The Truths Behind the Life of Maeve Sun Lively

120

THE GUILT OVER WHAT HAPPENED that only Cameron and I had known suffocated me for so long that I had forgotten I was drowning.

When the adoption people left and it was just the three of us, I had the oddly quiet baby in my arms, who I could not seem to let go. I felt like all my secrets were going to come ripping out of me until I am simply open flesh of skin.

And when Mason's tired eyes laid on me, I still found that even with all his trust and support, I could not share what I had done to Isabella and Klarise. In that sad awful moment where my heart begged to free myself of this burden, my mouth sealed me closed.

He took a deep breath, and what made it all the worse was when he smiled softly. His invitation of open arms made my legs magically move again, my body once again functioning and no longer numb.

I said nothing. I never explained what had happened that made me not give her over to the adoption people. But he never asked, and after all these years, I wonder if it's because he knew everything I was going through even without my words.

He held me tight, and his warm embrace brought on my tears that I could not fully seem to understand.

IT IS SUCH A cliche name!"

"It is beautiful! I bet she would love it when she can comprehend one day what it means!" Mason pulled her away, who I still called 'the baby' while he has already been calling her his awfully thought out name.

I rolled my eyes. "I thought you would have better taste than this, Mason."

"Rosalie is such a beautiful name, isn't it, Rosalie?" He said in baby voice to the already one month old baby. And surprisingly enough, the baby giggles at what he says, her hands reaching up to touch Mason's stubble which he hasn't shaved. This lights up his eyes. "See! She already loves it!"

I crossed my arms, worried sick that my baby is about to have a cliched meaning name.

"We are not going to name her after the definition of beautiful rose! That is so unoriginal and cliche!" In my attempted defense, I try to grab her back, but Mason pulls her away from me just in time. The baby giggles, finding me trying to grab her but failing miserably incredibly funny. "Plus, you only chose this name because of her red hair! You do know that as babies grow older, sometimes their hair color changes too right? What if she has brown hair one day?"

Mason made an exaggerated pouting face and looked at the baby, which she found even funnier as she tried to imitate him. "We don't care! We love the name because we want to all be beautiful roses, am I right, Rosalie?"

She giggles so loudly that even as defensive as I was, I couldn't also help but laugh. And soon enough, the three of us were all laughing loudly.

Out of breath, I say to the baby in my sweetest and most angelic voice: "Oh come here, we will find you a much nicer name! Did you know that I named myself? I have never regretted the name I chose, and so if you let me name you, I promise you you'll have no regrets!" She giggled more, her hazel eyes crinkling into little half moons. "Yes! What about Valentina? It means strong and powerful. You'd want to be that more than a beautiful rose, am I right?"

Mason steals her attention from me with his own pleasant baby voice. "No, no, don't let her trick you, Rosalie. You know Uncle Mason is amazing right?" The baby giggles at this, which Mason smiles and nods to eagerly. "Yes, yes! Now, let's put this in your documents, Rosalie. You can thank me when you are older."

He picks her up before I object to their little bubbly talk. Then all of a sudden, he does a little celebration spin with her as if he has won. She laughs even more. As much as I hated the idea the name derived from for some odd reason, watching the two of them so happy even though the baby probably has no comprehension of understanding at only one month old made me unable to object.

"Fine, fine, but I am going to name her Chinese name!" I finally give in, and the moment I do, Mason points at me so she can look at me too.

"We won, Rosalie, we won!"

I roll my eyes some more, but can't help and let the joy take over me. Mason picks her up again and rushes towards me.

"Now, let's go to Mommy Maeve and see what good Chinese name she has for you."

Somehow, for any odd reason, I was okay being called Mom. And it confused me then why I had feared that title for so long.

And just as that thought sinks in, Mason brings her by me, and we talk to her in baby voices while she tried to pull at our clothes and fingers. Mason pulls me closer with his arm, leaning his head on my shoulder as we watched Rosalie.

"We are going to raise her to be the happiest child alive," he says, and I squeeze his hands, closing my eyes as I tried to imagine the new future ahead.