Cautious (Sequel to Disastrous) (17 page)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MIA

After I spread butter on the toast, I took a crunchy
bite. The entire time I kept my focus on Marcus, even as I reached for the cup
of coffee. As I took a few sips, I studied him. He seemed distracted all
morning as he quietly sipped on his coffee and read the local daily newspaper. The
previous day we stayed in at the hotel as he requested, but his mood hadn’t
changed. I knew what he was bombarded with was hard to accept, but there was no
way I could comfort him without him allowing me in. Since we had left Boston
the night before, Theresa had texted me non-stop. I had managed to keep my
phone away from him then, but it had been a close call a few times. I had deleted
all of her messages before Marcus and I went to bed.

“What time are we meeting your mother?” He finally spoke as he
kept his eyes on the paper.

“Noon.”

Marcus raised his wrist with his watch snugly wrapped around it
and checked the time. “It’s early. If you want to take a walk around the city,
we should go now.”

“Okay.” There wasn’t much for me to say. I hated the distance
between us. He was sitting so close to me, but he seemed so far away. Brushing
those feelings aside for the time being, I stood up from the table and headed
toward the bathroom before we left the hotel.

For the next few hours, Marcus and I strolled through the cool
October breeze of Philadelphia’s historic area in Center City. It was exactly
as I remembered it. Several wonderful memories of my father and brother resurfaced
as we passed areas such as the Liberty Bell, shops on Market Street, and Old
City—all places we visited when I was just a little girl. When Marcus and I
passed certain streets or stores which brought back memories of my father
holding my hand or Michael and I racing down the city’s pavement, I couldn’t
help the slight squeal or laugh that escaped me. It was a feeling that brought
the memories to life again. Although I always thought of them, being there at
that moment made the time we had together to seem real again.

Marcus reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. I looked
up at him, and there was a slight smile on his face—the first I’d seen since he
stormed into my apartment the night before last. His eyes were still lost in his
own world, but that tiny smile warmed and tugged at my heart. Without
controlling the urge, I leaned up and kissed his lips. “I love you.” It was all
I could say.

It was true, although I wished there was another word for “love,”
one that expressed how deep and passionate my love was for him. The word “love”
just seemed as if it weren’t enough. I had a constant whirlwind of emotions
that tugged at every inch of my nerves: I felt lost without his embrace, my
heart melted knowing that he was hurt or confused, and my body reacted
instantly to the simplest touch from him. The look in his eyes when he gazed into
mine with so much passion caused a wonderful and sickening desire that jabbed
at my heart: Wonderful, because I could never have enough of him. Sickening,
because if I were to ever lose him, there was no way I could recover from the
pain. There had to be a word stronger than just “love.”

“Love you too.” He responded and I knew he did.

We continued to walk around until it was time to head back to the
hotel. My mother, Megan, and Jeremy were meeting us at the hotel, so we could
all head together to my grandparents’ home for a late lunch. As we entered the
lobby, I spotted Jeremy instantly. His short blond curls and piercing blue eyes
were not hard to miss. He stood as he saw us approaching. Both my mother and
Megan were chatting as they sat beside each other.

Marcus shook Jeremy’s hand after I leaned in and gave Jeremy a
quick hug. “Dude, I’m starving. Where can we get these cheesesteaks?”

Megan stood and reached in to hug me as she rolled her eyes at
Jeremy’s comment. “He’s been talking about the damn cheesesteaks for the entire
five-hour drive.” She whispered in my ear clearly annoyed.

Laughing, I pulled away and hugged my mother. “How was the ride
in?” I asked Sara as we untangled from our embrace.

“It was . . . long.” She quickly glanced at Jeremy, who had a
puzzled expression.

“What?” he asked. Megan and Sara shook their heads.

“It’s nice seeing you again, Sara.” Marcus leaned in and hugged
my mom to break the tension.

“Same here, Marcus. Happy belated birthday. Mia said you had a
wonderful time. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.”

“Thank you. It’s okay. Yes, Mia and my mother did a wonderful
job.”

Sara smiled in response and then wrapped her arm around Marcus. As
she led the way out the door by his side, she asked, “How is your mother
doing?”

There was a slight tug at my chest awaiting his response, but
when he did answer, it was in a nonchalant matter. “She’s doing well. Thank you
for asking.”

I quickly padded behind them and out the building as I rolled my
eyes at Jeremy and Megan’s bantering behind me.

“Can you just behave for an hour?” Megan spat at Jeremy.

“Behave? What am I eight years old?”

Megan took a few settled breaths to calm down before she snarled.
“You act as if you are.”

“Whatever. I’m hungry.”

“Ah, poor baby. Don’t worry, honey. Mommy will fill your tummy
very soon.” I tried to bite back my laugh, but it didn’t work.

Well at least she was learning how to handle him.

***

Forty minutes later, we pulled into the driveway of a
tiny brick colonial single family home located in the Somerton area of
Northeast Philadelphia. It was a corner home on a quiet tree-lined street with
a few similar households nestled along it. We exited my mother’s SUV rental and
walked up the broken pathway toward the front porch. Leaves from the trees were
scattered in the front. Some floated in the ceramic fountain that was in the
center of the lawn. Sara, Jeremy, and Megan walked up the wooden porch steps as
I hesitantly stood at the bottom. Marcus placed his hand on my lower back and
firmly squeezed his fingers to comfort me, as if he were telling me that while
he was there he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.

I took a few deep breaths and walked up the creaking stairs, and
Marcus followed behind me. “Granny.” Megan squealed as she ran into the arms of
an elderly woman who had swung the screen door open at our approach. I couldn’t
quite get a good look at first. Megan squeezed the woman and then pulled back
to introduce Jeremy. Sara leaned in and hugged the older woman as well. “Hi, Mom,
it’s good to see you.” Sara pulled away and turned to face me. She waved her
hand for me to come closer.

That was when I saw her: my grandmother. She was short and
fragile with dark grey hair that was pinned into a twist. Her gentle smile
warmed my heart as the blue specks in her wide eyes gleamed. “Mom, this is Mia,
your granddaughter.”

“Oh, my dear.” The older woman blurted as the tears began to
stream down her wrinkled cheeks. She pulled me into a tight, warm hold. “You’re
so beautiful. Oh my. I can’t believe how grown up you are. Let me get a look at
you.” With a sniff, she pulled back to inspect me as her eyes traced my
features. “You look just like your mother, but you have your father’s smile.”
That compliment gave me goose bumps and brought tears to my eyes. I couldn’t
help but pull her into another hug. She swayed back and forth as we hugged and
laughed.

Pulling back as I wiped my tears, I slightly turned to introduce
her to Marcus. “This is my boyfriend, Marcus.” Marcus smiled and reached his
hand out to her, but she caught his wrist and pulled him in for a hug. I laughed
as Marcus’s larger frame overpowered hers.

“Well, come on in. William left to grab some cheesesteaks. Sara
said that’s what you all are looking forward to eating.”

Megan shot an annoyed glance at me when Jeremy clapped his hands
and began rubbing them together after yelling out, “Alright! That’s what I’m
talking about.” Then he followed in behind Kathy, my grandmother.

“I might kill him before the weekend is over.” Megan leaned into
me and whispered.

“If I don’t do it first,” Sara added.

We all entered the tiny brick home and settled in the living room
area. I sat between Marcus and my mother on the plastic-covered sofa. Jeremy
and Megan sat on the matching love seat across from us, as my grandmother
glided on a rocking chair after she provided us with iced tea. There was an
awkward silence before Jeremy chirped in.

“You have a lovely home.” He stated with a curt nod.

Lovely? I’d never heard him use that term before.

“Well thank you, dear. I’ve lived here for over sixty years.” She
smiled and then turned her gaze to me. “So, Mia, tell me, how’ve you been? What
have you done the past few years?” She asked as I sipped on my drink. I quickly
glanced at her and then looked around the room. Everyone was quiet, waiting for
me to reply. Setting the cup on the antique claw-leg coffee table, I leaned
into Marcus as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder securely.

“Well, I have a bachelor’s degree in business, and I’m currently
in law school—my second year actually.”

“Oh, that’s amazing news!” She clapped her hands with excitement.
It made me smile. I wasn’t used to having someone overly excited about my
achievements. It was nice for a change.

She continued to ask me questions about my life, school, where I’d
worked, Michael—which was a short conversation because it created a sad vibe—and
my relationship with Marcus. She also asked Jeremy a few questions, and his
responses helped to lighten any negative energy in the room. We laughed as
Megan mentioned past family memories, and I felt a little bit jealous because I
had not been there to experience them.

We had been seated for a little over forty minutes when William,
my grandfather, barged in with some two-foot-long cheesesteaks and curly fries.
I was in awe of his six-foot-tall military frame, perfectly round bald shiny
head, grey goatee, and sharp blue eyes. He was intimating, yet his eyes were
soft and gentle. When I stood up to greet him, he continued to stare at me as
tears formed in his eyes. It was as if no one else were in the room as he
continued to ogle me. “Mia.” He forced through the lump in his throat.

I simply nodded. In three strides, he reached me, pulled me into
a tight bear hug, and lifted me off the ground. With the tight embrace and the
whiff of the musky scent of his cologne, there was a warm feeling about him
that gave me a sense of comfort. I relaxed in his arms and hugged him back.

He held my chin with his large manly hand. “You look just like
your mother.” He continued to study my features, amazed at the resemblance.
“Are you hungry? Did you eat? Do you want something special? I don’t mind going
back out and grabbing anything you’d like.”

I laughed and then sniffed back my tears. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind. I just want you to have anything you
like.” He paused as if a thought rushed through him, and then remorse filled
his eyes. He then he pulled me into another tight hold. As much as I thought I
would be angry with these two individuals who forced my mother to choose
between her family and them, I wasn’t because they showered me with so much
love. I could say that I needed it when I was younger, but I didn’t. My father
and brother gave me all the love I could ever need. So it was the right moment.
I needed them more now than I did years ago, and I could no longer be angry.

“Okay, darling, let the poor girl breathe. You don’t want her to
run off, do you?” Kathy, my grandmother, blurted as she approached us. “Let’s
all go in to the kitchen to eat.”

“Thank God.” I heard Jeremy mutter beneath his breath. I laughed
after William looked up at him with an arched brow and asked who he was.

Within the next couple of hours, we stayed in the kitchen, which
was also the dining room area, and we surrounded an oval-shaped wooden table.
We all sat in mix-matched chairs. It wasn’t the most elaborate home, but there
was a warmth and homey presence to it. Even Marcus laughed and joined in on
jokes that William made about Jeremy. The cheesesteaks were beyond amazing and
mouthwatering. Jeremy had his fill.

After things died down, Megan sat on William’s lap and hugged him
tightly as she hummed to a song that he sang to her as a child. Sara and Kathy
stood by the sink and washed dishes. Marcus and Jeremy discussed Marcus’s
recent victorious trial, and I sat back and reflected on how grateful I was.
There was nothing that I had ever wanted more than to have a family. When I met
the DeLucas, I instantly fell in love with them and the love they had for each
other. Now I had my own family. Although it was not as large as Marcus’s family,
I felt at peace, knowing that I had one.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket, and I excused myself to go outside.
As I shut the door behind me, I made my way to a chair swing by the corner of
the porch.

“Hello.” I answered.

“Hi, Mia, I’m sorry for being a pain, but I just need to know
he’s okay. I’m going crazy over here. I haven’t slept or eaten for the past few
days.”

With my head leaning back on the chair, I looked out into the
evening sky. “He’s doing okay. He hasn’t mentioned anything about you, but he
seems a little better today than he did yesterday.”

Theresa let out a slight sigh of relief. “Well that’s somewhat
good news. I need to talk to him. He hasn’t let me explain. He just barged out
of here.”

A creaking sound along the porch made me jump. As I glanced over,
I was relieved to see it was William. I ended my call with Theresa, promising I
would call back tomorrow.

I looked up at his gentle smile. He stood a few feet away from me
with his hands dug in his front jean pockets. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, just a friend checking in with me.” I started to stand, but
he raised his hand to stop me.