Chapter One Hundred and forty five

"I'm sorry I didn't try hard enough to see you and your father even once. I just didn't have the means." Karla wept.

I don't know how but my feet put me in front of her with my knees on the ground and I was soon locked in a warm embrace.

"Ay tía!" I sobbed. (Oh auntie!)

"Te amo. Siempre tengo." She said, rubbing on my hair. (I love you. I always have)

"I'm sorry about the death of your father."

I sobbed just a little more at the reminder.

"Raj came into my life just before I lost your mother and he's been the best thing that ever happened to me." She stared at him lovingly.

"You knew my mother?" I asked him, wiping her eyes.

"Yes, though briefly, I know first-hand that she was a beautiful person, inside and out." He said. I smiled and turned back to Karla.

"Do you have a picture of her?" I asked.

"It's back at our house." She said.

"When can I come visit?" I eagerly asked.

"Anytime you want."

"Babe?" I snapped my head towards Damien.

"We'll join you for dinner tomorrow evening." He said, coming over to pull me up from the floor.

"That would be great." Raj said.

"We have to go now. We have to pick up our daughter from her piano lessons."

"You have kids?" I questioned.

"We have three, two girls and a boy. You'll meet them tomorrow." She said with a wide grin.

My cousins. I beamed at the thought.

They left soon after we saw them off to their car. Damien led me inside the apartment, shutting the door behind me.

He turned to head to the bedroom, I pulled him back and hugged him tight. He held me, rubbing soothingly on my back.

"Thank you."

"Why are you thanking me?" He asked.

"I have a family now all because of you." I said, fighting happy tears.

"Babe I was simply following your father's instructions. He didn't want you to be alone. He's always had your best interest at heart." He said.

"He definitely had my best interest at heart when he made me marry you. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you so much." I said effusively.

"I love you more babe." He said and placed his lips on mine.

The kiss soon grew hungry and passionate so much so, we couldn't wait to get to the bed and he took me right on the couch. Loving every part of my body with every single touch.

This man was blessing that came in disguise. I was thankful for it.

****

"Meet Antonella, Zara, Kumar." Aunt Karla introduced her children one after the other.

They were two young adults and a teenager, with the oldest, Antonella, being only two years younger than me.

"Hello nice to meet you all." I waved at them.

"Guys, this is Irma," she said to them.

"Our cousin you've been talking about for years?" Kumar - the tan brown eyed dude who looked a lot like his mother- asked.

"Yes, in the flesh." I beamed unable to contain my excitement at having a family.

"Wow you're really hot." His eyes scanned me.

"A really hot wife." Damien subtly reminded and like the possessive husband he his, he put his hand around my waist.

"Yes sorry." Kumar said, clearing his throat awkwardly. Damien and intimidating gaze had done it again.

"Hi cuz," sizzling hot, curly haired, brown skinned Antonella came over to hug me with a wide smile. "And hello handsome." She winked at my husband.

I cleared my throat and swallowed. That wasn't nice.

"Zara?" I called out.

"Zara's very shy." Her father said, standing by his youngest child. "Say hello." He urged the cute teenager who shared a splitting resemblance with her handsome father.

"Uh hola." She slightly waved at Damien and I.

"Como estas?" I asked bending slightly to look at her face which she hid by staring down at her feet.

"Estoy bien." She softly responded.

"Let's settle down for dinner." Aunt Karla said.

"¿Terminaste de poner la mesa Antonella?" She asked. (Are you done setting up the table Antonella?)

"Sí." She responded. (Yes.)

We all trudged to the dining table and settled for a typical Spanish dinner while we got to know more about one another.

Antonella was a hair stylist, Kumar an engineering student and Zara, still in high school but was very good with art.

"Irma,"

"Yes Aunt Karla." I answered looking up from my meal.

"Come with me." She gestured for me to follow her.

I followed her into the hallway of their high taste bungalow ,up until we stopped in front of what I'd assume was the master bedroom since it looked like she and her husband slept in it.

"I have something to show you." She said and bent over to drag something out from under the queen sized bed. It turned out to be a box.

She placed it on the bed and sat down, gesturing for me to join her. I sat, with the box placed in the middle being the only boundary between us.

"This," she rubbed her palm over the mahogany chest-like box. "is where I have kept all memories of your parents - your mother especially." She sighed out.

"Can we open it?" I asked in a shaky whisper. This was a huge part of my life that was about to be revealed to me, a missing piece that I didn't think I would ever find until now.

She unclicked the locks and held the lid open, just as I held my breath in.

There were so many photos, laminated and kept safe over the years.

"This one," she showed me a picture of when they were much younger back in the orphanage. "Maya's twelfth birthday, it wasn't so much but we were happy."

"She had the cutest pigtails." I said, chuckling and sniffling a bit, wiping my eyes with the ball of my palms.

"She was the cutest." Aunt Karla cooed.

"Ah, this one," she picked up the wide one. "the day they eloped and got married."

My mother had a dress that looked like it was made from a bunch of white clothes sown together and ruffled hair but she still looked so flawless. My father had just an oversized shirt and trousers. It showed how humble their backgrounds were but their eyes told the story of true love. The way their eyes lit up, proved how sweet young long truly is, but unfortunate circumstances changed all of that.

It was a bittersweet moment for me.

We went through photo after photo, all with one story or the other. Truly the resemblance between my mother and I, was uncanny, curves and all. I was a carbon copy in fact.

"Would you like to take this with you?" She asked, shutting the box after we had finished.

"No. I just want one picture, you can keep the rest till whenever I come back here." I couldn't take the memories of her only sibling away.

She nodded wordlessly and opened the box once again. I picked up the picture of my parents' wedding and hugged it close, shutting my eyes for a long moment.

"I want this one." I said, finally opening my eyes.

"It's all yours." She said, rubbing my hair before laying my head on her shoulder.

***

"For how long are you two staying?" Uncle Raj asked Damien and I, as we stood up to leave.

"A few more days, we still need to tour the city." He replied.

"You have a tour guide?" Aunt Karla piped up.

"We'll get one."

"Kumar's very good with showing people around, he could take you round the city, that is, if you're okay with it." She said.

"Are you free Kumar?" I asked, not wanting to be a bother.

"Sure. Just call me when you're ready." He said, running his hands through the mass of curls on his head.

"It's settled then. We'll see you tomorrow." I said, nudging Damien a little bit. He didn't seem to be fond Kumar after his earlier statement.

"Yeah see you tomorrow. Good night everyone." He bowed slightly in courtesy.

We left soon after.

***