21. Odette
21
ODETTE
Once Aurora is asleep, I carefully slide out from under the covers, making sure not to wake her. Her little face is peaceful now, the fear and worry momentarily gone in her sleep, her small frame curled in on itself like she’s trying to protect what’s left of her world. My heart twists painfully as I pull the blanket over her shoulders, smoothing her hair before quietly slipping out of the room.
Peyton and Azriel are waiting just outside, their expressions a mix of concern and exhaustion. I close the door behind me and lean against it, before letting out a shaky breath.
“She’s asleep,” I tell them.
Peyton reaches out and places a gentle hand on my shoulder. “It’d be good for her to see you when she wakes up. And you shouldn’t be alone right now.”
I nod and gesture toward the stairs. “Let’s talk downstairs. I don’t want to wake her.”
We walk in silence to the living room, and I collapse onto the couch. Azriel hands me a cup of tea, but I can’t bring myself to drink it. My hands shake as I hold the cup, and I finally set it on the coffee table before I spill it.
The room feels heavy, like all the air has been sucked out of it, the silence broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. . Peyton and Azriel sit across from me, and I can sense them watching me with matching looks of guilt and worry. It’s unbearable.
I take a deep breath and force myself to meet their eyes. “What happened in Paris?”
Peyton looks at Azriel, who nods for her to explain. “My mother happened. She said some awful things to Aurora.”
My stomach sinks. “What did she say?”
“She told Aurora…” Peyton’s voice trembles, and Azriel reaches over to hold her hand. “She told her that she wasn’t really part of the family. That her and Dad would never accept her. That we would never fully accept her, and that she doesn’t belong with us.”
The air rushes out of my lungs. “She said that to a child?”
Peyton’s eyes glisten. “Then she plucked a strand of Aurora’s hair, right in front of everyone. She said she was going to use her DNA to find her ‘real’ parents,” she puts air quotes around the word, “and then pay them an exorbitant amount of money to take her from us.
“It was the final straw. We told her exactly what we thought about her speaking to Aurora that way, and about her cruelty. Then we packed up and left. We didn’t want Aurora to have to listen to her vitriol.”
Azriel sighs. “Chloe gave us the address to Duncan’s Vermont house. We thought maybe we could make things right with you after canceling last-minute. We owed you that.”
Peyton sniffles. “More like Aurora demanded it. You know how she gets. It’s damn near impossible to tell her no, especially since we caused the mess in the first place.”
Tears well up in my eyes. “I might have made things worse.”
Azriel frowns, leaning forward. “What do you mean?”
My chest tightens as I look between them. “Duncan is upset. And he’s furious. He threatened to void the adoption because he never consented to it.”
Peyton’s jaw drops. “What? How is that even possible?”
I shake my head. “It’s not. Legally, he has no standing. He didn’t even know Aurora existed until yesterday afternoon. But that doesn’t matter. Aurora overheard part of the argument, and now she’s terrified he’ll take her away.”
Peyton’s hand flies to her mouth, horror etched across her face. “Oh my God.”
Azriel’s voice is low, steady. “What are the chances he sways some judge with his sob story?”
“None. The adoption is solid. It’s been finalized for years. But you know Aurora. She doesn’t care about the legalities. All she knows is someone threatened to take her away from the only family she’s ever known.”
Peyton watches me carefully. “You’ll fight him, though, won’t you? If he pushes it?”
“Of course I will. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe and happy. I just—” My voice breaks. “I never wanted this to happen. Not to her. Not like this.”
Peyton studies me carefully, her brow furrowing. “Odette… you’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
Her words hit me like a freight train, the air leaving my lungs. I open my mouth to deny it, to say something, anything, but no words come out. I look away as I blink back the tears burning my eyes, the truth too heavy to ignore. The lump in my throat grows, and before I can stop it, the tears spill over.
Peyton stands and moves to sit beside me, wrapping her arms around me as I bury my face in my hands, my chest heaving with the weight of emotions I’ve been trying to suppress for days.
“I didn’t mean for this to happen,” I choke out. “I didn’t want this. But being around him again…” My voice breaks. “I can’t stop feeling everything I’ve tried so hard to forget.”
She rubs my back in soothing circles, and another set of arms — Azriel’s — envelopes me.
“Why are you two comforting me? All I’ve done is bring chaos into your lives.”
“No, you gave us our greatest blessing, and that’s something we’ll never take for granted.”
“It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. He hates me. He’ll never forgive me for not telling him about her.”
Peyton’s voice softens. “You’re not wrong for what you did. You didn’t even know who he was back then.”
I laugh bitterly. “Maybe not, but I know who he is now. And he’s not the kind of man who lets things go. He’s angry, and maybe he has every right to be. Where Aurora is concerned, I never gave him a choice or a chance.”
Azriel clears his throat. “Odette, what if?—”
I cut him off, my voice sharp. “What if what? What if he forgives me? What if we could make this work? Stop. Just stop. He doesn’t forgive. He threatens. He tries to take things that don’t belong to him. He’ll do it out of spite, and she’ll suffer for it. It’s all my fault.”
Peyton’s eyes are soft, but her voice is firm. “It doesn’t change the fact that you’re in love with him.”
“But I don’t want to be. I didn’t want any of this. But he was there, and I let myself hope. I let myself believe we could be something.”
Getting entangled with him nearly cost me everything once. I can’t let it destroy me again. But as I sit there, crying in Peyton’s arms, I know the truth. I never stopped loving Duncan, but when it comes down to it, I choose Aurora.
I choose her the day I found out I was pregnant. I choose her the day I handed her over to the Sinclairs. I choose her as I signed away my legal rights to her. There’s no plausible scenario in which I put a man over my daughter, even if said man contributed half of her DNA. And if that means I have to spend every penny I have to make sure she stays right where she is — with parents who love her unconditionally — then that’s what I’ll do.
Peyton’s arms tighten around me as my tears slowly subside, leaving my chest hollow and aching. Azriel hands me a tissue, and I mumble a quiet “thank you” as I wipe my face. The silence between us is heavy, but comforting in a way.
Too bad things can’t stay this way forever.
“I need to tell Chloe and Caleb about this. Not sure if I’m prepared for them to hate me for it, but for Aurora’s sake I hope they don’t. Or, at the very least, I pray they don’t cut her out of their lives. She’s their sister. Half-sister. Fuck. I just… I don’t want her to feel like everything is falling apart. She’s already scared enough as it is.”
Peyton glances at Azriel, then back at me. “What if you stayed here with us for a few days? Or you take her home with you for a few days?”
My brow furrows. “The last thing I want is for her to think I’m taking her from you.”
Peyton shakes her head. “You wouldn’t be. It’s just… she needs all of us right now. You, especially. Paris was harder on her than we realized. She was mad at us for taking her there to begin with, and what my mother said really shook her.”
Azriel nods. “When she saw the Steinway in Vermont, that was the first time she smiled all week. Music is her safe place, just like it’s yours.”
The memory tugs at my heart, a bittersweet ache.
“She will be… well, clingy, and that’s to be expected,” Peyton continues. “She needs to feel secure, Odette. She needs all the support she can get. And yes, I’m totally playing into your mom guilt right now, so please say yes.”
I can’t help the smile that forms. “You’re right.” I nod slowly as exhaustion settles over me like a weighted blanket. “But we should ask her what she wants when she wakes up. I won’t make any decisions or commitments without her input.”
“I like that. And she’ll feel better if she has a say in things.”
Azriel leans back in his chair. “In the meantime, you really should get some sleep. Here. You look like you’re about to keel over from exhaustion.”
I hesitate, glancing toward the staircase. “You sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
Peyton pats my hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re family. Stay. It’d be just like old times.”
By old times, she means the time they accidentally wound up taking care of Aurora and I shortly after she was born. Not sure how I got so lucky with them, given that they know my family background and still accepted my request for an open adoption.
I let out a shaky breath and stand. “I’ll check on her first.”
They both nod, watching me with concern as I head upstairs. I push open the door to Aurora’s room as quietly as I can. She’s still curled up under the blankets. Her face is peaceful in sleep, but there’s a faint crease between her brows, like she’s still worrying even in her dreams.
I can’t bear to leave her alone, so I slip off my shoes and climb into bed beside her, careful not to disturb her too much. As I settle in, Aurora stirs, her little body shifting closer to mine instinctively. Her hand reaches out, gripping the sleeve of my sweater.
“Mommy,” she murmurs in her sleep.
Tears prick at my eyes again, but I blink them away. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close. “I’m here, baby,” I whisper. “I’m not going anywhere.”
As her breathing evens out again, I press a kiss to her forehead. All that matters is keeping her safe, keeping her loved. Everything else can wait until tomorrow.