SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER US
(BY DEYSE)
Roma removed the thermometer from under Reilly’s little arm and after checking her daughter’s temperature she frowned with great concern: the fever was still high. She and the TBAA cast were filming an episode of season 7 at a different location, far from Salt Lake city and, especially on that occasion there was nobody who could take care of the little girl, so the actress had no other choice but to take Reilly with her.
“The fever is still high...” she said, and took a cup of water mixed with medicine that she had just prepared, “... here, drink this, sweetheart...”
They were staying in a hotel room with two single beds, one next to the other, and some of Reilly’s toys were spread on the carpeted floor. But now, being ill, the talkative little girl had lost some of her usual cheerfulness and, somewhat weakly she sat up straight and took the funny looking cup, one of the many little presents given by her beloved ‘uncle Johnny’.
“What is it, mommy?”
“It’s medicine so that you can get better soon, honey.”
She drank the liquid and grimaced at its taste, “Yuck! It tastes bad!”
“Yes, I know that, dear, but it’s good to heal your fever.”
“Can I have a candy?”
Roma shook her head, “Oh God! I’m so sorry, sweetie, I forgot to buy them... I was so worried about you and in such a hurry to come back to the hotel with the medicine that I completely forgot!”
“You didn’t have to run, mommy. Auntie Della was here with me.”
“Yes, but I know she was eager to go and pack her bags; she wants to go home as soon as possible.”
“I know, uncle Frank is ill too!”
Suddenly, a light knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Roma stood up and opened it a second later: it was her co-worker and dearest friend John Dye. An unexplainable but yet very pleasant sensation of relief and happiness invaded her troubled heart, as if that always so kind man could bring her all the reassurance she needed at that very moment.
And seeing him standing at the door, looking at her with caring and tender green eyes, Roma became aware that the feeling inside her heart had been a constant one in the last few years.
“Roma... hey... I came to see Reilly, how is she?” he said, and she didn’t miss his sincere concern for her little daughter, one of the many reasons why she was so fond of him.
“Johnny, come in, please. The fever is still high, you know. I just gave her some medicine.” She explained, guiding him up to the bed, where a smiling little girl greeted him with bright hazel eyes, “Uncle Johnny! You came to see me?” she asked, in a lower voice than the usual, but with the same enthusiasm she always had whenever she met that gentle man.
“Of course I came to see you, my little princess!” he answered, kneeling on the floor, next to her bed, and placing a kiss on her forehead. “I’m worried about you, honey.”
“I’m a wee bit ill, ya know...”
John and Roma, who had just sat down on the edge of the bed, exchanged an amused glance, and he couldn’t help chuckling at the little girl’s wording. As a matter of fact, he found it rather cute, especially because he knew very well from whom she had inherited that way of speaking.
“I know, sweetie, and I’m hoping and praying that you get better very soon. I like to see my little one smiling and playing around!”
“I’ll get better for you and mommy, I promise.” Reilly spoke, with a very serious face. John stroked her curly hair with tenderness, “We know you will, don’t we, Roma?”
“Yes, we do, honey.”
“But while you’re still healing, I brought you something to cheer you up...” He placed a small bag he was carrying with him on Reilly’s lap and the curious little girl looked inside: there was a package of candies, some chocolate bars, small clothes for Alice (Reilly’s inseparable teddy bear), a memory game and a puzzle with Disney’s characters.
“Mommy! Look!” she exclaimed with amazement, as if holding a precious treasure in her hands.
Extremely moved with his kind gesture, Roma shook her head, “Oh John, you didn’t have to do it...”
“But mommy you said that you forgot to buy the candies and I need them cuz the medicine tastes bad!”
Amused with Reilly’s straightforwardness, John raised his eyebrows and looked at Roma, “Do I need to say anything else?”
Roma smiled and her eyes met his glance, “Thank you so much, Johnny.”
Reilly stretched her little arms and gave him a hug, “Yes, thank you, uncle Johnny. We love you, don’t we, mommy?”
Neither Roma nor John knew what to say or where to look with that question, which caused them a sudden embarrassment, and the Irish actress immediately felt the colour rising on her cheeks. Nevertheless, she smiled and nodded her head, decided to act as normally as possible. “Of course we do, honey!” and then she tried to change the subject, “When are you leaving?”
“Della, Martha and the rest of the guys are getting ready to go; they’ll leave soon.”
“What about you?” she asked, a bit confused.
“I’m staying here with you, Roma.”
The actress stared at him and felt a lump rising in her throat – it was as if at that very moment she had realised not only how much she needed that man, but also how much she loved him. “John... you...”
“I’m not gonna leave you two here and don’t you even try to convince me of the contrary because I’m not coming back to Salt Lake knowing that Reilly is ill and you’re here alone with her.”
Seeing the fierce protectiveness in his eyes, Roma elected to accept his company and the strength he was offering her. She reached out and held his hand with a grateful and moved look in her eyes. “Thank you.”
“You’re more than welcome, sweetie,” he replied, tenderly rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand. Reilly was attentively looking at their intertwined hands and smiled excitedly.
“Are you staying here with us, uncle Johnny?”
“Yes, my princess!” he smiled at her, without letting go of Roma’s hand.
“Oh cool! Mommy can give you an extra pillow and a blanket and you can stay here in my bed, I’ll sleep with her!”
He and Roma couldn’t help but laughing at the little girl’s words and the blond actor took her tiny hand, “Oh baby, I’m honoured with your offer but I guess I’ll stay in my own bedroom. It’s just in front of this one.”
Reilly’s face fell with a bit of disappointment, “Why can’t you stay here with us?”
“Well, because I snore very loudly and you and your mom wouldn’t be able to sleep!”
“Oh...” she looked at their conjoined hands once again an then back to them, “... But when you two get married mommy’s gonna hear you snoring anyway...”
If Reilly’s previous question had embarrassed them, now the couple of actors didn’t know where to hide their faces, as both were very, extremely blushed. Fortunately, for them, there was a knock on the door and Roma quickly let go of the blond actor’s hand, rushing to open it: it was Della and Martha.
“Hey baby, we came to see how Reilly is,” the oldest actress spoke, and Roma wasted no time in sending them in.
“Come in, she’s still with a high fever and I’ve just given her some medicine; I’ll have to wait a little...”
The two women came closer to Reilly’s bed, not aware of john’s blushing face, and smiled at the little girl. “Hey, little angel!” Martha spoke, gently stroking her hair.
“Auntie Della; auntie Martha! You came to see me too! Lot’s of people to see me!”
“Of course there are, baby, we all love you very much!”
“You’re our precious little angel!”
Roma watched as the 3 adults surrounded her daughter’s bed and, despite Reilly’s bad cold, a slight smile appeared on her face: that little girl was so much loved that her distant father’s lack of care was practically unnoticed. Sometimes Reilly made some questions about David, it was true, but in her little world, that man was more like a distant ‘relative’ that she saw once in a while than a real father.
The Irish actress turned her eyes to John, who was now making jokes and trying his best to make the little girl smile – and he was succeeding it easily, as not only Reilly, but also Della and Martha seemed to be very happy with his presence. And, truth to be told, so was she. John’s love for her daughter became evident maybe even before Reilly was born, when he used to place his hand over Roma’s belly, either to stroke it with tenderness, or to feel – with enchanted green eyes, the tiny little baby kicking.
In fact, John had become a father figure to Reilly; someone who was always ready to protect and take care of her; her “Papa bear”, as the little girl herself used to call him. Roma felt so much joy inside her heart to have that kind hearted man so close to her it suddenly made her eyes shine with tears of happiness. And, secretly, she felt like repeating her daughter’s action: holding him tightly and telling him how much she loved him.
*
Roma took Della and Martha up to the door and they said goodbye once again. When she returned, she saw John checking on Reilly’s forehead and tried to hide a slight smile. “I guess the fever is breaking, Roma...” the actor announced. Roma quickly picked the thermometer and placed it under the girl’s arm. “Oh God, I hope so...”
“I told you I’d heal for you both!”
“Uncle Johnny and I know you’re doing your best, baby.” Roma sat on the bed and gathered her little daughter in her arms, kissing her cheek. “I’ll phone the room service and ask them to bring dinner up here.”
“Can I eat more candies instead?”
“You can eat them after dinner. I know you’re not hungry, sweetie, but you need to eat just a little.”
“Oh mommy I don’t feel like...”
“Hey, you said you wanted to get better soon for your mom and me...”
“But candies and chocolate are food too...”
“Yes, they are, but they will not give you all the vitamins you need to get better.” He replied, “And you can eat them later, after dinner.”
The girl rolled her eyes with some impatience and ended up agreeing with him, “K...”
Roma smiled, pleased to watch how easily John managed to deal with children – with that one in special.
“I... I’ll go now and leave you two alone...” he said, not really wanting to leave, but not wanting to bother them either, “I’ll come back later to check on you, my little princess.”
“You’re not having dinner with us, uncle Johnny?” there was a mix of shock and deception in Reilly’s voice.
“No, honey, I...”
“Oh John, please, stay...” Roma intervened, not wanting him to go away either, “Please, make us some company, we’d love to have you with us for dinner.”
He looked at Reilly and Roma’s pleading faces and smiled, shaking his head with amusement. “You know what? You ladies would manage to convince anyone to do anything you want with those faces of yours!”
“Yay!” the girl exclaimed, clapping her little hands.
*
The room service brought dinner some time later and Roma, Reilly and John sat at the table set inside the suite. In this meantime, they chatted about trivial matters and Roma was happy to see that her daughter was a little bit better from the flu, as the fever was really breaking.
“Don’t you want a little more, honey?” she spoke, trying to make Reilly eat her meat, which she had cut in small pieces.
“Hum... no.”
“Just one more little piece? After that you can eat a piece of chocolate as a desert.”
“Hum... ok then...”
While she ate, Reilly looked at the table with a pensive expression on her face. And then, she finally shot, “The candles are missing...”
“Candles?” John asked, not really understanding what she was trying to say.
“Yes. In Beauty and the Beast there were candles on the table when Bella and the prince had dinner...”
Despite the funny comparison, the couple of actors looked at each other blushing once again, but they tried to sound casual.
“Gosh! You’re right, little one! How could they forget the candles?!”
“Shame on them!”
“But you’re gonna have dinner again, so don’t forget it, uncle Johnny!”
“I won’t, sweetie!” he spoke, winking at her and looking at Roma with tenderness. The rest of dinnertime went by with no more of Reilly’s witty remarks and it was finally time for the blond actor to say goodnight to mother and daughter.
“Sleep well, my little princess. I want to see you better tomorrow, ok?” he said, kissing her forehead. Reilly, who had been tucked in bed by the 2 adults, reached out and wrapped her little arms around his neck in a tight hug. “G’night uncle Johnny. Thank you for helping mommy to take care of me.”
His heart practically melted with those words and Roma didn’t miss his tender look, first at her daughter, and then at her. “Oh sweetie... I’ll always be here, ready to help you and your mom whenever you both need me.”
“We know that, don’t we, mommy?
The Irish actress nodded her head and shot him a grateful and loving smile, “Yes, honey, we know...” she spoke, never dropping her gaze at him. John and Reilly said goodnight once again and Roma took him up to the door.
“Thank God her fever is breaking and she’ll have a good night’s sleep.” She said, with relief.
“Yes, that’s true. But you did right in not going back to Salt Lake today, Roma. Reilly still has the flu and she needs to rest.” He reached out and tenderly stroked her cheek, “And so do you, honey.”
A blush rose in her face once again, but she kept on looking at him and smiling. “I didn’t sleep this night... I must look horrible!”
“No... I don’t think that could ever be possible!” the sincerity in John’s eyes was such that, once again, she felt like holding him tightly. And suddenly realising that there was nobody nearby, the Irish actress wrapped her arms around his neck, in a warm embrace, which he quickly returned.
“Thank you, Johnny... for everything...”
“you’re more than welcome, Roma.” He spoke, gently running his fingers through her hair. They pulled away and he didn’t miss the opportunity to lay a kiss on her cheek, “Sleep well.”
“You too.”
He waited until she closed the door and went to his bedroom.
Roma leaned on the door for a few moments and sighed, lost in many thoughts. Then, she finally walked over up to Reilly’s bed, who was still awake. “So, did he kiss you?” she asked, with curious sparkling eyes as soon as her mother sat next to her.
That question took Roma out of her reverie and the actress frowned, “What?!”
“Did uncle Johnny kiss you?!” the little girl repeated, with some impatience.
“Reilly! What an idea! you shouldn’t go on saying things like these! Your uncle Johnny might not like it!”
“Why not?” she asked back, finding that statement really strange.
“Well... because it embarrasses him!”
“But he loves you, mommy!”
“Who told you that, missy?”
The girl shrugged her shoulders, “Nobody, I just know it!” she replied, naturally, as if talking about a trivial matter. Roma sighed deeply and, defeated by her daughter’s straightforwardness, she started to stroke her curly hair. “Do you really think so?”
“Of course he loves you, mommy!”
“How do you know it?”
“Cuz you guys look like the Beauty and the beast!” Roma started laughing at that comparison and Reilly quickly added, “But uncle Johnny is a lot more handsome than the Beast!”
The Irish actress gathered her little daughter in her arms and kissed her face, “Oh my little angel! Mommy loves you so much, ya know...”
“I know...” Reilly’s wide smile and bright hazel eyes were the best reward after staying up all night taking care of her. “And you love uncle Johnny too, don’t you?” the girl asked, with a mischievous expression on her meek face.
“You know what? It’s high time you went to bed!”
*
On the following morning, Roma woke up with a terrible headache. In fact, all her body ached and she couldn’t even think properly. The actress stood up and the first thing she did was to check on Reilly: the little girl was sleeping peacefully, grabbing Alice close together with her. Roma placed her hand over her daughter’s forehead and sighed with relief: the fever was really gone.
“Oh thank you God!” she whispered. Then, she straightened the blanket around Reilly’s small form and walked clumsy to the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and threw some water on her face, but the actress was feeling so bad that all she could think of was returning to bed. And that’s what she did – falling into a restless sleep once more.
Two hours later, Reilly opened her eyes and immediately caught sight of her mom in the bed next to her. And she found it strange the fact that Roma was still sleeping, as she was always up early in the morning. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, the little girl slowly stood up and went to look for the bag of candies John had given her on the previous day. Then, contentedly savouring a strawberry lollipop, she came close to Roma’s bed.
“Mommy?” she called, tenderly stroking Roma’s cheek, brushing some strands of her hair off her face. as Roma didn’t reply, she insisted, “Mommy?”
Having no reply again caused her to be worried and Reilly inched her face closer to her mother’s and placed her little palm on her cheek, “Mommy are you ok? You’re hot just like me yesterday...”
Now really worried, she moved her hand to Roma’s forehead and, although she was young, the girl could easily identify that something was wrong with her mom. Reilly quickly ran to the door, unlocked it and headed to the bedroom standing right across the corridor: there was only one person who could help her and mom.
“Uncle Johnny! Uncle Johnny, wake up! It’s me, Reilly!” she called, knocking on the bedroom door and turning the door knob repeatedly. It didn’t take John too long to open the door, as he was finishing to get ready for breakfast, and he frowned with concern when he saw the little girl in the corridor.
“Reilly, what are you doing out here? It’s chilly at this time of the morning, you were ill!”
“Come quick! Mommy is not feeling well, she has a fever!”
Hearing that piece of news caused him to be twice worried, “What?!”
“Mommy is ill too!” she said, grabbing his hand and practically dragging him to the bedroom. And it wasn’t really necessary, as knowing that his beloved Roma, the woman he had been secretly loving since the first time he saw her, could be sick or in danger was enough to make him hurry to her side, ready to protect her.
John walked over to the bed and knelt right beside his dearest friend, who was still sleeping deeply, covered with a thick blanket and unaware of his presence. He gently brushed some strands of hair out of her face and placed his hand over her forehead, noticing how hot her skin was. Reilly didn’t miss the concern and distress on his face when he sighed heavily and frowned for the second time.
“Mommy is ill, isn’t it, uncle Johnny?”
“I’m afraid she has a fever, sweetie...”
“A fever?” now she was the one to frown, “Is it my fault?”
“Oh no! of course not, my little one!” John was quick to say, taking her in his arms and kissing the top of her head. “You know, sometimes, when it gets too cold or too hot, many people tend to catch a flu. You and uncle Frank caught it, and now your mom caught it too. And it’s not your fault; it’s nobody’s fault, sweetie; it just happens!”
“Will you take care of mommy for me?”
Now he couldn’t help but smiling, his heart swelling with love not only for the woman lying on the bed but also for the talkative (and now rather scared and sad) little girl, “Oh baby... of course I will! Of course I’ll take care of your mom AND of you! You’re my two girls, I love you both so much! And remember what I said yesterday? That I’d always be here for you?”
“Yes...”
“And by the way, how are you feeling today, huh?”
“I’m fine...” she spoke, as he checked on her forehead to see if she still had the fever; and was glad to see that it was gone, “... just a wee bit hungry... my tummy is making funny noises...”
Suddenly aware that the two people he loved most in the entire world were so vulnerable and dependant on him, the blond actor heaved a sigh of relief, “God, I’m so glad I’m here!”
Then, John started acting: the first thing he did was to phone the room service and order breakfast. Next, while Reilly was obediently brushing her teeth, he gently stroked Roma’s face and shook her lightly, “Roma... Roma, please, wake up...”
He waited a few seconds until the actress finally opened her eyes; an expression of exhaustion in her beautiful face. “Johnny?” she murmured, slightly confused, “What time is it?”
“The time is not important, sweetie. You’re ill; you have a fever.”
“A fever?” she placed her hand on her own forehead and confirmed what he had just said. “Oh God... I can’t believe it... Reilly... she...”
“She’s fine, the fever didn’t come back,” he quickly said, and the little girl exited the bathroom as soon as she heard Roma’s voice, “Mommy!”
“Hey baby...” the girl climbed in bed and held her mom tightly, and the actress was relieved to see that at least her fever was really gone.
“Are you feeling better, honey?”
“Yes, but now you got ill...”
“I’ll be fine, it’s just an indisposition, I feel better already...” she tried to sit up straight but John stopped her.
“I’m sorry, Roma, but you’re not going anywhere!”
“But... But I’m fine, Johnny, really, I ...”
“No ‘buts’! Don’t you try that to me! Not even your charm will manage to convince me to let you go!”
Slightly blushed with his words, she elected not to contradict him. First because she wasn’t really feeling well, and second because she was secretly pleased with his presence. John arranged her pillows under her head, so that she could be more comfortable, and placed the blanket around her small form. Then, he took the piece of cloth that was inside a small bowl containing water and placed it over her forehead. Roma flinched as the wet fabric came in contact with her skin and he quickly took her hand, “I’m sorry...”
“No... I’m the one who is sorry, John. You should be in Salt Lake now and not here...”
“You know that’s not true... That I am exactly where I was supposed to be...” he replied, rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand and looking deep inside her brown eyes with tenderness and much love.
“Thank you...” the Irish actress spoke, in a low voice, once again accepting all his care and protection.
“Uncle Johnny is gonna take care of you, mommy, the same way he helped you to take care of me.” Reilly spoke, siting on her mom’s bed, next to her and stroking her hair.
“I know he will sweetie...” Roma smiled weakly, looking at her daughter and then at John with her eyes full of love. At that moment, there was a slight knock on the door and he stood up.
“It’s our breakfast... And after you eat a little I’ll give you some medicine.”
Roma followed him with her eyes and a slight smile on the corner of her lips.
And when she thought that kind man couldn’t be more caring, he set her breakfast on a tray and brought it to her bed.
“John! You didn’t have to do it... I could walk...”
“You know what, Ms Downey? Next time you contradict me, I’ll punish you without coffee for a week!” he threaten, with a mock stern look, and causing her to giggle.
“Wow! Uncle Johnny is mad at you, mommy!” Reilly exclaimed, “You’d better obey him!”
“See? That’s why I love this little one!” he said, amused with the seriousness in the girl’s eyes.
The actress playfully rolled her eyes and nodded, “Ok, sir!”
After they had breakfast, John gave Roma the same medicine she was using with Reilly, but with twice the dosage. Then, he insisted that she should lay down and sleep.
“... please, Roma, the fever is high and it’ll take some time for the medicine to produce its effects...” he said, once again holding her hand.
“I can’t, John, you see, Reilly...”
“I’ll take care of Reilly, we’ll stay right here beside your bed, playing with the memory game and the puzzle I brought her last night... I mean... if it’s ok with you I stay here...”
Now it was the actress who smiled, “John, please! Of course you can stay here as long as you want, isn’t it, honey?”
“Yes! Mommy and I love you very much, uncle Johnny!” the smart little girl replied.
“I love you both too, my little princess. Very much!”
*
Only 10 minutes later, the Irish actress fell into a deep sleep once again, knowing that there was somebody closer to an angel taking care of her little daughter.
“She’ll get better soon, won’t she, uncle Johnny?” Reilly spoke, looking at her mom with concern in her eyes. She and John were sitting on the carpeted floor, next to Roma’s bed, playing the memory game he had given her. But the blond actor was quick to put her little heart at ease, “Yes, baby, she will. The medicine will heal her the same way it healed you and I’ll be here all the time to keep an eye on her. Do you think you can help me to take care of your mom?”
“Yes! That was she’ll get better faster!”
John smiled, straightening the covers around his beloved friend once more and tenderly stroking her hair. Reilly watched him with enchanted little eyes and, when he returned to his place on the floor to continue the game, she frowned, “Wait! You forgot to kiss her!”
Slightly blushed and without knowing what to say, he stared at her with surprise, “Reilly, I ...”
“It’s like the Sleeping Beauty, the prince has to kiss her so that she can wake up!”
“Well... But your mom has to sleep now, remember?”
Reilly reflected about his words and concluded that he was right. But she wouldn’t give up so easily, “Hum... ok... but later you’ll have to kiss her so that she wakes up!”
“Reilly, sweetie, I can’t do that, I don’t think your mom will like it...”
Now she rolled her eyes and sighed deeply: she and Roma had already had a similar conversation and now the little girl was under the impression she would have the same problem. “Why not?” she asked, with some impatience.
“Well... because it could embarrass her...”
“But she loves you, uncle Johnny!”
“Who told you that, missy?” he asked, now really surprised. Reilly rolled her eyes again, “Nobody, I just know it!”
“Do... do you really think so?”
“Of course she loves you, uncle Johnny!”
“How do you know it?”
“Cuz you guys look like Beauty and the Beast!” watching as he started to laugh, she added, “But you’re a lot more handsome than the beast, uncle Johnny!”
“Well... thanks, sweetie!”
*
John spent all day long taking care of Reilly and Roma, doing his best for both of them. Finally, night fell, and together with it, a light rain. Fortunately, Reilly’s fever never returned and she was getting better every minute. Roma, on the other hand, required special care, her temperature was still high and she didn’t eat much during the day. Nevertheless, during dinner time, she had insisted on sitting at the table with Reilly and John and despite their illnesses, they had a great time together.
But feeling extremely tired and with her body aching, Roma excused herself and stood up, heading to her bed. As she did so, the Irish actress placed her hand on her forehead, suddenly feeling dizzy. Fortunately, John was quick to run to her side and placed a supportive arm around her waist and held her hand.
“Hey, ease there, Ms!”
“Sorry, Johnny...”
“What is it, mommy?”
“I felt a wee bit dizzy, sweetheart, nothing serious...”
“You’re the heck of a stubborn girl, Roma!” the blond actor spoke, leading her up to the bed and making her sit. “Definitely too rebellious!”
Hearing him scolding her, Roma couldn’t help but giggling again.
“And this is not funny! I warned you: if you went on behaving like this you wouldn’t have coffee, and now I’ll fulfil what I said! No coffee for you, madam!”
“Hey!” she protested, with some annoyance, but still finding it all funny. “You sound like Tess!”
“Good, cause now you’ll do exactly as I say without complaining!”
“He he he! Uncle Johnny, you look funny when you get mad!” Reilly spoke, enjoying to see him tucking her mom in bed.
“That’s why I love my little one!” Roma spoke, taking Reilly’s little hand. Visibly amused, but still pretending to be the ‘tough guy’, John crossed his arms in front of his chest, “There’s nothing funny around here! You, missy, will march straight to that bathroom, brush your teeth and change into your pyjamas while I wait here!” then he stared at Roma, “And you, miss, close your eyes and start sleeping in 10 seconds!”
“Johnny... could you come closer, please?” she said, shooting him a pleading look. Frowning with concern, he knelt right beside her bed, “What is it? Are you feeling...”
But he couldn’t even finish his sentence: Roma wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly, just like she had done a night before. “Thank you... Once again...” she spoke, kissing his cheek.
“You know you don’t have to thank me...” he said, enjoying that warm embrace but also worried as he could feel she still had the fever. Gently, he pulled away and arranged the pillows, making her lie down in bed once again. Fortunately for them, Reilly was brushing her teeth and didn’t watch that scene.
When she finally came out of the bathroom, now wearing her pink pyjamas, she saw the blond actor still kneeling right beside her mom’s bed. The actress was already asleep and he was holding her hand and tenderly stroking her hair.
“Mommy is sleeping again...” she spoke, in a low voice.
“Yes... Let’s hope she rests a lot so that she can get better tomorrow.”
“Ok... I finished to brush my teeth.”
He let go of the actress’ hand and took Reilly’s hand, “Good, so now I’ll tuck you in bed and you have a good night’s sleep too. Tomorrow I’ll be back to check on you two, ok?”
Reilly’s face turned into a very worried and frightened one as she heard those words, “You’re leaving us?”
“Oh no, dear! Of course not! Never! I’ll go to my room; I’ll be closer to you...”
“Please don’t go, uncle Johnny! Stay here with mommy and me...”
“But... Reilly you mom might not like it...”
“Please stay with us... I’m scared...”
There wasn’t no way in the whole wide world he could say ‘no’ to her: those bright hazel eyes and the pleading expression on her meek face caused his heart to melt and, without any other choice, he ended up nodding his head, “Well... ok, then...”
“Thank you, uncle Johnny!” she exclaimed, wrapping her little arms around his neck. Then, before he started to set a pillow and a blanket on the floor, the little girl took her teddy bear and gave it to him. “Here, you can sleep in my bed and Alice will make you some company. I’ll stay here with mommy, she’ll feel better if I hold her and I can take better care of her this way.”
And before he could say anything else, the talkative little girl climbed on her mom’s bed. Chuckling, he helped her to cover herself with the blanket and tenderly stroked her curly hair, “Sleep well, my little princess; dream with the angels.”
“You too, uncle Johnny. And if you’re afraid, hold Alice tight, ok?”
“Ok, I’ll remember that!” he spoke, smiling at her. Then, he placed a kiss on Reilly’s forehead and watched with tenderness as the little girl snuggled closer to her mother, resting her head on Roma’s chest. For some time, he stood there, admiring the image of the two people he loved the most in the entire world, and, when the little girl feel asleep, he turned the bedside lamp on and turned the other lights off. Then, he took off his shoes and grabbed the pillow he had previously taken in the closet, as Reilly’s one was a bit small for his head. Then, he lay down on the other bed and covered himself with a pink Cinderella blanket.
*
On the following morning, Roma was the first one to wake up. Slowly, she opened her eyes and immediately caught sight of her little daughter sleeping peacefully close to her, holding her mom’s body. Smiling, Roma kissed the top of her head and then checked her own forehead, sighing with relief to notice that her fever was gone. “Thank God!” she whispered, and, a second later, she heard a loud snore right beside her. When Roma looked at the other bed, she had to control herself not to laugh at the image she saw: John was peacefully sleeping, holding a teddy bear and covered with a Cinderella’s pink blanket. The actress placed her hand over her mouth to silence her giggles and, carefully, so that Reilly wouldn’t wake up, she got out of the bed.
Roma headed to the bathroom and grimaced when she saw her pale face in the mirror. “Oh God... I look worse than a fallen angel!” Only 10 minutes later, after brushing her teeth, washing her face and combing her hair, she exited her bathroom. She was quietly returning to her bed when she looked at John’s sleeping form once more, and couldn’t resist to take a closer look on him. The actress tiptoed up to his bed and knelt right next to him; his loud snore assured her he was sleeping.
Smiling with tenderness, and not containing her giggling to see such a grown up man sleeping among pink sheets and with a teddy bear, Roma reached out and gently stroked his short blond hair. She retracted her hand a moment later and caught her breath when he stopped snoring and stirred. But, some seconds later, he relaxed again and continued to sleep, allowing her to go on contemplating his face. Sighing deeply, the Irish actress caressed his hair once again and finally, with her eyes shining with love, she inched her face closer to his and her lips touched John’s, in a sweet, tender kiss; a light almost unnoticeable caress, which lasted only a couple of seconds.
Roma pulled away and stroked his hair once more; still contemplating his handsome and gentle features, as he slept peacefully and unaware of what was going on around him. Then, she stood up and went to her bed.
*
Two hours later, the Irish actress was woken up by the noise of the telephone: it was Della wanting to know how they were.
“... We’re getting better now, Della...” Roma spoke, watching as John opened his eyes. “No, the fever is gone and I woke up feeling much better...”
The blond actor sat down in bed and was listening to the conversation and she shot him a slight smile, “Yes, he took a good care of Reilly and me! I don’t know what would become of us without him, as I didn’t expect to become ill too... Ok... Ok, if everything goes well we’ll be back tomorrow. Bye!”
As she hung on the phone, Roma turned to face the blond actor but he spoke first, “So... how are you feeling? Is the fever really gone?”
As John stood up and came closer to her bed, gently placing his hand on her forehead, the actress looked up at him with a mischievous smile. “Well... I feel much better now, ya know, and I guess seeing ‘uncle Johnny’ sleeping under that lovely Cinderella blanket and holding that cute teddy bear kinda helped me!”
John’s great relief to see that she was really better was immediately replaced by an adorable mix of annoyance and amusement as he heard her giggling. “Hey!”
“That was such a cute image!” the actress continued, in a low voice, “I should’ve taken a picture!”
“You’re in a big trouble miss!” he grumbled, with a threatening look in his eyes. But Roma wasn’t intimidated by his threats, “Shh! Our little one is still sleeping!”
Watching the brightness in her eyes and the joy and cheerfulness back to her face, John was having trouble to keep a serious face. “She’ll wake up in a few hours and you’d better be ready to be tickled up when that happens!” still hearing her giggling, he added, “And no coffee for you either!”
“You won’t have courage to deny it to me, I’m still recovering...” she spoke, now watching him putting on his shoes.
“And don’t you try to make those puppy eyes on me!” he retorted, not straightening the sheets on Reilly’s bed. Then, he started at her still with a serious face. “I’ll phone the room service and ask for breakfast from my room.
“And I trust that you’ll be back to have breakfast with us and supervise me...” the was a hopeful and pleading look in her eyes, which he found rather cute.
“Of course I will, you won’t escape from me!”
“I won’t...” she contentedly replied.
As he exited the room, Roma settled back on her pillows and held her little daughter, sighing deeply. “You’re right my little one, he’s a lot more handsome than the beast...”
*
After John had left, Roma remained in bed as she was still feeling weak and dizzy. Besides, the actress was enjoying to watch Reilly sleep peacefully, like a little angel, and lifted a silent prayer thanking for the little girl’s recover.
Sometime later, she heard a light knock on the door and answered to it in a low voice, not to wake Reilly up. “Come in, please...”
John, now with different clothes and shaved, came in carrying the trolley with breakfast. “I told you I’d keep an eye on you, miss Downey!”
“Hum... I didn’t know it would involve controlling the hotel’s room service, Mr Dye!”
He sat the table and walked over up to her bed, watching as Roma straightened the blanket over Reilly’s small form, “I guess I’ll let her sleep a wee bit more, you know.”
“Yes, sure. Thank God she’s getting better.” He said, sitting next to her and tenderly stroking the girl’s curly hair. “That you two are getting better.”
“Well, Reilly and I are blessed to have someone to watch over us... On the last few days and... in the last 8 years...” the look in her eyes was full of tenderness and love as she said that.
John looked at her meek features and felt his heart swelling with love for the woman sitting next to him. Without thinking about what he was doing, he took her hand and squeezed it, looking deep inside her eyes. “I’m grateful for each single day of all these years... And... if you let me... I’ll stay by your side in the next ones... I’ll keep on taking care of you and Reilly... And... I’ll...” After a short pause, he continued to talk, gathering all his courage, “...I’ll keep on loving you two...like I’ve always loved...”
All his nervousness and fear to be rejected were evident in the tense expression on his face; but they vanished completely at the moment he saw a slight smile playing on the corner of her lips, despite the two big tears that fell from her eyes.
Roma reached out and tenderly stroked his cheek, “Your presence and your love... would be the best present she and I could ever receive... as... we need you very much, Johnny... and... we love you very much... I love you very much...”
Those words were like music to his ears and, saying no more, John and Roma inched their faces closer and their eyes closed almost unconsciously: it seemed that at that very moment they couldn’t think about what was going on with them. Much on the contrary: everything they were aware of was the turmoil of strong emotions running inside their hearts; the strong feeling that had taken over their soul.
Their lips met a second later, and they shared a long, affectionate kiss; a sweet caress they both had been yearning for a long time. John placed his palm against her cheek, gently stroking her face, and then he moved it to the back of her head – his fingers running through her silky hair, while Roma wrapped her arms around his neck, not wanting to let him go. If the tiny kiss she had secretly stolen from him earlier in the morning had made her feel butterflies in her stomach, now the actress was under the impression she was in Heaven with his gentle touch and caresses.
Only when air became an issue did they part, and John grabbed her face to place soft kisses on her forehead and cheeks.
“Johnny... are you sure we’re not sleeping?” she whispered, with a contented smile upon her face. he chuckled and kissed her lips once more, “Not this time... no... This is real, Roma. I love you... I love you so much...” he whispered back, still running his fingers through her hair. “Let’s sit at the table and let our little one sleep... she may wake up with our voices...”
“But I bet that, instead of complaining, she would jump of joy if she saw us now...” the Irish actress spoke, and smiling, they stood up and walked over up to the table, in the small dining room away from the beds.
There couldn’t have been a better breakfast than that one. In between sweet kisses, tender caresses and loving words, they had their meal. “I never thought these days would end up this way... When Reilly fell ill I was so desperate... Being in a small city, far from home... And I knew that Della would go soon, together with the rest of the crew... I was so afraid that you’d go too...”
“You know I’d never do it...”
“I do... but it was scaring anyway. And when you showed up, helped me to take care of Reilly... I just confirmed what I had realised some time ago... That I can’t imagine my life without you, Johnny...”
“Well, then we have a tie here, sweetie, cause you’ve been in my dreams since the first day I met you.”
She was speechless, “Oh John...”
He leaned over and kissed her lips once more, and once again, with all the love and emotion he could muster. A minute later, John started to deliver kisses on her cheeks and forehead when they heard a tiny little voice coming from the bed, “Mommy...”
They immediately pulled away and Roma stood up, walking over up to the bed, followed by John. “Good morning my little princess,” she said. Reilly rubbed her eyes and looked at the two adults, “G’morning mommy... G’morning uncle Johnny.”
“Hello, my little one; how are you doing?” John greeted; he and Roma watching as she sat down in bed and stared at the two. “I’m fine... Are you better now mommy?”
“Yes, honey, I’m much better now, thank you.” the actress spoke, sitting next to her and stroking her curly hair.
“I knew uncle Johnny would take a good care of you! that’s why I asked him to stay!”
“You did well, my little angel; there isn’t anybody better than him to take care of us!” Roma said; she and Reilly shooting him a pretty smile and a loving glance.
The blond actor blushed adorably. “Well... you two are very charming patients!” he said, and his eyes met Roma’s a second later.
Reilly stared at them and raised her eyebrows, “Why are you two with these faces?”
“What faces, Reilly?” her mother wanted to know, only now aware of the loving glance she and John had just exchanged.
“Faces like when you steal cookies before dinner when your mom is not looking...” the little girl stopped talking at the moment she realised she had said too much. Roma and John crossed their arms and looked at her with a mock stern expression, but, before they could say anything else, and noticing their inquisitive glances, Reilly spoke again, “Oops... I gotta go...”
They watched with amusement as she rushed to the bathroom and, as she closed the door, John inched a bit closer to Roma, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “Hum... talking about stealing... I’ll take the opportunity to steal something from you too, Ms Downey...”
She smiled at him cheerfully and he bent his head and pressed his lips against hers once again.
*
On the following day, by the end of the afternoon, John, Roma and Reilly finally returned to Salt Lake, and mother and daughter insisted that he should stay for dinner. Although he had strongly recommended that they should go to bed and rest, the actor couldn’t hide his contentment in spending a few more hours with his ‘favourite girls’.
“... I cannot understand why you can’t move to this house, uncle Johnny!” Reilly spoke, as they finished to eat desert. “Then we would have someone to take care of us forever, mommy!”
“Don’t you think your uncle Johnny should rest a little? Taking care of us can be quite tiring honey!” Roma replied, she and John enjoying her insistence on never letting him go.
“You were not tired to take care of us, were you, uncle Johnny?”
“Absolutely not, my little princess!” he answered, taking her tiny hand in his own.
“See? And we can take care of him too!”
John started laughing, “I can’t think of two better nurses!”
“... and you both could start dating and get married, so uncle Johnny can stay here forever!”
He and Roma looked at each other with tenderness when they heard those words, “We’ll think about it all later, because now you’re off to bed, missy!”
“But mommy...”
“No ‘buts’! Little angels should be sleeping at his time!” Reilly sighed with impatience.
“Ok... Can I have a piggy back then?”
“Get on board little one!”
*
After tucking the talkative little girl in bed, John and Roma cuddled in the sofa, each one savouring a mug of coffee.
“She was so tired she fell asleep in only 5 minutes!” the actress spoke, resting her head over his chest.
“Yes, but as much as I hate being away from you, I’ll have to tuck you in bed soon, miss Downey! You’re still a bit ill and need to rest!” he said, running his fingers through her hair and enjoying to hear a small giggle.
“I just keep imagining her reaction when we tell her about us!”
“I guess it’ll be like an early birthday present!” he joked, and now they laughed together. The Irish actress straightened her body and looked at him, “I’ll talk to her John... I... I just need some time...”
“You have all the time in the world, Roma. Please, don’t be so worried about me; we have to be aware of Reilly’s feelings now. When you think she’s ready, then this will be the right time.”
Once again, his constant worry about her daughter touched her deeply. “Thank you...” Then, she sighed, “To tell you the truth, it’s not only because of Reilly that I want to keep the secret... In fact, I guess she’ll be the happiest little girl in the world when she finds out about us...”
“And what’s worrying you then?”
Roma tightened her hold on him, “I don’t want anybody to know about us... I mean, not yet... I love you so much, Johnny... and these days were... well... I guess I’m starting to feel happy again. When you told me you loved me I felt so much joy inside my heart... To be honest... I guess I only felt that happy when Reilly was born...”
Surprised with that confession, and with his own heart nearly bursting with happiness, he cupped her chin and lifted her head up, “Roma... honey, you have no idea how honoured I feel to hear you telling me this...”
“You’ll probably think it’s silly of me, but now... after all that you told me... having your love, Johnny, is such a wonderful thing that I’m afraid it all ends and I just feel miserable again...”
He was quick to silence her with a long, loving and affectionate kiss. “This is never ever gonna happen, you hear me?”
“I know I’ll sound silly again but... do you promise?”
“I give you my word, Roma! I promise you I’ll be by your side, loving you and helping you to raise Reilly and nothing is gonna stop me from doing so, nothing!"
“Thank you...” some tears were falling from her eyes and, after John wiped them away, she rested her head on his chest again, “Still, at least for a while, I’d like to have our love just between us... It’s like a secret, you know, just for the two of us...”
A smile appeared on his handsome face, “You mean like a secret date?”
“Yes...” she was finally smiling too.
“I’m game! But... I guess I should ask you something before...”
“What is it?”
“Would you like to be my girlfriend?”
“Yes!” now her giggling filled the room and John tenderly stroked her hair.
“Good! And I’m glad that now I can really kiss you and not just dream about it, like I did two days ago, when I slept in your room taking care of you and Reilly!” saying this, he pressed his lips against her one more time. When they parted, Roma looked at him with a mix of worry and amusement.
“What?” the blond actor asked, not missing the slightly guilty expression on her face.
“I... I guess I’d better tell you something...”
“What is it?”
“Well... on that morning... you didn’t exactly ‘dream’ we were kissing, you know...”
“What do you mean?”
“Well... I woke up before you and... when I saw you sleeping... you looked so cute that I couldn’t resist and... I kind of... kissed you...”
He was at the same time surprised and pleased to hear that confession and stared at her with a mock shocked expression on his handsome face. “Wait a minute! Are you just telling me that you took advantage from me while I was sleeping?!”
“Well... yes...” she replied, a bit embarrassed but clearly delighted to remember that tiny kiss.
“I am shocked!” he exclaimed, and, not managing to control herself, Roma started giggling at his reaction. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek repeatedly, “Can you forgive me?”
Rolling his eyes with mock indignation, he stared at her. “Hum... I don’t know... This is very serious...”
“Can I try to convince you to forgive me?” she asked, placing a tiny kiss on his lips.
“Well... yes... I guess I can give you a chance... let’s see if your arguments are reasonable...”
Giggling incessantly, she brought him closer to her, “Ok!” and then placed lots of kisses on his face and lips.
“You know what?” he said, in between kisses.
“What?”
“I’m glad to know that it was you who stole that kiss, cause it was so real that, for a moment I thought that Alice was starting to develop a crush on me!”
Now the two started laughing at his words and, now happier than never, John gathered her in his arms firmly and kissed her forehead and the tip of her nose, “I love you forever, Roma, I promise...”
“So do I, John...”
Then, they shared another loving and tender kiss.
The end