That Kind of Love - The Legacy Saga Book 2 Short Story

That Kind -

 Chapter 2

"Be reasonable, Evangeline! You are expected to be there!”

Mother and Father have been harping all morning on my decision not to attend Andrew's funeral this afternoon. I am annoyed and angry, but most of all, hurt. “You haven't heard a thing I've said, have you?”

“You must come!” Mother repeats. “There is still a chance to close the merger. We must show a united front. The Tanners, as well as the others attending must see your sorrow. It can only help.”

Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let them come. Each word that spills from their lips only increases the pain I've carried inside for most of my adult life. “You still don't get it. It no longer matters to me what people expect. I did not love Andrew and I won't go and falsely portray a grieving almost-widow. I'm done pretending.”

“Now listen . . .”

“No, you listen!” I interrupt my father. I'm finished listening to their careless and unfeeling rants. “You have made my life a living hell and I am done letting you bully and walk all over me. Yes, I am blind, but I am not stupid. I am twenty-five years old and I have my own life. It's my life, not yours. I have always given you power over me, but no more. It stops here and now.” I close my eyes and rub my temples, trying to relieve the ache in my head. “You know, I can't remember a time either of you were ever there for me, other than when you were coaxing me to do your bidding. All you do is use, use, use. When you look at me, you don't even see me, you see something to be used for your gain. I'm blind, yet I see clearer than you do. You don't love me and I doubt you ever have. In fact, why did you bother to adopt me in the first place?”

Father sputters, “How dare you speak to us this way! We have given you everything! You have lived a life most people can only dream of living.”

“How can you be so ungrateful?” Mother cries.

“Oh, I'm grateful for the comfortable life I've had. But you see, that's just it. You gave me everything except what I have needed most: the simple love of a parent. That would have been worth more than all the money filling your bank accounts.”

Father's face is an angry crimson. “If it hadn't been for us adopting you, you would probably be living out on the streets somewhere, following in the footsteps of your drug addict mother. After all, that's why you were born blind.”

Wow! “And I thought you couldn't sink any lower, Father. I was mistaken.” I shake my head sadly. “I will always love you both and be grateful for the life I've been given, but from now on I will be living my life for me and God, and no one else.”

In self-preservation, I harden my heart against Mother's dramatic whimpers. She knows how to use that tactic well and I cannot allow it to affect me the way it used to. Closing my eyes, I inhale the expensive smell of my childhood home. This will most likely be the last time I stand inside it for a long while. Saying nothing more, I swallow my emotions, unfold my cane, and make my way through the entryway and out to my waiting taxi.

* * *

Standing in the doorway of the living room, Adagio visualizes the memories his grandparents shared in the old house. From the moment he arrived yesterday, he has felt the essence of their love for one another in every corner of the place.

He walks over to the baby grand piano and lightly runs fingers over the smooth surface, remembering the times he sat on the bench next to his grandmother and played duets. He had been a fast learner and she was always generous in her praise. This room had been her favorite place in the house. It was also in this room that his grandfather realized he was in love with her.

Sitting on the bench, he revisits the conversation he had with his grandfather in this room as he shared those memories.

“We were just friends, but I started spending more and more time with Nonna. I hated being away from her. I thought about her constantly, and I tried staying away a couple of times, just to see if the feelings would leave me if he didn’t spend so much time around her. But guess what? I couldn’t go a whole day without seeing her because I needed to be near her.

“Every moment we were together, I watched her every move. I would look at her face and wonder what she was thinking. Whenever she left the room, I counted the minutes until she came back, and when she did, my heart always skipped a beat. Every time she looked at me or touch my hand, I melted.

“Her grief over losing her first husband wasn't as painful anymore, but I started missing the opportunities I had to hold her when she needed comforting. I missed her softness against me and, the fragrance of her hair. I loved breathing it in because it was so her. I had grown used to the way her body fit against me, and my arms felt so empty. I loved the way her eyes sparkled whenever I came over, and the way her silky voice sounded when she said my name. Being with her was like coming home. It was the first time I had ever felt that way about someone. My need for her was exciting and frightening at the same time.

“But this is the moment I knew I was in love with her. The week before, I went to find Nonna to tell her lunch was ready. I was standing right in that doorway when I found her standing in front of the window staring out at the city. She was very pregnant, but she was still the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I just stood there staring at her, unable to pull my eyes away. I couldn't even move. It was like something was keeping me in that spot. I just kept thinking, “She’s so beautiful! She is just so beautiful!

“And at that moment, I wanted to walk over to her, take her in my arms and kiss her passionately, and never let her go. My feelings were intense and the lyrics to the music softly playing on the stereo suddenly hit me hard. It was one of my favorite songs because it was about finding home in the one you love, and it stirred my emotions so much, I could hardly breathe. Longing filled me and all I could think about was how much I wanted her to be mine. I had never needed someone so much.

“I lost track of time just watching her. Then she turned and smiled at me and my heart was completely hers. Because I wasn't sure of her feelings, I was afraid to act on mine. So I decided to wait, and as you can see, I didn't wait long. We soon came to know we were meant to be together. She was my whole life. And she still is.”

“And I'm sure she is even now, Nonno,” Adagio whispers, feelings his grandparents close by. A sudden urge to view the spot where his grandparents were married draws him through the kitchen and out to the back yard. Taking in the view, he pictures their wedding just as his grandmother described it.

“We were married in the back yard beneath an arched, rose-covered trellis. I wore a slim-fitting, ivory-colored, silk and lace dress, and a friend had styled my hair in an intricate up-do that was a work of art. As soon as your grandfather saw me, he told me over and over I was beautiful. He never took his eyes off me. And he was so handsome in his dark blue Armani suit. To me there wasn’t a more perfect looking man in the world. He was a heart breaker and he was all mine.

“It was a small wedding with only a few guests. That's the way we wanted it, and it was perfect.

“When we exchanged vows and were pronounced husband and wife, everything changed for me. He was everything I could ever want.”

Adagio laughs. “And I'm sure he still is, Nonna. I can see you nodding your head now.” Heaving a deep sigh, he wipes the moisture from his eyes and heads back into the house to make a grocery list. He had eaten out yesterday, but now that he is unpacked and settled, he is ready to do some cooking and add the familiar scent of home to the place.