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“Habibi,I’m going to be your plus one for longer than you can imagine. Get used to me.”
Chapter Six
~ Sariah ~
Tarek was…a lot. I couldn’t find it in myself to worry about it, though. I’d promised myself that I would dive into this new me, and that meant I would see where this went over the next week.
He’d been a perfect gentleman all night…during dinner, while we’d walked along the beach then while we’d sat to watch the fireworks off the pier. He’d carried my shoes while we’d strolled. Then when we found a place to enjoy the pyrotechnic show, he’d dropped onto the sand and pulled me onto his lap, telling me it was for my comfort.
His lips had pressed to my shoulder and neck a few times—more than a few times, actually—but his hands had stayed at my waist where his arms were wrapped around me. No exploring. And if a hard ridge pressed to my butt cheek, I pretended not to notice.
Back at the hotel, I’d boldly let him walk me up to my room, then he’d pecked me on the cheek and moved a few steps back while he waited for me to go inside.
My phone had lit up almost immediately.
Good night, beautiful.
This morning, I’d woken with a smile on my lips, still thinking of his message. That was when the nerves set in. This morning, I was meeting my family. Everything had changed in my life the day I found out about them. But today, it would be official.
Dressed in another of the pretty dresses I’d bought yesterday, with my makeup carefully done, I headed over to the hall where the bridal brunch was supposed to be held. It seemed weird to me that the wedding events would span the week, but I supposed it was doubling as a family reunion.
If I hadn’t been crazy nervous before, knowing extended family would witness this meeting amped up the butterflies in my belly.
It was silly, but I kind of wished Tarek would be going with me today, but he was working. Plus, I was new adventurous Sariah. And I was a grownup. I could do this on my own. I had promised him I’d come see him this afternoon or at least text if I couldn’t get away from family. A very real possibility. In which case, he said he’d come and meet up with me. I appreciated that. More than he could know. I might need a rescue by the lifeguard if things got too much to handle.
“Marcia, dear, that dress is adorable,” an older, silver-haired woman said as I entered the large room.
Before I could reply and clarify my identity, two tween girls ran up to me. “Mar-Mar, we need you to come help with Benny. He doesn’t want anyone but you.”
“Girls, stop trying to foist your little brother on your cousin,” a woman I assumed was their mom called. My aunt. “Sorry, Mar. Your mom’s looking for you, by the way.”
My head shook slightly as I stared. Did I really look that much like my sister? We were twins, and from the photo, I knew we were similar, but I hadn’t thought people would mistake us for one another.
“There you are!”
My focus swung toward the woman who’d spoken. She had the same hair as me. Same color. Same curls. She…lookedlike me, though older, even having the same shaped face.Tears burned in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly.
“I left the bag with the favors we made in the car. Can you run to get it for me?” She paused, her gaze sweeping over me when she slowed down enough to really look. Her brow furrowed. “What did you do to your hair? I thought you were going to straighten it.”
My lips parted, and I didn’t say anything as I reached up to touch the curls I’d always been so proud of. Ones that looked like hers. Maybe, I shouldn’t have been so prideful, but I’d been the only one in my family with the pretty ringlets, and now I knew why.
Her sharp gasp cut through the room, and everyone went silent as she stared at me with wide eyes. Her hand lifted to her mouth, her head shaking, tears instantly filling her eyes.
“You’re not Marcia,” she whispered. “You’re…Sariah.”
I nodded. Tears flooded my eyes, too. Before I could move, she ran to me and crushed me into her arms. This woman, who’d lost her daughter, somehow, twenty-three years ago, sobbed into my neck while I clung to her, overwhelmed by similar emotions.
“Mom, hey, I…”
I looked up at the voice, so like mine but with a different accent. Our eyes met, and she dropped the tote bag she’d been carrying. With a cry, she ran over and joined the hug.
“I knew it,” she whispered. “I knew all this time that you had to be out there.”
Then Tanya, my older sister, was there and Chad, my older brother. Word apparently spread beyond the room because my father thundered in, followed by my brother, Felix, who was born after I disappeared.
Everyone was sobbing and laughing and hugging. I was passed from family member to family member. First my immediate family and then to aunts, uncles, cousins, my grandparents. I’d never felt as loved and accepted by my relatives any time in my entire life.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” Marcia said, much later, as we sat together on a bench outside the hall. Our knees touched, and she held my hand while we leaned together talking. “When I was working on the family tree thing and the DNA match notification came up, I about lost my shit. You should have seen me running around the house like a wild woman, screaming for Mom. We didn’t know how to contact you so we hired a detective.” She blew out a breath. “Then after Mom and Dad contacted their attorney and talked to our pastor, it was decided that we should have a third party contact you. We didn’t know your situation or what you might know about your past.”
