Mend My Heart

Epilogue

I hesitantly rang the door bell and waited. Suddenly, I felt like the jump suit I was wearing was too tight, or the bust was too revealing. Shit, aren’t my heels too high as well? Shouldn’t I have put on a bit more make up? “Dammit, Maya. I know that look, stop overthinking. You look absolutely fine,” Theodore chuckled and I turned to him with a wary look on my face.

“Are you sure?” I asked timidly. I didn’t want them to think I was trying to show off or anything. Maybe I should have worn a dress instead…

He slid his hand across the small of back. “Positive.” Just as he said those words, the front door opened to reveal my father with an apron over his casual clothes. A look of surprise washed over his slightly wrinkled face.

“Kathrine!” he beamed and moved forward to engulf me in a hug, which I easily reciprocated.

“Hi dad,” I replied just as joyfully, taking in the aroma of grilled meat that was wafting out of the house and off of his clothing. “Hope we aren’t interrupting anything.”

He smiled. “Of course not, darling. It’s a Saturday and your mother and I are having a barbecue just the two of us. You should have told me you were stopping by; I would have bought more food!” he exclaimed, his eyes brimming with glee.

I stepped back and then once again held Theodore’s hand. “Dad, this is Theodore and Theodore this is my dad,” I introduced the both of them. Theodore held his hand out to my dad, who by passed it and went in for a hug instead. He stiffened at the unforeseen gesture but ended up patting my dad’s back awkwardly. I wanted to laugh at his rigid posture; it was cute how weirded out he was.

“And so, I finally meet the man who had stolen my daughter’s heart!” he cajoled after he released Theodore.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr Knight,” Theodore said formally, and my dad chuckled.

He squeezed his shoulder. “Nonsense, call me Maddox, son. Why don’t you two come in and make yourselves at home.” With that, we walked further into the foyer, which hit me with a strong sense of nostalgia. My entire childhood flashed before my eyes as I drank in the familiar surrounding and photos, that it made my chest constrict painfully.

My father and Theodore began to chat as we made our way towards the spacious backyard patio, where I saw my mother sitting by the poolside, sipping on a glass of sauvignon Blanc, her small spectacles perched on her nose as she skimmed over a document in her hand. “Gina, look who decided to visit,” my dad said and then she looked up. I froze in my tracks as her golden-brown eyes met mine. She hadn’t changed much since the last time I saw her almost five years ago…same stress lines on her forehead from winning so many court cases and same poker face.

“Ah, the prodigal child returns,” she sniffed arrogantly, placing her wine glass down. I gnashed my teeth at her cruel comment and my hand balled involuntarily at my side. I had half the mind to turn back now and just run away, but I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t stoop to that level because that was what she wanted.

She stood up and smoothed out her designer floral print sundress before sauntering over to where we were standing. She smirked at me before her eyes landed on Theodore. “And who might this be? The multi-millionaire boyfriend from England?” she mocked with a sinister grin and I almost lunged at her, but Theodore stopped me from doing so as he held me by the waist.

“Relax,” he whispered soothingly in my ear. 

My father clicked his tongue at my mother. “Gina, you should be ashamed of yourself right now. Is it so hard for you to put your damn ego aside and be civil with your daughter?” He demanded in minimised fury, but my mother simply scoffed at this.