Chapter 284
“She’s coming home tomorrow.”
The older man looked up from his work, his hands stilling over the papers as he turned toward his wife in surprise.
“So soon?” he asked, his voice laced with cautious hope. “Does she really… hold nothing against us?”
Marianna gave him a small, sad smile. She stepped closer and gently rested a hand on the back of the chair, her fingers curling slightly around the edge.
“No,” she said quietly, almost apologetically. “I’m sorry, darling. I didn’t mean to get your hopes up like that. I should have worded it better. What I meant was… Melanie is coming over tomorrow, but it’s not personal. She’s coming in a professional capacity.”
She paused, drawing in a breath as though the next words needed to be measured carefully. Then she took a few slow steps forward and added, more deliberately now, “I don’t think she recognised me, at least not yet. If she does recognise you… I don’t know how she’ll respond. There’s no way to tell.”
Her eyes wandered to the shelves on the side wall, then back to her husband. “I was thinking,” she continued, voice lower now, “maybe I’ll place a few pictures of just the two of us in this room. Nothing with Melody, of course. Just you and me—vacations, dinners, maybe that old anniversary photo we both liked. I’ll tell her you’re my husband. That much is still true.”
He gave a small nod, his brow furrowed in thought, even as he felt his heart ache. He did not like this way of going about in circles. He would rather have a direct confrontation with his daughter. “Okay. You do that.” Then, after a pause, he added, “But… how about I stay here? In this room. Just quietly.”
Marianna looked at him, unsure. She hesitated, the idea settling heavily between them. “You want to stay here? During the visit?”
He nodded once. “Yes. If it’s all right. I just want to be here, not say much. Just… see her.”
She pressed her lips together and exhaled slowly, letting her conflict show, “Are you sure that would be okay? I mean… looking at your picture is one thing. But seeing you, in person, after all these years-”
“I’ll keep my distance and won’t be around longer. And I won’t speak unless she speaks to me first. I just don’t want to hide.”
Marianna studied him for a long moment, then gave a quiet nod, though her expression remained uncertain. “All right. But if she gets upset—”
“I’ll leave the room. I promise. If there is even a hint that she has recognised me and might react negatively, I will leave the room.”
She nodded, then stepped forward and gently took his hand in hers. “I know how badly you want to see her. You’ve waited a long time for this. So if you feel you must stay, then stay. Don’t worry—we’ll handle whatever comes. Together.”
He gave a small smile, touched by her words, and then stood from his chair, stretching slightly before glancing at the papers he had set aside. “All right then. I’ll ask my assistant to clear my schedule for tomorrow. Whatever meetings are there, they’ll have to wait.”
Marianna gave a nod of agreement but didn’t step back, didn’t let him return to his work just yet. Instead, she held his gaze and added, “There’s something else. Something I think we need to talk about before tomorrow.”
He looked at her with a puzzled frown, “Something else? What else?”
“Yes. It’s about Melody.”she said quietly.
That made him pause. He frowned, shifting his weight slightly. “What about Melody? Is she not okay?”
Marianna sighed heavily and shook her head, “We’ve never spoken to her about Melanie. Not directly. Not really. And the other day… she started asking questions. I let something slip. I mentioned her, just a little. And then explained everything about how she was kidnapped.”
The man stilled and eyed her,” You told her… everything?”
Marianne sighed and shook her head,” Not everything everything. Just enough… But now I think Melody’s feeling unsure. Maybe even hurt. If we talk to her properly-if we explain- it might help ease the tension before it grows into something worse.”
The man was silent for a few moments, absorbing her words. Then he sighed and gave a nod. “All right. But, let’s not involve her tomorrow. One step at a time. Tell Melody to come the day after. Once we’ve seen how Melanie reacts, we’ll know better what to say, and when to say it. And how to say it.”
Marianna nodded, relieved. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, “Should we ask her to bring her boyfriend along as well? The last time I asked about him, she sounded… well, quite taken with him. Maybe if she has someone she trusts by her side, someone she loves, she’ll feel safer. More open. Less defensive.”
The man was quiet again, considering the suggestion carefully. His brows drew together as he weighed the risks and benefits. Then, slowly, he nodded.
“That might not be a bad idea,” he said finally. “If he grounds her-if she listens to him-it could help. But only if she agrees. Let her decide.”
“Of course,” Marianna said softly. “I’ll bring it up gently.”
The man shook his head, “Honestly, you’ve spoiled her so much over the years that I doubt she will be able to accept this easily.”
Marianne sighed and hugged her husband,” What was I supposed to do?”
“I know. I know. You had love for two children but could shower it on only one. I am not blaming you. I’m just saying that now that you love is going to be divided, Melody is going to suffer for it. And this will make things difficult for you. I don’t want my wife to suffer either.”
Marianne smiled then, leaned up and pressed a small kiss to her husband’s cheek,” You know, for all your absent mindedness, when you say these things, I can’t help but love you more.”
Te man grinned and kissed the top of his wife’s head, content with everything now that his older daughter had been found.