23. Odette
23
ODETTE
“I’m with Chloe on this one,” I tease Caleb, stirring my drink absently, “it’s not a matter of if it happens, it’s when. When you find yourself single upon your return to London?—”
“Hey!” He interjects, but without a solid argument his argument is weak.
“…let the record state, ‘ I told you so .’ Feel free to quote me on that, anytime.”
“She said it wasn’t a big deal.”
“And you believed that.” I make a tsk-tsk sound. “Aren’t you supposed to be the smart twin?”
Chloe masks an ill-timed chuckle under a cough, earning a scowl from her brother.
“Again, she said it wasn’t a big deal. She doesn’t say things she doesn’t mean. It’s why we get along so well.”
“She invited you to her parents home to meet them. That, in itself, is pretty significant for your relationship, yet you just left her there.”
“Thank you,” Chloe chimes in from her position on the floor. “Unless you plan on proposing, don’t bother going back to London.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a flower girl,” Aurora helpfully adds, earning an exasperated groan from her brother.
After Aurora declared she’s done with the piano — highly unlikely, in our collective opinions — she asked Chloe to teach her how to play chess. They’re currently sitting cross-legged on the floor, on either side of the coffee table, their postures and facial expressions identical.
Funny how I never noticed the similarities between them before, yet it’s all I see now. The sound of their conspiratorial giggles fill the room, a sound I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing.
It’s been five days since the Vermont debacle, and I haven’t left the Sinclairs’ place. The first few days were rough on all of us, especially Aurora. She hardly left her room, wouldn’t sleep without one of us holding her, and barely ate anything or even cracked a smile. Yesterday afternoon was the first time she ventured out of her room by herself, and only because Caleb and Chloe came by to see her together.
I already brought them up to speed on what happened. Keeping secrets from the people I love is not my strong suit, so I don’t do it. I called Chloe the day after we got back from Vermont, then she spent an hour on the phone with Aurora. I don’t know what they talked about, but whatever it was seemed to lift her spirits. Then Caleb called the next day to say he was on his way from London — without his girlfriend — so we could talk.
Naturally, I feared the worst. Thankfully, that’s not what happened.
Which is how we all find ourselves congregating at the Sinclair on New Year’s Eve. Peyton’s in the kitchen, bustling about, checking on dinner. Azriel should be home from work any minute now. Caleb and I are on the couch, as he catches me up on everything I’ve missed over the past few months.
London’s a far cry from Chicago, but it seems like he’s settled in well. He loves his job, and his relationship is going great… or it was, up until a few days ago.
Caleb leans back on the couch and throws a hand over his face. “I should’ve known all of you would gang up on me.”
“Yeah, well. It’s what you get for moving half-way across the world, falling in love, and not bringing her home to meet the family,” Chloe teases lightly, even though we all know it’s true.
I know the real reason he hasn’t: he’s protecting Aurora.
The twins have always been protective of her, and this was long before they found out she’s their half-sister. To them, I’m family. And by extension, Aurora and the Sinclairs are as well. It’s as simple as that. Or, it should be. Sadly, it hasn’t always been the case in our collective experiences.
See, most people know what the term adoption means, yet the idea of an open adoption is still a hard concept to grasp, especially with a birth mother as involved in the child’s life as I am. One of Caleb’s ex-girlfriends in grad school hated the fact that he and Chloe had a pregnant roommate. Caleb was a player back then, so she incorrectly assumed Aurora was his love child — to be fair, the physical similarities have always been there — and that was the only reason they were friends with me. One of Chloe’s ex-boyfriends issued an ultimatum when she agreed to be Aurora’s godmother, and I’ve never seen her dump a guy so fast.
They both stopped bringing boyfriends and girlfriends around Aurora. I don’t either. Ours is a complicated dynamic for most people to understand. Kids get it, why can’t adults?
Chloe leans over to whisper something to Aurora, who then turns to Caleb with a sheepish grin. “I have an idea.”
“You mean Chloe has an idea,” he deadpans.
Two throw pillows are hurled in his direction, with accurate aim and precision. Honestly, how did I not notice this before?
“Why don’t I invite her over next Christmas?” Aurora continues, placing both palms on her cheeks. “No one says no to this face. I’m cute and pervasive.”
I laugh, rolling my eyes. “You mean persuasive?”
She shrugs. “That too.”
“I don’t know…” Caleb begins, but she cuts him off.
“Do you want to get married or not?” she asks in her no-nonsense tone.
He smiles, a little sheepish. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
“It’s a yes or no question, Caleb. Women don’t like it when guys can’t make up their minds.”
Chloe and I snicker at that, and she gives Aurora a fist-bump.
“That’s it. I am never coming home again.”
Aurora waves him off. “You love us too much to stay away.” She moves one last chess piece, then gasps. “Checkmate, Chloe. I won my first game!”
And just like that, the conversation shifts back to chess.
Caleb is relieved for the reprieve, I’d imagine. But then he shifts the conversation, his tone changing slightly.
“I heard you’re finally buying a house, Odette,” he says, sounding genuinely interested.
“I put in an offer, who knows if they’ll accept it.” Granted, it’s a five-minute walk from this house, and within this gated community. “I’ve had my eye on it for a while, and with the owners moving abroad in a month it seemed like the right time to pull the plug. Above ask, too. Can’t take any chances with this.”
“Still. It’s a big leap.”
“I hope so.” I feel a pang in my chest, the words a little heavier than I intended.
Aurora deserves so much more than this mess we’re all in. But I’m trying to stay optimistic. Trying to hold it together.
“Are you keeping the apartment?”
“As a rental, yes,” I nod. “It wasn’t meant to be my forever home, you know. Someday, Aurora might want to live there someday. It’s close to downtown and the nightlife. Or a quiet place to escape to. Even if she’s not interested, it’s still a great investment.”
“It’d be perfect for her,” Caleb concedes, his voice softening a little. “I bet she’ll like it better when you’re within walking distance. Say goodbye to privacy.”
“What privacy?”
Peyton strolls into the room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Dinner’s almost ready. I think Azriel will be home soon.” She pauses, glancing at the clock. “We’ll save the best for last, as usual. I have a feeling he’s planning something special for tonight.”
I chuckle. “I’m not sure anything can top last year’s spaghetti contest.”
“Oh, don’t remind me,” Caleb groans, but I can tell he’s enjoying himself.
We all are. For a few hours, everything is normal, even if I know it won’t last.
The front door opens, and Azriel walks in, with Duncan on his heels.
We all freeze. I glance up at Peyton, and she looks just as surprised as I feel. Aurora sees him and immediately shuffles over to Chloe.
“Don’t let him take me away, Chloe!” she cries, her voice panicked. Chloe pulls her into her arms, her face tight with concern as she tries to reassure her.
Azriel steps forward quickly. “Aurora, honey, no one’s going to take you away. Duncan just wants to talk to your mom.”
Yeah, that’d work on a nine-year old.
What is he thinking?
Aurora shakes her head furiously, clutching Chloe like a lifeline. “No! You can’t make me go!”
My heart stutters. I swallow hard. The tension in the room is palpable, the energy shifting in an instant. This wasn’t how I planned for tonight to go. I try to steady my nerves, but it’s like all the air has been sucked out of the room. My hands are trembling as I turn toward Duncan, who remains frozen in the entryway, looking as unsure of himself as I feel.
I can’t avoid him forever. Azriel knows what’s at stake here, so if he brought Duncan here, then I have to trust his judgment.
“I’ll talk to him.” I keep my eyes on Aurora as I stand. “Upstairs.”
Peyton looks at me, a sad, knowing expression on her face. “Odette… be careful.”
I nod, swallowing down the fear clawing at my throat. “I will.”
I take one last look at the group behind me. Aurora, who’s still hiding in Chloe’s arms, the twins exchanging tense glances, Azriel standing in the doorway like he’s ready for Peyton to read him the riot act.
With a deep breath, I turn toward Duncan. “Follow me. Let’s get this over with.”
I lead Duncan upstairs to Aurora’s room, keeping the door open behind us. He follows, his brows furrowed in confusion as I step inside. The soft lavender walls, dotted with posters of famous composers and vibrant artwork, immediately give away Aurora’s personality.
I can tell he doesn’t understand why I brought him here, but I ignore the questioning look on his face.
“This,” I begin, gesturing around the room, “is Aurora’s world.”
I cross to the opposite wall, where a giant piano and sheet music mural dominates the space above her bed. The black and white keys stretch wide across the lavender canvas, blending into swirling notes and clefs.
“Peyton, Aurora, and I painted this a few years ago.” I trace my fingers over one of the notes. “It’s from Ravel’s ‘Jeux d’eau’ . It was her idea. She’s always been an old soul, and wanted something that made her feel like music was always with her, even when she wasn’t playing.”
I turn and point to the bookshelf near her bed, crammed full of books — many of them with weathered spines and dog-eared pages. “Those? The history of music books? She’s been devouring them since she was two. Some of those were gifts, others she begged for. She’s read them all, some more times than I can count.”
Duncan steps closer, his gaze following where I point. His expression softens slightly, but I press on, refusing to let him speak.
“Over here,” I say, moving to her desk, cluttered with knick-knacks. There’s a small, glass snow globe with a ballerina inside, a pile of crumpled music sheets, and a little figurine of a cat wearing a tiny crown. “Every one of these things tells you who Aurora is. She’s fierce, passionate, and independent. She’s not just some kid who happens to like music. It’s a part of her, woven into the very fabric of her DNA. It’s her soul.”
I meet his eyes. There’s an intensity in my voice I can’t temper. “I don’t regret giving her up for adoption, Duncan. Not for one second. Because it means she gets to grow up in a loving household, with parents who love her unconditionally. Something you and I never had.”
His jaw tightens, and for a moment, I think he’s going to argue. Instead, he nods. “I know.”
“No, you don’t,” I snap. “You don’t know a damn thing, ‘cause if you did, you wouldn’t have threatened to make her worst fear a reality.”
I pace to the center of the room, as everything I’ve kept bottled inside spills out. “Do you know why I was in Vermont in the first place? Because I was feeling sorry for myself, so I hid like a coward. We were supposed to spend Christmas together, Aurora and I. Peyton and Azriel were supposed to be on a long-overdue honeymoon trip. But then, Peyton’s mother played the ‘ I want to finally meet my precious granddaughter ’ card, even through she’s had ample opportunities to do so in the last nine years. She even tricked them into bringing Aurora all the way to fucking Paris, made them believe it was going to be this magical family holiday. Instead, she—” I pause, anger bubbling up again. “In front of everyone, she told Aurora that Peyton and Azriel aren’t her real parents because they don’t share blood. After ten fucking years of ignoring her existence, the first thing she does to my daughter is to remind her she doesn’t belong.”
Duncan looks startled, but I don’t give him a chance to respond.
“Peyton and Azriel left, as they should, because no one treats our daughter that way. Not now, not ever.”
I take a deep breath, my hands shaking at my sides. “I don’t know what you said to Azriel to convince him to let you into this house tonight, but I’m going to make this crystal clear. If you think you can charm your way into our lives and throw your money around, thinking you can use it to control us, to manipulate us into doing your bidding, then you’ve got another think coming. I might not be as rich as you, but I’ve enough to make you rue the day our paths ever crossed.”