So This Is Christmas

Chapter 14: Back To Me

Merry Christmas everyone!

"Paolo" I whispered.

Paolo, the one of the two people I never thought I would see ever again.

"Rivka!" He exclaimed.

He came to hug me. I was too shocked to hug back.

"Blair? Who is at the door?" Tommy asked.

"Mommy?" Thaddeus said.

Tommy, and Thaddeus came to the door, and Paolo looked at them, and then back at me.

"Rivka, who are they?" Paolo asked, hurt crossing over his face.

"Rivka? Who is Rivka?" Tommy asked.

"This woman you are calling Blair" Paolo shot back.

"Thaddeus, go to your room please" I said.

If Paolo, and Tommy were going to start an argument, I would not have it be in front of Thaddeus. Thaddeus disappeared around the corner as I turned back to Paolo, who was staring at me intently.

"Rivka, who is this man?" He asked, pointing at Tommy.

"My name is Tommy, and her name is Blair" Tommy defended.

"Paolo, this is Tommy. Tommy, meet Paolo" I said.

Tommy seemed to gasp.

"This is Paolo?" He asked.

"So you have heard of me?" Paolo said, arrogantly, smugly.

"Have you seen Magdalene, Giorgio, and Margot yet?" I asked.

"Yes, and they told me I would find you here" he explains.

I nodded, as Tommy cleared his throat.

"You gave Blair a home, after her brother, Andreas died in the war?" Tommy asked.

Paolo gave him a confused look, as I gave Paolo a pleading one. No, Tommy did not know I was named Rivka, nor did he know I was Jewish.

"Yes, Andreas was a very good man. Quite a shame he died, he was my best friend" Paolo said.

I mouthed a 'Thank you' to him and he discreetly nodded.

"Well, thank you for dropping by, and easing Blair's mind" Tommy said.

"Would you like to have dinner with us, Paolo?" I asked.

I desperately wanted him to stay, and I think my pleading eyes could tell him that.

"Okay" Paolo said.

I was very happy, and hugged Paolo.

"Come in!" I said, my mood instantly brightening.

Paolo followed inside, and turned the corner to the kitchen.

"The food looks delicious Blair" he said.

"Thank you" I replied, placing a piece of lasagna in front of him.

"Thaddeus! Dinner!" I called.

Thaddeus emerged from his room, and it was not until I saw the two beside each other, that I saw how much Thaddeus looked like his Father.

"Mama makes the best food" Thaddeus said.

The boy smiled up at Paolo, and Paolo returned the smile.

"Then let us try this delicious food" Paolo said.

AFTER DINNER...

I was cleaning the dishes when Paolo started to grab the napkins.

"Oh Paolo, you do not have to do that"
"I want to" he said.

"Thaddeus is all tucked in, and asleep, I think I will... go" Tommy said, looking between us two.

"Okay, see you, Tommy" I said.

"Bye Blair" he said.

Once Tommy had left apartment I turned to Paolo.

"Where have you been?" I asked.

"I am sorry it took me so long to come back" he said.

"I thought you had died" I replied.

"Is that why you moved on?"

"I did not move on?"

"Then who is Tommy? And where is Thaddeus' Father?" He asked.

"Tommy is a good friend, whom I met once I moved here. Thaddeus' Father is standing before me"

"You mean I am the Father?"

"Yes, you are the Father, do you think I would cheat on you?"

"But you thought I was dead"

"Yes"

"What happened?"

"After months of waiting for you, I changed my name to Blair Greenberg, the alias that Avraham gave me, and bought myself an apartment to live in with OUR son. What happened to you? You never sent a letter, nothing. What happened?!" I exclaimed.

"I was caught by the Germans"

"Would you not have been released upon the war being over?!"

"It was not that easy!"

"How?! How was it not that easy?!"

"You lose people in the war Rivka! Do you not think I felt bad for the people I left behind! The fellow comrades I watched die?!"

"Do you not realize I lost my whole family over this?!"

Paolo shook his head before storming out.

This concludes our Countdown to Christmas. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! I will be returning to my once a week updating schedule. Next chapter posts Dec 28th