Chapter12
Oscar looked at Tessa while she slept. She was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV with breathing machines coming out of her nose. She had experienced a terrible panic attack in the middle of the streets of Athens after having a confrontation with his ex-wife. All the while, he was away at work, leaving her all alone. The guilt he felt was intense, and he didn’t know how to forgive himself. Tessa started to open her eyes.
“What’s going on?” she asked from her scratchy voice.
“You’re in the hospital, honey. You had a really bad panic attack,” Oscar explained. A tear fell from his eyes, relieved that she was all right. The doctors had told him several times that she would be perfectly fine, but he was still pretty torn up about everything.
“Why do I have all this stuff in?” she asked, tugging at the cords sticking up her nose. She had experienced a panic attack before, but never one that sent her to the hospital.
“They just want to make sure the baby’s getting enough oxygen. You were pretty dehydrated too. They’re just doing everything they can to make sure you both get to go home safe,” Oscar explained. “Tessa, you have no idea how scared I was. I’m so sorry.” Oscar had moved to the hospital bed Tessa was lying in. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them. “I’m never leaving your side again, Tessa. As soon as you get better, I want us to leave for New York. I don’t care about the opening of the store or factory or anything else here. I only care about you and our child.”
“No, you have to be there for the store. I’m fine Oscar, really,” Tessa said. He seemed more upset than her at this point.
“No, I’m not letting you go alone. I couldn’t take it if anything else happened to you, Tessa. I promise I’m not going anywhere.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I’m taking a restraining order out on Lydia. You can be rest assured that she’ll never speak to you again. She had no business being there. I don’t even know what she was thinking. Don’t you worry, Tessa, don’t worry one bit.” Oscar was rambling at this point.
Tessa lifted herself up. She grabbed her stomach and felt her baby kick. She smiled and grabbed Oscar’s hand, placing it on her stomach. “I think they’re letting us know that they’re okay in there!”
After Tessa passed out, she didn’t remember much, but still had an idea of what happened. She remembered seeing the paparazzi and then the paramedics. They were all speaking in Greek, so she didn’t know exactly what they were discussing in the back of the ambulance. The entire time, she only thought about Oscar. The only thing she wanted was him next to her, so she felt instantly relieved when she woke up and he was there.
As a little girl, when Tessa would get scared, she would think of her mother. Even after graduating undergraduate school, she still saw her mother in times of panic and high anxiety. This time, the only face she saw was Oscar’s. Of course, like most people experiencing a panic attack, she thought she was dying. She just wanted to reach for her phone and call Oscar to let him know how much she loved him before she died. She ended up being perfectly fine, but in those moments of anxiety, it’s hard to see clearly.
She knew now more than ever that Oscar was the one for her. Everything that they had been through had only brought them closer. It felt like fate that they had lost each other but reunited once again in the very gallery that had brought them together. Everything that the media had to say about them and all the hateful words that Lydia had told her, she knew was all complete garbage. She knew how much she loved Oscar and she wasn’t going to let him go anywhere. She scooched over on the bed, so Oscar could lay next to her.
The nurse came in and asked if she needed anything, but she had everything she wanted right there in Oscar. Physically, they were a perfect match. His legs folded into hers so nicely on the bed that she would have been satisfied if they fused together. The way his arms wrapped around her felt like they were crafted specifically to hold her. She didn’t know that it was possible to feel this good while sharing a tiny hospital bed with someone.
Aside from being physically connected, the emotions she felt for him were so strong they almost scared her. There was just something about him that made her feel completely whole. He had everything that she had been searching for throughout her life and she knew that there was no way she was ever going to let him go.
The paparazzi didn’t matter. Lydia didn’t matter. Nothing meant anything to her besides Oscar and their baby. She would suffer a panic attack every day if she had to if it meant that Oscar would end up holding her at the end of the day.
“I really don’t know what I would have done if I would have lost you or the baby, Tessa,” Oscar said. “I almost fell over when I got the phone call. They said you were having trouble breathing and that it could affect the baby. I thought I was going to die right there.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gone out today. I should have just taken a bath. But I couldn’t stop the thoughts. I couldn’t stop thinking about what everyone else thought of us. What bad could happen if I lost you,” Tessa said. “I know now that none of that matters. The only thing that does is making sure that we’re all okay, together. I’m so sorry, Oscar. I never want to scare you like that.”
“Don’t be sorry, Tessa. I’m the one that did this to us. I’ve already talked to the rest of the board about finding someone to replace me. I’ll still own Legros but someone else can help open the store instead of me while we raise our baby. I want to direct all my focus towards you.”
She couldn’t be happier to hear him explain that. “I’ll be the stay-at-home dad while you go get your degree. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you and our daughter the happiest girls on the planet,” he replied.
“Hold up, daughter?” Tessa asked. She and Oscar had always agreed that they wouldn’t know the gender of the baby until it was born. They always referred to the baby as “it” or “them.”
“Oh, what did I say? I meant baby. Our baby,” Oscar said nervously. Tessa could tell when he was lying.
“What did you do, Oscar? What’s going on?” Tessa was getting angry that he was keeping the truth from her.
“Nothing Tessa, really. It was just a slip-up,” Oscar replied. Tessa was mad at him for lying but partially relieved that he wasn’t good at it. At least she would always know whether he was telling the truth.
“Oscar, I’m getting upset. I’m sure that’s not good for me and the baby.”
“Okay, okay. I might have peeked at the results last time we were at the doctor’s.”
“Oscar!” she yelled. “How could you?”
“I’m sorry, Tessa! I promise you I regretted it immediately and didn’t want to spoil the surprise for you!” Oscar said.
Tessa couldn’t stay mad at him for long. He was too cute in the way that he tried to pretend he didn’t know. Besides, she was having a daughter. How much happier could she be?
*****
Tessa Baker glowed in the sun, illuminating the streets of Athens beneath her balcony. Her short brown curls created a halo around her head as the sun reflected from her golden radiance. She truly could have been a Greek goddess herself atop the balcony, overlooking the busy street connected to her apartment building.
This time, she was standing on one of the highest balconies in Athens overlooking the city from a much higher distance than her original apartment. She took a long hard sip from her glass of lemonade. She wished she could enjoy one final glass of wine as she prepared to leave the city for several months, but the baby in her belly made that a terrible decision. She wiped her forehead. Though she had been in Greece for almost seven months, she still hadn’t gotten quite used to the heat.
When she arrived in Athens, she had only planned on staying for a week or so. She was on the greatest adventure of her life when she first laid eyes on the most handsome man she had ever seen. What she didn’t realize then was that he was actually the one who would be bringing in the adventure. Tessa had gone on her European vacation hoping to find something greater or learn a truth about herself.
She experienced some of the most difficult moments of her life, but she had certainly found something greater. She discovered a love that made her life on Earth make sense. She always felt like just a body drifting from place to place, but with the family she gained while in Athens, she started to feel whole. This love made her feel so great about herself and blessed to even be alive. The pain she felt at the same time didn’t hurt like the other emotions she felt.
It was a pain derived from fear, thinking about what she could lose. This fear only made her grow stronger and more passionate, realizing she couldn’t give up on her dreams or else she’d hurt the family around her. She felt everything so much deeper than she did before, allowing her to love even stronger.
The glass door leading inside slid open and Oscar walked out. “Hey gorgeous girl. We should probably leave, we don’t want to miss the flight, do we?”
Oscar had stuck to his word. Following Tessa’s hospital visit, he decided to step down and let someone else take over the opening of the store for a bit. He still made most of the decisions, but he was certainly dedicating all of his time and energy towards Tessa now, and she couldn’t be happier.
They were headed back to their apartment in New York with only a few months left to get their new home ready for the baby. Tessa felt strange going to a new place. Athens was her home now. She had been there for so long she forgot what life was like elsewhere. She was incredibly thrilled at the idea of starting her new life with Oscar, however.
She almost didn’t get the okay from her doctor to fly, as she was reaching her third trimester. He allowed it, however, as long as she promised to leave as soon as possible once she was done at the hospital.
Josiah had finished painting the nursery, and she knew the baby would have a great place to go once they returned to Athens. This was like her second home now, and she was eager to return even though she hadn’t left yet.
“Our flight doesn’t leave for another three hours. We have a little bit of time, don’t we?” Tessa asked.
“Better to be safe than sorry! And I heard traffic was bad.” Oscar was acting a little strange. Tessa figured it was just because he was nervous about returning to the States. She felt bad that he was missing the opening of the store, but she knew that it was what was best for their family, and from that moment on, that would always be the most important thing.
“Whatever you say, honey.” Tessa walked up and planted a big kiss on Oscar’s cheek. She walked into the apartment, took one last look around, and headed down the elevator.
Oscar already had a car waiting for them out front. As soon as they got in the car, Tessa’s phone started ringing. It was Maria. Hm, what could she want? Probably to say bye again, she thought.
Tessa and Oscar had spent their last night at Duka’s. They had a little “going away” party and spent the night dancing and singing in the restaurant where they fell in love. Her and Maria had a chance to hug it out and say their goodbyes, both weeping in their arms for what felt to Oscar like hours. She answered the call and said, “Hello?”
On the other line, Maria responded by saying, “Tessa, you need to come to the gallery quick.” She sounded incredibly anxious.
“Okay, what’s going on?” Tessa said, starting to get worried.
“I can’t say over the phone. It’s serious. Just get here ASAP.” Tessa was starting to get really scared. She hadn’t heard Maria sound so frightened in a while, maybe ever.
“What’s up?” Oscar asked. Tessa realized Maria had hung up on her.
“Do we have time to go to the gallery? It’s urgent,” Tessa responded.
“Of course,” Oscar said. They sped towards the gallery.
Tessa nervously thought about all of the possibilities that could be happening at the gallery. Did she do something wrong on her last day there? Were they going to yell at her? Was Maria in trouble? Why couldn’t she say what was going on over the phone?
Tessa thought about all of the horrible scenarios she might walk into. It seemed like every time her and Oscar were good, something would pop up. Lydia was certainly out of the picture at this point. The media had destroyed her after their public confrontation, saying that she bullied Tessa into the panic attack, causing her to almost lose her baby.
Oscar had successfully managed to get a restraining order against Lydia after their divorce had been finalized. They both couldn’t help but feel bad about it all, however. They were both so incredibly in love that it filled them with joy. They felt sad that Lydia had tried to ruin that, but they were definitely happier to know that she couldn’t bother them anymore.
The pulled up to the gallery and Tessa was anxious to get inside. Oscar’s phone started ringing.
“Oh, I have to take this. I’ll meet you inside if you’re not back out in five,” he said as he answered the phone. Tessa was a little annoyed that he was just going to wait in the car, but she was anxious to get in to see Maria.
When she walked in the gallery, no one was there. All of the overhead lights were off, and instead, the gallery was illuminated by several candles and fairy lights that had been strung around the walls. The exhibits that she remembered being there on her last day had been removed, and instead, the walls were filled with photographs. As she started walking around, she was suddenly overwhelmed when she realized what the photographs were of.
The first one was of Tessa and Oscar, taken on the night of their date at Duka’s. The next was a candid shot of them in their apartment, probably taken by Josiah. As Tessa walked around, she realized all of the photographs were of her and Oscar. Some she remembered taking, but others she had no idea that anyone there at the time was taking photographs.
She assumed Josiah and Maria had been the ones snapping pictures of the two of them. There were at least twenty photographs all throughout the gallery of her and Oscar. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She was still the only one in there at the time and though she didn’t know what was going on, she was still amazed to see all of the pictures in front of her. There was one, hanging on the very back wall of the gallery, that really pulled her in.
It was the fountain at the Athens park that her and Oscar had met on their very second date. Only this time, it wasn’t a photograph, but a painting. In the picture was Tessa and Oscar, staring at each other holding hands. When her eyes traveled to the corner of the painting, she realized that it was signed by Cronus!
“I think it’s his most amazing piece,” Oscar said. When Tessa turned around, he was standing right behind her.
“How did you, I don’t believe it. Is this really Cronus?” Tessa asked.
“I might know a guy. Or two,” Oscar said, not revealing how he managed to commission a piece from one of Athens’s most popular anonymous artists.
“Oh, Oscar!” Tessa said, running towards him.
“That’s not all I brought you here for,” he explained. She wanted to kiss him so bad, but she also wanted to hear what he had to say.
“Tessa, no one in my life has made me as happy as you. When I look at you, I just know that you’re the one.” Oscar knelt down and reached into his pocket. “Please tell me you feel the same. Tessa Baker, will you marry me?”
Tessa was overwhelmed. The last thing she ever thought would happen inside that gallery was a proposal! Especially to one of the world’s most well-known billionaires.
The only thing she could think to say was “Yes!”
He slid on a beautiful tear-drop diamond ring onto her hand. It was certainly heavy, but it didn’t seem overly showy like one might expect a billionaire’s fiancée to wear.
“Oh, Oscar. I can’t believe this.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve never been so happy in my life.”
Oscar leaned in and kissed her hard. “Me neither.” They stood right in front of the Cronus piece, kissing each other harder and more passionately than ever. They had shared their first kiss in front of a piece like that on a night that Tessa thought would just be a one-night stand. Instead, she ended up pregnant and was now in front of this piece kissing the man she was going to be spending the rest of her life with. She felt like she was dreaming.
They stood there and kissed for what felt like a second, but Tessa realized they had been in the gallery for at least thirty minutes.
“Is the driver still out there?” Tessa asked.
“Yeah, he’s not going anywhere,” Oscar said, leaning in to kiss her again. “We really should go, though. I don’t want us to miss our flight!”
Tessa smiled, kissed him again, and grabbed his hand. They started walking towards the door when she said, “Wait, what about the painting?”
“I’ll have all the pictures sent to our apartment. Don’t worry about it! Let’s go!” He squeezed her hand and led her back into the car.
Tessa couldn’t believe what had happened. She thought about herself as a young girl, wondering if she would ever find someone out there that would be able to love her. She struggled to love herself, so how could she expect anyone else to see her beauty? Despite having struggles with her appearance and overall self-worth, Oscar was still able to love her better than anyone else had ever in her entire life.
She thought about the boys that she dated in the past and how there were men that she thought she might love. She realized she had no idea what love meant until she met Oscar. She felt love for her mother and sister, and her other friends like Maria. This was different, though. She definitely had that admiration, respect, and compassion for Oscar, but what she felt for him was more than just that. She was in LOVE, not just infatuated, or interested. She had given all of herself to Oscar without him ever asking that of her. He had done the same, and together, they were going to make amazing parents to their little baby girl.
“You know, now that we know we’re having a daughter, maybe it’ll be a little easier to name her,” Oscar said.
“That’s true. Have you thought of any good names recently?” Tessa asked.
“Hmm, maybe Penelope?” Oscar said.
“Nah, I knew this weird girl in kindergarten named Penelope. She picked her nose too much,” Tessa responded. They both laughed. They were pulling up to the airport by now. “What about Destiny?”
“Too obvious,” Oscar responded. “Grace?”
“Hmm, I don’t think so.” They had arrived at the airport at this point, so the conversation was on hold. “We still have time, though!” Tessa said. They walked into the airport and Tessa immediately started walking towards security. They were having their things shipped, so Tessa only had to worry about taking a small carry-on back to New York with her. They had planned on buying all new things once they returned to the city.
“No, this way,” Oscar stated. He led her down a different hallway that had been tucked away from the public. When they entered, there were only a few other people inside a large warehouse-like room. Someone walked up and grabbed Tessa’s bag. Another person that looked like a security guard walked up to them both and ran a metal detector over them both.
“Careful of the baby,” Oscar said. The guard shook his head and lightly passed over Tessa’s belly. They then walked towards a door across the long room and Oscar led her out. They were suddenly outside, and Tessa saw a small plane sitting in front of them. “We’re flying private, remember?” Oscar told Tessa.
She didn’t realize that they had their very own plane. She figured they would just be first class. They walked towards the plane and once she got on, she realized they would have the entire cabin to themselves.
The pilot had still come on over the speakers to remind them of the safety precautions, but it was certainly the most luxurious she had ever felt on a plane. She was relieved to know that this incredibly long flight would at least be comfortable.
The plane started to take off. Reality started to hit Tessa, but for the first time in her life, she didn’t start to panic. Normally, when she was reminded of the future, she would get overwhelmed with anxiety. It was hard to know what the future held and what important decisions she needed to make to ensure she had a good future. Those thoughts made her feel sick sometimes.
Not anymore. When she thought of her future, she only felt excited. She used to wonder where she was going to end up or what she might do with her life. Now, when she looked ahead, she only saw Oscar and knew that no matter what ended up happening, she would always have him right by her side. She couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle and become his wife. He had already made her a mother, and for that, she would always be grateful.
She looked over at Oscar sitting next to her. Though they were on an empty plane with about a dozen seats, he was still sitting right next to her, holding her hand. She looked out the window and saw the city of Athens get smaller as they slowly flew away. She thought about how lucky she was to have found love in such a beautiful city.
Something about Greece made falling in love so much easier to do. She normally held back and was scared to let her emotions drive her decisions. She was able to forget about all of that fear and really put herself out there and into Oscar’s life. If she had been back in New York, she might have been more scared.
Then again, who knows what would have happened if her and Oscar had met in any other circumstances. She believed now more than ever in soulmates and felt that Oscar was made for her. She knew that no matter where she first saw those crystal blue eyes, she would have fallen deeply for him. It didn’t matter that he was incredibly handsome and could have been a model. All of his money and wealth meant absolutely nothing to Tessa. The only thing she cared about was the person that was him, just him. The way he made her feel so beautiful when she had just woken up and needed a shower. The way that he was always protecting her whenever she was scared or in danger.
Tessa spent a good portion of her life being independent and always taking care of herself. Her mother and sister were an amazing support system, but even when funds were running low or she was feeling emotionally drained, she would still keep a lot to just herself. It could be exhausting at times, and that feeling of loneliness would sometimes feel like it would never go away.
That wasn’t the case once she met Oscar. She would always have that storm inside her tearing things up and making stressful situations more difficult. She knew now that she was with Oscar how to make those thoughts of self-doubt and fear quiet. He helped her blossom into the most amazing version of herself possible. She leaned over and looked at Oscar. He gave her a comforting smile and a soft kiss on her cheek. She looked back out the window and took one final look at the city that had treated her so well.
“What’s going on in that gorgeous head of yours?” Oscar asked. He had such an amazing way of always making Tessa feel special.
“What do you think about the name Athena?” Tessa had finally realized the perfect name for their baby girl.
“I can’t imagine a better name.” Oscar leaned in and kissed Tessa. They spent the rest of the ride holding each other.
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