AGAINST THE TIDE Book #2

Chapter Thirty Eight: Ciao Chica

Vienna's POV
"I need to tell you guys something."

These are not the kind of words I like to say or even be told. The previous involves a confession and I suck at those. The latter could mean a revelation I'm not willing or ready to hear. Still, we all come to this point where we say those words to someone.

I asked my family to come visit me. At first only Vicar showed up. Vicar and I may have our indifferences but he shows up for me. He hanged around, visiting for two days before Viola showed up. The one who took another three days because of her subtle stubbornness is Verna.

"Well bloody say it!" Verna snapped at me.

"It's about Vittoria."

Vicar became more alert. "What about her?"

"I lied to all of you. I have been lying for years. I had an affair when I was married to your father. The product of that affair is Vittoria."

Now I can breathe. The hardest part is to say it but now it's out there.

They are too quiet.

"What?" Viola asked me. "That Italian girl is your daughter?"

Verna burst out laughing. She's pointing at Vicar's pale face. "Bloody hell! You were into her, weren't you? This must come as a shocker to you!"

"Into her?" I frowned. "What do you mean Verna?"

"What do you expect when you introduce a beautiful young woman to him and you don't tell him she is his bloody sister? What do you expect mother? We're you waiting for a bloody scandal before you come clean?"

"Verna that is enough! Stop airing out dirty laundry and sit down!" Viola reprimanded her.

I looked around. The other patients are staring at us.

"I didn't know you have feelings for her." I reached out for Vicar's hand but he pulled it away.

"I don't have feelings for her." He denied it. "I feel nothing for her." There's a level of fear on his eyes.

"Good. That's good because I would like it if she became part of our lives-"

"Are you serious?" Verna asked me. "So that we can be one big bloody happy family? You know what? I didn't sit through hours of flight to listen to this. You guys are hard enough to deal with."

She stormed off in a fit.

"She broke up with her boyfriend. She's not okay." Viola explained. "Have you told Vittoria?"

"She figured it out. She came to confront me. It didn't end well."

"Where has she been all these years?" Viola asked me.

"In an orphanage. I left her with a nun in Naples, Italy. She raised her in an orphanage."

"Bloody hell mom. What did you do? That is cruel. That is even above my kind of cruelty! And how old is she?"

"Twenty five."

"So for 25 bloody years you have lied? You are absolutely unbelievable!" She got up and also left.

When tbe giros walk out it's always Vicar and I who remain. Eventually it's just me but I appreciate his patience with me over the years. He reached across the table to take my hands. "No wonder you have been drinking. Your conscience must have been bothering you. Whatever you want to do next, I'll support you. I promise."

"Thank you. I have a few more weeks here and then I promise I'll stop being such a trainwreck. I'll be a good mother to her and all of you."

"I believe we all need that." He gave me a small smile.