by Blue Saffire
“Yes sir,” I murmured.
As he left the room, I stood up to leave. I looked at Victor and I could see the wet spots the tears had left on his face. Alex had his head in his hands shaking with tears of his own.
Victor stood and stepped in front of me. I looked up at him and his eyes had a look of pleading. He reached for my hand, then slowly dropped it and turned to walk away.
I felt so bad for them. I wanted to help. I felt like I had done this. I hadn’t meant to, but I ruined the family that loved me. I had ruined everything about them.
chapter twenty-four
New Editions
I went straight to bed after the dinner of doom. I tried hard to go to sleep, but I couldn’t shut up my thoughts. I wanted to apologize to Aunt Tali.
I was sure I would be leaving now that I had hurt her family. I was trying to figure out where I would go. Maybe I could stay with Uncle Sisqo until I figured something out.
I still had the money I found in my mom’s room and all the money that Raul had been giving me. I thought about Raul’s offer to live with him, but I didn’t think I was going to change my mind about being alone.
I started to think about the other kids here and how I would miss them. Especially, the one I was in love with, Victor. Leaving him would be the hardest.
I would miss having a mom and dad too. Aunt Tali and Uncle Alex were the closest thing I have ever had to real parents. I loved having brothers and sisters, too.
I was so frustrated. I couldn’t get comfortable or stop all the thoughts from taunting me. I tried pulling my hair in a ponytail out of my face. I kicked the covers off as I twist and turned.
I tried stripping down to my underwear and stretching across the bed, but it was all useless. I started to cry myself to sleep and finally drifted off curled in a knot. The tears allowed for some of the ache to release.
I woke in the middle of the night as I felt weight resting across my side. I slowly lifted my lids and realized my back felt very warm. As I focused I saw the weight was an arm and the warmth was another body pressed to my back.
I could hear light snoring in my ear. I turned slightly to see Victor was lying next to me with his chest pressed to my back and his arm wrapped around me. As I moved he started to stir and pulled me in tighter.
“I love you,” he said softly.
I knew he was still sleeping as he said it because right after he did he went back to snoring. I smiled and press my back closer to him and reached for the covers to pull them over us. I placed my hand over his and went back to sleep.
When I woke up the next morning I was alone again. It was as if Vic had never been there. I got up to shower and get ready for church. I wanted to be on my best behavior and ready to do whatever I needed to stay. Once I was ready, I went down for breakfast.
When I got there, Victor and Alex were already at the table looking just as sad as the night before. I wanted to hug them both and tell them it would be okay. Victor looked up from his plate at me, looking my clothes over. He and Alex were still in their t-shirts and shorts they slept in.
“We’re not going to church, my mom isn’t feeling good,” Vic murmured.
“Oh, is she okay?” I asked concerned.
“Dad, I mean Alex, um, Uncle Alex,” Victor fumbled and frowned, “he said she will be okay, she needs to sleep.”
“It’s our fault. I shouldn’t have been so rude,” Al murmured.
“It’s not your fault. She is probably just exhausted. Your dad meant a lot to her. What happened last night was something she has tried to protect you from for a long time,” I offered.
“You knew all this time,” Vic asked in a whisper.
“Yes,” I nodded. “Your dad and Uncle Alex were like legends in the hood. My dad was best friends with them. I grew up on your story and how you were born.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I had no right to. Your mom told me she was going to tell you, she just wanted to do it at the right time. You guys should know, Uncle Alex loves you and your dad loved you too. They would do anything for you and Aunt Tali.”
“I know,” Victor said and got up to leave.
I could tell Vic was going to cry again and I didn’t want him to be alone. I followed him out of the kitchen and reached for his arm as he reached the hall. Victor turned to face me and the tears had already wet his face. I threw my arms around him and hugged him. Vic placed his face in my neck as he cried and hugged me close.
“He left us letters, Meliyah. One for each of us, he never knew our names, but he wrote us letters to say he loved us. He knew he was going to die,” Victor sobbed.
“Victor, I never got that much. My mom wasted everything my dad left me. At least you know you have people that love you. I’ll never know that about my dad,” I said through my own tears.
“You do know that about your dad. He sent you here, right? He had to love you to want you safe with my mom and dad, I mean uncle,” Victor sighed at the end of his sentence.
“Stop doing that Victor. Uncle Alex loves you like his own son. He is the only dad you have known, even if he is not your real father. Those are just words, he will always treat you like his son,” I said as I rubbed his back.
“I know, it’s just all so confusing. Meliyah,” Victor said and lifted his face from my neck. He pressed his forehead to mine. “I miss you. I’m sorry about everything.”
“Victor, don’t,” I started.
“No, please wait. I love you. I didn’t know how to tell you and things just got out of control.”
I kissed him to cut him off. I just wanted to start over. We didn’t need to talk about before. Vic reached to hold my face to his as he kissed me back. I lifted on my toes to get closer to him.
“I love you too, poppa, always have,” I breathed and kissed him on the cheek.
“You’ll always be mine,” Victor said and reached to remove the necklace that Raul had given me from my neck. He threw it on the floor and kissed my neck. “No one will ever love you as much as I do.”
We heard someone on the stairs and Victor pulled away from me. I started ahead of him to go to my room. As I got to the stairs, I relaxed, it was only Alexis.
She looked sad today too. I just waved and ran up to change my clothes. I heard a knock on my door as I pulled on my shorts and a t-shirt.
I went to the door and opened it for Victor to slip inside quickly. He wrapped his arms around me. We just hugged for a long time. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rest my head on his chest.
When I felt the moisture hit my shoulder, I pulled away to wipe his face. Vic lightly kissed my hand. I reached for his hand and led him over to the bed.
I wanted him to hold me again, but this time I wanted to be awake. If I was leaving anyway this wouldn’t hardly matter. I wanted all the time I could get with him. I watched his eyes as I climbed on the bed and pulled him onto it with me.
I could see something I’ve never seen with anyone else that tried to climb in bed with me. He looked at me with real love in his eyes, not lust or the thrill of getting in my pants. Victor laid beside me and pulled me into his arms.
He rubbed my back with one hand and brushed my hair from my face with the other. We didn’t need to say a word to each other. His eyes said all I needed to know and mine answered him back.
We lay there like that for hours before Victor’s phone went off with a text from Al. Uncle Alex was looking for him. Victor kissed me and got up to leave.
He cracked the door to peek out and slipped out just as fast as he’d came in. I stayed there thinking about how much I love him and how I would never have forgiven myself if I had slept with Raul yesterday. Victor was right, I was his, he was the only man that ever truly loved me. Not my body or what he could get from my body. Victor loves me.
I could hear my other phone ringing again. I had nothing to say to Raul. I had made a mistake. There was nothing left for us to talk about. I was with the one I wanted. I rolled off the be
d to face my future. I needed to know if Aunt Tali wanted me to leave.
I walked out of my room and up the hall toward Uncle Alex and Aunt Tali’s room. As I passed the stairs and looked over the banister, I could see Vic and Al standing in the foyer with Uncle Alex, their heads were down as he spoke to them. I was very concerned about Aunt Tali now. I rushed the rest of the way to her room.
The door was cracked a little as I knocked. I didn’t hear an answer, so I pushed it open and stepped inside a bit. I called out for Aunt Tali and heard nothing, so I moved passed the sitting area.
The lights were on, but I didn’t see her in the room. Then I heard a choking and gagging noise. I ran all the way inside and looked around. I saw the bathroom door open and noticed the sound was coming from that way. I ran to the door and saw Aunt Tali on the bathroom floor bent over the toilet.
She heaved into the toilet and gripped the sides. I ran to her side and pulled her hair back. I felt terrible.
What had I done? I love Tali, she has been so good to me. I never meant to hurt her or her family. I started crying as I held her hair. She placed a hand over one of mine.
“Oh, thank you, Meliyah,” she panted. “Please wet that towel,” she pointed toward the sink where a few towels were folded.
I rushed to do as she asked and realized she must not have made it to the toilet right away. The bathroom needed to be cleaned. I wet the towel and rushed back to her side.
She sat back on her heels looking exhausted. I wiped her face with the towel for her as best I could. Aunt Tali closed her eyes and sighed in relief.
“I’m so sorry, Aunt Tali,” I sobbed, “this is all my fault.”
She opened her eyes slowly and chuckled weakly. “Meliyah, I hardly think you got me pregnant,” she replied.
“You’re pregnant?” I gasped.
“Oh yes, I lost my mind and let Alex talk me into doing this again.” She was laughing a little more now. “Stop crying, Silly. The boys were just looking out for you. You didn’t know they were going to follow you or that they would find out about their dad. I shouldn’t have reacted that way last night.”
“You’re protecting your family,” I murmured.
“What makes you think you are not a part of that family that I’m protecting?” I shrugged and looked down at the floor. Aunt Tali reached to cup my face in her hand. “Honey, I love you just like the others that I’ve given birth to.”
Before she could say anymore, she had her head back over the toilet. I quickly reached for her hair and held it back. Uncle Alex came rushing in the bathroom and sat to wrap around her. He rubbed her back as he whispered in her ear and kissed the top of her head. She nodded at him and he looked over at me with a smile.
“You’re in here again, Tali, looks like twins again Mama,” he beamed and laughed.
“Ugh, I must be out of my mind,” Aunt Tali groaned and reached for the wet towel in my hand.
“I love you, Baby. You’re just giving me what I wanted,” he crooned.
“I love you, too. Are they okay?” she asked anxiously.
“Yeah, they are holding up. I think the letters Victor left helped a little,” Uncle Alex sighed.
“I still can’t believe he left them and you kept that from me,” Aunt Tali pouted.
“Sorry Mama, I promised. They want to see you. Al especially, he thinks you are up here because of him.”
Aunt Tali chuckled. “So did she, let them in the room. I think I’m okay for now.”
Uncle Alex stood and helped her up off the floor. I went to look under their sink for something to clean the bathroom with. I pulled out some rags and cleaner. Uncle Alex disappeared to get Victor and Alex while Aunt Tali washed her face.
“Honey, you don’t have to do that,” Aunt Tali said and wrinkled her nose at me.
“I want to. Go lay down,” I insisted as I lifted the toilet seat and started there.
“Don’t you go telling people I’m an evil stepmother making you clean the house,” she teased.
“Never,” I laughed. “I’m doing it because I love you.” I beamed as I looked at her. She loved me like one of her own and I loved her like the mom I always wanted.
“I love you, too,” she replied with a big smile.
I finished cleaning the toilet and moved onto the floor. It took me a little while to finish up. I put everything back and tied up the trash. As I made my way out of the huge bathroom, I could hear talking in the other room. I stopped at the door, not sure if I should interrupt.
“Hey, my babies,” I heard Aunt Tali chimed.
“Hey, Mommy,” Al said sadly.
“You two look so sad,” Aunt Tali said sounding heartbroken.
“We didn’t mean to upset you mom, we just wanted to know the truth,” I heard Vic explain.
“You guys think you made me sick?” Aunt Tali sighed.
“Yeah,” they said in unison.
“Well, you’ll have to find something else to feel bad about. You two are going to be big brothers again,” Aunt Tali laughed.
“Really,” Al chimed.
“Oh, great, more brats,” Victor teased and chuckled. It was nice to hear.
“Shut up, Victor, you’re my biggest brat.”
“That’s why you love me the most,” he crooned.
“Um… I’ll think about that one,” Aunt Tali laughed. “I wanted to tell you guys about something else. I know we have made a lot of changes without telling you guys first and it seems like they have affected the two of you the most.”
“What now, are we getting a dog?” Victor teased.
“No, dad has another hot girl he is moving in,” Alex laughed. They both chuckled.
“No, but it is about, Meliyah,” Uncle Alex said.
“What about her?” Vic asked sounding a little defensive.
“We want to adopt her officially. She’ll be a Delgado,” Aunt Tali chimed.
I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. They wanted to adopt me and give me their last name. I would really be a part of their family. They weren’t going to send me away. I moved a little closer to hear more.
“No,” Victor roared after a moment of silence.
“Vic, what is wrong with you? Meliyah is not replacing you or anything. Why are you so against her being here?” Uncle Alex asked.
“I’m not,” he said lowly.
“Then what is the problem Victor?” Aunt Tali asked.
“She’s my girlfriend,” his voice broke as he spoke.
I was stunned. What was he doing? He was ruining everything. Us, the family I wanted so badly, everything was being destroyed by his words.
“I – I love her.”
“Oh,” Aunt Tali said in pure shock. “Oh my gosh, that explains so much. You’ve been acting so crazy because of her. Not because she’s here, but because you like her.”
“No mom, I love her. You can’t adopt her,” Victor insisted.
I stepped all the way out of the bathroom with tears covering my face. Victor looked over in my direction as he heard me enter. Uncle Alex and Aunt Tali looked at me like they had forgotten I was there. Victor looked at me and his mouth fell open.
“Meliyah,” he started.
I shook my head and ran from the room. I love Victor too, but I wanted a family. I wanted to be adopted. He knows how much I want that, why would he take that from me? I was hurt.
The tears flew as I ran and Victor called after me. I made it to my bedroom door before Victor caught up to me. He grabbed my arm and turned me around to face him. Before I could protest, he crushed his lips to mine and pulled me in his arms. I pushed at his chest to get away from him.
“Meliyah, listen to me,” Victor demanded.
“No, how could you? You know I want to stay here. You know I want a family. Your family, why would you do that?” I sobbed.
“I know what you want and I want you to have it, Meliyah. I promise, just not that way,” Victor tried to explain.
“What do you mean. Victor?
What other way is there? I want your mom and dad. Not some strangers.”
“And I want you to have my mom and dad, Meliyah. You will have my mom and dad. I want to marry you. You can have them all when you marry me,” Victor said as he looked in my eyes.
“I love you. I never want to lose you again. If they adopt you, it just seems wrong to me.” He shrugged and wiped away my tears and leaned to kiss me again.
This time I kissed him back. I locked my fingers in his hair and held him tight. Victor squeezed me so hard it hurt, but I didn’t want him to let go. Vic pulled his lips from mine and rubbed his nose to mine.
“Oh, you’re kidding me?” I heard Aunt Tali call. I turned to see her standing with her mouth hanging open. “You were the mystery girl from the spring. He got really crazy when Raul showed up. That’s what all the fighting has been about, that’s why they followed you. Oh no, I’m the only one making babies in this house.”
“Mom,” Victor chuckled and wrapped his arms around me. “It’s not like that. She means more to me than that.”
“I want to talk to you two,” Aunt Tali said and narrowed her eyes. “Oh my gosh, this boy is just like his father. You were the reason she wasn’t dating, and when I made her, you had a fit didn’t you? How did I not see all this before?”
“Vic, we talked about this,” Uncle Alex said.
“It was too late by then. I was in love with her the minute I opened the door. I tried to stay away from her, but I can’t. She drives me crazy, but I love her,” Victor explained.
“I drive you crazy,” I said and narrowed my eyes at him as I turned my head to look up at him. Victor laughed and pecked me on the lips.
“Please tell me you two haven’t been screwing in my house,” Aunt Tali demanded.
“Ma, I told you it’s not like that. I know the rules. I don’t even know what she looks like naked.”
“Meliyah, you are awfully quiet,” Aunt Tali addressed me.
“I don’t know what he looks like naked either,” I giggled. “I’m still a virgin.” Victor squeezed me as I said that. I knew he was happy to hear that and he knew I was telling the truth.
“Okay,” Aunt Tali sighed. “I need to lie down. You two come into the room with me. We need some new rules around here.”
