SILENT BEAUTY

2 - First day

Drew's POV

Reagan picked me up and dropped me off at the entrance of a gigantic estate or country club, no clue really. I was meeting my father and my grandparents here for lunch. I was beyond nervous to meet them but excited also.

As I told the lady my name, she escorted me to the outside patio where an elderly couple were holding hands and laughing. As I observed them, I noticed my father sitting across from them and drinking an amber colored drink. Was he really drinking alcohol this early in the day? He noticed me and stood up, smiling at me and then lead me around to face the elderly couple who were laughing a minute ago but now where dead quiet.

"Mother, Father, I'd like you to meet Drew your granddaughter." He says shifting his gaze from me to them and back to me.

I smile sweetly at them and offer my hand to greet them properly.

The women stands up and the man followed suit. She rushed towards me and envelops me in a warm tender hug that I didn't think I needed until now. The man known as Mr. Cassidy I assume hugs both of us and I feel the back of my eyes sting from the waterworks that are threatening to spill over.

As they pull back, she takes her hands and places them on either side of my cheeks. Looking at me with a glossy emotional stare.  Then she starts crying which makes me tear up.

After an emotional lunch I learned A lot about my grandparents. Also, they told me stories about the Elite society around here and how it's changed drastically over the years.

Lola aka My Nona as she wants me to call her is half Italian and French and her parents moved to the states when she was only 8 years old. Grandpa Cass as he wants me to address him is from Boston born and raised. They have homes all over the world and are well connected in society.

My father was silent for a bit why my grandparents spoke, while I absorbed everything. He seemed at war with himself like it was his fault I missed all these years with them.

I didn't see it that way though because it was my mother who didn't want me in this environment. But I am having a hard time believing why, so many unanswered questions about why she left, why she told me my father was dead, why she lied about everything. I can't figure out if she was protecting me or hiding me. All I did know was this feeling of having a family felt right.

After lunch Nona and I went into the city, and we got our nails done and she took me to the high-end hair salon to get a fresh cut for school. She told me to never dye my hair that it was part of our heritage her mother had thick black curly hair like me. She told me she envied me because she wished hers was the same. She had thick hair, but it was more of a deep copper brown with gray strands. She didn't seem like she was old enough to be a grandparent. I was quickly learning that Nona was lively, and I enjoyed her company. After we spent most of the day together, she needed to go, she had dinner plans with an architect.

"Have a wonderful day tomorrow and do let me know how tryouts go on Friday." Nona says before I step out of the car.

"Thank you for well everything today. I didn't know I needed it until you hugged me. And, yes of course I'll let you know." I say hugging her tightly.

Then she was off.

~

As the day ran on into the night, I stared down at my uniform for Monday. It was a black skirt that was mid-thigh just about fingertip length and it was paired with a white blouse. The letters WHP in a deep maroon color just above the left breast and it was paired with a maroon sweater with White letters of WHP Bears on it. There were 4 sets of black and sheer stockings to be paired with it also - Gag!