The Lost Sterling Brother & His Secret

3: Unexpected Visitors

No. No no no. I didn't want to see them. And I most certainly didn't want them to see Elinor.

On the other side of the door was Amber's parents.

I had told them that I gave Elinor up for adoption like they wanted so that they would leave us alone. I guess they found us.

And now, I couldn't continue with my lie, because here I was standing at the door facing them... with Elinor on my hip.

I felt a presence behind me. I turn around and see Enzo. My eyes pleaded with him to do something. To not let them do anything to Elinor.

Suddenly, Amber's father started speaking.

"Ah Elias. I didn't expect to see you here with the child."

I glared at him. He knew I was here. He personally called for me. I felt one of my brothers hands on my shoulder. I looked over to see Hendrix.

"Mr. Roux, I didn't know you knew our brother" Hendrix said looking back and forth between the two of us.

"Yes. And since he still has the child, we'll collect it on the way out. After we do our business of course" Amber's father said.

My blood boiled at this. Amber's mother gave me a small glare that said not to fight. Like hell that'd happen.

"No"

To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Enzo had replied to them. I whipped my head around and saw him giving them the most deadliest glare I have ever seen.

I felt relieved that I had someone on my side for once, willing to fight not only for me, but for Elinor too.

"Excuse me?" James, Amber's father, replied.

Hendrix shot him a glare as well.

"You heard what my brother said. No. She's our family, and you will not lay a single finger on the head of her hair" Hendrix replied in the deadliest tone ever.

"Her? It's a little girl? I have a granddaughter?" Amber's mother, Josephine, asked, with tears in her eyes.

I knew these people pretty well. They didn't like me, and I didn't like them. She was pretending. I could see it in her eyes. And I hoped my brothers do too.

"Granddaughter?" Lucian asked as he made eye contact with me.

Hendrix cleared his throat. "Mr. Roux, we can do our business deal, but you will not be taking the baby. If you can't accept that, then the deal is off" Hendrix replied a 'no-nonsense' tone.

For once, I felt grateful to my brother's. Sure they had broken my trust all those years ago when I was five, but I could see that they were trying. I still didn't trust them, but I knew that they wouldn't let Elinor be taken from me.

James looked angry at the words Hendrix had spoken. But none of us were letting Elinor go that easily.

"Fine." James spat with so much hatred.

He took Josephine's hand and stormed out of the door, and then slammed it shut.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. I knew that they would come back. But for now, all I wanted to do was go to sleep.

I excused Elinor and myself before any of my brothers had a chance to say anything, and went upstairs. Once I reached my bedroom, I opened the door, put Elinor on the bed, and then crawled in beside her. I pulled her close to my chest and listened to her tiny heartbeat. It eased my anxiety knowing that she was there with me, breathing.

I stayed awake for a while until she fell asleep. Once she was asleep, I closed my eyes, only to be met with a very vivid memory that I never wanted to relive again.

I sighed. I definitely wasn't getting any sleep that night.

<&>

Morning arrived, and I waited in bed until Elinor woke up. We were supposed to go shopping today. I was still pretty shaken about what happened last night, that I got not a wink of sleep.

I turned on my side facing Elinor. She looked so peaceful when she sleeps. I caressed her soft, warm, cheek with my thumb. It felt nice having something or someone to live for.

At first, I felt as though I didn't have anyone or anything to live for. I had thought that if death took me, I would happily welcome it with open arms. But now, I had Elinor. I would do anything to protect her. She was my new happiness.

My movements stopped when Elinor started waking up. I smiled as she sat up and sleepily rubbed her eyes with cute little hands.

"Da da" she said excitedly when she saw me.

I smiled at her. It was so cute about how excited she got when she saw me. It made my heart melt.

"Hi baby" I replied back to her, still smiling.

She started babbling to me and I sat there and nodded along. After a couple minutes of her babbling, a knock was heard on my bedroom door.

"Come in" I replied while still listening to Elinor babble.

My door opened and I sat up on my bed, still facing Elinor. After a few moments of just Elinor babbling and making noises with her mouth, someone spoke up.

"She's pretty cute."

It was Enzo, which surprised me. He was never the type to like kids, even as a kid himself.

I turned my head to face him. He stood there by the door looking at Elenor as she babbled on and made even more noises with her mouth. She really was cute.

"You can come in" I told my brother as I realized he was just standing there, staring at Elinor.

Hearing my words, his eyes met mine. He looked at me for a few moments before sitting on my bed and sighing.

"I know we haven't had the best start, and I'm really sorry. I was so excited that you were coming back. We all were. And then when I saw Elinor on your hip, it made me angry. I didn't want to think about you being so young and taking care of a baby. And then Hendrix had told Lucian and me about what mom had done to you and it made me feel guilty knowing that you didn't have anyone there for you" Enzo said.

I didn't really want to forgive my brothers for what had happened all those years ago, but I thought I could forgive Enzo for his hostility towards me and Elinor.

"I forgive you. But only for your hostility towards us. Not for what happened all those years ago" I told him.

He looked relieved. And then he asked a question I never thought I would've heard come out of his mouth.

"Can I hold her?"

It surprised me. He wasn't the type to show affection towards small children. Then again, Elinor did have that affect on people. She was just so damn cute.

I reluctantly nodded. It wasn't that I didn't want him to, because I wished for nothing more than for Elinor to have a family that loves her. It's just that I hardly let the people at the daycare hold her. I was protective of her.

I picked her up off of the bed and put her in Enzo's lap. She looked up at him, and curiously scanned his face. I couldn't help but chuckle at her cute little face.

Maybe with a little help from my brothers, we'll be okay. They seemed to care and that alone was enough.