Quinn #3
“Okay, I’m going to need to try that,” Valentina says, reaching for my cup. I watch as she takes a sip and sighs dramatically. “I get it,” she says. “It’s amazing, I’ll be joining you for tea from now on, Quinn.”
I hear Joe’s laugh as he moves away from us and I grin as Vittoria also reaches for my cup. I pick up one of the other teacups that Joe brought up and pour another cup and then another as I notice Vittoria isn’t handing the cup back. I laugh as I hand one to Valentina.
"How are you doing?" Vittoria asks once we’re alone.
"Fine," I say, and sigh. "Actually, I’m overwhelmed."
"I remember feeling the exact same when I came to live here. But you’re not alone, you don’t have to be. You have us, for whatever you need, Quinn.”
I look between Vittoria and Valentina. My heart swells with so much emotion. God, these women are killing me.
"I mean it," she says. "This is your home now, we just want you to be you."
My throat tightens slightly, and I try to breathe through it. "I don't know who that is," I whisper. What is wrong with me? Why am I opening up to these women?
“Oh Quinn,” Valentina whispers as she reaches for my hand. “I promise you, that here you will be safe, and we can help you find out who you really are.”
I run my hand over my temples as the pain intensifies.
“You have a headache,” Valentina says. “We should take these pins out of your hair,” she tells me as she reaches for them. “They must be killing you, they’ve been in since yesterday.”
I don’t argue with her. I couldn’t bring myself to take them out as the pain was too much.
I grit my teeth and let her pull them from my hair.
It doesn’t take her long to get them all out, but when she runs her fingers through my hair to ensure she has them all, her hand brushes over the huge knot on my head and I hear her pull in a ragged breath.
“Quinn, what on earth happened?” she gasps, horrified as she brushes my hair away so she can take a proper look. “That’s some huge goose egg. How did it happen?”
I glance at Vittoria and the moment I do her eyes widen as though she realizes exactly what went on yesterday.
“I tripped and fell yesterday. I banged my head against the mirror,” I tell them as I swallow back the tears. They’re both watching me with too much kindness, far more than I deserve.
“Quinn,” Vittoria whispers as she moves so that she’s kneeling in front of me. She reaches for my hand as Valentina takes the other. “Please don’t lie to us, did someone hurt you?”
I press my lips together and nod once.
Valentina pushes closer to me, I feel her heat against me and I’m unable to stop the tears from falling. These women who barely know me have shown me more kindness and love than either of my parents ever have.
“Was it your father?” Valentina asks, her voice so very gentle.
I can only nod, and I’m not sure if it’s from the shit that happened yesterday or the way these women have welcomed me or even a mix of the two, but I start to spill my guts about everything that has happened to me, and what happened to Orla, including what Daire and my mam did to make me as the scape goat.
“Please,” I whisper hoarsely. “Please don’t repeat what I have said. The men...” I take a deep breath, trying to find the right words. “The men believe what my mam and Daire have put out there, they believe that I made Orla take her own life.”
“How?” Valentina gasps, her outrage clear. “They only need to speak with you, sit with you for a few minutes and they’d know that it was crap. How can they believe that you’d do that? Daire on the other hand. Oh, I can see that bitch doing that and so much worse.”
“Val is right, how can they think that poorly of you? Quinn, you are sweet and kind, we know you didn’t do what that bitch of a mother of yours has said.” Vittoria squeezes my hand.
I choke on a laugh. “How can you be so sure?” I whisper, wondering what the hell I’ve done to have these women believe me so blindly.
“Because so much doesn’t make sense,” Vittoria hisses as she raises to her feet. “When I meet your mother, she had better run, because if I get my hands on her, she’ll be in a world of pain.”
“She’s not worth it,” I tell her.
She crouches down once again and reaches for my chin and tilts it toward her so that I’m looking at her. “She’s not, you’re right, but you are. I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with parents like those, Quinn, you deserve so much better. But I am glad that your brothers had some sense about them.”
“My brothers are the best, I love them so much.”
Valentina’s arm slides around my shoulders and she pulls me into her embrace as Vittoria watches us with a smile. “You’re family, Quinn. You’re my sister, and no one fucks with us. You’re safe here, we’ll make sure you are.”
I close my eyes as I lean against her. I dreaded coming here. I had no idea what to expect, but I could never have imagined it would be this. A home, a place where I can feel love and support without worry.
I take a deep breath and let both women just hold me.
I found my home.