Chapter Seventeen The Magical
Henry
“Ever the poet,” Michael said as he grinned at me. “I sort of missed that.”
I shook my head at him and at Rain. “I liked you two better when you were attempting to razz me.”
“I said sort of, not a lot,” Michael added as he laughed.
I rolled my eyes.
“No really, is the poetry a British thing?” Michael clarified. “Or is it just your personal mechanism for coping? Like to be or not to be, that is the question.”
“That was a good one.” Rain raised his hand to high five Michael.
It felt odd to have them getting along so well. My semi-nemesis Rainmaker and my smart ass brother. I wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or nor. For me, probably not. I grinned at them.
“Da, I always wondered that too,” Rain said. “Like do lots of Englishmen do that? Is it required in college? You memorize like a hundred poems by your countrymen and then you get to graduate?”
“Then are the classes called Pansy Ass Poetry?” Micael joked.
Rain flat out laughed at this one.
I gave them both a smirk. “Now this is more like it.”
“órale, I think it is beautiful. His poetry,” Maya said. “Figata. Like how Americans say cool.”
I wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave them a huge grin. “Figata. You hear that? I am cool. So that proves it finally. You two have always been jealous.”
My brother and Rain both laughed together now.
I pointedly ignored their rude amusement and took Maya over to the counter get a plate. “This looks…” I took a quick glance down at my phone and read the words out, “Tanta roba! Sembrano deliziosi.” Really good. Very delicious.
Pausing as she dished fruit onto her plate, she looked up at me. “You are learning Italian? Aww grazie, dolce Henry.”
“Ok, grazie is thank you and dolce… it means sweet, correct?” I smiled at her and filled my plate.
She nodded at me. “Very good, Sir Henry.”
We came back over to the table as Michael finished pouring me more tea.
“Thank you, baby bro,” I told him.
He gave me a nod. “I can’t fathom how you can drink that swill, but you are welcome.
” He smirked then looked up at Maya. “Do you want more espresso? Or something else to drink? They have like ten things here that you can choose from. Juice, milk, protein drinks, bottled water. There’s more but I don’t have a menu. ”
She gave him a smile. “Juice. Orange, if they have it?”
He chuckled. “Oh, they have it for sure.” He went over to another large fridge and opened it.
“This is just for drinks.” He grabbed a small bottle and shut the door.
“When I first moved here, I couldn’t fathom such wealth and luxury.
I stayed in our set of rooms for a while.
Until Sia took me in hand and said I needed to relax and be with her, live here with the family.
To embrace this new life. I did it for her then I just got used to it.
Well, almost.” He set Maya’s juice down next to her plate.
I took a bite of my bacon and chewed then swallowed. “I wondered about that. I mean we grew up in stable money, not rich maybe but this…” I motioned at the kitchen. “…Is too much.”
“Yeah, this area though is a small room compared to others here,” Michael replied. “That’s why I hang out here a lot. The high ceilings and immense vastness in the living room area and other areas that makes everything echo? I can’t do it man.”
Rain shook his head. “I’ll take my studio in New York or my small condo on the west coast. Nice but just enough to be comfortable.”
I paused to glance at Mays, knowing the poverty she had been forced to live in during the last several years.
Looking up at me, she smiled.
I felt my chest constrict. Damn, I needed to get a hold of myself here. I now knew that I never loved another woman even if I’d thought so at the time. None had made me react like this just by giving me a smile. Wow…
The kitchen fell quiet now as Maya and I ate breakfast.
After we finished, Michael stood from his chair and grabbed our plates.
“You have talent as a waiter, brother,” I teased him.
He rolled his eyes at me. “Well, you’d better leave a generous tip, you cheapskate.” He smirked. “I promised Mrs. S that I would take care of you. And I owe that woman.”
“Owe?” I asked him.
“Yeah,” he replied as he took our plates to the sink.
“She got me through the culture shock. You know…My adjustment to all of this. Let me sit right here at this very table and rant or she just let me hide out. Kept it to herself and gave me that wonderful motherly advice Maya commented about earlier.” He set the dishes down by the sink and came back over.
“I’m not allowed to wash them though or Mrs S will kick my culo as she calls it. ” He chuckled.
“Maya!”
We all looked over.
The twins came running in. They each got on either side of Maya’s chair and embraced her. They looked thrilled to have found her.
“Aww, i miei preziosi figli!” Mya exclaimed happily.
I typed that into my cell or as close to the words as I could get and it translated it…My precious kids.
The twins then started talking all at once, telling her about the house and the bathrooms that had tubs you could swim in. Then they showed off their new clothes and shoes.
Their laughter and happy faces even got to me a little. Like happiness in the young made you feel like magic was real and anything was possible.
Maya had tears in her eyes as they paused to take a breath.
“Maya, why are you sad?” Alex asked her in true concern.
“I am not sad. I am happy.”
“And you are crying while happy?” he asked looking puzzled.
Hope placed her hands onto her small hips and scolded him, “You have never heard of that?”
He slowly shook his head. “No, it is confusing.”
“I know kid,” I spoke up. “Girls are confusing. Right?”
Alex nodded and looked grateful that someone understood his dilemma. “They are happy then they cry? It is like when they are mad and then they smile at you? Right before they yell.”
Micheal and Rain both nodded their heads in total agreement as they tried to keep their amusement from showing.
Maya laughed. “I know that, Alex. Remember when we read about the princess and the pea?”
He nodded. “Is that what it is?” he asked. “She could feel it when they placed a pea under a stack of mattresses. Then you told us that boys do not notice such small things.”
“Yeah, we can sleep on rocks and not care,” I joked.
“Speak for yourself, brother. I like a large, soft bed myself.” Michel grinned.
Alex nodded. “Me too. But I thought I was going to be stuck in my bed as I sunk down into it. I almost called for help. Wow.”
We all laughed.
“I am glad you are both happy here,” Mya told them.
“As long as you don’t leave,” Hope said as she nodded at her.
Maya paused then she reached over to take Alex’s hand and Hope’s into hers. “I will be gone for a short while.”
The twins looked upset to hear this.
“But I promise to come back,” Maya added.
“Why do you have to leave?” Hope asked.
“I have to…” She paused and looked up at me.
I wondered if she wanted them to know or if we did tell them some of it would they worry too much? I cleared my throat to get their attention
The kids looked over at me.
“She needs to help me with something,” I told them. “I promise to bring her back, ok?”
They both paused to allow this to sink in. They nodded at me and hugged Maya again.
“There you are!”
We looked over at the kitchen entry.
A beautiful woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes stood there smiling. She held an infant in her arms.
Michael stood from his chair and hurried over to her. He leaned in and kissed the woman on the cheek. “Thank you, babe. I wanted him to meet my lil angel.” He walked back over to me and lowered the bundle of baby into my arms. “Uncle Henry meet Gemma Jones.”
I went totally still. I’d never held a baby before. I felt fearful suddenly that I might drop her or something.
Michael seemed to notice my nervousness and he laughed. “It’ll be okay, big brother. She is six months old now, so she isn’t as fragile as she was as a newborn. Man was I nervous while holding her then.”
“So Gemma?” I asked him. “A great name. Gemma Jones.”
“And this is my Sia,” Michael introduced his wife.
I was almost too afraid to look up at her. Too fearful that I’d drop the baby if I took my eyes off her.
Michel laughed as he bent down and scooped Gemma from my arms. Then he raised her up with his hands wrapped around her little waist. “There’s my girl.” He kissed each cheek.
Gemma cooed and giggled. Obviously knowing him and happy to see him.
I stared at them together and realized my brother was a family man now.
It hit me like a ton of bricks. Last time I saw him he was working nonstop as a cop and barely looked up from that work.
He’d grown a lot and yes, I felt proud of him.
Damn, he looked so happy too. I glanced over at his wife and then scoffed at my rudeness as I stood to shake her hand.
“I am very happy to meet you and Gemma. It is an honor.”
Sia gave me a huge smile smile. “I love your accent! Wow. It is amazing.”
I did not have a lot to say about that but I tried, “We have similar looks but we were raised continents apart.”
“Yes, he told me about you and he worried about where you went. I am so glad you showed up here.”
“It was a mutual surprise to find him here…” My words faded away. Bloody hell, I sure did not mean to sound rude.
Laughing, Sia nodded. “Oh, I know. I imagine it was a shock.”
“Not just for the obvious. We brought the twins home to their mother and I find Michael here?” I chuckled. “I never expected that.”
She patted my hand then dropped it. “I think it was meant to be somehow. He told me he hasn’t seen you for several years.
I want to make sure that you know that we want you to come and visit.
Stay as long as you want. You are his family and that means…
You are my family too. Besides, you are an uncle now. ”
I smiled at her. Michael did good when he chose this woman.
I could see now why he ignored who she was and decided to be happy instead of turning from her because she was a gangster’s daughter.
“Thank you so much for that.” I turned to Maya.
“This is my…Maya.” I chuckled ruefully as both words were true.
She was mine… she just didn’t know it yet.
Sia reached over and shook her hand. “I am so glad to meet you. What a wonderful person you are. The twins love you so much. And if my father hasn’t already done it, I extend the same welcome to you. Please feel free to call this house your home.”
Maya shook her hand as well. “Thank you so much. Your father was most kind to me.”
Sia dropped her hand just as her baby girl started to cry a little. “She’s hungry I am sure.” She moved over to take her from Michael. Then she nodded at the twins as her smile never faded from her lips. “Gabby…I mean your mother, told me to come get you two.”
The twins nodded at her then they both double hugged Maya. Looking up at her their eyes were luminous as if they were afraid they would not see her again.
Maya tucked them close and told them softly, “I will return, i miei preziosi figli. I promise.”