Falling (Stefanielle)

Chapter 10

"Forever and ever."

—0—

"So how's this gonna work?"

It was late hours, Stefania had successfully already put Lucia to bed a little while ago. The little one did throw a small tantrum, not wanting to let go of her mother, but after the Italian promised her she wasn't going anywhere far anymore and that she'll always come back to her, Lucia drifted off to sleep peacefully.

Adrian looked at Stefania with a raised eyebrow, "How's what gonna work?"

The two couples were sat in the living room after the dinner which Demetria had insisted upon, Stefania and Danielle besides each other on the couch while Adrian and his wife, Demetria, on the chairs in front of them.

"The co-parenting, Adrian. I am not leaving my daughter again, no matter what." Stefania said firmly, the blonde placing her hand on top of her's comfortingly, as she carefully looked back and forth between Stefania's side profile and then at the man.

Adrian and his wife exchanged a strange look, "Is Simone okay with that?" he asked, confusing both Stefania and Danielle.

"Dad? Why wouldn't he be?"

The brunette man looked at her incredulously, now nervously moving his hand through his hair and pursing his lips, "So you don't know." he stated under his breath, slightly shaking his head in disbelief.

"Don't know what?" asked Stefania, only to be met with silence on his behalf. "Don't know what, Adrian!?" she pressured, her voice increasing a few octaves as every silent second passed by with unanswered questions.

Danielle smoothly rubbed her wife's back in hopes of calming her down, which did work for a little while before Adrian decided to speak up.

"Stefania, the reason I had to leave, was your father..."

The brunette didn't know what she felt at the moment. She felt all of the emotions and somehow at the same time there was nothing but numbness.

"No...no," she uttered in disbelief, her eyes turning glossy.

Danielle couldn't believe what she had heard either. I mean sure, she knew Simone wasn't the best fatherly figure she had known of, but he wouldn't have stooped that low, right? She questioned herself.

Adrian sighed, "I thought you knew since you reached out to me after so many years had passed, Stefania. The day she was born, he told me to leave with her and threatened me that if I don't or if I tried to come back, he would do something much worse. He was 'afraid' that this little child and I would somehow ruin your future."

The Italian could feel the rage buildup inside her, but it was also enveloped with just pure sadness and disappointment. Her own father had put her through this misery, and on top of that had lied and pretended as if everything was her fault. Her fault that she trusted Adrian, her fault that she slept with him, her fault that she got pregnant. And her fault that he had left her.

She had beat herself everyday for that past 6 years, thinking she was stupid enough to trust Adrian, to love him. She had questioned in what ways she was not enough for him, if she had done something wrong, and all those years, her father just shamelessly watched his daughter's life crumble apart.

In factuality, Stefania's only fault was trusting her father. Her own blood.

Stefania broke out of her trance at the noise of her phone ringing. She looked at the caller's ID, bitterly chuckling to herself at the oddly perfect timing, "Of fucking course it's him."