Chapter 5
Mila's heart burned from the heat her body generated. She wondered if she was having a heart attack as her head spun and breathing became too difficult of a task. The tears in her eyes had long dried. Her legs bounced uncontrollably as she sat before Giovanni with her hands tucked under her thighs and waited for him to speak.
"Does mom know that you're here?" Giovanni asked after what seemed like a million years.
It was the first thing he said to her since they left Daniel's suite. He seemed so calm and collective. Mila began to wonder if he had known about her all along. But the thought was too painful.
"No," she shook her head.
"Where does she think you are?" Giovanni arched his brow.
"She thinks I'm in London," Mila swallowed the nerves. "Study abroad."
"You lied?"
"Technically, no," Mila said. "I am studying abroad. I'm taking online classes."
"How did you find me?"
"I...." Mila's voice shook. "I found your picture in her things. And her journals."
Giovanni nodded slowly.
"I..." Mila was sure her heart would give out from the way it accelerated. "I have a DNA test kit."
Giovanni's brows furrowed. He listened carefully as Mila rambled on.
"It's one of those at home kits," Mila explained. "We just put the samples in and mail it out. I even looked up the nearest lab. It's a few miles outside of Del Mare. If we send it out by tonight, we should have the results back in a few d-"
"I don't need DNA confirmation," Giovanni said, his eyes softening.
Mila felt her heart pinch, "No?"
"No," Giovanni shook his head. "I know you're my daughter."
"Did you..." Mila's heart was too scared to know the answer. "Did you always know?"
"No," Giovanni said. "But I'm looking at you....sitting here, in front of me and I know. I know you're my daughter."
"How..." Mila asked.
"You have my mother's smile, Mila," Giovanni chuckled. "And my sister's nose."
"I have an aunt?" Mila's eyes widened.
"Yes, you do," Giovanni smiled. "You have a really big family."
"Like..." Mila bit down on her bottom lip. "Like brothers and sisters?"
Giovanni shook his head, "No."
"Stepmother?"
"No," Giovanni shook his head again. "I never married."
Mila felt her heart stop, "Mom didn't either."
Giovanni looked down at his hands and the gold ring on his finger.
"What happened?" Mila asked, feeling impatient. "She never talks about you. I could never get her to tell me anything. Only sometimes, very rarely, she would tell me small things about you."
"We didn't work out," Giovanni said quietly.
"Why not?" Mila asked. "What happened? You loved her right?"
"Of course."
"Then why did you let her go?" Mila asked. "Why did you let me go?"
When Giovanni looked up, his green eyes were full of pain. "I didn't know about you...I had no idea Anjali was pregnant when she left."
