The Sinister Silhouette-D2D, page 36
“Uncle Luca, are you okay? Why are you and Jules looking at me weird?”
We laugh; so do Mom and Dad. I know it must hurt them to find out Theo lied about so many things, but in the end, Aria is still their grandchild.
“Come sit with Jules and me, boo. We’ve got some news to share with you.”
She shrugs and takes a chomp of her carrot as she goes into the living room.
Jules and I were there when Mom and Dad told Aria the news about Theo a couple days after she came home from the hospital. She took it surprisingly well. She was upset and sad, but I think she somehow knew Theo wasn’t coming home even before Mom told her so. She and Theo have never had a very close relationship. In a sense, I think Theo did love Aria, but I also believe he kept himself distant from her because she wasn’t his. I also think he held some resentment toward her because of who her real parents were. Aria was a constant reminder of what he wanted but never had. He cared for her but was never the best father. She’s always been closer to my parents, Ella, and me than she was with him.
I just hope the news we’re about to drop on her is something she can accept.
Mom and Dad stay quiet as they sit on the love seat, but I feel their anxiety. I pat the cushion between Jules and me and Aria comes over and flops down. Her head turns back and forth, looking at us curiously. Reaching behind Aria’s back, I grab Jules’s hand. Some of the tension wanes from her face. She’s nervous, and damn it to hell, so am I.
I look back at Aria. “There’s something we need to tell you and it’s going to be confusing and may hurt, but we’ll try our best to explain it to you.”
“Okay.” She frowns, and it reminds me of Jules’s.
I clear my throat to unclog the lump forming.
“Jules and I found out some news the other day. It’s big news. You remember when Gamma explained to you that Jules and I are married? That we did it years ago, but we both forgot.”
Her bottom lip goes between her teeth. “Yeah. She said that Daddy’s head was sick and it made him tell some lies.”
I nod. “Yes. That’s right. Well, we found out that there was another lie he told.”
Her lip begins to wobble, and her eyes turn glassy with tears.
Fuck, this is so damn hard.
With her free hand, Jules grabs one of Aria’s. “It’s okay to cry,” she tells her tenderly.
Aria sniffs, and I’m so proud of her when she pushes the need to cry away. This little girl acts so much older than her almost seven years.
“I’m a big girl,” she says stubbornly with a jutted chin. “Tell me what Daddy lied about.”
“Do you know how Jules was asleep for a lot of years?” She nods. I look at Jules for a brief moment then back down to Aria. “Well, she had a baby while she was asleep. The baby was mine and hers.”
Her eyes turn wide. “But how did she have a baby? Don’t you have to be awake to have a baby?”
Aria looks at Jules when she’s the one to answer.
“Most of the time you do, but the kind of sleep I was in, I couldn’t wake up. My brain wouldn’t let me.” She releases my hand and lifts up the bottom of her shirt until the scar on her lower stomach shows. “You see this line right here?” She points to the four-inch silvery line and Aria nods. “To get the baby out, they had to cut my stomach open.”
Her mouth drops open. “Didn’t it hurt?”
Jules smiles and pulls her shirt back down. “No, sweetie. I didn’t feel anything because I was asleep. But even if I was awake, they give you medicine so you don’t feel anything. It numbs you.”
“Oh. That’s good.” She shudders, then her eyes turn curious. “Did you have a girl or a boy?”
“A little girl.” Jules’s voice cracks, and I snatch her hand back in mine behind Aria’s back.
“Oh, wow.” Aria’s face lights up a million watts with a look of wonder. “Can I meet her?” she asks in excitement. “How old is she? Maybe we can be friends!”
“Aria, you’ve already met her.” Her eyes swing back to mine.
“I have?”
“Yes. You wanna guess who she is?”
Her lips purse out, another one of Jules’s expressions, as she thinks over the possibilities. “I don’t know.”
I shift my eyes to Jules once more. Love and affection shine in her eyes as she gazes down at Aria, our daughter. As if sensing my stare, they lift to meet mine. She smiles nervously at me, and I return it.
I look back to Aria. “It’s you.”
Aria straightens, her blue eyes as wide as saucers and filled with confusion. “Me?” she squeaks.
“Yes. You.”
I watch and wait as her little innocent brain thinks over what I’ve just told her. I know she’s perplexed, anyone would be, but more so her because she’s so young. Her eyes leave mine to look across the living room, staring off at nothing. I want to grab her and haul her into my arms, but I force the urge back.
What seems like forever later, but couldn’t have been more than a few minutes, she looks back at me.
“Does that mean you and Jules are my momma and daddy?”
“It does.”
She frowns again. “But what about my daddy? Is he not my daddy anymore?”
This is the part I was dreading the most, because no matter how much I hate Theo, I won’t hurt Aria by telling her Theo isn’t her father.
“Theo will always be what you want him to be. If you still want to think of him as your daddy, then he’ll always be your daddy. But Jules and I created you with our love, so I’m your daddy too and Jules is your momma.”
She ponders that for a moment. “But everyone says I look just like him.”
“That’s because Theo and I are twins. We look just like each other, so in the ways people say you look like him, you actually get from me. Even though Theo didn’t help make you, you still have some of his blood in you. To everyone else, he would be your uncle.”
“So, he’s still my family?”
Hell no. A portion of his blood may run in her veins, but he’ll never be considered my family again.
I keep that to myself, and instead say, “Yes.”
She looks to Jules next. “I have a Mom now? A real Mom. You’re not just my stepmom anymore?”
Jules’s hand jerks in mine, so I squeeze hers. Her face turns red, and I know she’s fighting her tears.
“Yes,” Jules croaks. “You have a Mom. I’m your Mom. If you want me to be.”
Her eyes close in pain when Aria looks away from her and to Mom and Dad.
“And you’re still my Gamma and Pa?”
“We’ll always be your Gamma and Pa,” Mom answers immediately.
The uncertainty and fear are what do me in. That and Jules’s silent struggle on the other side of Aria. I need them both closer.
I pick Aria up and put her in my lap then scoot over so I can pull Jules to my side. This is my family, and I fucking love them with every single inch of my heart, every breath I take, and every part of my soul.
The tight threads around my heart loosen when Aria puts her arms around my neck and hugs me tight. Her innocent child scent surrounds me, and I breath it in deeply, loving the smell.
Aria pulls back, and her lip goes back between her teeth. She releases it and says softly, “I love you… Daddy.”
I have to tip my head back and blink away my tears. She fucking guts me, totally unmans me with that one word.
Daddy.
She doesn’t know, couldn’t possibly understand, what she just gave me. She gave me the entire fucking world with one simple word.
I look back at her and beam at her with a big grin.
“I love you too, baby girl.”
Her own lips form a smile before she turns to Jules. She crawls from my lap and onto hers, giving her the same tight hug she just gave me.
“I do want you to be my momma.”
A hiccoughed sob leaves Jules’s lips. “Good, because I want to be your mom so very much.”
“I love you… Momma.”
Tears slide down Jules’s cheek, but her smile is megawatt and stunning. Another favorite of mine.
“I love you too, Aria.”
I lift both my girls in my lap, and I hold them. I hold my family close to my heart, knowing life couldn’t get any better than this. It was a damn bumpy road, and I’m sure we’ll find more bumps along the way, but for right now, in this very moment, my life is complete.
It can’t possibly get any better than this.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jules
OH GOD! OH GOD! OH GOD! I repeat the words over and over in my head as I furiously twist the material of my skirt. I’m terrified, hopeful, and anxious all at the same time, and there’s no hope of the trio of feelings going away anytime soon. There’ve only been two other times I’ve been this nervous: when we found out Aria was our child and when we told her. We’ve been parked in front of the two-story brick house with black shutters for at least five minutes while I try to work up the courage to open the door. Luca’s been incredibly patient with me, and for that, I’m extremely grateful.
“Hey,” he calls, and I drag my eyes away from the house that I know like the back of my hand and look at him. I’ve always found Luca incredibly good-looking. The first time I saw him, he struck me dumb with his looks and intensity. He’s not the traditional handsome, not with the gauges in his ears, eyebrow ring, and tattoos marking over half of his body. His looks are more rugged, hard, and passionately beautiful.
His hand cups my cheek. “We can do this another day. You don’t need to push yourself or make yourself uncomfortable.”
I shake my head against his palm. “No. I want to do it now. I’ve waited long enough because of my fear. Besides,” I look back at Aria, who’s sitting quietly in her seat listening to us. She’s excited and it warms my heart, “it’s time they meet their granddaughter.”
His smile settles some of my nerves. When he leans forward and presses his lips against mine, even more melt away.
I pull in a fortified breath and grip the handle to my door. “I’m ready.” I look back at Aria. “Are you ready?”
“Yes!” she chirps, and I realize something with her enthusiastic reply. Even if this doesn’t go over well, I’m going to be okay. We’re all going to be okay, because we’ll have each other, Luca’s family included.
Luca and I thrust open our doors at the same time and climb out. He helps Aria from the back and we all meet at the front of the car. My nerves are still shot, but not as much.
When my memories of Luca came back, along came the ones of the last time I saw my parents. There was one thing Theo didn’t lie about. I’m not sure if it was because he knew or just made a wild guess, but my parents did disown me. They hated the thought of me marrying someone they thought was beneath me. Luca met them twice and both times they had no qualms about showing their distaste. The last time I saw them, I told them we were getting married. They made their ultimatum, and when I chose Luca, they told me to leave and never come back. It hurt, really hurt, but I thought over time they would get over their prejudices and see how much Luca made me happy. Unfortunately, I’ve had to wait seven years to see if my assessment will come true.
I hope with all my heart they will accept Luca and Aria, because to think about the alternative rips me to shreds. They are and always will be the two most important people in my life.
We walk up the driveway, Aria between us, each of her hands engulfed in one of ours. It’s been six weeks since we told her she’s our daughter, and she’s taken to the idea really well, but I know she still misses Theo. Sometimes I see sadness in her eyes, and I know she’s thinking about him. He was her dad for almost seven years; I would never expect her to simply stop loving him.
Her birthday is next week, so we’re taking her out of school for a few days and going on a vacation to the beach. She’s never been, and I’m really excited to be there the first time she sees the ocean. I’ve missed so many firsts, and I refuse to miss any more.
I lick my dry lips when the big red door looms before us. I was eighteen the last time I saw this door, but it still looks bigger than I remember.
Aria squeezes my jittery hand, and I look down at her. “It’s going to be okay, Momma. I just know they’re going to be happy to see you again.”
I barely hold back the tears threatening to form. I’m the adult. I’m the one who’s supposed to offer comfort, not the other way around. We’ve kept as much from Aria as we could, not wanting to completely spoil her perception of Theo. Theo keeping my family away is one of the things she didn’t need to know, so we’ve only told her I haven’t seen my family since before I was “sleeping.”
“Thank you, baby. I hope you’re right.”
“I am. You’ll see.”
I look at Luca when he chuckles and smile softly at him. I never knew I could love someone as fiercely as I love these two people. My husband and daughter. My smile widens when those two labels enter my mind. It’s still hard to believe at times.
We climb the steps and stop in front of the door. It takes me a moment to gather the courage to lift my hand to knock. Before my knuckles hit the wood, the door’s pulled open.
All the air in my lungs whooshes out on an agonizing breath and my body freezes as I stare into a pair of familiar amber eyes that I’ve missed so much. The part of my heart I reserve only for my parents cracked when I woke and discovered my family didn’t want me. Now, as I look at my mom, noting the age lines beside her eyes and the abundance of gray in her brown hair, my heart finally shatters, sending excruciating pain splintering through me.
“Jules,” she whispers, instant tears filling her eyes. “Is that really you?”
“Mom.” My voice is raw and filled with so much pain there’s no hope for me masking it.
Her hands fly to her mouth and her shoulders shake with her silent cries. I stay where I am, wanting desperately to go to her, but I don’t know if I should. It only takes seconds for her to show me where I should be: wrapped in her arms.
She rushes forward, and we embrace each other with a sob. I close my eyes, bury my face in my mom’s shoulder, and breathe in her familiar scent. It’s the same as I remember, and that makes me incredibly happy.
After several moments, she pulls back and cups my cheeks. Her eyes run all over my face. “My sweet child, where have you been?” she asks in a hushed tone, her words breaking.
“There’s so much I need to tell you,” I reply raggedly.
“Who’s at the door, Ivy?” a deep rumbling voice calls seconds before my father comes into view.
Fresh tears form in my eyes and slip silently down my cheeks. He still looks like my father, but I can see he’s aged. Tall, broad-shouldered, and handsome, but he’s more slender than I remember, and his hair is pure silver.
When he spots me at Mom’s side, his steps falter. It only lasts for a moment before he’s walking toward me fast. My father has always been tough, so when I see the mountain of emotions in his eyes, the pain and heartache and tears, as he stops in front of me and yanks me into his arms, my heart constricts. His arms are tight around me.
“Oh, Daddy,” I bawl into his chest. “I’ve missed you so much.” I look over at Mom and see her still crying. “I’ve missed you both.”
Dad pulls back, putting his big hands on my shoulders, and does the same thing Mom did: simply looks at me. I let him because it gives me the chance to look at him.
“Still my beautiful little girl,” he murmurs.
“I always want to be your little girl,” I tell him quietly.
Several minutes pass before my parents realize I’m not alone. Dad’s the first to see Luca standing several feet behind me. He looks over my head, and it’s then that I take a step back and his hands fall from my shoulders. I know the moment Mom spots Aria. Her mouth opens, and intense agony passes over her face. Her watery gaze lifts to mine in question before going back to Aria.
“Mom, Dad, do you remember Luca?”
Luca steps forward and offers his hand. I hold still, my body tense, as I wait for their reaction. Finally taking her eyes off Aria, Mom comes forward first and places her hand in Luca’s.
“It’s nice to see you again, Luca,” she says, and I can see in her eyes, she means it. I smile gratefully at her.
“It’s a pleasure to see you too, Mrs. Rozero,” Luca greets in his deep baritone.
“Please, call me Ivy.” She smiles past her tears.
Luca nods.
My eyes move to Dad, and I send up a silent prayer. A rush of air leaves my lips when he offers Luca his hand.
“Luca,” he says gruffly. “It’s good to see you.” Dad is more reserved, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. I know over time he’ll fully accept him.
“Likewise, Mr. Rozero.”
“Like my wife, call me William.”
Another nod from Luca.
“And w-who….” Mom stops for a moment. “Who is this beautiful little girl?”
Luca scoops Aria into his arms and faces Mom and Dad.
“This is Aria,” I tell them. “Our daughter.”
My parents aren’t stupid, they already knew the moment they saw her. Why else would I bring a little girl to meet them on our reunion visit? But the confirmation is still a shock. Dad hides his well, but Mom begins to break down again. It’s only Dad’s comforting arm going around her waist that holds her together.
Dad clears his throat. “You’re just as gorgeous as your mother.”
Aria beams a proud smile. “I know. And I’m just as handsome as my dad too.”
We all laugh and some of the tension leaves the air.
