Betrothed✔️

Chapter 20

I snuggle into Brian as we lay. The events from yesterday kept going on an on in my mind. The visit that made me nervous for a reason turned into something that made me insecure for a whole different reason. The lady I expected to greet me with hostility was loving. But, the truth she spilled wasn't.

I was thinking back to the words she said. The truth, that I forgot. It still took a toll on me. It hurts to know that I wasn't the child of my mother and was just a foster kid. I wasn't a Lente' to begin with. Ha. I was moping the whole evening, and Brian being the caring one , stayed with me. Trying his best comfort me.

Mama suggested that I talk to mom, so that I would feel a little better. (Claire asked me to call her Mama saying that's what I called her when I was kid. A habit I had picked while trying to imitate Brian). She said that it would help to get answers for my new found confusion. And I had decided that I call her and talk it out on phone. Because , I don't think I'll be able to be stable if I met her .

"Kiara , you sure , you wanna ask her everything on a call and not in person? " Brian asked as he ran his hands through my hair. Something that helped me to stay calm.

I nod in response. He pecked my forehead. A small gesture but how reassuring it felt only I knew. I was glad I had him with me , as his presence comforted me. The crisis that I was having was taking a toll on me and Brian was something that kept me sane.

I dial to my mom and wait for her to pick the call. Ring...ring...ring. Each second felt really heavy. After a few rings she picked up. I felt overwhelmed with all the emotions coming back.

"I heard , Claire told you everything." She said nervously.

All these years that she had raised me , I never heard her being nervous . She was always confident and always was the one in control. And how she sounded nervous, hurt a part of me. She wasn't supposed to be nervous. She was meant to be confident like her usual self and tell me "it was just a joke, Kia. " But her tone told me it wasn't. Not being able to bring myself to say anything, I hummed a response.

"It wasn't that I wanted to hide it from you , Kia. I just couldn't find myself saying it to you and break your heart. And given how you are , I'm sure you would've tried to be unproblematic and try to repay me if I had told you. And not let us take care of you."

"I should've told you earlier this and the reason why you got betrothed. But , I couldn't bring myself to do that. And I always wanted to give you the freedom to choose the person you wanna spend your life with , but that freedom was the price for me to have you with me , years back. "

"Is it okay for me to be selfish and ask you to still consider me your daughter even after me knowing the truth ?" I ask with a quivering voice.

"I may not be your biological mother but you will always be my kid, Kia." Her voice broke while uttering this.

A whimper escaped from me as I break down into heavy sob. I was relieved that I mattered to her and that she considered me her daughter no matter what. I could hear her cry on the other side of the call. It must've been hard for her to keep this coped up for years together now. I guess a huge burden of hiding something from me must've been lifted off her shoulders.

After few minutes crying , mom continues -

"Why not you bring Brian home for lunch when you are back in London? "

"Sure, mom. I'll call you later."

The call made me realise things. My parents loved me the same how they loved my other siblings. Never was I treated any different from them. And I had a peaceful life, though I forgot my past. I didn't suffer anything but Mama must've had it worse. She had to deal with loss of her friends , husband and even her legs. She has to deal with all those memories that traumatized her for many years. This made me give her a big, warm hug in the evening during the dinner. I felt better after doing so. We were both people who were traumatized, I forgot but she remembered. Each dealing with it in a different manner.

"You okay , hon?" Mama asks me as she hugs me back and smooths my hair.

"I felt like hugging you." I say.

The room we were staying was one of those in my dream. The place where I used to hide when we played hide and seek. It did give me a headache at times but I insisted that I will stay there. I was pacing in the room with nothing on my mind. Brian pulls me onto his lap and wraps his arms around me while snuggling his face in my neck.

"You okay? " He asks in a muffled voice.

"Yea."

"I wanted to ask you, how did your mom meet Lucian? Only if you don't mind me asking. " I ask.

"You are family Kiara, you can always ask. Lucian was actually my mom's physician. He was taking care of her and you could say he gave her the comfort that I couldn't offer. At first I was against the idea of someone else in my dad's place in the beginning, I would create issues for Lucian but later realised that he was someone who made mom happy. Eventually they just gave no name to their relationship.So I tried getting along with him. But, he still hasn't man-ed up to ask my mom out. Sounds silly , doesn't it ? " He explains.

"He stayed all these years with her and I often find myself guilty for being the cause of their relationship not forwarding." He continued.

"Why not try telling it to him ? " I suggest.

"Maybe I should."  He says in a playful tone but you could hear his agreement in it. He places a kiss on my nape as he holds me.

Maybe it wasn't so bad of a betrothal.