Touching The Heart Of Ace (SAMPLE)

Chapter 60

Janice was here.

I did not know what I was supposed to feel. She called mom, about needing to be with her daughter, and... I just accepted her in.

With mom knowing about Robbie and I, I could not put mama on that spot. Mom tried her best to take a neutral stand. But deep down she wanted me to move on from Robbie but she knew I would not be able to. After all, she loved my dad the same way. She understood there was nothing she could do.

I remembered my grandmother, my dad's mom – I never knew of my mom's parents, who could never accept me or my dad- asking me to choose between my mom and her. I was so young, may be a couple of years older than Lia was. She was very loving to me - my grandmother and one day she asked me to pick who I wanted to live with.

I remembered getting down from her lap and going to mom.

Mom had a lot of money, but her parents were not aristocrats, unlike my dad. Her being richer than my dad was not enough for my dad's parents to accept her. Just like how her parents wanted her to marry someone like her pathetic ex-boyfriend, not like dad who told the tales of 'glory-days' with only pennies in his pocket.

Their love had its own mountains and oceans.

Yet, she did not let go of him.

Even when my dad's parents made him engaged to someone of their status. Mom still told my dad that she loved him and even if he married off to his fiancée, there would never be anyone else for her.

Dad loved his mother so much, like I loved my mom. But, he could not let go of that one girl who gave him not only her body, but her heart and soul too for him to keep, even if he was pressured to be with someone else.

My grandmother had a big nerve to ask me to pick her over my mom, so she could pressure my dad to divorce my mom, and marry him off to the 'fiancée' who was apparently still waiting.

Waiting for money and status, yet still waiting.

Mom forgave my grandmother when she was in her late days. She let me visit her in her death bed, but dad never forgave his beloved mom. He cried like hell, but did not visit his dying mother. He could not forgive her for what she did- what she did to my mom and me.

I was that mom's son.

I was that dad's son.

Of course she knew how I was loving Robbie.

But, I would never put my mom in that spot to pick between Janice and I, for Robbie. She knew Janice did not care for Lia the way she was supposed to but she could not ask Janice to stay away either, especially after knowing about Robbie and I.

When mom called me about Janice feeling 'guilt-free' enough to be with Lia, I only told mom that I would talk to Robbie.

The life I had chosen was making my moms difficult as it was.

So, she was here, looking nothing like the Janice we knew. Her nose was longer and her cheek bones was bit more defined with plumber lips. She was indeed still beautiful but she let go of that nose her mom gave it to her, the same nose Janice had given to her own daughter.

'Plastic'; that was all Robbie said.

At least now we knew where that one-million-dollar investment went. Or I hoped that was where it went; that way she had something she wanted.

So, that was how Lia and I kind of 'moved' to upstairs. The whole upstairs was self-sufficient, with its own kitchenette, and laundry room. We moved Lia's playroom to one of the guestrooms upstairs and we were happy.