Always & Forever

Chapter 8

"Kat?" Will asked, just as surprised to find me here as I him. Kaitlyn's eyebrows rose as her face scrunched up.

"You two know each other?"  She inquired.

I glanced over at Rachel and by the look on her face, she had figured it out. She knew Will was the trio's dad.

"Um...yeah...um...." I was stupidly stuttering when Will cut in and said "Yes. We hadn't spoken in years."

His voice had as much emotion in it as a dead persons. It was cold and hard.

"Hadn't?" Kaitlyn asked.

"Um...we ran into each other a couple nights ago." I said. I looked for the first to Rachel's date. He was Jason Bradfield, Will's best friend. "Hey Jase. Long time."

Jason nodded in my direction. "Yeah. Really long time. No calls, emails, visits. Nothing. But I'm not one to hold grudges, so come give me a hug." he finished smiling brightly as he held out his arms. Even though Jason is Will's best friend, he was like the older sibling Will and I never had. He always told us out on the stupid things we did and told us when we were wrong. I hate feeling like I disappointed him. "You really hurt him when you left, Shorty. You need to explain at some point to him what happened. He told me about the other night when we were at the club and he may not want to hear it now but he will want to hear it someday."

Tears gathered in my eyes but I blinked them back and nodded at him when he stepped back. My eyes found Rachel's, her's  silently asking if I was alright, so I nodded my head. Jason caught me looking at Rachel and said "Kat this is Rachel my date."

"I know who she is. Rach you didn't tell me you were coming here when you left earlier."

"I dint know where we were going and you were sleeping when I left." She shrugged.

"You two know each other?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. She's my best friend and assistant." I responded. Kaitlyn stood there with a scowl on her face, her arm clinging to Will's, in clear warning.

I looked around the room remembering her earlier comment about mom's condition. I spotted her in the center of the room with the man I hadn't even considered. My father. As I was about to excuse myself and go  interrogate her on this condition of hers, my phone vibrated. Glancing at the screen I saw Jaq's name appear on it. I looked up to see three pairs of eyes on me,

"Excuse me, I have to take this." I mumbled.

Rachel's eyes found mine. "Jaq?" she asked. I nodded and took two steps away from them.

"Bonjour, Jaq."

"Mama? Alex et Drew dit que vous ne serez pas revenir et que Rachel que vous avez mangé ." ( Mommy?  Alex and Drew said you will not come back and that Rachel ate you.) Dria rushed out to me. I sighed. Every time I left for a trip without them, even if it was to the grocery store, they would tell her something like this and she always fell for it.

"Honey, I'm okay. Pas besoin de s'inquiéter." (No need to worry.) I said walking away from the group. "Ignore your brothers, okay? Now, can you put on Alexander and Andrew."

She sniffled leading me to believe she was crying. "Okay mama." There was shuffling and then I heard Dria's faint voice say "Mama is mad she called you Alexander and Andrew." Whenever I called them by their whole names I was usually mad or disappointed, usually mad.

"Hello?" I said when I knew they were on the phone.

"We are very sorry Mommy. we will never do I again. We love you."

"You always say that. No television until you get to L.A. Am I clear?"

I heard their little gasps. "But Mommy, That's three weeks away." Drew said.

"The only reason it isn't longer is because you guys lasted a week without a complaint whenever we talked. Plus we talked about this before I left, no picking on your sister. You guys know better. Now am I clear?"

"Yes ma'am." They said simultaneously.

"Good now put Aunty Jaq on."

"Hé, je sais que vous êtes à ce bal , mais elle ne voulait pas arrêter de pleurer jusqu'à ce qu'elle savait que vous étiez d'accord" (Hey I know you're at that ball but she wouldn't stop crying until she knew you were okay.) Jaq was born in America but had moved to Paris when she was eight with her parents, and she still had her American accent, unlike me who adapted the accent of what ever language I speak or country I am in. The trio had adopted that to. I took them to Rome and we all had perfect Italian accents in half an hour even when speaking English. That lasted until we left and were back in France.

"It's okay Jaq, I know how demanding she can be, but Drew and Alex have no TV until they get here."

"Got it no TV." Even now I could tell she was going to give into their puppy dog eyes. But I knew Dria would tell Pierre, Jaq's boyfriend, and he wouldn't let them.

I spotted my mother again and told her I had to go. I made my way over to my mother and when I was  a meter away she turned and smiled in my direction. I saw her foot nudge my father's and he too turned. His eyes widened and surprise crawled across his face. He looked the same except his eyes. Brown short hair, tall strong built but instead of his usual black cold eyes, I spotted sad eyes. 

I stepped forward planning to ignore him. "Mom Kaitlyn said something earlier about you having a condition? " I said getting straight to the point if I didn't she would manage to skirt her way around it. Her violet eyes that matched mine perfectly widened.

"We will speak about this later but for now lets enjoy the ball." The tone of her voice told me her condition is something she doesn't want to speak about.

"Mom-"

I was cut off but her pleading voice saying "Please Katerina."

I nodded and turned to go when I heard his familiar voice say "Katerina? May we speak for a moment?"  I nodded, not because I actually wanted to talk to him, but because the man I left would have demanded not asked. I never believed all those times mom told me he has changed little by little each month I was gone. If you had known my father you would have known how big a difference this is. I followed him  into the empty foyer and we sat on the couch.

"You look lovely, very beautiful and happy. I...I...umm."

The Great Giovanni Di Marci was stuttering in the presence of another.

"Just spit it out." I snapped. I half expected him to chastise me for snapping at him and was greatly surprised when he just nodded.

"I'm sorry. For everything that happened six years ago and even before that. you may not believe me but I love you and have missed you greatly over the last six years. I know I was a complete idiot and I cant change that but I want to make up for lost time with my little girl. I hired a P.I four years ago, several actually, to find you. They all said you were off grid. I'm so sorry, Katerina. I really am."

 His face was still facing the ground but when he looked up at me I could see tears running down his cheeks. The tears that had formed in my eyes threatened escape but I held them back. For some reason I believed him. I mean what ulterior motive could he have. And if I was being honest I missed my Daddy.

"I miss you too." I whispered. I reached over and hugged him.

"I love you Pumpkin, but please don't tell your mother I cried she might lose her respect for me." I laughed.

"Love you too daddy. Now get back to your party. I'll be right out."

Five minutes after being in the room alone the door opened and Will entered.

"We need to talk."