Every step increases my anxiety; my brothers lead me into the kitchen whilst Carmen and Lorenzo disappear upstairs. Once we enter the kitchen, a beautiful women with brown eyes, tanned olive skin and brown wavy hair so dark it's practically black, stands at the breakfast bar. She looks almost exactly like my mother. It's weird. She beams at her three boys when she sees them, a smile so warm that I never received from my own mother. Diego embraces his mum in a loving hug and places a kiss on her cheek, soon followed by a hug and a kiss from Alejandro then Ruben. A pang of longing hits me at the love my brothers are given by there mother, something I have never and will never experience. But I can't be jealous of them; being the children of a mafia don comes with consequences that are made to turn anyone cold hearted, so they need someone to love them. They need love to keep them human, even if it's just a tiny fraction of their heart that is capable of love and the rest is stone cold, that tiny fraction of love is worth a thousand stars.
Shit.
Look at me going all sappy.
Eventually her eyes meet mine, her heart warming smile is still shinning bright on her face.
"Oh my gosh, it really is you. After eighteen years," She walks to stand in front of me, cupping my cheeks in her hands, "Look at you now, a precioso young women. Far prettier than your mother ever was."(beautiful) She gushes. Our close proximity catches me by surprise, she is the complete opposite of my mother.
"You know my mum?" I ask, the room falls silent, her bright smile changes into a sympathetic one.
What? What did I do?
Spinning on her heels, she turns to face her sons."Alright you three, time to piss off out the kitchen. I have to talk to Leandra in private." Alejandro chuckles before they all exit the room, leaving me and their mother alone. She spins back around on her heels, facing towards me again.
"Take a seat." She smiles softly at me, her finger pointing at the one of the black leather seats by the breakfast bar.
"You know, you don't have to call me Leandra, everyone calls me Lea." I enlighten her as I tack my seat. She chuckles at me as she sits down next to me.
"Okay then, Lea it is. I'm sure you have plenty of questions, especially about your mother. We all do actually. I'm Ronnie, your mum may have mentioned me as Veronica." She says this as if I should know who she is, it makes me not want to tell her that I have never heard of her.
"I'm sorry, but no, my mum never mentioned anyone called Ronnie or Veronica." Guilt creeps through my body at the hurt in Ronnie's eyes.
"Oh" Disappointment laced in her voice. We sit in silence for a couple of seconds, allowing Ronnie to gather her thoughts.
She clears her throat,"I wish I could say I'm surprised, but not when it comes to Raquel. Before I was married to your Father, my name was Veronica Gomez. I am your mother's sister, making me your-"
"Aunt." I interject. Not intending to be rude by interrupting, but my shock and confusion threw that out the window. Thankfully she seems to understand. Aunt? Wow! My mother's lies seem to go in an endless cycle. But why? Why so many secrets? What is she keeping?
"But you were with my dad before I was born?" I have to be dreaming, because this can't be true.
"Sí." Ronnie nods.
"And you're still married to him?" I point at her.
"Sí." She nods again.
"So then, how did I happen?" I point towards me. Ronnie smiles brighter again, as if the memory humours her.
"My whole life I tried to form some kind of relationship with my sister, I tried everything but nothing worked. Raquel always had her secrets, always keeping to herself, working in the shadows. I guess Chris was one of them, when she met him she turned dark, selfish. She never showed much affection before him, but at least her disinterest in other peoples lives meant she never hurt anyone." Ronnie inhales and exhales deeply. "About six months before your mum fell pregnant with you, Ruben and I were kidnapped by the Russian mafia and I was seven months pregnant with the twins. Santiago thought we were dead. Raquel waited for him to reach his lowest point - his weakest point - she pretended to be there for him. She comforted him for months, she some how managed to gain Santiago's trust. I have no idea how because that man has the biggest amount of trust issues that could ever exist." She chuckles. "Anyways, Raquel seduced him which led to you." Ronnie beams at me again, however, the sorrow in her eyes give away her façade. How could my mum do such a thing, and to her own sister?
"What happened when dad realised you were alive, and you came home to find your sister was knocked up by your husband?" Wow Lea, what a sensitive way to ask a sensitive question. Shit. I'm really not good with words. Thank God Ronnie is so understanding and cheerful, she just chuckles at my question.
"Your father rescued us. He spoke to me as soon as we got back to the house and told me everything, how he was beyond sorry, how he would have never slept with Raquel if he knew I was alive and how he would do anything to make this right because he loves me. Although, he stuck by you during your mothers pregnancy, he made it clear he had no feelings for her but wanted to be apart of their baby's life. When your were born, for the first couple of months, Raquel was like a changed women, but we didn't like the way Chris behaved around you or the boys. Raquel said she would leave him, but she needed money, she didn't say why, but we didn't trust Chris. So we gave her the money and the next day all three of you were gone. Almost as if you never existed. It took some time for me to trust your father again, but once Raquel left, I discovered just how manipulative that bitch can be." Ronnie's eyes widen when she realises what she said, but I laugh. She apologises repeatedly, I have to tell her multiple times that it's alright and that my mother is a stone cold manipulative bitch.
How can this women be so kind hearted in the life of a mafia queen surrounded by death and destruction? Honestly, I'm grateful.
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At the end of the day we all spend the rest of the night in the sitting room, as we share embarrassing stories of each others child hood. I still can't believe Alejandro called the American government with a nuclear bomb threat when he was nine. Actually, no, never mind, I can believe it. Though, not much is told about either Lorenzo's child hood or mine. Which piques my curiosity, I know why nothing was said about me (because I wasn't around). But why was nothing said about Lorenzo?
********************
What do you think about Ronnie?
Personally, I love Ronnie, she's so sweet. 🥰
Unlike Raquel😒.
Until next time - N
YOU ARE READING
Ángel
RomanceLeandra Álvera, always left in the dark about her real life. About her father. Her mother told her it was for her own good. To protect Lea. But what happens when Lea learns all her mothers lies? Everything she thought to be true gets turned upside...
