Secrets & Lies

Chapter Thirty

Gia woke early confused as to where she was. She felt for Alex who was sleeping soundly next to her. Gia decided to go ahead and get up because she couldn't sleep any longer. She gathered her things and headed down to the bathroom. Gia started the water for a bath and again thought about the differences of home. At home she would have her own bathroom and the fixtures were all so old here. Looking around it made Gia realize just how new America was, plus so many Americans have no sense of history and the beauty to be found in the old architecture.

Gia lowered herself into the steamy hot water and simply relaxed in the serene quietness. With all the people living in this house it wouldn't be quiet for very long. What would it be like to have so many children? Would it be exhausting? How do you possibly keep tract of eight children? How is there enough money? Acting must pay pretty well and of course if Alex truly wanted to be in that business he could. Gia realized that she only had a small taste of it with all of the photographers and autographs at the airport. It could, of course, be much worse, especially in Hollywood. Gia thought about her family a lot and how her parents were so angry. She just didn't know how to fix the situation. Jack said she needed to apologize to them, but she had done that so what is the next step after that? Gia just couldn't figure it out. Then there was the fact that Jack was now Father Jack, and that just made her giggle. Gia thought about all the time Jack had been at her family's house. The games they had played, the snowball fights, the late night movie marathons. He was always a fixture in their house, almost another brother. As she laid in the tub a memory came to her. It was a hot summer night and they had been messing around in the back yard. It was getting late and Nick and a few of the other kids went in search for flashlights while Jack and Gia climbed to the top of the jungle gym. They sat there and looked at the sky as the first stars of the night began to twinkle. She was about thirteen years old when Jack leaned over and  gave Gia her very first kiss. It was very light and not what she was expecting at all. The other kids all ran out of the house with their flashlights lit and Gia flipped off of the monkey bars and ran to catch up to the others. She never mentioned the kiss to anyone. Gia never wanted anyone to know that she had been kissed by Jack. It had been a secret her entire life. Jack soon left for school, which now Gia understood was the seminary so he could become a priest. Strange how fate had brought Jack back into her life when she was so desperately searching for something that she just couldn't identify.

Gia decided to get out of the tub since the water was starting to get cold. She wrapped up in a towel and dressed simply in a blue Henley shirt that belonged to Alex. It wasn't all that attractive but comfortable enough to lay back down in.

The house was still quiet when she tiptoed back to Alex's room. He was still asleep. She gave him a kiss on the cheek and grabbed her book and headed over to his big comfy chair. Gia sat and watched the snow fall as the sky brightened with the dawn. Gia looked over at the door as it opened soundlessly. Gia thought she must not have closed it tightly when a little head poked around the corner.

"Hi Lena." Gia said as she came into the room. She looked at Alex still sound asleep in the bed and then at Gia sitting in the chair by the window.

"Sleep." She said pointing toward Alex. Gia wasn't sure exactly what she meant because most of the previous evening she had only spoken Danish.

"Yes Alex is asleep." Gia said in a whisper.

"Du?" She said in Danish looking at Gia.

"Me?" Gia questioned pointing to herself. Lena nodded yes, "You want me to sleep with Alex?" Gia asked her pointing from herself to Alex and again Lena nodded yes.

"Would you like to get in the bed too?" Gia asked getting up and walking toward Lena. Gia held out her hand to Lena leaning down, she walked to Gia slowly in her pink flowered flannel night gown. Gia picked her up cautiously wondering if Lena would let her, which she did willingly. Gia walked them over to the bed and put Lena down first. She scooted in close to Alex picking the blankets up around her. When she lifted up the blanket Gia realized Alex was still naked. She was horrified, but didn't know what to do. Lena didn't seem to notice so Gia tried to keep her distracted from looking at his nakedness. Alex was laying on his side and Lena picked up his arm and wrapped it around her. She cuddled in close to Alex's body. Alex sat up a little at the movement and saw Lena between them in the bed. He smiled at Gia and said something in Danish to Lena that Gia didn't understand. But she giggled and snuggled closer to him. He stroked her thick blond hair as she closed her eyes. It wasn't long before Lena fell happily asleep.