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“But I am responsible for setting things into motion by getting you married to Zeno. It will always be one of my biggest regrets. This is me taking accountability for some of the hurt I’ve caused you—and I know I have caused a lot of it. I do not deserve your forgiveness, hence why I will not even ask for it. What I do want, however, is a chance to explain myself and be the Mother you always wanted and needed. I’ve seen the wrong in my ways and I only wish to make things better from here onward.”
I assessed her for a few seconds and found no ulterior motive.
This was genuine.
Putting my teacup and saucer on the coffee table, I said, “Marrying Zeno is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. As much as I’m enjoying you admitting your shortcomings, you do not have to apologize for this.”
Now she stared at me with apprehension.
Dacia already knew how I felt about my marriage.
“I did resent you when I had to marry Zeno. For years, you shaped me into the perfect daughter and like a doormat, I obliged. I thought you would finally love me if I catered to all your whims. But when the opportunity arose, you sold me to the highest bidder like I was a piece of meat and not yourdaughter.” She visibly flinched at the last word. “Eventually, that resentment faded away because I didn’t have time for negativity. Not when Zeno ended up being the other half of me. I can say with conviction that there will never be another man on this planet who will treat or worship me the way he does.” My heart glowed when I recalled all the ways this man showed his affection. “In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m very much in love with my husband. I would take a bullet for him if it meant he was safe and protected.”
To be honest, I never thought I would profess my undying love for the leader of a top-notch criminal organization so casually in front of my family, but there’s a first for everything, right?
The shock on Diane’s face was kind of comical.
It evaporated when I asked, “In all these months, why didn’t you call me? You waited until Dacia told you I was pregnant to take initiative.”
Her head hung in shame. “I simply didn’t know where to start. I had so much guilt and so much to apologize for. It didn’t help that I was mad at myself for putting you in a position where you were forced to marry against your will. Now I can see all that self-berating was in vain. You and Zeno truly love each other. I should have gotten over my pride and called you months ago.”
“You should have, but I don’t want to dwell over what can’t be changed.”
“I’m so sorry, Darla.” Her mouth trembled. “So very sorry.”
Dacia was right. Rome wasn’t built in one day and while things weren’t going to be rainbows and sunshine, I wanted to give Diane a chance to redeem herself.
That started with her addressing the main reason we were gathered today. “I want to learn about my real parents and what happened to them. You owe that to me.”
Diane swallowed and glanced at her feet. “Before I begin, I want you to know that you aremydaughter, Darla, and that will not change. I never told you the truth, not because I didn’t think you deserved to know, but because it was a reminder of all the ways I screwed up…and all the ways I failed even then.”
After four more heartbeats, she relayed a tale that was, as I suspected, far sadder than I anticipated.
“My sister Désirée and I were two years apart. We grew up right here in this house with our mother. I was the eldest and Désirée the youngest.” Her eyes settled over the window behind me like she was already lost in thought. “We were polar opposites in many ways but quite similar in some. Stubborn. Ambitious. Loyal. Those were some of the traits we shared. I loved her very much and still miss her to this day.
“Growing up in this cruel society, we were constantly pitted against one another. Any time we stepped out, people were quick to compare us—to remind us of our obvious differences. I tried not to let it bother me too much, but I was human after all. Désirée also didn’t like how the crowd always gushed over her and cast me aside.” A pained smirk curved over her lips. “I was the black sheep of the family. My mother knew it. Alberto knew it. And all of Montardor knew it too. Désirée was the lively sister with a beauty pageant personality and I was the less shiny, boring sister who came off as standoffish…I guess some things never change.”
Mother took a moment to collect herself.
Dacia and I didn’t interrupt.
“I constantly told myself I didn’t care what people thought about me. My cold personality was a shield to hide my shyness and my inability to openly talk to others. If people wanted to brand me as bitchy, so be it. I never had a big group of friends and while it got lonely sometimes, I at least had Désirée. She always stood by my side whenever we attended any functions. I could tell it irked my mother that I wasn’t more sociable like Désirée. However, my mother wasn’t the warmest person and…I was a product of my environment. Despite being raised in the same household, Désirée was a ray of sunshine. She had a way of seeing the good in bad and making everyone she met feel special. I wished I could be more like her. But I would rather spend my time advancing in my studies than entertaining the very people who’d relentlessly bullied me and spoke ill behind my back.”
My heart broke picturing a young Diane Hill, a bit stoic and nerdy, trying to fit into the same mold as her sister. It was ironic because now Mayor Hill was sociable, a people-pleaser, and had mastered the art of public speaking.
“I was in my last year of undergrad when we got an invitation to a gala on the North Side. My mother was the principal of St. Victoria and already well-connected to many affluent groups. Therefore, we were obliged to go. I know you both are privy to the many crime families in this city, so you can already imagine what kind of crowd was in attendance.”
Diane’s eyes fixed on me. “That’s where I met Apollo…Darla’s father.”
My heart began to pound.
“Apollo stood in centre of the room, commandeering the attention of all the associates with his charming personality. He reminded me of Désirée, like a golden ray of sunshine.” Diane smiled nostalgically. “I was captivated by his ardour, just like everybody else. Yes, he was quite handsome, but he was witty too, and not much older than me. He caught me eyeing him and approached me to ask why I was hiding against the wall like a church mouse.” Her chuckle was rusty. “Apollo was kind to me, which a lot of people weren’t, and I was instantly drawn to him. We talked about many things that evening. He expressed a genuine interest when I told him about my affinity for politics and how one day I wanted to make the world a better place for women. A goal I have yet to accomplish, it seems.”
Was I actually feeling bad for Diane Hill?
Listening to her story helped peel back the many layers composing her and shone light on her core. A fussy, independent, and perhaps misunderstood woman who’d been made into a villain.
“Over the course of one night, I fell in love with Apollo. He encouraged me to pursue my dreams and even offered me his friendship.” Diane filled herself a cup of green tea. “Weeks later, he became one of my dearest friends. Your grandmother picked up on our relationship and saw it as an opportunity to strengthen her alliances. She invited Apollo and his grandfather for dinner, who was the head of the D’Ambrosio crime family. When they entered our home, Apollo saw Désirée…and the rest was history.”
