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Carter Ellis stood tall beside Sienna, but Xandros had eyes only for his daughter. He hadn’t let himself brood on her. In fact, he’d distanced himself, unwilling to contemplate the pain of her rejection. Now he would face it head on.
She was so beautiful, so like Juliana, like Thea too. And he opened his heart fully to her, his skin tingling and his palms clammy as Angelika puts her hand in his.
Just when he was about to speak, Sienna said flatly, “I know you’re my father.”
Angelika nodded. “Yes, he is.”
Xandros forced himself to say, “I know it is a shock.”
Sienna sat with a plop on the sofa. “The shock is that the man I thought was my father told me there’s no reason I should be in the bridal party at his wedding since I’m not any relation to the baby Bron is carrying.”
Angelika rushed to her side, sitting beside her. “Oh my God, Sienna, I’m so sorry.” Though she was so close to her daughter, she restrained herself from putting her arm around Sienna, though Xandros knew how desperately she wanted to.
He would gladly beat the man to a pulp. And this was the man Angelika had been married to for thirty years? How did she survive?
He said solemnly, meaning every word, “You will always be a welcome part of my family.”
She looked at him, her eyes shiny with tears. “Are you sure they’re going to want me?”
“Absolutely.” Then he added, “I will always want you in my family.” He looked at his Angelika. “I love with your mother. I have been in love with her for over thirty years.” Then he turned back to the daughter he hadn’t known he had but whom he would love no less. “Will you allow me to be part of your family?”
He waited for her answer with bated breath, his heart ready to break or burst with joy.
* * *
Angela waitedto hear her daughter’s answer, either absolution or condemnation, even as her heart broke for what Donald had said, once again making Sienna worthless in his eyes.
But there was Carter Ellis, sitting beside Sienna, holding her hand, letting her lean on him. Sienna had never had anyone to lean on.
And finally, her daughter said, “I don’t know even know you.”
“I’d like to know you,” Xandros answered with the gentleness of a father gazing at his newborn. “We can try.”
Sienna sniffed, and Carter squeezed her hand, giving her support. He was a good man. Sienna wiped beneath her eye. “I’d like to try.”
Angela was close to tears, of joy, of fear, of relief, of nerves. Because while Sienna might want to know Xandros, she still might not forgive her mother.
It was up to Angela to ask. She plucked up her courage, wishing that she had Xandros’s hand wrapped around hers the way Carter had curled his around Sienna’s. “I have a lot to apologize for. I should have told the truth years ago. I should never have let your—” She stopped herself. “—I shouldn’t have let Donald ostracize us. I should have left him. There are so many things I should have done but didn’t. Can you ever forgive me?”
Sienna breathed in, held it, looked at Carter, then exhaled in a rush and echoed her words to Xandros. “I’d like to try.” Tears filled her eyes. “It might take a while to get used to all of this. It feels like my whole life has upended. I don’t even have Bron and the baby anymore.”
“But you have a whole family in us.” She touched Sienna’s hand. “Aunt Teresa, Uncle William, your brother, me. Xandros.” She had to add him. He was part of their lives now. “And maybe Bron doesn’t feel the way Donald does. She cares about you.” Then she couldn’t help herself, and whether it was right or wrong, she added, “I love you. You’re my baby girl. I’ll do whatever I can to make things up to you.”
But Sienna turned away, looked at Carter.
And Angela felt nothing but loss.
* * *
Sienna didn’t wantto cry in front of them. She didn’t want to feel that vulnerable. Not now. But she looked at Carter’s handsome face, at the sincerity in his gaze, at the love shining from his eyes. It felt as if she’d been bitter and lonely all her life, keeping everyone at arm’s length. She hadn’t wanted to risk rejection, to risk her heart.
But she wanted to try again, with a new job, with Carter, with her brother, with Bron. She’d even been willing to give her father a chance, though he wasn’t her real father.
But then he’d trashed her.
Maybe things would be different with Xandros. Maybe she could never call him Dad or feel the things a girl should about her father. But did she even know what that was like? Maybe she could give Xandros a chance. She could give herself a chance.
Could she do no less for her mother?
