Accepting a Loving Heart

Chapter 9: Truth and Lies

Vincent's POV

Our first week in Paris went well. We visited Disney Land with all the kids, me, Rei, Ryuu and Alex. Halfway through our trip to Disneyland, Olivia Holden joined us with Sorcha and her husband. Olivia was an outgoing woman who had a mischievousness about her. Ryuu and Rei got along with her like she was their blood sister instead of sister in law. All the kids enjoyed the trip immensely but they didn't develop any new friendships. Max was reserved around Cade and his friends. They didn't fight but I could tell that the relationship between Cade and Max was strained. However, everyone got along well with James. Juan also kept to himself mostly, preferring to stick beside me. I have seen Cade and Juan talking once but that talk obviously didn't resolve things between them because Juan didn't go back to being close with Cade. Juan seemed like he was missing his friends a lot, since he spent a lot of time recently, chatting with Tamara, Bart and Lars. It was almost unhealthy because it isolated him from everyone else. But he seemed to be having fun, chatting online. So, I left him alone, only reminding him to keep away the phone if it was making him stay awake too late into the night.

Soon, our Disney adventure was over and we were heading back to Ryuu's home in the Deverell estate. Olivia was staying in Ryuu's mother's home which was the biggest mansion in the estate. So, she went ahead of us. I wasn't looking forward to going to the Deverell estate but Max was looking forward to it since he had been told that he would be meeting his relatives there. I was just sad that Max wasn't that eager about meeting the kids I adopted. He seemed to need the true family connection rather than people whom I introduced to him that had no blood relation with him. He didn't seem to buy into the fact that people could be family even without having blood relations. For instance, he refused to call Juan "brother". He didn't accept James was his brother either but generally he seemed to be okay with them. Just not like family I guess and that sort of worried me.

I wasn't expecting anyone to be there to welcome us when we reached Ryuu's mansion inside the grand Deverell estate. But surprisingly, Ryuu's mother was there to greet us. She looked as elegant and regal as I remembered her, wearing a green mid length dress with black and green print stilettos. Rei got off the bus and kissed her on the cheek. She hugged Rei warmly. Ryuu greeted his mother formally without a hug and she greeted him back the same way. I was expecting her to do a hand shake with me but instead she hugged me.

"Aw look at how you've grown!" She told me fondly as I stared at her in surprise.

"Anya didn't tell me you looked this adorable now." She told me with a warm smile and I gave her an awkward smile.

"And this..is this Max?" Ryuu's mother asked as she found Max beside me. Her eyes held keen interest as she looked at him from the top of his head to his shoes.

"Can I give you a hug too?" She asked Max and Max glanced at me, looking shy before he nodded. I watched Ryuu's mother hug him tightly and look at him with emotion.

"You have your father's eyes." She told him.

Rei cleared his throat at that.

"Mum.." Rei said and made a face. Rei's mum looked startled at that and then smiled at Max before she glanced back at the other kids curiously until her eyes fell on James. I looked at Max to see him shrug off what she said as a mistake.

"You have a toddler here." Ryuu's mum said in surprise.

"Is he Lucas's as well?" She asked before I could reply. She had a frown on consternation on her face as if he expected Luc to spawn little demons as kids.

"Well, yes..his name is James." I said, trying to fight back the uneasiness I felt from showing on my face in front of the kids.

"James?" She asked in surprise as she looked at him.