Awake, My Sleeping Beauty

Chapter 21

"Sweetheart," Stewart watched Esther as she walked up to his table. He'd dropped everything he was doing the moment she'd called him, asking him to meet her as soon as possible. Stewart had asked her to meet him at one of the restaurants far from his home. "Honey, you look upset."

"Oh, Stewart," Esther bit her lip as she sat down and rubbed the side of her head, "Everything is falling apart."

"Why, what's wrong?"

"It's Heaven," Esther pretended to wipe a tear from her eye, "She thinks I'm out to get her and all thanks to my aunt and uncle."

"I don't think I understand," Stewart shook his head. Esther sighed and wished she didn't have to put so much effort in to hide her frustration.

"Arthur and Christine lied to Heaven after she was found," Esther told him, "They wanted to keep her from getting back together with Sebastian so when they learned that she had amnesia they chose not to tell her about Sebastian in hopes that she would never remember him."

"What," Stewart's jaw dropped, "Is that what they did?"

Esther nodded.

"That must explain why Frances and I never knew she was alive all this time," he continued, "They wanted to make sure none of us knew so we wouldn't tell Sebastian. When he found out she was alive he screamed at us because he thought we'd known too. So what's the problem, Esther?"

"The problem" she muttered, "is that Arthur and Christine told Heaven that I was the one who suggested they lie to her in the first place. I would never ask them to do that to her! She's my cousin, for God's sake! I love her ..."

"Are you serious?" Stewart asked with disgust, "I can't believe how low they've sunk. First Arthur believes I would ruin his business by importing drugs with his company, then he completely antagonizes me like I'm some evil monster, and then he goes doing this to you. Talk about being a hypocrite."

"With friends like those, who needs enemies?" Esther said bitterly and yet she wanted to break into a huge grin upon seeing the serious expression on Stewart's face. She was sure getting him to marry her was going to be a piece of cake. "Anyway, Heaven hates me now because she thinks I'm this horrible monster, just the way Arthur thinks you are."

"That isn't fair," Stewart shook his head, "Someone has to tell her."

"I already did," Esther sighed, "but she wouldn't listen. She even hit me."

"What!"

"It's okay, I know it isn't her fault; she's blinded by her parents. Oh Stewart, I just hate being there in their house! My mom has even sided with Heaven's parents. I feel like the entire world is against me."

"There, there," Stewart shushed her and scooted his chair close to hers, putting his arm around her. "Everything is going to be fine, I know it."

Breslow Apartment

Gracie opened the door to find Don Guido standing outside with lilacs. He grinned sheepishly as she stifled an urge to laugh.

"You nut, how long have you been outside?"

"Not long, just a good seven minutes," Don Guido looked at his watch.

"Seven minutes!" Gracie stepped back to let him in, "Why didn't you knock? I was just heading out to the groceries."

"I don't know, Gracie snookums, I was just a little ... nervous," Don Guido said looking down at the lilacs in his arms.