Return of a Broken Heart

Two - First Glance

She ran up, her arms outstretched, into Angie's arms. Angie greeted her with an enveloping hug.

"I've missed you!" A laugh was in Violetta's voice, joyful that she was seeing Angie again.

Angie played with her niece's hair, "I've missed you too." She took in her scent, accentuated with her usual perfume.

After they had hugged, Angie, still holding Violetta's hands, stood opposite her. It was one thing to see photos of her and to talk through a computer with her, but seeing her in real life was better than anything. A screen could never do it justice.

Silence came over them. Not because it was awkward or because anything had been said to upset the other, but because they were content. They were taking each other in. Here they were, seeing each other! Their auntie, their niece, their lives.

Angie didn't, for the most part, regret going to France. Not when the reunions were so sweet and unexpected like this. But then that wouldn't always happen. She wouldn't always go away. It would only be this once, she decided. Seeing her niece was much more of a priority. A lovely priority. She loved having family that she could spoil, and spend time with every day. Granted, she wasn't in the same country as them at the moment, but they were here now. That was the best bit of knowledge she could have right now.

Violetta pulled Angie by the hand to the settee. She gestured for them to sit down. They did. Another silence came over them. This time it seemed sombre, Angie couldn't figure out why.

"Angie, I have to tell you this now, before they come and tell you first." 'They'? 'Tell you'? What did she what to tell her? It couldn't be something bad. Violetta always told her good news. Never bad news. She waited to see what she had to say, "My dad's found someone else." It was amazing how just, one, two, three, four, five words could change the mood. How it could go from being happy to suspenseful. Happy to curious. Happy to sad.

Angie didn't want to know if her dad, German, had found someone else. She just wanted to get on with her life. That is why she came to France. If she could manage living and always being with German, she would be in Argentina. They wouldn't be in a hotel. Together. Waiting to see German and his new woman. She didn't want to know the new woman. Hopefully she would be bland enough to dislike. It was always easier to dislike them. Or did it matter? If she liked her, if she didn't, the pain of losing him would hurt just the same.

She tried to smile. As she mentally willed German to not show up, he did. Hand in hand with his new woman. Ludmila by her side. Angie stopped her thoughts. Ludmila?? Why would she be here? Unless... She tried not to laugh. That wasn't possible. She tried harder. Ludmila's mother would never be his type. Or maybe she could be. People could surprise you. Once again, she tried not to laugh. But it was Ludmila's mother!! Surely if she was anything like Ludmila, then German would run ten miles from her! Obviously not.

German saw Angie. She looked healthy. Happy. She hadn't changed much. Her hair was different. A good different. Her sense of style was still the same, a little more sophisticated perhaps, but she wore bright colours. A contrast to the grey skirt suit that Ludmila's mother was wearing. He gestured from her to Angie, and from Angie back to her, "Angie, this is Priscila. Priscila, this is Angie."