Stolen Hearts

Chapter 24

Cassius took a deep breath as he stood in front of his parents' house, his mind racing with the gravity of the conversation he was about to have. The charity event had been a disaster, and he knew he had a lot of explaining to do. His sister, Alana, had agreed to be there for support, knowing how difficult this conversation was going to be. He knocked on the door, and after a few moments, it opened to reveal his mother, her face etched with concern.

Before diving into the heavy topics, Cassius decided to ease into the conversation. "How have you been, Mom? Dad?"

His mother sighed, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "We've been good, Cass. Your father and I just got back from a short trip to the countryside. It was quite refreshing."

His father nodded. "Yes, we stayed at that little bed and breakfast we mentioned last time. The one with the amazing garden."

Cassius smiled, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "That sounds lovely. Did you get a chance to visit the museum you were talking about, Dad?"

His father's eyes lit up. "We did. It was fantastic. They had a new exhibit on ancient civilizations that was absolutely fascinating."

Alana chimed in, "I saw the pictures you sent, Mom. The garden looked beautiful."

"It was," his mother said, her eyes softening. "I wish you could have been there with us, Cassius. We missed you."

Cassius felt a pang of guilt. "I missed you too. I'm sorry I couldn't make it."

His mother reached out and patted his hand. "We understand. You have a lot going on."

Cassius took a deep breath, knowing it was time to transition to the more serious matters. "Speaking of which, there's something important I need to tell you all. First, I need to tell you about my daughter, Blair," he began, his voice trembling slightly. "I met her recently, and she's beautiful. She looks a lot like me, but she has her mother's red hair."

His parents exchanged worried glances. His father, a man of few but impactful words, leaned in, his voice gentle yet probing. "Cassius, why didn't you tell us about her sooner?"

Cassius took a deep breath, the weight of the past few weeks pressing down on him. "I didn't know about her until recently," he admitted, his voice heavy with emotion. "Ember, Blair's mother, kept her a secret from me. And when I found out, it was a lot to process. Seeing Ember and Enzo again was... intense. It's been ten years since we last spoke."

His mother, Alana, frowned, her eyes filled with concern and a touch of sorrow. "Ten years! It's been that long since you, Ember, and Enzo were... together. And now she's back to hurt you again? Hasn't she done enough damage already? I remember the heartache you went through, Cassius. I can't bear to see you in pain again. What has she done this time? Are you okay?"

Cassius nodded, his eyes clouded with memories. "Yes, it's been that long. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime ago, other times like it just happened yesterday. I remember it all too well, though. Ember's miscarriage in college—it was one of the darkest periods of my life," he began, his voice tinged with sorrow.

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he delved deeper into the painful memory. "We were so young, just trying to navigate the chaos of college life. When Ember found out she was pregnant, we were both terrified and excited. But then, everything changed so quickly. She started having complications, and before we knew it, we were in the hospital, hearing the worst news imaginable."

Cassius's voice trembled as he continued, "I remember holding her hand along with Enzo, feeling so helpless as the doctors told us that we had lost the baby. Ember was devastated, and I... I felt like I had failed her, failed our unborn child. It was out of my hands, out of my control, but that didn't make it any easier to bear."