As Luck Would Have It

Gifts

  "Why are you looking at me like that, love?" Isabella asked. Her favorite niece asked her to lunch but the entire time they've been together Delilah had been acting weird.

  "Were you in love with my mother?" Delilah asked. She had been trying to find a polite way to ask but she came up with nothing. She found that just putting it out there would be the only solution.

  Bell didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. The life she lived forced her to have her poker face ready at all times. "I loved your mother." Which was true. She did but that's not what Delilah asked her.

"Okay but were you in love with her, tía?" Delilah asked again.

Isabella sighed. "Love, why are you asking me that?"

"Because I want to know." Delilah shrugged and poked around at her salad. "Papa brought me some of her old journals yesterday and she wrote about you."

Isabella's defenses fell away just a bit. "She did?"

Delilah nodded and furrowed her brow. "Uh and you two kissed?" She couldn't make eye contact with her aunt when she said it.

Isabella chuckled nervously. "Oh. That."

"That." Delilah repeated.

"What.. what else did she say about me?" Bell asked. She had no idea Megan journaled. She had no idea she thought of Isabella enough to write about her at all.

"She loved you. You two were close. She felt things for you but ignored them for the sake of papa."

Isabella took a sip of her tea. "Yes, well, he loved her more than anyone."

"Not more than you." Delilah said gently.

Bell smiled. "I was... in love with Megan but she loved Juan and I loved Juan. It was wrong and I always felt terribly about it. I think we both did. We never spoke of it after that night. Knowing was enough I suppose." She shrugged. "Your mother was too good for this world."

Delilah nodded. "I kind of got that from the things she wrote." She pulled one of the journals from her purse and handed it to Isabella. "Here."

"You want me to read it right now?" She asked.

"No I want you to have it. Out of all the journals I have, she wrote about you the most in that one. In one she called you a bitch." Delilah laughed.

Isabella laughed too. "I was a bitch a first. It just scared me how crazy Juan was about her. I'd never seen my brother so smitten. Then I got to know her and I understood why. Meg was special."

  "You're not going to cry are you?" Delilah asked.

  "Please. Who do you think I am? Your papa?" She asked the two of the giggled together. They finished their lunch while Bell shares more stories about her time and friendship with Megan. Delilah listened carefully. She loved the stories her papa told her but these were new. She felt like she was learning about a completely different woman. In her listening, she wondered how the stories from Emma would differ from Cyn's. What would be the things they loved about her the most? What would be the most memorable. She silently made a mental note to ask them when she returned home. For now she wanted to give her tía her undivided attention.

  ***

Emma rolled over and watched Delilah as she slept. She looked so peaceful. "Baaaaabbbbeee!" Emma said loudly enough to startle the brunette from her slumber.

"Yes? What??" Delilah asked when she finally got her bearings.

"Happy Anniversary!" Emma said sweetly. She leaned over and kissed her lips.

Delilah stares at her blankly for a moment trying to decide if she wanted to start their anniversary day with an attitude or not. She sighed. Or not. "Happy anniversary, baby."

Cyn came waltzing through the door in a part hat and her onesie. "I was waiting for you guys to wake up!" She blew the kazoo she had in her mouth. "Happy Anniversaryyyy." She sang as she jumped into bed with them. She snuggled right in the middle. She fit perfectly. Cyn handed them a card.

They both laughed. "Thank you, sweets." Emma said as she opened the envelope. A ton of glitter fell out. Delilah and Emma both sighed but couldn't hide their smiles. It was a hand made card. Even better. Emma read it out loud, "To the best lovers a girl could ask for. I love you both and hope you enjoy your special day. Your baby, Cyn."

Delilah wrapped her arms around Cyn's little body and pulled her close. "Awww. Thank you, babe."

  Emma gave her a kiss on her head. "That was sweet. Thank you."

  "You're welcome. I got you two something else too but that's for later." She smiled deviously.

  Emma and Delilah rolled their eyes. "I thought you slept in here last night." Delilah said.

  "Yeah I did but Mommy was snoring too loud!" Cyn whined.

  "Hey! I don't snore!" Emma said.

  Delilah scoffed. Anyone that's ever slept with Em knew she was a big snoring baby. "Yeah. Okay." Emma hopped up and ran to the closet. "What are you doing?" Delilah asked. Cyn giggled. She knew what was about to happen.

  Emma came back with their pre packed suitcases. "Getting ready."

  "For what??" Delilah asked.

Cyn got up and started jumping on the bed. "Vacation! Vacation! We're going on vacation!" She sang.

"What?" Delilah asked. "Get down, princess."

Emma chuckled. "Surprise! We're going on vacation. Cyn and I took the entire week off."

  Delilah looked from Emma to Cyn then back to Emma. She wasn't fond of surprises. "I thought we said we weren't making a big fuss out of our anniversary." Delilah said. She felt a bad because she hadn't planned anything spectacular. She bought Emma a gift of course but that was it really. They were supposed to have dinner at a really nice restaurant tonight and call it done. She had no idea.

  "Technically the vacation isn't completely about our anniversary and plus it's not too crazy. I think you'll enjoy it." Emma said.

  "Yeah, Daddy! Enjoy it!" Cyn said as she started bouncing up and down on the bed again. "Enjoy it!"

  Delilah laughed and pulled her down. "You're so bad. Come here." She started tickling Cyn's tummy as she squealed.

  Emma smiled. She was so excited to get this ball rolling. Engagement, here they come.