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Celeste did hurt me. It hurt to learn I have siblings I never would have known about. She was forced to reckon with her choices now that my life is public. I could go on without her or receive a few answers.
The Beatles’ “In My Life” filtered into the room, and we left to rejoin everyone. Alan, Dani, and Dad were all watching Paul play, and his impromptu playing had become one of my favorite things that he did. I went over to Dad, and he looked up at me, his eyes watery.
“Are you okay?” I asked him.
“Yes. This song always gets me all sappy. How are my best girls?”
“Good.” Mom squeezed his shoulders and kissed his cheek. “Oh, Paul can you play, “Steppin’ Out” by Joe Jackson? I always imagine running away to New York City after seeing that video on MTV.”
“Hey, you never told me that I almost lost you to Joe Jackson,” Dad said in false hurt tone.
“Lucky you took me to homecoming, or who knows,” Mom joked, and kissed him.
“For Agata,” Paul announced and started to play the song.
Mom started doing her wild hand swings and foot shuffles that had us all laughing, but surprisingly Gunnar knew the moves, and joined her. The joy on Mom’s face let me know Gunnar had really bonded with her. And that made me like him a lot more. Dani and Alan joined in, and I bounced around next to Dad.
Paul moved on to Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” next. Alan and Dani started dancing a waltz. Mom held Dad’s hand and swayed his arm.
I started singing, and Paul’s head turned. Our eyes connected, and my heart skipped a beat.
I came over and sat down next to him. He turned to me, leaned over, and kissed me.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Hey,” Xander drawled out. We greeted each other with cheek kisses, then danced in place.
“Damn, we’re goofy. I thought you’d be in meltdown mode. But look at you glowing.” He cocked a brow and gestured down my body, and I struck a fashion pose.
“Am I?” I pressed my hand to my chest. “I’m keeping busy.”
My parents were here, and so was Paul. Between the three of them, I stopped looking through social media and reading the news so that I could keep a clear head for what was to come. Ignorance was truly bliss.
“Excuse me, miss?” Two delivery people came up to the door behind him, wheeling the wrapped mannequins I had ordered. “Where would you like them set up?”
“Upstairs in the room at the end of the hall. I’ll be right there. Thank you.”
Xander’s eyes widened as he walked further inside and saw the sunken living room, piano, and patio that led to a pool and jacuzzi.
He whistled. “Okay. This place rises to the level of The Hudson. So, you’re officially living together?”
I smiled and bit my lip.
He touched my arms. “Spill.”
“We haven’t confirmed it, but Paul brought me here to stay with him, and he ordered equipment for my studio. So at the moment, yeah. Oh, and you have to see my knitting set-up.”
“Back to knits, eh?” He grinned.
“Yep. Tomas loves my knits now, so I’m giving him more knits to love.”
“So Givenchy isn’t over?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Depends on what happens after the deposition tomorrow.”
Gunnar said the discovery deposition will lead to trial. If they’re prosecuted, there’s a great chance the civil case will win. Tomorrow. Oh, my God.
