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.

“Girls aren’t handsome, boo,” Luca enlightens her. “They’re pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, or stunning.”

She pokes out her lips. “Well, you’re handsome, and I look just like you, so that must mean I’m handsome too.”

“Or maybe Daddy is just beautiful?” I suggest with a smile.

Dad and Luca grunt at that. I look at Mom and we both laugh.

Mom steps closer and runs a shaky hand down the back of Aria’s hair. “You’ve got the best of both of your parents and that makes you look perfectly beautiful.”

Aria looks at her, her brows pinching down. “You’re my grandma and grandpa, right?”

Mom’s eyes close for a brief moment, pain etching her features, before she opens them again.

“Yes, we are, sweetie.”

“And you missed Momma while she was sleeping?”

Mom’s eyes jump to mine with a frown.

“I’ll explain later,” I tell her.

She looks back at Aria and answers. “We missed her very much.”

“And can I come stay with you sometimes?”

Her chin wobbles, but her lips form a smile. “We would love that.”

“Can I bring Goodie with me?”

Again, another question in her eyes when she looks at me.

“I don’t think—”

I cut Luca off. “It’s her pet hamster.” I’ll tell them later about the dangers of Goodie’s nibbles.

“He can definitely come with you,” Dad answers.

“And I can call you Grandma and Grandpa?”

This time it’s Dad who smiles. “Of course.”

“Okay.” She smiles at them, and I watch as it melts both of my parents’ hearts, just as I knew it would.

They step back into the house and Mom gestures for us to follow. “Please, come in. There’s so much we want to know.”

I look at Luca with a smile, one he returns. Relief floods through me; I’m eternally grateful this visit is going the way I had hoped.

We step inside, and I’m engulfed by my childhood memories. I’m glad to see not much has changed since I left. There’s only one thing missing that would make this day perfect.

“Where’s Teresa?” I ask Mom anxiously, then look around for her.

“She’s at tennis practice.” She looks down at the gold watch on her wrist. “She should be back soon.” She smiles sadly. “She’s going to be so happy to see you.”

My chest aches, because as much as I missed my parents, I missed Teresa more. She’s not only my sister, but she was my best friend too.

Mom leads us to the kitchen and flits around the room, asking if we want something to drink or eat. Luca and I decline the offer of food but accept a glass of lemon water. Aria gets a glass of apple juice and happily takes the bowl of blueberries Mom holds out to her.

“They were your mom’s favorite when she was a little girl,” Mom says in a melancholy voice.

“Really?” Aria asks, interest lighting her eyes.

Mom laughs. “Yes. We had to hide them from her or she’d eat them all in one sitting.”

Aria giggles and pops one into her mouth.

We sit for a while and just talk. I end up taking Aria to the living room to watch one of Teresa’s and my old Disney movies, so we can all talk without her hearing. Mom and Dad recognize the limitations on what we can say with Aria in the room. When I tell them what Theo did, which resulted in my coma, Mom completely breaks down. I immediately shut her down when she tries blaming Dad and herself. It may have been their decision to push me away when I told her Luca and I were getting married, but what Theo did was in no way their fault. Then the guilt came of them not looking hard enough for me. I took that away too. The last they knew, Luca and I were leaving town. They had no reason to search the local hospitals.

I can see the anger on Dad’s face growing with each new revelation of Theo’s deception. I’m worried he’ll place some of the blame at Luca’s feet since he’s his brother, so I’m shocked when he thanks Luca.

“You saved our girl and brought her back to us,” he says gruffly.

Luca looks Dad straight in the eye and says with conviction, “I’ll always save her, sir. I love her with every single part of me.”

The last of Dad’s reservations toward Luca break away. I see it when he reaches across the table and offers his hand to Luca again, and it’s reaffirmed when Dad mutters, “Welcome to the family.”

I turn into a blubbering mess again. I hug Dad and whisper my thanks in his ear. His own eyes are teary when I pull back.

I’m just about to get up and go check on Aria when I hear a door slam. My heart races because I know it could only be one person.

“Mom, Dad!” I close my eyes when I hear her musical voice. “Did you know there’s a little girl in the living room watching TV?”

My back is facing the doorway, but I know she’s now in the room. I open my eyes and they meet Luca’s. He knows how much I’ve missed my sister.

I take a deep breath, and with my heart in my throat, I get up and turn around.

She’s absolutely beautiful and looks just like me when I was her age. The last time I saw her she was seven years old, just over Aria’s age. She’s fourteen now, almost a grown woman.

Her eyes meet mine and confusion pulls down her brows. It doesn’t take her long to recognize me.

“Jules?” she whispers. “Is that really you?”

I nod, because that’s all I can do. My mouth is too dry and my throat too tight to formulate any words.

One second, she’s feet from me, and the next, she’s throwing herself in my arms. We both crumple to the floor. Her body shakes in my arms as she presses her face against my chest. Her hands clutch the back of my shirt, like she’s afraid I’m going to pull away. She shouldn’t be. I’m going nowhere. There’s nothing that could pry me away from my baby sister.

“You disappeared!” she wails. “You were there then you weren’t! Why didn’t you ever come back?”

“Shh…,” I coo, smoothing my hand up and down her back. Her grief is tearing me apart. I’m her big sister, she looked up to me, and I wasn’t there for her. “I couldn’t. Something happened to keep me away, but I’m back now, and I swear I’m never leaving you again.”

She pushes herself away from me and looks up. “What happened?”

I brush away her tears, ignoring my own. “I’ll explain later.”

She sniffs and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “You promise you won’t disappear again?”

“I promise,” I say with force.

“I missed you so much, Jules.”

My stomach pinches. “I’ve missed you too.”

She bites her lip, looking up at mom and dad, then to Luca. “Who’s that?”

I get us both to our feet and grab her hand. “This is Luca, my husband. Luca, I’d like you to meet my little sister, Teresa.”

Her brows jump, and her mouth drops open as she looks at him. He’s got to be at least a foot and a half taller than her.

“It’s very nice to finally meet you, Teresa,” Luca says, holding out his hand. “Jules has told me a lot about you.”

“She has?”

Luca smiles. “Yes.”

Teresa turns back to me and lowers her voice. “He’s cute.”

He hears her and chuckles. Dad grunts, and Mom and I giggle.

“I know.”

She frowns again, her eyes flickering back to Luca before looking back at me.

“The little girl…. She’s your daughter, isn’t she?”

“She is,” I confirm.

“Wow,” she breathes. “That makes me an aunt.”

I put my arm around her shoulders. “It does. Would you like to meet her?”

“Yes,” comes her immediate answer.

I pull her into my arms one more time, needing to feel her there to know that this is real. My eyes meet Luca’s again, and they shine with love as he watches me with a soft expression.

As I lead my sister to the living room to meet Aria, my parents and Luca following behind us, I think about how lucky I am.

Over seven years ago, I was fortunate enough to find the one man I was meant to be with for the rest of my life. I knew it the instant I met him. We only had weeks before our happiness was ripped away. The years I was in my coma I was lost, just floating in space, neither here nor there. The first person I saw after I came out of my coma was again the man of my dreams, the other half of my soul, but I was still lost. Even before I regained my memory, my soul recognized Luca for who he was, and I slowly started feeling whole again, like I belonged and was exactly where I was supposed to be.

With Luca and our daughter.

Now I have my sister and my parents back, and I know that no matter what happens, no matter what troubles life throws at us, it’ll never shatter the complete feeling I carry in my heart.

I introduce my sister to Aria, and she takes to her like a flower to the sun. We stay for dinner and Teresa tells me everything I’ve missed over the last seven years. I soak up every word, glorying in hearing her voice again and seeing the excitement in her eyes.

It’s dark by the time we leave. We all exchange numbers, and I promise Teresa and my parents that I’ll be back in a couple of days to visit again.

As Luca navigates the streets of the north side of town back to the south side, my hand in his on his thigh, I can’t help the smile that stays plastered on my face. I look over at him when I feel his eyes on me.

“I love you,” he says quietly, then brings the back of my hand to his lips.

“I love you, too.”

He looks back at the road, but I see the smile curving his lips. I look to the back seat of the truck and find Aria sleeping peacefully.

A single thought comes to mind and my grin widens.

My life couldn’t get any more perfect than it is right in this moment.