Chapter Forty-Five
S TEFANIE
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I WAS ALREADY ON THE porch when I saw his car turn the corner. I didn’t wait for him to park. The car barely stopped before I reached it. Julian threw the door open and stepped out, and the second I saw his face, I collapsed into him.
My arms wrapped around his neck like I was drowning, and he was the only thing keeping me above water. He held me against him with one arm around my waist, the other pressing the back of my head to his chest.
“I’ve got you. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it’s not,” I whispered against his shirt. “I can’t reach Hudson. He won’t answer. I tried everything. He’s got my baby Julian, and he’s a sick fuck.”
I pulled back enough to shove the note into his hands. I’d folded it and unfolded it so many times that the creases were practically torn through. His eyes scanned it fast, jaw clenching tighter with every word.
“I know where she is,” he said.
My hands clutched his shirt. “How?”
“I’ll explain in the car. Let’s go.”
He opened my car door and waited until I was inside before slamming it shut. I barely got my seatbelt on before he was around the front and sliding behind the wheel. The engine roared to life. We peeled away from the curb.
I couldn’t stop shaking. Couldn’t stop crying. “I can’t lose her,” I said, voice raw. “I can’t. I just want her home. I want to see her face. I want to tell her I’m sorry. We’ve been so distant since she found out about you and me, and I don’t even care about that anymore. I just want my baby back.”
“Is that why you left me?”
I swallowed hard. I hadn’t even realized what I’d said until it was too late. I didn’t answer. My mouth opened, but the words never came. I looked at him, but his eyes stayed on the road, hands gripping the wheel so tightly his knuckles had gone white. I turned away, staring out the window, heart pounding in my throat.
“How do you know where we’re going?” I asked, needing something to focus on. Anything but the way his silence felt like punishment I deserved.
“I found Hudson.”
My head snapped around. “You what ?”
“I said I found him.”
“How?” My voice cracked. “How did you find him, Julian?”
“If I tell you,” he said without flinching. “It’ll make you an accessory to a crime.”
I went quiet. Not because I was scared, but because I understood. I’d never hated a man the way I hated Hudson in that moment.
“I want him dead,” I whispered, staring straight ahead. “I’m willing to kill him myself.”
Julian glanced at me, just for a second.
“This is on me. I should’ve killed him a long time ago,” he said. “I’ll get my hands dirty so you don’t have to. Tonight, we’ll get your baby back and... that’s it. We’ll get her back.”
He drove like a bat out of hell. I hadn’t even realized I was holding my breath until we reached our destination. We didn’t have the key to the lock, but Julian had these huge clipper-looking things.
The lock was no match for them. The door on the storage unit rolled open. Julian stepped in first. I followed right behind him, my heart in my throat, my entire body trembling. I didn’t know what I expected to find, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the moment I saw her.
India .
I couldn’t move at first. I just stood there, staring at her like my brain hadn’t caught up to the fact that she was alive and breathing. Then she moved, her head following the noise.
“Who’s there?” She shouted. “Let me go, you bastard! And you better not hurt my mom.”
She was alive and well. Thank you, God! Julian didn’t waste a second. He rushed forward and started untying her, ripping the tape off. The second her arms were free, she tore the blindfold off, and when her eyes landed on me, she screamed my name.
“Mom!”
She threw herself into my arms, and I caught her, holding her tightly. My knees buckled under her weight, both of us crumbling to the cold floor, locked together in a tangle of limbs and sobs. She was crying so hard, I couldn’t understand a damn thing she was saying. Her words spilled out fast and frantically.
“India, baby, slow down. Breathe. I’m here. You’re safe now.”
She hiccupped through the tears, gripping my shirt like she thought I might vanish.
“Tell me what happened, sweetie.”
“Hudson... he called me... asked if I wanted to help him... help him get you back. I said yes. I thought... I thought he was a good guy. I felt bad, Mom, after what I said about you and Julian. I just wanted to fix it. I didn’t know, God, I didn’t know what type of person he really was.”
I smoothed her hair back from her face, whispering that it was okay, that none of this was her fault.
“What happened next, sweetie?”
“He came to get me and brought me a Sprite. I was supposed to tell him all the stuff you liked, and I told him to pay attention this time and not just do what he wanted to do. He agreed. I checked the sprite, the way you always told me to. I swear it wasn’t open, Mom. I checked it. But after I drank it, everything went fuzzy. I woke up here. And he was standing over me, saying all this sick stuff about Dad and you and how you’re not even my mom.”
My arms froze around her.
“He said Dad was abusive. Said you didn’t even want me. That dad tricked you into adopting me. He said I was the child of Dad’s mistress, and they were gonna take me and leave you with nothing. Why would he say that, ma? Why would he say you weren’t my real mom?”
Her eyes locked on mine, brimming with a thousand broken questions.
“That’s a lie, isn’t it, Mom?”
I opened my mouth. Started to say yes. But something must’ve flickered in my face, some tiny hesitation, some twitch of the lip or tremor in my breath, because she saw it.
“You hesitated,” India whispered. “You only hesitate like that when you’re about to lie.”
Then she broke. She cried harder than I’d ever seen her cry, her whole body shaking as she pulled away from me.
“You’re not my real mom,” she cried.
“India...”
“You dedicated your whole life to me,” she sobbed. “And I’m not even your child. I’m his. The man Hudson described sounds like a monster, nothing like what you told me about my father. Archie was a monster. So was the woman who gave birth to me. So what does that make me, huh? What does that make me?”
“No,” I said, crawling toward her, my voice hoarse and cracking. “You are not a monster. Don’t ever say that.”
“You can’t love me,” she whispered. “I’m not your real child. And I... I made you cry. When I told you to leave Julian, I made you cry. I hurt you. You gave him up for me, a girl who’s not even yours. Ma, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that I made you leave the person you loved because of me.”
Before I could respond, Julian knelt down beside us and took her gently by the shoulders.
“Listen to me,” he said. “Your mother loves you. You come first to her, and you always will, because you’re her daughter.”
India shook her head, mouth parting to argue, but he didn’t give her a chance.
“I’m not my mother’s biological child,” he told her. That silenced her. “Aubrey is. But I’m not. My mom doesn’t know that I know. And Aubrey doesn’t either, so please... don’t tell her.”
India sniffled, confused, but listening.
“I found out by accident. And it broke me. I started questioning everything. But the woman who raised me? She never treated me any differently. She never let me feel like I wasn’t hers. No matter how many times I fucked up, she was still there. That’s what being a parent is. That’s love. Stefanie has always been there for you. She will always be there for you. In her heart, she’s your mom. In your heart, you’re her daughter. Nothing’s ever gonna change that. You got that?”
India nodded slowly, tears still dripping down her cheeks. “But I made her cry.”
“You didn’t mean to,” Julian said. “And don’t worry about me. Your mom and I already realized we couldn’t work out. That’s not your fault.”
My throat tightened as I looked at him, more tears slipping out before I could stop them. Was he really letting me go? He’d said he wouldn’t. But... this felt final. I couldn’t blame him. I’d let go first.
“Go to your mom,” he told India gently. “Let’s get out of here.”
“But Hudson...” India started.
Julian’s expression darkened. “Won’t be bothering your family again. I’ve made sure of it.”
India looked at him, then back at me. I reached for her, and she let me. I hugged her as tightly as I could, afraid that if I let go, she might vanish again. We held on to each other as Julian walked us back to the car.
He opened the door for her, helped her into the back seat, then closed it carefully. I slid into the passenger side, watching his jaw flex as he started the engine.
“Does she need a doctor?” he asked.
“No,” India said softly. “I just want to be with my mom.”
“Okay.”
We drove home in silence, with me constantly checking the back seat to make sure India was okay. When we reached my place, Julian walked us to the porch. I turned to him.
“Thank you, Julian.”
India echoed my words. “Don’t tell Aubrey,” she added. “Please.”
Julian nodded. “I won’t, kiddo. Are you sure you’re okay?”
She nodded.
“Good. You two head on inside. I’m going to go take care of some business.”
Then he turned and walked away. India and I stood on the porch, watching him disappear down the road. I didn’t realize I was crying again until India slipped her hand into mine. I squeezed it, then opened the door and led her into our home.
That night, I monitored India closely, still wondering if I should take her to the hospital or not. I was just about to take her when Julian texted me and said that he was sending his family’s doctor over to check her out.
Even after everything I’d done, this man was still helping me and my child. I hated myself even more, and loved him even harder now. The doctor came and checked India, stating that the drug she’d been given wouldn’t show up on a tox screen, but also wouldn’t be detrimental to her.
He told me to have her drink plenty of fluids over the weekend and to call him if anything happened. But other than that, she could return to school on Monday. That night, India fell asleep wrapped around me like she used to when she was little, with her arms around my waist, her head on my chest, legs tangled up in mine.
I didn’t sleep much that night. My body was still, but my mind ran laps. Every time I looked down at her, I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time. My baby was safe. My baby was home.
But Hudson had tried to take her from me. I shuddered to think of what he would’ve done to her, the sick fuck. I hoped Julian made his death as painful as hell. In the middle of the night, Julian texted me that Hudson would no longer be a problem.
I texted him back, thank you. I felt no guilt. I didn’t feel bad for Hudson at all. He got what he deserved. When morning came, I made India waffles, her favorite, and we sat across from each other at the kitchen table, still in pajamas, still emotionally wrecked, but more connected than we’d been in months.
She didn’t say much at first. Just poked at her food, glancing up at me in these quiet little spurts like she was waiting for the right moment. I knew she wanted to talk, but I didn’t want to rush her. Finally, she set her fork down and looked me dead in the eye.
“Will you tell me everything?” she asked.
I knew exactly what she meant. I nodded. But I couldn’t tell her everything. I couldn’t tell her I’d killed her parents. That was the one thing I had to keep from her. However, I told her about her father, and I didn’t sugarcoat things this time.
India didn’t flinch. She cried, but she didn’t pull away. And when I finished, she got up from her chair, walked around the table, and dropped into my lap like she was five again. She hugged me so tightly I could feel her ribs press against mine.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered into my neck. “For what they did. For what I said. Please don’t stop loving me. Please don’t stop being my mom. I lied. I’m not a grown-up. I still need you. I’ll always need you.”
I held her close, one hand cradling the back of her head.
“I couldn’t stop loving you if I tried, India. There is no world, no version of me, where you’re not mine.”
She pulled back just enough to look at me, her eyes shiny with tears. “Do you regret bringing me home when I was a baby?”
“Never,” I said, brushing the hair off her face. “Not once. You saved me. Not the other way around.”
She bit her lip and asked, “Do you regret breaking up with Julian?”
I exhaled slowly. “I really love him, sweetie. But I love you more. I chose you, and I don’t regret that.”
She nodded, but the tears came anyway. “I want you to be happy, Ma. You deserve it. You’ve been through so much, and my selfishness put you through more. I hate what I did. I want you to be happy. And if being with Julian makes you happy, then I don’t care what my friends say, or anyone else. I just want my mom to be happy, because you always do whatever it takes to make me happy.”
I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her forehead.
“Don’t worry about Julian. It’s over.”
“No, it’s not,” she said. “I saw how he looked at you. And when you called him to help find me, he came right away. He loves you, Ma. And you love him. You should be together.”
She wiped her eyes and sat up straighter. “From today on, I’m going to be a grown-up. I’m going to listen to everything you say. I won’t try to do things my own way anymore. And I won’t talk to people you tell me to avoid, like Nana, Aunt Abby, and Uncle Arnold. They were wrong for how they treated you. And honestly... I don’t even like being around them. They treat me differently from the other grandkids.”
I stared at her, stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me, India?”
“Because I didn’t want to upset you,” she whispered.
I shook my head and pulled her close again. “India, you don’t have to grow up too fast. Just be careful. And trust me. Okay?”
She nodded. “Okay. But now you need to call Julian and tell him you want him back.”
I laughed through the knot in my throat. “It’s not that easy.”
“Yes, it is. Call Ronnie. Let him help you come up with a plan. That’s who I always call when I need a plan.”
I blinked at her. “You’re really okay with this?”
She nodded without hesitation. “I just want my mom, who loves me so much, to be happy.”
I hugged her again, my voice barely a whisper. “Thank you, baby. But sweetie, do you want to talk about what happened last night?”
She shook her head. “I was na?ve and trusted someone you told me to stay away from. That was my fault. It won’t happen again. I promise, Mom.”
She was taking this much better than expected.
“And as for the adoption part...” She went silent. “Aunt Abby brought up adoption a few years ago. You were in the other room, getting some fruit, and she asked me if I would freak out if I learned I was adopted.”
I saw red. “She what?”
“Yeah. I told her that I wouldn’t freak out because there was no way I was adopted. And she just smiled.”
“When was this?”
“I think I was in tenth grade.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
India swallowed. “I didn’t want you to leave me.”
This child. I pulled her close again, and another round of tears followed. After a few minutes, she returned to her own seat, both of us emotionally wrung out.
“This is a lot to take in,” I said. “I know you say you’re okay, but I think we should see a therapist. Together. And separately. Work through this the right way. Are you okay with that?”
India nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
I kissed her cheek and smiled, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I felt like I had my daughter back. And maybe, just maybe, could get my man back too. There was just one more person I needed to talk to first.
But that could wait. All weekend, I kept my eyes on my child, monitoring her, making sure she had plenty of fluids. I even had her take two days off from school so I could keep an eye on her.
We talked more about the adoption. She was hiding the pain well, but I caught her crying a couple of times. That was to be expected. Hudson had dropped a bomb on her. If I could bring him back to life and kill him with my own hands, I would.
I made sure I told her I loved her as many times as I could. And we went through the photo album and we cried as we stared at her baby pictures and pics of us with my mom. She even called my mom and cried on the phone with her.
My mom hopped in her car and drove over, joining us for the weekend. Hudson had revealed a deep secret. But he couldn’t break our deep bond. India Adams was loved and protected by me and my mother.
We’d poured into her and made sure her roots were strong. So when the storm came, sure, she swayed and bent a little. But she didn’t break. Our love kept her strong. Her love kept me strong. And nothing would ever destroy our bond.
Wednesday, I took her back to school, and we promised to start therapy together next month. Hudson was dead and gone. But we were still here. We would live. We would love. We would thrive. The same couldn’t be said for Archie, Lanissa, and Hudson.
I guess evil didn’t win all the time.
***
I T TOOK ME A FEW DAYS to work up the nerve to make the phone call. I stared at her number in my phone for a solid ten minutes before I pressed call. I hadn’t spoken to her since the day we found out our daughters were roommates. She’d given me her number, but I hadn’t had a reason to use it until now. My heart pounded while the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mrs. Cattaneo... it’s Stefanie Adams.”
A pause. Then a soft, “Well, hello, Stefanie. This is a pleasant surprise.”
For now. She may not think that later.
“I was wondering... would you be open to meeting me for lunch sometime this week? Just us?”
“Of course,” she said without hesitation. “Just tell me when and where.”
We met at this charming little French café near downtown, elegant, cozy, not many people, you know, just in case she got upset and started yelling when I told her I wanted to date her son. We hugged briefly when she arrived.
Then we were seated and placed our orders. We made small talk at first while waiting for our food and continued after the food had arrived. We chatted about our girls. Their classes. College drama and teenage tantrums.
We laughed more than I expected. There was no tension, no awkwardness. Just two mothers who’d walked through fire for their children. But I wasn’t there to talk about our daughters. I was there to talk about her son.
I folded my hands on the table and said, “I have to be honest with you about the reason I invited you to lunch.”
She raised an eyebrow, sipping her tea without blinking. “Go on.”
“I was...” Here goes everything. “A little while ago, I was kind of dating your son, Julian.”
Her smile didn’t even twitch. “I know,” she said.
My eyes widened. “You do?”
She laughed. “Aubrey tells me everything.”
My jaw dropped. “Aubrey knows?”
“She knew he had a crush on you before you knew,” she said with a wink.
I shook my head, stunned. “Oh my God... I thought I was being so discreet.”
“Oh, sweet girl,” she said, patting my hand. “We mothers always know. And big brothers can’t keep secrets from little sisters. Especially ones as nosy as my Aubrey. Trust me, I knew it the minute Julian started smiling every time he watched you on the news. My son doesn’t smile for just anyone. And when you finally let him in, I knew it too. That boy lit up like the Fourth of July. He was glowing.”
My chest ached. “And when I ended it...?”
“He dimmed,” she said softly. “My beautiful, stubborn boy became a shell of himself.”
Tears stung my eyes. I looked down at my lap.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I thought I was protecting him. And my daughter. And myself. I didn’t mean to hurt him.”
“I know you didn’t. And I understand why you did it.”
“You know that, too?”
She nodded. “You’re a mother. You protect your child first, and worry about others later. I knew you would be a good mother even back then. Now look at that child, smart as can be and so well-mannered, I wish she would teach Aubrey a lesson in manners. I take it she’s now on board with you dating Julian?”
I nodded.
“That’s great. What do you plan to do now?”
“If you’re okay with me being with him... I want to court Julian Cattaneo. I want to do it right this time.”
She smiled so wide it lit up the whole damn table.
“Stefanie, I would be honored to have you as my daughter-in-law. Just... please treat my son well. He’s a good man. He loves hard. But he can be intense, and his world isn’t always gentle. Just be understanding. Of him. Of his work. Of the parts of him he doesn’t always know how to share.”
“I can do that,” I said softly. “Do you or will your husband feel... awkward about my age?’
“What about it?”
“I’m thirty-nine.”
“I know,” she told me. “My husband does too. We had a bet going on whether Julian was serious about you or not. My husband kept trying to get him to go on blind dates to prove he wasn’t serious. I told Guiliano that Julian would never step out on Stefanie. You two hadn’t even met yet, and he was already faithful. Today, my husband will have to buy matching necklaces for Aubrey and me because he lost the bet.”
I burst out laughing. “Thank you,” I told her. “For back then and for today.”
“Thank you for not giving up and for not letting your circumstances define you. I watched you on the news. Whenever you smiled, I smiled. I was happy to see you happy.”
Her words brought tears to my eyes. We chatted for a bit longer before hugging and parting ways. I now had Mrs. Cattaneo’s permission to court her son. Now, it was time to woo the man I loved.