16. Reunited and it feels… Complicated
16
REUNITED AND IT FEELS… COMPLICATED
Deniz and I return downstairs to find the entire place in an uproar. The festive, cheerful atmosphere from earlier has been replaced with yelling, mostly in Italian. “What on earth?”
Leyla and Nate are lounging on the sofa, grinning like mischievous children who’ve just witnessed a firework display gone wrong. Nate, holding a bowl of sunflower seeds, offers some to me with a wry smile, cracking them Turkish-style and spitting out the shells. Leyla hands me a glass of wine.
“Sadie started on Valentina, and then your mother got involved.”
“Of course, she did.” I take a sip of the wine, shaking my head in disbelief. “What a circus.”
Nate chuckles, cracking another seed. “I’m half expecting pistols at dawn.”
Leyla leans back, her grin widening. “Maybe you should step in before someone gets hurt.”
I roll my eyes but can’t help the small smile tugging at my lips. “I know better than to get in the middle of all this.”
But Deniz doesn’t and strides into the centre of the room, raising his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Alright, everyone, can we please calm down and have a seat? I think we all need to take a moment and talk this through.”
His voice, firm yet calm, cuts through the noise. Slowly, reluctantly, people begin to take their seats. Sadie and Valentina sit on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other, while Angela remains standing, arms crossed and clearly fuming.
“Let’s all sit down,” Deniz repeats, guiding my mother gently to a chair. She hesitates, but eventually sits, still glaring at Sadie.
Deniz takes a deep breath and looks around the room, his eyes settling on each person as if to ground them. “I know emotions are running high, and everyone has a lot to say. But we need to listen to each other. Really listen. Let’s start with you, Sadie. What’s going on?”
Sadie, her face flushed with anger, clenches her fists. “Valentina has no right to come here and have an opinion on me or my family. She’s not my mother; she hasn’t been for most of my life.”
Valentina, sitting rigidly, takes a deep breath. “I was just trying to help you, my dear.”
Sadie’s voice rises, filled with years of pent-up frustration. “With advice about my marriage? Who are you to give me advice about anything, let alone marriage when you couldn’t make yours work?”
Valentina’s eyes flash with a mix of hurt and determination. “Gary?”
My uncle Gary steps forward and puts his arm around Valentina. “We weren’t happy, Sadie. And when she left, if I was honest, I was glad. I still had my girls. And I loved you both so much.”
“But Dad, she abandoned us. How can you just forgive that?”
Gary sighs, his voice gentle but firm. “Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting, Sadie. It means letting go of the pain and trying to understand. Your mother made mistakes, but she’s here now, trying to make amends.”
“You might have forgiven her, Dad, but I haven’t. Not even close. This sucks. This whole fucking day sucks.” Sadie’s voice trembles with barely contained anger as she glares at him, then turns to Ginny, as if needing backup. “Tell them, Ginny.”
Ginny hesitates, her eyes flickering between her sister and the rest of us, trying to find the right words. She lets out a long sigh and gives a half-hearted shrug. “It’s all just... a lot,” she says, her voice quieter but no less strained. “I mean, finding out about Saffy is one thing. But then, on top of that, realising Aunt Val has been lying to us for all these years?”
Sadie huffs, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. “Exactly. We trusted her. How the hell are we supposed to just... deal with that?”
“I thought I was doing the right thing.” Uncle Gary’s voice is heavy with regret as he walks over to his daughters, pulling them both into a tight embrace. “You had a good childhood, didn’t you?”
Sadie sniffs, wiping at her eyes. “The best, Dad.”
“I’m sorry, girls. I really am.”
Deniz steps in again, his calm presence a soothing balm on the heated emotions. “Sadie, it’s clear that both you and Ginny are hurt. And Valentina, it’s clear you want to make things right. But healing starts with listening. Valentina, can you understand why Sadie feels the way she does?”
Valentina nods slowly, her eyes filling with tears. “I do. And I’m so sorry for the pain I’ve caused. I just want a chance to be part of your lives again, if you’ll let me.”
Sadie takes a shaky breath, looking between her father and Valentina. “I… don’t know.”
“I left because I was dealing with something I didn’t fully understand at the time—postnatal depression. Back in the early 1990s, it wasn’t talked about like it is now. People didn’t take it as seriously, and honestly, I didn’t even know what was happening to me. I felt like I was drowning, like I was trapped in this life I didn’t know how to manage. Every day felt like I was losing pieces of myself, and no matter what I did, I couldn’t get them back. “
“I didn’t know how to be the mother you needed, because I could barely keep myself going. And instead of reaching out for help—because, honestly, who was there to really understand back then? I panicked. I felt ashamed, like I was failing you both and failing myself. So I ran. I thought leaving would stop the spiral, but it didn’t. It just made things worse. I can’t change that, but I want you to know that it wasn’t because I didn’t love you. It was because I didn’t know how to cope with the weight I was carrying, and there was no one to turn to.”
Sadie listens, her face a mixture of scepticism and empathy. “I always thought it was because you didn’t love us.”
Valentina shakes her head vigorously. “No, never. I loved you so much. I just couldn’t find a way to make it work. And for that, I am truly sorry.”
“I think... I think I need time. But maybe we can start with small steps.”
Deniz gives Sadie an encouraging nod. “Small steps are good. It’s about progress, not perfection.”
Ginny coughs softly, “I think we all need to remember that we’re here now, together. And that’s got to count for something, doesn’t it?”
Valentina looks at Ginny, her eyes filled with hope. “Ginny, I’ve missed you so much. I want to be part of your life again, if you’ll let me.”
“I can’t say I’ve missed you too, Valentina, because I don’t really remember you. I don’t really remember what it was like to have a mother. But like Sadie said, it’s going to take time.”
Deniz leans over and whispers something to his mother, who nods and quickly disappears into the kitchen. Within minutes she reappears with a tray of glasses filled with champagne, gracefully handing them out to everyone in the room.
Once everyone has a glass in hand, Deniz raises his own. “I’d like to propose a toast,” he begins, his voice steady and warm. “To family, friends, and to being here together to celebrate Christmas.”
He pauses, looking around the room, making eye contact with each person. “Family isn’t always easy. We have our disagreements, our misunderstandings, and sometimes, our outright battles. But despite all that, we are here together, because deep down, we love each other. It’s that love that binds us, even when times are tough.”
Deniz’s gaze shifts to the friends who have gathered. “To our friends, who are the family we choose. Your support, your laughter, and your presence make our lives richer and more meaningful. Thank you for being here and for being part of our journey.”
He smiles, his eyes sparkling with warmth. “And to Christmas, a time of joy, reflection, and renewal. May this season remind us of the importance of forgiveness, understanding, and above all, love. Let’s cherish the moments we have together, and look forward to creating many more happy memories in the future.”
Deniz lifts his glass higher. “To family, friends, and Christmas. ?erefe !”
“ ?erefe !”
“Cheers!”
With that, the atmosphere begins to lighten. Laughter mingles with the occasional tear, and for the first time in a long while, it feels like we’re making progress as a family.
Deniz catches my eye and winks, his confidence radiating. Warmth floods through me for the man I love, a man who might drive me crazy at times but is always the first person to right a wrong and step in when the world seems to be falling apart around us. And I know he’ll be right beside me when my dream of opening a bookstore becomes a reality, supporting me every step of the way. Deniz is my rock, my partner, and the person I know I can always count on.
“Come here,” I call to him, motioning him over. He crosses the room in a few strides, wrapping me in another embrace. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
He kisses my forehead, his lips lingering. “I’ll always be here for you, Russo. No matter what.”
My mother comes over and taps her glass on Deniz’s. “I may have misjudged you, Dennis.”
“It’s Deniz, Mum,” I correct her gently, sharing a knowing look with Deniz.
She nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “Deniz, then. I appreciate what you did just now. It takes a lot of courage to step into a Russo argument and try to bring peace. I see now why my daughter loves you so much.”
Deniz clinks his glass with hers again. “Thank you, Mrs. Russo. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”
My mother turns to me, her eyes shimmering with emotion. “You’ve got a good one here, Olive. Don’t let him go.”
I smile, feeling a warmth spread through my chest. “I don’t plan to, Mum.”
For the first time since my parents walked in the door, I feel a sense of calm. Everything is going to be alright. I lift my glass to take another sip of champagne when I hear Ginny squeal from behind, “Oh my God! It’s Meg!”
Aydin wears a wide grin, teasing his wife. “Happy Christmas, Grinch!”
Deniz gently wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. He places a soft kiss on my lips and whispers, “We're going to have to pace ourselves, Russo. I think this is going to be a very long night.”