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“I have no intention of selling the property, Ava.” I sighed, fearing that my brothers had gotten to her.
“He doesn’t want to talk about that. He didn’t even mention it to me, in fact. He just misses us, Gabe, and wants to reconnect.”
I leaned back against the couch and crossed my arms in front of my chest. Ava was a smart girl, but she also didn’t know Roman the way I did.
“He’s changed,” she continued. “Or so he says, and I think I believe him.”
“I don’t.”
Ava’s face fell even more. “Gabe, please, give him a call. I think you might be surprised.”
I wasn’t convinced, not at all. Roman never surprised me. He took after our father in almost every way, following in his footsteps. He seemed to enjoy walking the line between the legitimate and the criminal world.
Ava’s face almost convinced me,at the very least, to consider it.
“I’ll call him when I get a chance.” I worded it that way on purpose, knowing I could find a way to put it off indefinitely. There was a lot going on, and while I would always love my brothers, they would never come first. Ava, Bella, and my children were the only family I needed.
11
Bella
Istared at the blinking cursor.Charles O’Connell’s email address was typed in. That was as far as I had gotten. I wanted to send him a message but couldn’t find the words. I didn’t know for sure that I was their missing daughter, and it wouldn’t be fair to them to get their hopes up, so I planned to come at it from a different angle. Still, trying to find the words to type out to the man who very well could be my biological father was more difficult than I imagined.
My mom was not answering my calls, so it wasn’t like I could ask her more questions. I couldn’t go over to see her either, not in my delicate condition. It wouldn’t have been wise anyway considering the conversation would likely turn ugly and stressful, and we were trying to limit my stress levels, not increase them.
Dear Charles, I typed. That was easy enough. But then I doubted myself. Perhaps I should call him Mr. O’Connell? Yes, definitely. I changed that and just stared at the screen, trying to figure out the best way to open up the conversation.
Nothing came to me.
I’m not sure how long I sat there like that, staring at the blank email.
A knock came at my door.
“Come in,” I said.
Gabe stepped into my room, and right away, I felt myself smiling, simply by being in his presence.
“Christine asked for the night off, so Ava and I are thinking of ordering takeout and maybe watching a movie.”
“That sounds great,” I said, closing the laptop and putting it on the table beside the bed.
“Are you craving anything in particular?” he asked.
“Hmm I would do almost anything for some good pad Thai.” I knew Ava was a big Thai food fan, and I assumed Gabe would be as well, since... who didn’t like Thai food?
He smiled. “I think I know just the place.”
I slipped from the bed and followed him into the living area, where Ava was waiting for us. “Thai food?” Gabe asked her.
“Uh, have I ever been known to turn down Thai food?” She laughed.
“Perfect,” he said. “I think I already know what Ava wants, and Bella, you said you wanted pad Thai.”
He pulled out his phone and began placing the order, while Ava and I looked at the menu to see if there was anything else we wanted. Considering I was eating for five, it was a no brainer that I would want something more.
When the food arrived, we went into the tv room, which to be honest, was more like an in-home movie theater. A large projector screen and several rows of the comfiest couches and chairs imaginable filled the space. There was plenty of room to spread out, and I got an entire couch to myself, with a little table in front of me for my food.
“So what are you ladies in the mood to watch?” Gabe asked.
