Hopelessly Devoted

Chapter 56: Heart of Stone

Alyssa sat on her plush couch dazed and somewhat confused. Her once composed demeanor was now shattered into a million pieces. The weight of the revelation hung in the air, casting an eerie stillness in the room.

Eric watched as his words echoed in her mind. She struggled to believe the surreal news he had just thrown at her and he understood. It was as if the fabric of her reality had been abruptly torn, exposing a life that seemed like an elusive dream to her for so long.

That was just it. Family was a dream to her. For so long, Alyssa only had her dreams of Denzel Washington being her doting and loving father while Angela Bassett played the role of her no-nonsense, yet caring mother. She had spent her childhood wishing for siblings. Alyssa would escape into the depths of her mind and imagine an older brother and sister who protected her from everything, especially the extensive abuse encountered in her daily life.

Her gaze wandered, eyes wide with disbelief, searching for answers in the familiar corners of her living room. The shock lingered, leaving her motionless, a captive of the overwhelming grief. That's what she felt. Under the confusion and sadness was grief. Alyssa knew that she would grieve the life that was taken from her forever.

The world around her seemed to blur, and the once cozy atmosphere of her home now felt foreign and distant. She attempted to find solace within herself and reached out to her alters. Even amid the craziness she was thankful for the fragments of her identity that had become a space of comfort and even guidance.

However, this time, they too were caught in the grip of astonishment. A rare unity settled among them. Stilled them. Each alter, except Raja, was equally stunned and struggling to fathom the weight of what Eric had just revealed.

Alyssa's mind raced. The emotions swirling within her were a tumultuous storm – a cocktail of disbelief, awe, and a tinge of fear. Fear that she could lose the one thing she'd always wanted. You couldn't miss what you never had, but now she had Eric, Jean-Louis and François and she was quite terrified that they'd be taken away.

It was a moment frozen in time, leaving her suspended in a state of emotional limbo. Alyssa felt so many things, but she knew she had to get herself together. She needed answers. She deserved clarity that only Eric, her brother, could provide.

"I have a family." Alyssa whispered to herself from where she sat. Eric gave her a soft smile and hummed a response. Alyssa nodded more to herself as she still seemed lost in thought. It was silent for awhile and Eric was ready and willing to walk her through all of this for however long. When she did open her mouth to speak, he wasn't expecting her words.

"I have a family...that's in the mafia." Eric scrunched up his face but eventually nodded. Alyssa blew out a breath. "Whew chile, this is so ghetto. I was so busy giving the guys shit when I'm over here looking like Stephanie St. Clair in this bitch. Gang gangin' as well." Eric chuckled softly. "You aren't gang gang anything. You're not going anywhere near the life. I already lost one sister to this fucked up circus, I'll be damned if I lose the only other one I got."

Alyssa looked at him sadly. "Erica was murdered by a mafia?" Eric looked downward before speaking. "It's complicated." Eric let out a sigh. A mixture of nostalgia and the weight of the impending tale, as he observed Alyssa's eyebrows knit together in both curiosity and sadness.

Eric didn't know how he was supposed to unravel the intricate layers of their family history. He spent a moment just trying to gather himself as thoughts of his twin engulfed him. Eric knew Alyssa needed to know this. She deserved to get a feel for her sister and understand the saga that was Erica and David's love story.

There were many words he could use to describe their sister and brother-in-law. They shared a narrative brimming with unwavering love, hints of sweetness, a twisted humor, and a touch of tumult that kept both parties wanting.