by Skye, M.
She pulled into the parking garage anxiously and shut her car off. She sighed before opening her door and stepping out, everything in her said that something was seriously wrong, but she tried to wash the negativity away. She walked toward the door and plastered on a big smile, and she stepped onto the elevator, she saw several faces she recognized and acknowledged them subtly. When she finally made it to their floor, she stuck her head into Meg’s office to find her leafing through some papers
“Hey, stranger,” Emily said as she made her way inside.
“Em! When did you make it back? Tell me everything. Was it awesome?”
“That’s a lot of questions. I just got back, it was amazing, and there is so much to tell I don’t know where to begin. Before I get into it, I want to hear all about my godchildren. I bet Allison is getting so grown, and Jordan is probably twice the size he was when I left.”
“They are excellent, and they miss their Aunt Em. Allison was just asking about you the other day.”
“Okay, so the kids are good, but how are you? Are you still having those nightmares?”
Meg shifted in her seat and laid her head back on her chair. “Not as much, but sometimes. We finally got the kids back into their rooms, so Alex feels better, but I still wake up checking on them every few hours. It’s a habit I can’t get out of just yet.”
Emily slid closer and touched Meg’s hand gently. “Sweetie, you have to relax and start getting some rest. You’re going to go crazy if you don’t accept that the children are safe. That crazy woman is probably worlds away by now, there is no way she would be stupid enough to screw with you. She knows she would have hell to pay.”
“I know, and you’re probably right...”
“I am right, Meg. I want you to try to sleep through the whole night for me. Can you do that?”
“I can try,” she smiled. “You’re never going to believe what Alex did.”
Emily smiled deviously. “What was it?”
“He sent Jordan and Alli off with Matt and Melia while I was sleeping. I woke up looking for them and almost lost my mind.”
“Oh my,” she laughed. “I’m surprised he is still alive to talk about it. How did he get out of that?”
Meg blushed. “His apology was very convincing.”
“So in other words, he sexed you into forgiving him. Good for him, you were in serious need of some action. I was beginning to think you were trying to become a born again virgin.”
“So I see Thailand did nothing to rid you of your inner bitch,” she laughed, “but yes, we are back on track in that department. I guess I just needed to know that he still found me attractive. The extra weight made me a little testy.”
Emily huffed and pulled her out of her seat. “Don’t make me slap you. You’re gorgeous. Having a baby only made you that much more attractive. Alex probably loves the way you look. Your breasts are huge and you’re stacked up like a video vixen. That boy probably loses his mind every time he sees you naked.”
Meg chuckled and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for the encouragement. I feel better about everything after the past few nights. We have reconnected in the best way.”
“Well, that means my work here is done,” Emily stood to leave.
“Where are you heading to?”
“I was going to pop in on Gio.”
“He isn’t here today, he needed a personal day.” Tilting her head to the side, Meg developed a strange look. “Have you noticed something strange about him?”
Emily sighed and sat back down. “Yeah, I have, that’s why I came by. The last few times I talked to him, he sounded weird.”
“You should see him, he has lost weight, and he looks pale all the time. You don’t think he’s sick, do you? He would tell us, right?”
“Gio is very secretive, you know that. The best option to find out what’s really going on would be to ask Marco. He would let us know if something were seriously wrong.” Emily pulled her cell out and dialed Marco’s number as Meg looked on silently. When he picked up, she started in instantly. “Marco, if Gio is around you, don’t draw attention, but is everything okay? I feel like it’s something he isn’t telling us.”
“Everything is fine, Em, he was just a little under the weather today.”
“Are you sure? It’s not just me that’s worried, Meg is worried too.”
“Yeah, it’s fine. I hate to rush you off, but I have some things in front of me. Now that you’re back, we should all get together. It’s been too long.”
“Yeah,” Emily sighed unconvincingly. “Too long.” They concluded the call, and Emily looked to Meg with a blank expression. “Something is definitely wrong. Call the girls, we need to get together today. We have to figure out how to help him out of whatever mess he’s in.” As they began to contact everyone, they also started to shut things down in the office. While they busied themselves with that, across town, Marco was pleading with Gio to come clean.
***
“Gio, this is ridiculous. I’m not going to sit by and watch you destroy yourself. You have to tell them, maybe they can help.”
“I don’t want them involved,” he screamed. “I’m the big brother, I’m supposed to protect them, not the other way around.”
Marco stood and leaned down in his face. “You can’t protect them if you’re dead. You may think you’re invincible, but I know you’re not. What you’re being is extremely stupid.”
“Marco, leave. I can’t deal with one of your fits today.”
“I will not, I drove you here. How do you expect to get home if I go?”
“I’ll call a fucking cab. You’re pissing me off.”
“You’re mad because you know I’m right. This is not something you can do alone, and the more people that know, the more of a chance you have.”
Gio sat up angrily with tears in his eyes. “If you open your mouth, we’re done. I’ve stated my position.”
“At the rate you’re going, you won’t have a position for long. I’ll keep your secret, I just hope it’s worth your life.” Marco flew out of the room and sat down in a chair in the waiting area. His chest was so tight, he could barely breathe. He felt the tears dripping down his face, but his hands were frozen. He wanted to wipe them away, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, he found Lexie standing behind him with a stoic expression.
“What are you doing here? He wouldn’t want to see you. I think you should leave.”
“I won’t,” she sat down. “Regardless of what has happened between us, he is my family. I’m going to be here, whether he likes it or not.”
Marco smiled at her and patted her hand. “You’re like him, stubborn and hardheaded. How did you find us anyway?”
“I followed you, of course,” she smiled. “I know I was wrong for the way I behaved when he came out to us, but I was in shock. The little brother, I had known for fourteen years was shaking up our relationship, and I reacted poorly. By the time I came to grips with it, he was gone. I’ve been looking for him ever since.”
Marco sighed. “This is something you need to tell him. He has to forgive you, not me. Maybe he can and then you can all have some peace of mind.”
“Maybe, but that will have to wait. I have to do what I need to do to fix this situation first.” Lexie got up and walked away with her cell phone in hand. Marco watched, hoping for a miracle, Gio’s wellbeing depended on it.
Chapter Three
Melissa swung Jordan up in the air and he kicked his legs out happily. She loved watching him, and now that she had convinced Meg and Alex to let them go to her house during the day, she could really enjoy their time. “Granny loves you.” When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she almost jumped and then she remembered her house guest. “Jordan, it’s time you met someone special, your other Granny, Maria.” Maria reached for him with tears in her eyes.
Maria had been staying with Melissa for the past few weeks while they were working on finding Amanda. Maria thought it would be a bad idea to stay wi
th her at first, but when Melissa explained how no one would ever suspect she was there, Maria agreed. This way, she could at least be near her family, even if she couldn’t contact them. The truth was, Melissa was lonely in that big house all by herself, and having Maria there provided her with the company she longed for. They hadn’t been the best of friends in the past, but these last eight months, had really improved their relationship. They now had a common goal, and they were family.
While Maria played with Jordan, Melissa looked over the information Ben had given her during their last meeting. He had informants all over the prison, and someone had reported that Sean had recently begun to receive mail. In the eight months he had been imprisoned, he had never received a shred of mail up until two weeks ago.
After the first letter had arrived, mail started to come in daily. This aroused Ben’s suspicion, and instead of contacting Melissa, he thought maybe he could get through to Alex. Of all his children, he missed Alex the most. Maybe it was the fact that Alex was the most like him, but nevertheless, Alex was his favorite.
Alex never let Ben dictate any aspect of his life, and he secretly admired that about him. Alex was always the one of the three who openly defied all odds, with the same intensity and fire he saw in himself. The letter he had sent to Alex and Meg was his first attempt to regain a shred of their trust. He wanted to be on their good side in case things went south, and with his new suspicions, he thought it could be sooner than later. He had made many mistakes with his children in the past, but he wasn’t going to let it happen again. If anyone were going to try anything, he would be one step ahead. As a result, he had the letters seized from Sean by any means necessary.
Melissa now had possession of the letters, and had read them several times. They were from Bianca, and none of them said much of anything. Just talking about how things were going, the usual small talk about how much she blamed Meg for everything, and how she couldn’t wait to make her pay; all typical for Bianca. She still refused to take responsibility for her own actions and blamed everyone, but herself for her current situation. She mentioned Allison several times, only to say that Meg would never be a real mother to her, but nothing significant.
Honestly Melisa was surprised she even mentioned Allison. All the time she had been around them, Bianca never seemed to care about her. Maybe she was remorseful now that she didn’t have the option anymore. Whatever the case was, the letters contained nothing to lead them to Amanda, and Melissa was beginning to lose hope. The only bright spot about everything was the fact that she was able to give Maria some much needed time with her grandson.
Jordan seemed to take to her instantly, and he rarely liked anyone on the first meeting. Jordan was a very picky subject. To be so young, he was selective about who he let near him. When they would take him to his appointments, he would scream his head off when the doctors and nurses would touch him. His tears would only subside when either Meg or Alex picked him up. It also took him a while to adjust to Matt. He used to cry every time Matt took him, but now they were okay. It was like he knew Maria already, and he seemed quite content with her. Maybe it was the fact that she and Meg looked so much alike. Whatever it was, he hadn’t made one peep since she picked him up.
As hard as it was, Melissa tore herself away from them and focused on the task at hand. She had to get whatever she could to reunite Maria with her family. She still felt like it was partially her fault for not pushing harder when it came to Ben’s torment. Letting the world believe that Maria was dead was the only way for now, the only one she could be around openly was Jordan. She knew being away from her daughters and Emilio was torture for Maria, and she wanted to help rectify the situation. For now time with Jordan had to be enough.
The hours seemed to fly by as Maria sat talking with Melissa and getting acquainted with Jordan. She fed him, she changed him, and she played with him all day. He loved all the attention she showered on him. He even fell asleep in her arms. Melissa offered to take him to his room and lay him down, but Maria refused; she wanted to keep him for as long as she could. Melissa loved seeing her so happy, she hadn’t seen her smile in so long, and she was excited to be able to give her that moment.
While Melissa watched a sleeping Jordan in Maria’s arms, she looked over to see the clock and gasped at the time. “Oh my, it’s almost time for Meg to arrive. I’m afraid you have to get out of sight until she leaves.” Maria sighed and kissed Jordan’s forehead before handing him over. Within five minutes, Meg had arrived to pick him up. As soon as he heard her voice, his eyes popped open, and he reached for her. Meg’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw him.
“Hi, mommy’s little man. Did you have fun with Granny today?”
“We did,” Melissa smiled. “We played hard.”
When Meg took him in her arms, she pulled him close and inhaled deeply. She had a rough day at work, and the comfort she found in her son was indescribable. Gio hadn’t returned to work, and she couldn’t reach him for the better half of the day. When she did reach him, he sounded irritable and out of breath. She tried to pull the truth out of him, but he was close-lipped about everything.
In the sit down, she had with the girls, they decided that someone should just drop by the house and check on him. They all agreed that it should be Maddie. She and Gio had always been the closest, and she agreed. She had been occupied at work and hadn’t been able to go by, but she planned to drop by very soon.
As Meg continued to hold Jordan to her chest, she smelled a familiar fragrance and her eyes widened. She knew the smell, and knew she had to be imagining things. Melissa took notice of the look on her face and laid her hand on Meg’s arm. “What’s wrong, darling?” Meg moved back when she felt Melissa’s hand on her skin. Melissa’s face paled in shock as the realization hit her. Meg stepped backwards with Jordan and ran into the wall. With trembling hands, Meg began to address her.
“Jordan smells like... he smells like the perfume my mother used to wear. Where did it come from? It was her favorite, I’ve never smelled it on anyone else.”
Melissa stalled, she didn’t know how to explain it. She was at a loss for words, when Margret came speeding around the corner. “It was me, Mrs. Hanover, I have the same perfume. I’m sorry to upset you. I must have rubbed it on him when I put him down for his nap.” Meg looked at her sincerity and calmed down. She bought the story, and Melissa exhaled deeply.
“It’s okay Margret, I just let my mind escape me for a minute. I’m sorry I got you guys all riled up. I’m sure the scent is popular, I just haven’t met anyone else who wore it except her. It makes me think of her. At least Jordan got to know at least a little piece of her today.” She reached out and hugged Margret lightly to be sure not to crush Jordan. “Thank you. Thank you both for taking such good care of my little man.”
Melissa ran her hand down Jordan’s back tenderly. “He was no trouble. He was wonderful like he has always been for Granny.”
“Well, I’m glad you had fun, but let us get going. We have to go see your sister and daddy,” she said softly while holding Jordan out. He kicked his feet as if he knew what she was saying and she grabbed his bag from the floor. “Let’s get you loaded into the car. Say goodbye to Granny.” As Melissa watched Meg and Jordan walk out of the door, she positioned her hand on Margaret’s shoulder. She was very grateful for what she had done.
“Thank you, Margaret, you were a godsend just then. I was absolutely speechless when she asked.”
“It’s no problem ma’am, you looked like you needed help.”
“Yes, I did, and thank you for helping out.”
“It was no problem, but tomorrow I think Ms. Maria should skip putting on the perfume. We wouldn’t want to take any chances until we can afford to.”
“Good idea,” Melissa laughed and put her arms around Margret. “Let’s get a drink, we need a nice stiff one.”
Maria came from the back with a nervous look on her face and sighed. “That was so close, I need to be smarter when it comes
to my daughter. She is so insightful.”
“Yeah, well Margret here saved the day. Now, no more worries for the night. We have earned ourselves a round of drinks.”
***
Alex had gotten off work and was rushing over to Allison’s school to pick her up. He was cursing himself for running behind. He was only five minutes late, but Meg was always on time. He already had a lot to live up to considering her squeaky-clean image with Allison on the pickup and drop off scene, and he wanted her to request him the way she always requested Meg. When he arrived, he saw her standing with her teacher holding her hand looking a little upset. He assumed it was because of his tardiness, and immediately felt bad.
The car ride home was very quiet as they rode in silence. When he asked her what was wrong, she deflected his question, and began to look out the window as they headed home. He knew that she must be upset with him because usually she would be talking his ear off, but this time she was dead silent. They made it home, they were still quiet, and he just let her venture off to her room. Hours later, he was sitting on the couch and she came and sat down next to him quietly. He looked at her blank expression and decided to start up a conversation.
“Princess, how was school?” he pulled her into his lap.
“It was good, daddy. I got a new teacher, she plays with me at recess.”
“That’s good. Now, tell me what you want to do for your birthday.”
“I want a party, a big one,” she giggled. “I want all my friends from school, my granny, and my aunts and uncles, but I wish,” she drifted off and looked away.
“You wish what, sweetie?”
“Nothing, you’re going to get mad.”
Alex stroked her blond curls and kissed her cheek. “It’s your birthday, you can have whatever you want.”
“I wish grandpa could come. I know he is in grown man’s time out, but I wish he could come to my party. I miss him.”
