“I’m sorry sweetheart,” he said going over to the bed and unbuttoning her jeans. He kept his eyes focused on her face as he eased the jeans down her legs after unzipping them. Once they were off he eased Alina under the covers before he gently brushed hair off her face.
“Sleep well,” he said softly as he leaned down to kiss her forehead.
He straightened from the bed and after one last look he turned to the door only to still at the sight of his mother standing in the doorway.
“Mom,” he said in a quiet voice as he walked over to her. “I didn’t…”
She shook her head as she stepped back out of the room. “Womanizer I know, Tryst but not a cowardly or ruthless one,” she remarked after he closed the door behind them.
He nodded his head as they headed down the stairs and going back into the living room where Delilah settled down on the couch and Trystan walked over to the window.
“We will be having guests for dinner so why don’t you go to work so you will be home on time,” she told him getting a weird look from her son before he started to laugh.
“I take it that you invited Alina’s father for dinner,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Including his brother and sister-in-law,” she told him absently looking through some recipes she had on the table. “You can invite Bea if you like.”
“Is Marla and Samuel coming?” He asked with a devilish look at his mom who glanced up at him with a laughing look.
“Wise ass,” she muttered turning her attention back to the recipes deciding what to make for dinner tonight. “What do you think Alina would like?”
Trystan thought about that recalling what she ordered when they went out and actually grimaced as he told her, “I never really paid attention to what she ordered because I was more focused on her.”
Delilah got up from the couch as she commented, “Maybe you should pay more attention to things like that, Tryst, because if you want to gain her trust you will have to get to know her.”
“I know,” Trystan said about to walk away when his mother’s words finally penetrated. “Gain her trust?”
She was walking out of the room when she said, “Marla told me how you two met since you never mentioned her before and then suddenly you are acting like a besotted teenage young man even though you are over thirty.”
He watched her as she continued out of the room to the kitchen before he headed out himself thinking about what she said and as he opened his car door, he glanced back once before he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.
He dialed a number leaning against the car the driver door still open and when Trudy answered said, “Are there any pressing problems that needs my immediate attention?”
Trudy was quiet for a few minutes as she told him, “Today is actually a quiet day although tomorrow is going to be hectic.”
Trystan smiled as he closed the car door and started back inside as he told her, “I’m going to work from home today so if you need me for anything, just call.”
Trudy gave a small snort as she said, “How is Alina doing? You mentioned that you were picking her up today.”
Trystan laughed as he closed the front door behind him startling his mother who was walking toward it about to head out.
“I did and at the moment, she is sleeping in one of my guest bedrooms,” he told Trudy who couldn’t help the smile that crossed her face at the news.
“I will keep an eye here and if there are any major problems that occur then I will call you, but I believe your manager on duty can handle it,” Trudy told him with complete confidence and Trystan laughed as he told her ‘goodbye’.
“So you are finally allowing your manager’s to work,” his mother teased as she walked over to him.
“I thought I would work from home today,” he told her with a wink before he started up stairs.
“Uh huh,” his mother said staring after him and when he disappeared from her view she chuckled. “More likely you want to keep an eye on a certain someone.”
She left the house, but instead of doing the shopping that was originally what she had planned, she headed for Trace’s house.
“Delilah,” he said as he answered the door. “What a pleasant surprise especially as we will be seeing each other in a few hours.”
“I have something I need to talk to you about,” Delilah told him as he invited her inside, and he frowned at her as he ushered her to the living room.
“Okay, let’s talk then,” he said sitting down in his favorite chair as she made herself comfortable on the loveseat.
“It’s about your daughter…” she began, and Trace straightened up in his seat immediately eyes intent on her as she spoke.
After taking a shower, Trystan checked on Alina one more time noting that even in sleep there was a slight frown on her face as if she was worried about something.
He walked over to the bed quietly and eased the comforter back up as he thought about how to gain her complete trust again because he wanted more from her than a sister-in-law affection, a whole lot more.
He caressed her cheek softly and quietly left the room before heading to his own room to do some paperwork and make a few phone calls.
Almost two hours later the house phone rung and Trystan stretched in his chair releasing the tension in his muscles from sitting for so long.
The phone was picked up a few minutes later and Trystan sat back in the chair with a sigh closing his eyes until a knock on the door a few seconds later stirred him.
“Come in,” he said opening his eyes to watch as his mom came in with a scowl on her face. “Is something wrong, mom? Is Alina okay?”
He was pushing up out of the chair at this question and his mother just waved her hand telling him, “She is fine. In fact, she woke about half an hour ago and came downstairs to hang out with me for a little before her weariness took hold again.”
She watched as her son started around his desk reading the intention of going to check on her in his eyes before she stopped him.
“The reason I came up here is because Bea called again and said that she needs your help,” she told him although he heard a note of disbelief in her voice.
“Why does it sound like you don’t believe that for one minute?” He asked leaning back against his desk.
She shook her head as she admitted, “I don’t trust her, never have, although I tolerated her because you were dating her.”
Trystan raised his eyebrows as he asked, “And now that toleration has disappeared?”
“In a matter of speaking yes,” Delilah told him as she walked over to him. “Trudy told me that a while back you got a crank phone call about Marla having an accident.”
Trystan frowned as he nodded his head and his mother revealed, “If I told you I know who did it, would you believe me?”
Trystan’s eyes sharpened on her face as he asked, “Are you sure?”
His mother sighed as she said, “I’ve made friends at the hospital since most of my friends have been going in and out lately so I made a few phone calls.”
She shook her head as she said with a of touch anger in her voice, “I was upset when the wedding was ruined because of a certain someone, but you were still seeing her so to speak. But I can’t stand it when someone uses such a dirty trick just so you can’t see someone else.”
Trystan’s eyes widened as what his mother was implying penetrated his thick skull while she continued, “And I’m sure the reason for such a devious behavior is because she learned that you were going to meet Alina, am I correct?”
Trystan gritted his teeth as he said through them, “I made a lunch date with Alina but left when I was called about Marla.” His hand clenched tightly around the edge of his desk as he told her, “The worst part about it is that Marla was fine, but Alina was almost hit after leaving the restaurant that day.”
His mother gasped at the news as she didn’t know that and Trystan said, “If I had been with her as planned, then maybe she wouldn’t h
ave gotten hurt.”
Delilah put a hand on his shoulder as she said, “But she is fine, Trystan.”
“Yes, but maybe I could’ve made sure that she didn’t get hurt at all,” Trystan told her his eyes hard in his set face.
Delilah thought that telling him Bea was the caller may not have been a good idea at the moment and she went to say something when the doorbell sounded downstairs.
“Trystan, don’t let it worry you tonight as we have guests and I would like to have a nice evening without any conflicts,” she told him and he smiled at her his body slightly relaxing although she noted his eyes were still angry. “Let’s go down and greet our guests.”
Trystan nodded his head as they walked out of the room but instead of heading downstairs, Trystan told his mother, “Mom, I’ll meet you downstairs. I want to check on Alina first.”
Delilah smiled and nodded her head but asked, “Are you going to call Bea back?”
“I will,” he promised her as he walked to the guest room Alina was staying for the evening and his mother noted that he hadn’t said when he would call her back.
She chuckled as she headed downstairs where the young woman who helped in the house had already answered the door and she smiled as she said ‘hello’ to Alina’s father, aunt and uncle.
“Hi, Delilah how are you doing this evening?” Sarette asked although his eyes flickered to the stairs.
“She was tired so I made her go back to bed,” Delilah told him reading the question on his face.
Trace frowned slightly as he said, “Trystan should’ve just brought her home first as I’m sure the doctor warned him she would need rest for the next few days.”
“I’m sure Trystan knew that,” Theadora remarked getting a narrowed look from Trace as the other two laughed.
A few minutes later, Trystan walked in the room his eyes shielded although Delilah observed that his face was still a tense mask as she asked, “Is Alina all right?”
Trystan nodded his head giving them a stiff smile telling them, “She was sleeping when I looked in on her.”
“Maybe we should…” Trace began a frown on his face only to be countered as Sarette shook his head.
“Let her stay here tonight, Trace,” Theadora stated sitting down on the couch as the others sat down. “Waking her up just to take her back to your place will only make her more tired so as long as Trystan and his mother don’t mind her staying the night then let her.”
Trace scowled at her but reluctantly nodded his head as Trystan mentally sighed with relief as he said aloud, “Thank you, ma’am.”
Theadora laughed as she sat forward and gave him a narrowed look. “Trystan, we are family now so like you sister you can call us aunt and uncle.”
Trystan chuckled deeply before he said, “Thank you, Aunt Theadora.”
Theadora nodded her head in satisfaction before turning to her husband with a smile and Trace shook his head although a rueful grin came to his own face.
“How is she doing?” Trace asked a worried look on his face.
“She was fine when she woke up for an hour or so before tiredness settled on her again,” Delilah said leaning forward to pat Trace’s arm. “She will be fine, Trace, and she is more than welcomed to stay here.”
Trystan ran a hand through his hair as he said in a gruff voice, “We probably tired her out with our questions.”
“What questions?” Sarette asked glancing at his wife whose own face frowned with worry.
“About her mother,” Delilah stated bluntly.
Trace heaved a heavy sighed before he said, “Alina would’ve answered honestly too because she dislikes lying more than anything.”
Trystan walked over to the mantel his back to the occupants in the room as a frown crossed his face at those words.
Delilah nodded her head slowly as she confided, “If you are talking about her mother’s marriages, and consequently divorces, then yes she did talk about them.”
Theadora closed her eyes and said on a soft voice, “Oh, Alina.”
Trystan turned slightly to observe them knowing what was going through their minds as Trace stated, “I told you a little about Janice at the hospital.”
Delilah nodded her head as she said, “You said that her mother rarely had time for her.”
“Not completely accurate,” Theadora said getting even Trace’s attention at her words. “Janice had time for Alina when there was no man in her life which was very rarely as she couldn’t live without male companionship especially wealthy men.”
At those words, Trace flinched before a scowl crossed his face and he muttered something under his breath although no one caught it.
“When Alina was around eight, she called us up on the phone,” Theadora explained after a searching look at Trace. “She told us that she found the number in her mom’s phone book as she called it. Why Janice had our number is beyond me, but…”
“I gave it to her,” Trace told them. “Before we lost contact, I told her that if she, or more specifically if Alina needed anything to contact you. Of course, she merely laughed and walked away so I assumed she had gotten rid of it.”
Theadora chuckled as Sarette said ruefully, “I guess she forgot about it or decided to keep it just in case.”
“So Alina got in contact with you which led to her getting in touch with Samuel?” Trystan asked.
“At first, it was just talking to us because Janice made sure Alina knew why they had to leave,” Theadora said. “Alina was hurt but at the same time, she didn’t want to cause any more trouble. Anyway, Sam was visiting one week so Trace and Selma had some business to attend and when he was here, Alina called. They talked for hours that day…”
“About nothing,” Sarette injected with a shake of his head.
Theadora laughed as she nodded her head in agreement before she continued on, “Anyway after that week, Sam and Alina started to exchange letters merely keeping in touch as Sam laughing told us he had a hard time reading Alina’s writing some times.”
“She was only eight,” Trace said ruefully.
“He understood that and as Alina got older her writing became easier to read for him,” Theadora admitted. “He was proud of her too because even though she moved around often with Janice she was able to maintain good grades in school which even Sarette and I don’t know how she did it. We were just glad that Janice didn’t keep her from going to school.”
“Selma and I were glad when we heard about that too,” Trace said absently getting surprised looks from Sarette and Theadora.
“Anyway, Sam and Alina used our address for their letters because Alina never knew when she would move and be able to let Sam know,” Theadora explained.
Sarette saw the way his brother’s face blackened in anger before he said, “Trace, we never told you because for one, Alina truly believed that Selma disliked her as her mother told her and Janice made sure that Alina knew that she would be nothing more than a nuisance to you two.”
“Why would she do that?” Delilah asked in confusion.
“Janice didn’t want to let Alina go because the only reason that she still received money every month from me is so that my baby girl didn’t want for anything,” Trace told them resting his arms along the chair arms.
“Telling Alina that she wasn’t wanted by Trace and Selma, she kept Alina thinking that the only one who truly wanted her was Janice even though Alina understood more than her mother believed her capable of at that age,” Sarette said.
“So you made sure that you kept tabs on them after Alina first made contact,” Trace asked although his tone made more of a statement.
“It was easier for Alina as we weren’t sure if Janice would get a place that had a phone,” Sarette said. “One time when she was ten, Janice decided that they didn’t need a home phone as she had a cell.”
Delilah shook her head her eyes shifting to observe her son before she returned her attention to Theadora who had started to speak again.
�
�When she was fifteen, we received a phone call from social services from where Janice and Alina were staying at the time.”
Trace sat up straight in his seat at this and asked in a controlled voice, “What? Social services?”
“Alina had an accident that required social services to get involved when one of Janice’s lovers pushed Alina down the stairs in the house they were living at the time,” Sarette told them his eyes narrowed in anger. “Janice and her lover told them that it had been an accident but Alina didn’t want to stay with them. Social services would’ve probably sent her back to Janice even though that’s not what Alina wanted, but…”
“But?’ Trystan asked as he hesitated.
“Janice never picked her up from the hospital where she stayed for a few days because of bruised ribs and when notified, social services called us as we were the next to Alina’s emergency contacts.”
“Once she moved in with us, she didn’t hear from Janice again until after she graduated college and started her own business with a college roommate,” Theadora admitted.
“Also after she started living with us, she and Sam talked more on the phone than letter writing,” Sarette stated with a rueful smile.
“I’m guessing they gave you some trouble during that time,” Trystan stated with a chuckle catching how the three of them winced slightly.
“Did Sam ever try to make a cake?” Theadora asked Trace as Sarette closed his eyes on a soft groan.
“Did Alina try to build a tree house?” Trace asked his widening slightly although humor flickered in them.
Theadora nodded her head as Sarette wryly, “The tree house fell apart, but the cake was delicious.”
Trace started laughing as he confided, “The cake was salty, but the tree house is still in the backyard of our old house.”
They all started laughing at what was revealed and after Trace’s laughter died down, he told them, “I was so proud of her when she received her diploma. I have a scrap book at home when she opened her first restaurant with her friend.”
Theadora nodded her head as she said, “So that’s what Selma didn’t want me to see that one day as we were going through old scrap books we find in the attic.”
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