Lyra believes she has a reasonable handle on her life. Or so she thought, until her life was interrupted by a charismatic French dancer. She faces competition from other women, interference from her family, and a man from a past relationship that wa...
Mrs. Via huffed taking a sip from the glass before scrunching her face in disgust then set the glass down.
“How long were you planning to be in town?” Lyra asked “absent mindedly” rubbing Larry’s scalp making him hum and lean closer so she could reach more of his head. "If you bothered to talk to me or answer any of my calls, you would know we wanted to spend time with you before our anniversary." Mrs. Via explained. "I only missed one of your calls in the last six months and I spoke to you yesterday. You didn't say anything about coming here. I gave you my address because you said you wanted to send my presents. Excuse me." Lyra replied as she got up to answer her phone. "Lyra! Don't walk away from us when we're talking to you!" Mrs. Via fussed. “It is my business line, Mother.” Lyra replied and continued walking to her office.
“Questa è la signora via.” Lyra answered. “Sì, c'è un problema con il vostro prodotto?” She frowned grabbing a pen and paper from her desk then smiled. “Oh, certo, prego email me i particolari. Grazie mille, addio.” (This is Ms. Via. Yes, is there a problem with your product? Oh, of course, please email me the details. Thank you very much, goodbye.)
"She speaks Italian too, now? You and your daughter don't need to speak another language to keep secrets from me." Mrs. Via grumbled. "Mother, I work for an international company. It's necessary to speak different languages." She stated as she walked out of her office looking at her father as he quietly sipped his wine.
She shook her head, her mother had something the size of a galaxy over her father's head for a few years now. Lyra didn’t know what it was but she knew he let her mother run all over him because of it.
Her mother waved a dismissive hand at Lyra. Lyra walked into the kitchen to find food for dinner hoping her mother would be more tolerable when she was full. When she turned to the oven her mother was cleaning her already clean counters.
"How's your HRT going?" Lyra smiled opening the oven. "I don't need HRT, I'm still young and vibrant." Mrs. Via scoffed. "Are you sure? Those mood somersaults you displayed earlier beg to differ." Lyra arranged fruit, crackers and cheese on the serving platter for them to snack on while she cooked. "Don't sass me young lady! How do you think Nonna would react when she finds out my daughter, her only granddaughter is- is..." Her mother threw up her hands. “Engaged? I don't think she'd care as long as I am treated well and never physically hurt by him." Lyra replied then looked at her mother. “I'm trying to figure out why you’re upset. You've been trying to marry me off to any creep with a comma in his bank account since I was 16? But when I finally decided to get married because I'm in love... I can't believe that upsets you." Her mother looked away. "Why did you bring up Nonna? Were you planning to visit her after all this time, since you are here? Or were you planning to ask me to access my trust to help daddy's company again?" She asked quietly. "Your father's company is doing just fine." Her mother replied. "Good because my answer would still be no." Lyra replied.
After a long pause her mother sighed. "Grandbabies. I want beautiful grandbabies." Mrs. Via smiled. Lyra huffed and turned away. "Seriously Mother? Meghan and Reymond are pregnant and due any day." Lyra continued preparing food. "That girl is dumb as a post and half as pretty," Mrs. Via grumbled. "That girl is Rey's wife. She has unconventional beauty and not as dumb as you think. She knows you don't like her and if you ever want to meet their baby, you need to be nicer to Meghan." Lyra replied putting meat into the oven. "Nonsense. I am nice to everyone." Her mother said dismissively. Lyra shook her head. "Is that all?" Lyra asked as she adding olive oil to a heated pan on the stove. “Tell me you aren't living here with these twins?” Her mother asked. “Yes, I am.” Lyra replied as she added spices and cut vegetables to the pan. “Please tell me you aren't sleeping with both of those boys, at the same time?" Her mother sounded horrified.
Lyra smiled as she started chopping ingredients for a salad, “We both know you don’t care. Why do you keep asking?” “I will not stand for it.” Her mother huffed turning back towards the living room. “No daughter of mine, will embarrass me this way!” Mrs. Via fussed. Lyra stabbed the cutting board with the knife. “I'm not doing anything to be embarrassed about.” Lyra said slowly then blocked her mother's exit. “However if you feel that way you can leave now and forget you ever had a daughter. Do you understand?" Lyra asked continuing to block her mother's path. Her mother frowned and took a step back. "Now, please take this outside for the men." Lyra said placing the serving platter in her mother's hands and guiding her to her back door. Lyra pushed the men outside to join her mother.
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After dinner, Lyra talked with her father while the brothers cleaned up.
"You knew I would be in Virginia in a less than two weeks. Why are you really here?" Lyra asked. “We brought you a dress for the party.” Mrs. Via smiled. “Which could have waited until I came to town.” Lyra retorted. "Care to tell me the truth?" “You act like you are unhappy we're here.” Mrs Via complained. “Oh no, I'm always happy to see you but I know you didn't come see me to deliver presents that could have waited.” Lyra replied. Her mother scoffed.
"Low rent? Bring me my luggage?" Mrs. Via demanded. Laurent and Larry furrowed his face briefly at how Mrs. Via was saying Laurent's name. “One, low rent is not his name. Two, he is not a servant and three, his name is pronounced Laurent?” Lyra pronounced his name correctly for her mother but she still pronounced it wrong. "You're doing that on purpose." Lyra accused. "Of course not, I don't see the point of twisting my tongue." Her mother replied haughtily. "Laurent, s'il vous plaît dire mon prénom?" Lyra asked sweetly. (Please say my first name.) "Lire." Laurent said with affection and a clear French accent then lovingly caressed her face. "Her name is pronounced Lie-ra." Mrs. Via said snippily and Laurent smiled. Lyra raised an eyebrow, "See the point?"
Her mother turned up her nose and folded her arms. Lyra walked over to Larry and he hugged her. She leaned against his chest and Laurent kissed her forehead.
"What about Christopher? We can't let her marry them? Why is she so obstinate?" Her mother muttered but Lyra heard her clearly and moved away from the brothers. "Not now Marie." Mr. Via hushed to his wife as Lyra approached. "No Daddy, she brought it up. What about him?" Lyra scowled. "I don't understand why you won't change your mind about Christopher and marry him." Her mother replied. "Would you like that list alphabetically or chronologically, Mother?" Lyra stood in front of her mother. "Enough!" Mr. Via tried to stop his daughter. “He's a physically and mentally abusive man, with no respect for the vows of marriage. Since his wife and baby were too strong to be beaten to death, he drove into that brick wall trying to kill them.” Lyra said. “Lyra! Enough!” Her father chastised. “Don't think I'm the only one being obstinate." Lyra huffed. "You don't know what you talking about, Christopher is a good man for you Lyra." Mrs. Via rebuffed. "Good man for..." Lyra walked to her office, grabbed a thick folder from her drawer then held it in front of her mother. Her mother saw Christopher's name but wouldn't reach for it. "Since you don't think I know what I'm talking about, maybe you can explain these pictures? Explain how someone who is nice or good does this?" Lyra asked as she opened the folder. "Lyra that's enough! I will not allow you to show your mother such disturbing images!" Mr. Via said pushing the folder away from his wife, forcing several photos of Lyra, swollen, battered and bruised to scatter across the room. Mrs. Via's eyes widened then turned to her husband. They shared a look before he walked his wife back to the living room.
