Heart of Locks

Chapter 21

For the first time in a long time, I woke up completely content. In fact, I couldn't keep the smile off of my face as I felt German's arms around me.

As cliché as it sounds, I couldn't have been happier. His bare skin against mine, the sun streaming in through the window and everything else about the morning made it perfect.

That was until I remembered my promise to Gabi, that we would go home after the wedding.

I looked back over my shoulder, he was still asleep. I knew it would break his heart to just leave like this, but it would break mine more to have to talk about it, so as quietly as I could, I got up. My suitcase had stayed packed, so I grabbed it and headed down the stairs as quietly as I could.

When I got downstairs, Vilu was sat on the sofa playing with Gabi. As I saw the smile on my daughter's face, I saw how happy she was here, in fact I almost couldn't bear to take her away. Vilu saw me watching and looked at Gabi.

"Why don't you go and say hi to Olga, she's in the kitchen?" She said and I smiled gratefully as she scurried off and we could finally talk.

"So why don't you tell me why you really came to my father's wedding, because it wasn't just for me and I'm guessing it has something to do with your daughter."

I didn't say anything for a while and eventually she asked another, more straightforward question, one I actually had an answer to.

"She's my father's, isn't she?"

I couldn't even admit it, I just nodded.

"Does he know?"

I took a breath before I answered.

"I don't know. He's a smart man, he should have pieced it together, but at the same time, I don't think he's been paying that much attention to me."

She waited a moment before responding.

"You have to tell him Angie, he has to know that he has a child."

As she spoke, she turned and took my hands in hers.

"Because I can't lose you again, not now."

Tears were starting to form in her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"And I don't think he can either, this could just be the piece of news that will make him happy again."

My mind was spinning.

My mind was telling me to leave again. To detach myself from my life here and get back to everything I had built in France, with my daughter, I owed her that much.

But my heart was compelling me to stay. To stay where I had been happy for so many years, where everyone needed me, where I needed everyone. Where the father of my daughter was, I owed her that as well.

One thing I knew for certain was that I owed German the truth, the only problem was, I didn't know how to tell it to him anymore.