a series of tests both of us came back negative for the virus.
"You are very lucky to not have contracted the virus." "This is some sort of miracle for you two."
"Thank you Dr. Fidel, but I've got to be going now. I'm not much in the mood for conversation."
When I stepped into our home all I could do was hope that this was some kind of nightmare. I wished I could wake up from all of it. I was angry at Ted for not telling me and not getting treated. I also knew that things happened for a reason.
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A few months after Teddy's passing I was slowly recouperating. His producer had called me and asked me to retrieve his album so it could be released. I know it is what he would have wanted to happen. I hadn't been down here since before he had died. I couldn't bring myself to do it until now.
I looked around at everything. It was just they way it had always looked. I sat down on his piano bench and rumaged through the papers and demos. I finally found the new album. I wasn't even sure if he had managed to finish it. I put it in the cd player and listened.
The songs that played were lovely and filled with emotion. He was so passionate about his music. I turned the case over to look at the track listing. The very last song was titled "Natalie." I skipped ahead to listen to it. The words were the most beautiful I had ever heard. I sat there and cried for a long time.
Not a day goes by that I don't think or dream of him. I still remember his sparkling blue eyes and his soft touch on my lips. The words of his songs still put my aching heart at ease. When I am alone at night and my pain is the greatest I call for him and his love returns to me.
THE END
Well that is my story! I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Tell me what you thought of it all. If I should write another or not!
It was fun!
