The Complete Legacy Series: Books 1 - 6

by Paula Kay

  She liked thinking about her mother riding in a car like this one, the sun on her face and the wind whipping her hair around just as it was doing with Isabella’s now.

  “What else did my mom like?”

  Blu looked thoughtful. “I’ll show you one of her greatest loves. Jemma thinks it’s kind of weird when I do this because she knows it’s not my music at all, but it reminds me of Arianna and I like to remember her—especially when I’m in San Francisco but also here in Italy.”

  They pulled over to the side of the road so that Blu could connect her phone to the car speaker system. She pulled up the music she was looking for as Isabella waited, curious as to what it was going to be.

  “We used to argue about our music selection and then we’d compromise by each getting a say for one way of a trip, but Ari always wanted hers loud and she always loved the top down.”

  Isabella saw Blu brush a tear away quickly before she pressed play and turned it up loud as they pulled away to continue their drive. Isabella rested her head back against the seat, letting the opera music overwhelm her senses.

  Maybe it was the fact that they were driving in Italy, or maybe it was a combination of everything else she’d learned about her mother this past week, but Isabella didn’t have a hard time imagining Arianna loving this music that she herself found so beautiful now, even though she’d barely listened to opera before.

  Several tracks played before Blu reached over to turn the music down.

  “So what do you think about everything, Isabella? I imagine it might be more than a little overwhelming for you—that we might all be a little overwhelming for you.” She laughed.

  Isabella thought about the question for several seconds before she replied. She’d gone through so many different emotions the past few weeks, and she was learning to be more honest about her feelings—with others, but maybe even more importantly with herself.

  “At first, you know, I was so angry with my parents—about the fact that they’d kept the truth from me about Arianna’s death. It was pretty devastating to find out the way that I did.”

  Blu looked quickly over at Isabella. “Jemma told me that she’s filled you in on our story—about the things that I’d kept from her.”

  “Oh no, I wasn’t saying—” Isabella felt her face getting warm. The last thing she wanted was for Blu to feel judged by her.

  “Oh, no worries about that. I know you’re not talking about us. I’m just bringing it up because I guess maybe I can sympathize with your parents—about the decisions that they’ve made regarding the timing of giving you information about Arianna. Believe me, it pained us all to have to wait to see if and when the day would come when we’d finally get a chance to get to know you.”

  “Oh, I know what you’re saying. And I’ve forgiven my parents. Really. I mean, it was hard at first, but I do understand. It was more just the shock of it all, ya know—because I guess—I always thought that one day I’d meet her—I’d meet my birth mother. It’s pretty much always been in the back of my mind, so that’s the part that was difficult. I finally had to let go of that hope that I always had.”

  “I can only imagine.” Blu reached over to grab hold of Isabella’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Arianna talked about you a lot, Isabella. She never forgot about the day that you were born, and I know that she thought about you every day since then. She did live with a lot of regret about that day, and I know that she wanted you to know that it wasn’t her choice to give you up. She had forgiven her adoptive parents too, but nonetheless, their relationship had never been good after that time in her life. There was too much hurt and anger there. And she did feel a lot of guilt for not being stronger, not trying to enforce her own wish to keep you herself.”

  Isabella felt a lump in her throat and had to take a few moments before she could ask the question that was on her mind. “Do you think that she’d forgiven them at the time of her passing? Do you think that she’d been able to forgive herself? Or was it something that she’d hung on to?”

  Blu seemed thoughtful. “No, she’d forgiven them. Gigi would be the one to talk to about that. Shortly before she passed, they’d spent some time together talking about her parents, and I think Ari had come to a real point of understanding with it all and maybe, more importantly, a point of forgiveness—for her sake, I mean.”

  “That’s good to know. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it must have been like for her—to be faced with such hardship so young. Any hurt or anger I’ve had toward my parents can’t compare to what she must have gone through losing her parents and then being faced with her own death. It’s hard to imagine how anyone my age could have handled that. I mean, she was only a few years older than I am now.”

  Blu was nodding her head. “Well, I can tell you that Ari changed a lot during those last months of her life—since the death of her parents, really. She was my best friend so I loved her and everything, but some people would have certainly called her spoiled, for lack of a better description.” Blu laughed, but it was something that Gigi had alluded to earlier also. “I knew a different side of her, though—I mean, I never would have been friends with someone like that if she hadn’t shown me her true heart. And Ari did have a huge heart. She was one of the most loyal people I’ve ever known.”

  They were both quiet for a few seconds. Isabella loved hearing everything about Arianna, and it was refreshing to hear even the things that weren’t so flattering. It made her seem more real. They’d all done a very good job of being honest with her about her mother just as Blu was being honest with her now, and she was extremely grateful for that.

  “Anyway, as I was saying, Arianna learned a lot during those last months of her life and it changed her. I think meeting Lia—meeting your grandmother—was what brought her to a place of forgiveness and a place of being able to go feeling like her life had been worthwhile. Even though some people would have called her spoiled when she was younger, Arianna was incredibly generous. No one who really knew her would have suggested otherwise. But I guess toward the end especially, she just seemed to put her entire focus on others—on all of us for sure, but also she realized that the greatest peace she could feel was what came from forgiving herself, and she was able to do that. I really believe it. So you shouldn’t think twice about any of that—if it’s been on your mind, okay?”

  Isabella nodded, feeling thoughtful about everything that had just been said. It was more pieces to the puzzle fitting into place. Every day she was getting a more complete picture of who her mother had been, and she liked the woman that she was getting to know through these people who had loved her mother so much.

  Isabella’s thoughts returned to Blu’s question about feeling overwhelmed there in Italy.

  “Being here with you all doesn’t feel overwhelming to me as much as it feels like a huge gift. From the moment I first spoke to Douglas and the others on the phone, I felt sure that I wanted to meet you all. Something about it just felt so right and now that I’m here, it feels natural—almost as if I’ve been hanging out here with you all for years. I love that—probably more than I can express.” She felt tears stinging her eyes. It was hard to explain in words what these past days had meant to her. It had gone better than she ever could have imagined and for the last few days, especially, she was almost having a hard time contemplating leaving.

  Blu smiled widely. “Well, I know that I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that your presence here and in each of our lives is something we’ve wanted for a very long time. You’ve made your grandparents so very happy. Honestly, I’ve not seen Lia this happy since her wedding.”

  Isabella grinned too. She believed what Blu was telling her.

  “And I really like Jemma. I’ve never had a lot of girlfriends, so it feels good to connect with her.”

  “She likes you too. And Jemma hasn’t had a lot of good girlfriends either—not for the past few years anyway. I think you two might be really good for one another.” Blu seemed t
o get slightly choked up.

  “My mother would have liked that, wouldn’t she? That Jemma and I are becoming friends?”

  “Arianna would have loved that. She and Jemma had a very special relationship, but you know, at first she almost couldn’t be around her—because it reminded her of you and what she’d lost.”

  “But Jemma won her over, I guess, and I’m glad she did.” Isabella smiled.

  “I’m glad too.” Blu looked thoughtful for a few seconds. “Now shall we listen to the rest of La Boheme?—this was Ari’s favorite, by the way.” Blu smiled and reached for the volume knob.

  Isabella laid her head back against the seat, listening to what had been her mom’s favorite opera as they continued the drive without speaking.

  Chapter 26

  Isabella waited outside on the patio for Gigi to bring the coffee and scones that she’d been smelling since she’d woken up that morning. She’d gotten into the habit of waking up early enough to catch a beautiful sunrise in the morning, and normally Jemma would be up and painting at this time too. Yesterday Jemma had gone to a workshop in Florence, so this morning it was only Isabella and Gigi awake so early.

  Everyone had raved about her scones, and Gigi herself had joked about it being the one Italian dish that she’d mastered, although both Douglas and Lia were quick to correct her. Isabella learned that Gigi had been quite a good student in the years since she and Douglas had married when it came to expanding her cooking abilities.

  Isabella looked down at the text she’d just gotten from her father, telling her that they couldn’t wait to see her in a few days. She quickly texted him back as Gigi set the tray of scones and coffee down on the table in front of her.

  “Gigi, those smell delicious.”

  “These were your mother’s favorites since she was a little girl. Well, unless she was just trying to humor me, of course, which is entirely possible.” Gigi laughed.

  “I doubt it. Your scones seem to have a reputation.” Isabella smiled as she picked up the still warm scone from the plate in front of her and nibbled the end off it. “Delicious.”

  Gigi was looking at her intently, smiling, and Isabella knew without asking that it was because she was thinking about Arianna as she watched her eat. She hadn’t yet really had a moment to talk to Gigi alone, and she was hoping that she could ask her some questions about Arianna’s childhood.

  “Gigi?”

  “Yes, my darling girl.”

  “Will you tell me about my mother? What she was like when she was young? Was she a happy child?”

  Gigi picked up a scone and settled back into her chair.

  “I think she was, yes. She certainly didn’t want for anything. There were parties and summer camps and many trips to the beach house in the summer. She was a pretty busy young girl.”

  “Okay…” Isabella was thinking that busy didn’t necessarily equate to happy, but she didn’t want to put words in Gigi’s mouth. She’d heard from Blu already that Arianna didn’t exactly have parents that were overly involved in her life. She already knew that many of Arianna’s best times when she’d been little had had to do with Gigi’s being there with her for it all.

  “I guess that you played such a big role in her upbringing that if she was happy, much of that would be attributed to you.”

  Gigi seemed a bit embarrassed, and Isabella had the overwhelming urge to put her mind at ease.

  “I’m so glad that my mother had you in her life. I’ve grown up around very wealthy families from my high school and I know what that environment can be like—not that all wealthy families are like that, but I’ve seen enough to know that often it’s the nannies, the tutors, and the housekeepers that play the biggest roles in the lives of the kids. And I’m just really thankful that you were there for Arianna.”

  Isabella saw the tears that came fast to Gigi’s eyes as she reached across the table for Isabella’s hand. “Bella, you are really a sweet soul, you know that?”

  It was Isabella’s turn to blush. “I love it when you call me Bella.”

  Gigi looked at her for several seconds before she spoke. “I can’t believe that your name is Isabella. When I heard what your name was—when Douglas read it to us from the e-mail you sent just a few short weeks ago—I thought my heart was going to burst with the sweet irony of it. That would have been so incredible to Ari. I wish that she could have known your name.”

  Gigi wiped the tears away before she continued. “I’d always called Ari bella from the time she was a baby. Well, you know that in Italian it means beautiful, and Arianna was always a beauty to me. But now you’ve come along and you’re every bit as beautiful as your mother was. You are a Bella, my dear—true as your name.”

  Isabella didn’t try to stop her tears as she cried openly, thoughts from weeks ago echoing in her mind.

  Maybe she was a Bella.

  She’d changed so much in the last few weeks. She could feel it—the shifting inside her of new ideas about who she was—new ideas of who she was becoming and what her future might hold.

  Gigi reached across to squeeze her hand again. “Are you okay, honey? I’m sorry. I don’t mean to overwhelm you.”

  “No. No, it’s not that. Really. I love how honest you are with me about your thoughts and your feelings. I’m just trying to figure some things out for myself, you know? And I guess it is a little bit confusing, but I don’t think it’s bad—not really. Probably not unlike what a lot of people my age face, just different for me trying to process it all along with the information about my mother. I feel different, somehow, knowing so much more about her—about you all. It’s like I’ve been given permission to be more of myself, if that makes sense.”

  Gigi smiled in response. “I think that makes perfect sense, and I also think that you are a very smart young woman. And for what it’s worth, you have all of us here—I know I can speak on behalf of the others—cheering you on and ready to support you in any way that you need. We love you, Isabella. I love you. I want you to know that most of all when you leave here in a few days. We’ll always be here for you. You’ve just inherited an extended family.” She grinned and Isabella got up to come around the table and give her a big hug.

  “I love you too, Gigi.”

  Chapter 27

  Isabella sat writing in her journal on the small sofa in her room. She had a perfect view out the window that overlooked the whole vineyard and she felt completely inspired as she expressed her thoughts and feelings on paper without effort.

  She looked up in response to a light knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  “Hi. Am I interrupting anything?” Lia asked, opening the door enough to pop her head in.

  “No. Not at all.”

  Isabella closed her journal, setting it on the small table next to her, and moved over on the sofa so that Lia could sit beside her.

  She saw Lia’s eyes go to her journal.

  “You keep a journal?”

  “Yeah. I’ve been writing in one since I was a little girl. It’s helped, I guess—when things in my life have been pretty hectic. Believe it or not, I haven’t always been this chilled out.” Isabella laughed because she knew what an understatement this was. “What’s this?”

  Lia had placed an interesting-looking leather box on the coffee table in front of them. She reached over to pick up the box and set it on her lap. “Your mother bought this when we were together in Italy—in Florence, at the market those first days. It wasn’t until the end—until her last days—that she told me what it was for and how special it was to her.”

  Isabella nodded, feeling curious to see what was inside. She noticed Lia wiping her eyes with a quick swipe of her hands, and then Lia reached over to take both of Isabella’s hands in her own.

  “My darling Isabella, I knew this day would come. I didn’t know when but I knew that one day I’d be able to honor Ari’s dying wish to be sure that you understood how much she loved you—that she’d thought about you every day an
d that her deepest regret was that she’d never know you as the young woman that you are today.”

  Isabella’s heart was pounding and her own tears were starting to fall as she nodded her head, listening intently to her grandmother and watching as Lia reached down to pull off the lid of the box in her lap.

  “These are the things that Ari wanted you to have.” She pulled out a small tightly wrapped object and laid it in front of them on the table. “Ari wanted to be cremated and the majority of her ashes were spread in San Francisco. We had a little memorial for her there and let her ashes fall from the Golden Gate Bridge that she loved so much. But she had chosen two small urns—one for me and the other for you. This one is yours.”

  Isabella picked up the object from the table, not knowing whether she should be mortified or pleased that her mother would think that she wanted this to remember her by. Lia seemed to sense her confusion.

  “Ari didn’t have any specific expectations for what we should do with them. I keep mine on the mantle, but for the first year after she died, I kept it tucked away in my closet. You could spread them somewhere yourself if that made more sense to you.”

  Isabella nodded and set the urn back on the table. It was all a bit overwhelming all of a sudden, thinking that her mother’s ashes were sitting right there in front of her.

  “So, let’s look at something a little less shocking maybe. Are you okay?” Lia leaned over and gave Isabella a quick hug. “Do you want to do this now?”

  Isabella nodded. She was curious to see what else was in the box now.