Mrs Parrilla is my mother!?

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lana

It was the morning of the 24th of April, and I barely had any sleep. I have been awake all night with the thought that I would see my baby girl tonight, for the first time in almost 18 years. All I could think about is how she would look, and how she would react if she saw me. I get out around 6am, leaving Fred to sleep in his bed, and walking downstairs to make myself a bowl of cereal and I look at the photo of my baby girl. Fred got me a frame for it and it stood next to the photos of the boys. Especially Patrick had been happy to meet his sister as soon as we got in contact with her, and I just hope she is just as excited to meet us.

One thing I am usually glad about, but today I curse it, is when the boys are out. Usually these are the days I spend in bed with Fred and we do absolutely nothing, but today I work the legs from underneath my body and clean the entire home. Fred knows how nervous I am and tries to keep me distracted. We end up just googling my daughter because I am so nervous. I look at all her photos on Instagram and smile at the photos with her adoptive family, her friends and apparently a cat named Wicked is on a lot of photos too. I save most of them and Fred just smiles at me as I scroll through her Instagram.

Shortly after dinner, I can't hold it in much longer. "When do we leave?" I ask Fred begging and he laughs. "In 5 minutes love. We'll meet up with her parents and we'll get some good seats for us." He says as he hands me my bag. I smile nervously and follow him to the car. It is a silent drive to the high school my daughter attends, and the second I get out, I see a man in a suit with a woman in a beautiful soft pink dress standing outside. I walk up to them shyly, with Fred just behind me. "Theo and Emma?" I softly ask and they turn to face us. "Lana!" the woman exclaimed and gave me a hug. "Thank you for coming." She says and I smile as she turns to Fred. "And you are?" She asks and Fred smiles. "Alfred DiBlasio, Lana's boyfriend." He introduces himself to her and she nods. "Well, Nora is inside with her sister and brother and her friends. They have openings act, which is usually grand and they always have a big procedure to get to do it. She and her two band members got it, so she is really excited." Theo explains and we nod. We follow them inside and take place on the seats we are given, with a beautiful view on the stage. There is a throne-like chair in the middle of the stage, the school band is in the back playing some soft background music. Suddenly the lights in the room dim and the ones on stage are brighter. A small girl walks on stage. "Hello all and welcome to Luther King's big showcase. My name is Claire Jackson and today I will be your host!" She tells the people and they all clap. "To open our big showcase I would like to invite our Gay Trio, the advocates of LGBTQ+ of Luther King High School, and our vocal heroes, the GaySome, to the stage. Here are Max Friedich, Jace Goodwill and Eleonora Jackson!" She announces and three incredibly lavishly dressed people walk on stage. The girl, which I now know is my daughter, walks on in a corset, something between a skirt and hotpants and a long cape. Fred pokes me and I take my eyes of her clothes and he points to the way she walks. "Just like you. The same mannerisms when you walk." He says and I nod as I notice it too. I see everyone look at them, as my daughter sits in the chair, the two boys on the armrests and the music starts. I look at them as they sing this song, Crucified, by Army of Lovers. I sit there in surprise. This is not what you would call a standard song to start with, but I think it is done beautifully. Her voice is so pure and the way she sings the second voice in the song when needed is just amazing. Fred looks at me but I am just too shocked to look at anything else but her. She is so elegant, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a dancer. And the way she moves, acts with the guys, you can just see she made the stage her home. As the song ends, I am one of the first one to rise and clap for them, and I see Fred and her parents follow too. The girl Claire walks on again, and she gives Eleonora a hug. "That was GaySome with Crucified by Army of Lovers. Later tonight my beloved sister will perform another song for you!" she says and I look at Fred with a hopeful look and he nods. I smile as they walk off.

About an hour later and 10 acts further, this Claire announces Eleonora again, well a band in which she plays. The school band starts to play a song I recognize as Perfect by P!nk. She walks on with her violin as she plays the first notes. A brunette walks on stage and sings the gentle tunes in the beginning, which roughens as the song progresses. I feel a bit of pain as I realise that this song is so much more than a song to me. I sent her through hell with having to get adopted and yet here I sit trying to get back in her life. I feel Fred pull me in a tight hug and I smile at him. "She is really pretty and she looks a lot like you." He whispers and I smile. "She does, doesn't she." I say and I see her maternal parents turn to me and Emma gives me a small squeeze in my hand.

After the showcase is over, Theo stays with us while Emma goes to the dressing rooms to go to Eleonora. He hands me a big blue photo album decorated with stickers and glitter glue. "Her baby photos. My parents passed away about a year ago and left this with us, and we want to give it to you." He says as he hands me the big album. I open it and smile as I see the baby in Emma's arms. "Thank you for taking care of her when I refused to do so." I say softly and he smiles. "You were young Mrs Parrilla, and we were ready to help her." He says and I give him a hug. Emma joins us and smiles at us. "Do you want to come to dinner next weekend?" she asks and we shake our head. "We have a trip planned for the weekend, but next weekend would do, if you are free?" Fred proposes and Theo nods. "Should work." He says and I smile. "See you next week then." I say softly and we wave them goodbye as we get in the car to go back home.

We return from our trip April 30th, and I now have a ring around my finger. Fred proposed in the middle of our dinner last Sunday, and I was so surprised and yet so happy, and I said yes. Somewhere I hope that Eleonora would be happy for us. As we park our car back in the garage back home, and get out, the boys hug us. "Show us the ring Lana!" Patrick yells as he hugs me and I show them my hand, which they pull towards them. "Congrats dad." Jack says to his dad and I smile as I look at the boys. "and, any news about our stepsister?" Matt asks and I look at Fred. "We saw her perform and my god..." I say as I feel the tears pool in my eyes. "She was like a younger doppelganger of Lana in so many ways, and like crazy talented. She can sing and play the violin and is super good at both." Fred finishes for me as Matt hugs me tightly. "You'll get her back Lana, we know you will." Patrick says and I nod. "The only question is when." I murmur and Jack smiles. "Soon Lana, really soon." He says and I smile. Suddenly my phone rings and I excuse myself. It's Deena. "Hey D." I say and she sighs. "Lana, remember that teen I visited when I came over with Sammy to visit you?" She asks and I nod. "We were talking about her." She says and I drop to the ground. "What do you mean Deena? Is Eleonora the rich teen you interviewed who preferred to stay in Vancouver? The crazy talented one?" I ask, freaking out. "I'm afraid so. I just got her letter saying she got into the University of British Colombia and hopes that we find someone worthy of her place at UCLA." Deena tells me and I take a deep breath. "I cannot really process this D." I say softly and I can almost feel her smile through the phone. "How was your holiday in Israel by the way?" She asks and I start to smile. "Fred proposed." I say and I hear her scream. "He finally put a ring on in sis? I am so happy for you!" She exclaims and I laugh. "Now the last thing you need to do is get your daughter back." She says and I hum in agreement. "I got to go sis, talk to you later?" Deena says and I smile. "Yeah, talk to you later." I say as she closes the call. I join the guys again, this time in the living room and look at Fred. "She rejected UCLA to go to British Colombia." I say and Fred understands I am talking about Eleonora. "She could go to UCLA?" He asks in shock and I nod. "That was the girl Deena interviewed." I say and he smiles. "She is staying here in Vancouver, that is great Lana." He exclaims and I smile. "This weekend dinner with her and her family." I murmur and he laughs. "What are we even going to gift her?" I ask and he laughs. "I already took care of that. I have a 25$ iTunes card for her." He says and I smile. "Thank you." I murmur and he hugs me. "I can't wait 'till it is Sunday." I murmur in his shoulder and I hear the bas of his laughter through his chest and I smile too.