The next morning just past nine o’clock, there was a light knock on their door. Thinking it was her father or Ric, she opened it without looking through the peep-hole and then tried to slam it shut again, quickly. Her mother was too fast for her, and she moved her foot into the doorway, holding it opened.
“Move your foot!” Katie growled.
“No, I’m not going anywhere until we talk” Her mother crossed her arms and glared at her like it had all been her fault.
Katie thought it would be childish of her to slam the door harder on her foot, so instead she walked back into the room, deciding to try a different tactic of ignoring her.
Katie still had yet to blow dry her hair from her morning shower, so she walked into the restroom and turned on the blow dryer, sufficiently silencing anything her mother had to say to her.
She watched out of the corner of her eye as her mother walked into the room and closed the door quietly behind her, then she heard her start up a conversation with Jason in the next room.
Her mother had always looked younger than her years, and her rich, shoulder-length chestnut hair had been something Katie always wished she had. She was tan and toned, no doubt due to the many hours playing tennis, one of her favorite pastimes. She was wearing a simple sun dress today, something Katie had never seen her in. She’d always worn the latest and most expensive outfits when she’d been married to her father. This dress flowed and looked very relaxing, a term she’d never used before to describe her mother. She could see the simple changes in her mother; she looked healthier, a little thinner, and happier.
The traitor that was the man she loved actually talked to her mother the entire time she was drying her hair. She was having second thoughts about marrying him when she realized she couldn’t postpone turning off the blow dryer any longer. Her hair was dry and on the verge of frizzing if she didn’t get it away from the heat.
Katie walked into the room and she could see the tension on Jason’s face. Maybe he wasn’t completely a traitor after all. She could tell he was still upset at her mother and that did something for her. Walking over to him, she easily walked into his arms and looked at her mother.
“I know you didn’t want to see me yesterday. I tried to give you some time…”
“We’re getting married,” Katie interrupted and watched the surprise on her mother’s face. Then her mother smiled and Katie wondered why she looked like she had always known that they would be together.
“Congratulations,” her mother said after a few seconds of silence. She looked truly happy for them and it kind of upset Katie. She was hoping to shock her mother, but instead she felt like she’d walked into one of her mother’s well-thought-out plans.
Katie nodded.
“Oh, I can’t wait to help plan your wedding. I’ve been dreaming about it your whole life. We can have an elaborate wedding back in Boston, so all your friends can attend. You won’t have to worry about anything, I’ll take care of…”
“No mother, you won’t take care of anything. Besides, we don’t have any more friends in Boston, thanks to you. Did you honestly think you could waltz in here and start playing mom by planning our wedding? That I would allow you to have anything to do with something so important?” Katie laughed. “Like I would ever take wedding planning advice from a woman who doesn’t know the least bit about what a real marriage is.” She turned and walked over to the window to look out at the city.
“Really, Katie, this is all so very childish.”
“Childish?” Katie turned on her and looked at the woman who had spent years lying to everyone she loved. Lying to Katie her entire life.
Katie was built like her mother. They were both short with toned arms and legs, but where her mother’s skin was lighter, Katie’s had always had an olive darkness to it. She’d assumed it was from her grandparents or that it had been passed down from some other unknown source. Now she knew all too well that she’d gotten it, along with her dark hair and eyes, from her father’s Italian heritage.
“You think I’m being childish?” Katie walked towards her and looked her right in the face.
“Get out! I don’t want to ever see you again.”
“Don’t you take that tone with me. I’m still your mother and I deserve respect.”
“No, you lost all my respect, and you haven’t done anything yet to show me you deserve any of it back.”
Her mother glanced over to Jason and Katie understood her meaning.
“Him?” Katie looked at Jason, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. “I already know that you hired him to find me. You didn’t do anything but give him money so he could accomplish the task.”
“Why do you think I hired him? He’s not a professional. No offense, Jason.”
“None taken.” He smiled at them both and tried to edge his way out of the room, only to come up short when Katie grabbed his arm and held him still.
“I hired him because I knew what you needed. What you’ve always needed.” Her mother started pacing the small room. Throwing her hands up, she turned back to Katie. “Do you think I raised you all these years and didn’t know what was best for you?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Katie,” she walked over and grabbed her shoulders, “I love you, you’re my daughter, and no matter what the circumstances are, that will never change. I loved Rodrick and as much as it hurts you to hear it, I’m in love with Damiano. I’ve been in love with Damiano from the moment I met him. I know that what I did was wrong and I’m very sorry I hurt so many people. But I’m happy now, and I just want you to be happy, too.”
Katie walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn’t feel like hearing anymore, but her mother sat next to her and took her face into her hands.
“Katie, I love you, I’m so very proud of the strength you’ve shown in the last few weeks. I wish I had some of that strength years ago to do what I had needed to. Instead, I lived a lie and hurt the people I loved. You know how it is when you fall in love with someone. How it totally consumes you and you’d do anything to be with them. No matter the cost.”
Katie watched as a tear rolled down her mother’s face.
“I’m not proud of myself for deceiving everyone. Damiano has forgiven me and I can’t tell you how happy I am that he still wants to be with me. I just hope that someday you can understand why I did what I did and maybe then you can forgive me.”
“I can’t forgive you. I don’t know if I will ever be able to forgive you.” Katie saw the hurt flash in her mother’s eyes.
“I understand; you have that right.” She pulled back a little. “I hope that you won’t shut me out of your life, and pray that you won’t take it out on your brothers or your fathers.”
Katie laughed, “I would never treat them bad. They’ve been hurt just like me.” She turned and looked her mother in the eyes. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about things this last year and I realized that they’re in the same boat as I am. How could I ever be mad at them?”
Kathleen smiled a little. “I’m very proud of you. Will you give me a chance to make things right with you?”
Katie looked at her mother, really looked at her and saw something she’d never seen her entire life. She noticed for the first time that her mother was just a woman. Katie had always built her up, tried to make her something she could never be, perfect.
“I’m not saying I can ever understand why you did what you’ve done.” She looked over at Jason, then back at her mother. “But I will try to give you a second chance.” She tried not to grit her teeth when she’d said that.
Kathleen jumped up and pulled Katie into a hug.
“I’m not saying everything is going to be like it used to be.” Katie tried to pull away. She was trying to be okay with being in the same room as the woman she felt she could no longer trust.
“Oh, I know, I understand. I just want you to do what makes you happy.” But she could see her mother’s face light up and when she looked
around the room for Jason, she noticed him leaning against the wall, smiling at her.
“Now,” her mother brushed off a few tears that had rolled down her cheeks, then she straightened her dark slacks with her hands, “shall we go meet your fathers and brothers?”
Katie laughed.
Less than an hour later, they walked into Dante’s hospital room. Her father, Rodrick, her half-brother Ric, her biological father Damiano, and her biological brother Dante were all there.
She had met Damiano outside in the waiting area before. When she had stepped into the room and seen him for the first time, she realized where she’d received the dark curly hair, deep, dark eyes, and the olive skin coloring from. Damiano was a sturdy looking man. He was tall and looked like he spent more time in a gym than in the suit he was wearing. She could instantly see all the answers to the questions she’d had over the years. Her nose, her chin, and even her ears came from the man standing before her.
Damiano instantly hugged her in a warm embrace, and she felt a little overwhelmed.
“I’m so happy that you are okay.” He whispered it and she thought his voice had cracked a little. “You look so much like your Nonna. Full of spitfire and spunk.” He patted her cheek with his hand and turned to take hold of his wife’s hand.
She didn’t know what to say. She supposed she was in shock so she just nodded her head and smiled. Grabbing a hold of Jason’s hand in a death grip, she tried to pull him closer to her.
Walking into Dante’s hospital room a few minutes later, she saw Dante sitting up in the hospital bed, and upon seeing her full brother for the first time, her steps faltered.
There was no mistaking the fact that they were made from the same mold. Dante was built a lot like Ric, but Katie and Dante’s features, along with their coloring, were identical.
She was amazed at the love that radiated from the room.
Katie watched Damiano and her mother. When she saw the looks the couple gave each other, she instantly knew that there was more love between them then there had ever been between her father and her mother. You’d have to be blind not to see it.
When she turned and looked at Dante, he smiled with kindness and she could tell he was happy she was there. She could also tell he was on some serious pain pills, since his eyes were dull and droopy.
He’d given so much to try to save her, and she realized he must be in terrible pain.
“Don’t worry, I’m on all kinds of medications, I can hardly feel anything.” He smiled at her with a goofy lopsided smile.
“Am I that transparent?” she asked, sitting next to him.
“No, we just have such similar faces, it’s like reading my own emotions.” They both laughed.
Ric and Rodrick had been hanging in the background, watching, until Katie turned and walked to both of them. She hugged her father and whispered, “I love you, Daddy,” and she felt him melt in her arms.
“You scared us.” Ric walked up and hugged her. She had said what she had wanted to say to him yesterday. For as long as she would live, he would always be her big brother.
She had been overly excited to hear the news yesterday that Roberta was seven weeks pregnant. She was going to be an aunt next spring. She couldn’t get over the idea of her big brother being a dad.
Jason walked up beside her then, and took her hand in his. “Do you want to tell them or should I?” He smiled.
“Oh, yeah,” she smiled up at him and looked into the room full of her family. “Jason and I are getting married.” Everyone smiled and started to walk forward to congratulate them when she interrupted with “tomorrow.”
She had the satisfaction of seeing her mother’s smile falter before she was engulfed in a hug from her family.
Epilogue
Katie stood on the beach in a simple cream-colored summer dress. Her bare feet felt good in the hot sand as she walked towards the people she cared about the most.
Jason stood by the priest in his rolled up dress pants and white dress shirt, which was unbuttoned a little at the top. Katie kept his eyes and smile in focus as she walked the few feet on the arm of her Dad, who looked very dashing and couldn’t stop smiling at her.
Her brother Ric stood next to Jason with a huge smile on his face, as well. She wished that Roberta could be there next to him, but knew that the short notice wasn’t sufficient. They had plans to visit them in Portland this Christmas.
Although she would have liked nothing better than to exclude her mother, she stood a few feet away next to Damiano, silently crying into a white tissue. She was surprised to learn that she had an aunt; Florentina was Damiano’s younger sister. The stout woman stood next to her brother, and in Katie’s opinion, looked like she was in shock. She had yet to talk to the woman, but was happy that she could make it today.
She knew Dante was still in the hospital recovering and they had plans to visit him later that night before they headed back down the coast for their honeymoon.
When they reached where everyone stood, Rodrick stopped and kissed her and whispered, “You will always be my daughter. I love you, sweetie.”
Katie almost lost it then, but she took a deep breath and kissed him on the cheek as he handed her off to Jason.
Then she looked into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and was happy knowing that she would be looking at them for the rest of her life.