Feel My Love

Chapter Twenty: Back in Dortmund

“You’re glowing… two weeks in Thailand was good for you,” Irene mused wrapping her arms around Aoife and hugging her daughter, she hadn’t been able to resist coming to see her especially after seeing pictures of Aoife with Marco.

The couple had only returned from their honeymoon a couple of days ago and Irene knew that they were settling in again after everything that had happened.

Aoife smiled knowing that her mother was right, she had felt so light since they had come home and she wanted to stay this way for a while; she didn’t want anything to bring her or Marco down.

“It was beautiful there,” Aoife confirmed brushing some hair from her face, she was just glad that Belle hadn’t shown up since they had got home; she had heard from Melanie who picked them up from the airport that Belle had moved back to Dortmund.

Irene nodded her head, she had never been herself but she knew that Marco had wouldn’t have taken Aoife anywhere terrible; she could only imagine how much the trip had cost, but money was no problem for a footballer.

“How are you and Marco?” Irene asked sitting down on the couch, she looked around the house knowing that they were alone; Marco had popped out for the afternoon, leaving the two to talk in peace.

Aoife smiled thinking of her husband, she had never thought that she would be this happy and she couldn’t imagine what it would have been like if she hadn’t of done so.

“Things are good… he’s so sweet,” Aoife gushed unable to stop herself, she knew that there were still issues that needed to be dealt with but they could wait for another time.

Irene nodded her head, she was worried that things were going to get messy especially after she had heard that Belle was pregnant and there was a chance Marco was the father.

“And what about Belle?” Irene murmured not wanting to upset Aoife, she could only imagine how the brunette felt about her sister’s pregnancy; thing were so messed up and she didn’t know what to do to help her daughters.

Aoife looked down at her hands, she was always going to be haunted by this question until Belle gave birth in July; she did know that she wasn’t going to just pretend everything was okay between them.

“If the baby is Marco’s, I wouldn’t stop him from seeing it,” Aoife replied gently, she wasn’t that cruel to stop Marco from being a father to his child; she wasn’t going to be the horrible controlling step-mother or aunt.

Irene nodded her head, she had no idea how to help her daughter in this situation since it was all a horrible mess; she could only imagine how bad it would be if Belle’s baby was Marco’s.

“Have you spoken to Belle?” Irene asked curiously, she didn’t want her family falling apart and she hated that her two daughters were so tense around each other.

Belle might have done wrong and had left her family in a horrible place but she was still Aoife’s sister; she didn’t want them fighting and pulling their family apart.

“Not since I left for the honeymoon,” Aoife murmured looking at her mother, she had no intention of speaking to her sister again; she didn’t think that she would ever be able to forgive Belle for what she had done to their family.

Aoife could only think of all the trouble that Belle had left their family in and now she had come back as if everything was okay; she didn’t care how bad things could have gotten if Aoife hadn’t of stepped up like she has.

Irene was silent, she had no idea what she could say to smooth things out between Aoife and Belle; they had once been so close and best friends, now they weren’t even speaking to each other.

“Mama… I can’t forgive and forget,” Aoife whispered taking her mother’s hand, she didn’t want Irene trying to force them to speak to one another; she was done trying to clean up her older sister’s messes.

Aoife had married Marco and she had been terribly lucky that they had fallen in love, it could have been so much different and people could have been hurt if things hadn’t of worked out.

“I don’t want you two fighting,” Irene pleaded wanting things to get better for the family, she didn’t want to be caught in the middle of her daughters fighting; she wanted to be able to support them both.

Belle was going to need so much help when she had her baby and Irene was excited about being a grandmother; she just wanted things to get back to normal now that everything was fixing itself.

Aoife sighed shaking her head, her mother was far too forgiving and she had no idea how Irene could just forget that Belle had left the family bankrupt and in so much debt that they still could lose everything.

“I want you to try with your sister Aoife… do it for me?” Irene pleaded knowing how happy talking to Aoife would make Belle, she had spent a lot of time with her eldest daughter and things seemed to be getting better.

Irene had enough problems with Frank refusing to have anything to do with Belle, he had told their eldest that she was a stain on the family name and wanted nothing to do with her or the baby that she was carrying.

“Has she agreed to help pay back the money she cost you?” Aoife asked messing with her yellow gold diamond set wedding ring, she watched her mother doubting that Belle had accepted that she had caused them any trouble by losing all their money.

Irene opened and closed her mouth, she knew that there was no point in denying that Belle wasn’t going to pay them back for the money that she had lost.

“Then I can’t forgive her nor will I speak with her,” Aoife replied simply, she had talked about this with Marco while in Thailand and he understood why she wanted nothing to do with Belle.

Irene stared at Aoife, she wished that her daughter would change her mind since Belle was desperate to talk to her about the baby; she wanted to share her pregnancy with her twin and that wasn’t going to happen.

“Aoife please…” Irene begged softly, tears filling her eyes at the fact that Aoife wasn’t going to change her mind; Belle would be so upset if her sister wasn’t about to help her through the pregnancy and it would all end in tears if she had to choose.

Aoife closed her eyes, she wasn’t going to change her mind and she knew how disappointed her mother would be; she could only imagine the strop that Belle would throw when she found out that she wanted nothing to do with her.

“I don’t want to choose between you,” Irene whispered softly, she could only imagine the divide that would come from this and she owed so much to each of her daughters; Belle was going to have her first grandchild and Aoife had saved them from prison.

Aoife peeked at her mother, she wondered if her mother realised that Belle was probably using them now; she wasn’t working as far as Aoife knew and David would have to find a new job in Dortmund now that they had moved there.

“Then to choose,” Aoife stated, she would never make her mother pick between her and Belle; she wasn’t that cruel and she didn’t care that Irene would be talking to Belle as long as it wasn’t about her.

Aoife was tired of the constant problems that her sister caused for her, she was married to Marco now and nothing would change that; not even the sister that could be carrying his first child right now.

Irene was silent, she watched Aoife wondering if things would ever go back to being the same as when Belle and Aoife were children; things had been so simple and she feared what would happen now that the two weren’t talking.