A Mother, A Daughter, and A Past
Chapter 3
It was Friday.
Today was the day that Serena was going to meet Darien for lunch and tell him about their daughter.
She wasn't too sure how he would take the news, but nonetheless, she was going to tell him about her.
"At least everything went alright when I told Rini about her father after all these years." she said aloud to herself, "I'm glad Rini is old enough to understand."
"Yeah, me too!" said a voice behind her.
Serena turned to see August in the doorway holding Rini's hand and holding Jacob in her arm.
"And why's that?" asked Serena. "Because," answered August, "if she wasn't old enough she'd be more of a handful than she is now!" Serena laughed, then opened her arms for her daughter to run into.
Rini did just that. Then looking up with wide eyes, she asked, "Mommy, am I gonna see my daddy today?"
Serena smiled and told her in the nicest "mommy" voice she could, "Honey, mommy told you earlier, Daddy may not "be able" to see you today. He's a very busy man. Understand?" Rini nodded her head. "Ok, then, why don't you go get ready to go to the park with Aunt August." Serena finished.
"Ok Mommy. I love you!!!" Rini gave Serena a big hug and then ran out of the room.
Serena sighed, and August, still standing in the doorway knew that she was secretly thinking that Darien may not want to see Rini at all. That made her upset. "How could anyone not love Rini?" she thought, "She is the sweetest little girl I have ever known. If he doens't love her, I'll have to jump him and wring his neck!!" After all, what father wouldn't love his own daughter?
When Serena was finished getting ready, she and August, along with the two children, got into their seperate vehicles and left. August taking the kids to the park; Serena heading towards a small cafe downtown.
Seated at an outside table, Serena impatiently awaited the arrival of the only man she ever loved.
Turning her head, she looked around for him, only to see a crowd of people behind her waiting for their lunch. A tap on her shoulder made her turn her head again, this time to come face to stomach with a person.
She jerked back and lifted her head to look into the face of the person standing in front of her.
"Hi Serenity." Darien greeted.
"I told you Darien, here, my name is Serena." she replied.
"Oh yeah, sorry." he apologized. "So, how have you been? It's been, what, six years since you left?"
Sighing she said, "Yeah, going on seven."
"How do you like it here?" he asked.
"It's nice and quiet. Lots of friendly people. I'm getting along great." she answered.
"That's good to hear." he said.
A long silence drifted between them.
Darien cleared his throat. "I can't keep this up Serenity...er...Serena. I've missed you so much!
I want you to come back."
Her eyes went wide at his proclamation. "What do you mean you want me to come back? You were the one who slept with another woman. What, did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you really believe that you could come here today after six years and think that I would just fall in your arms and love you like I used to?" She was angry and she let it show.....he deserved it.
"I know I deserved that Serena, and I know that what I did was wrong, really really wrong. I want to explain it all to you. That is, if you'll give me the chance." he said.
She waved her hand at him and sighed, "You might as well, I've got no where else to be."
Darien cleared his throat again and began his story.
"After you had left, the last time we were together, I got a page from the hospital. When I called, the woman on the other line told me that you had been in an accident and that they needed me down there right away.
It turned out that the page came from the hospital, but it wasn't about you. A friend of my sister's worked there and she thought it would be funny to get me worried about you and then turn up and say that she just needed a ride home. Before you scoff at me, remember that I was going there for you, and had no intention of taking that woman home with me."
Serena just sat there and waited for him to continue.
He sighed, "Well, she had three other friends with her, one I knew, his name was John Sangon and he was a good buddy of mine in high school. So, I figured since there was at least one guy other than myself in the group, I took them into my car. However, instead of taking them home, John wanted to go to the local bar and have a few drinks with the gang. I didn't see how it would hurt, so I went with them."
Serena started to become bored. "Get to the point, Darien." she said.
"I am; I don't remember how long we were there, but it seemed like forever, apparently I had a few too many and without really realizing it I took Maria home with me. Maria is my sister's friend, the one who called me from the hospital. Anyway, we got to my apartment and unfortunatly one thing led to another and
you found us the next morning." He finished, his eyes cast downward and a frown upon his face.
"Darien, that still doesn't explain why you said all those nasty things to me." Serena stated.
"I know, Serena, and truthfully, I can't even remember half of the things I did say to you that morning. All I want is your forgivness for what I've done, I can't bear living, knowing that you will hate me for the rest of your life."
Serena sat back in her chair and let out a long breath that she didn't know she was holding.
'How long will it be before he hurts me again? What would I do if he did?' she thought to herself.
Darien took her hands in his; "Serena, I know that what I did to you was wrong, and I promise that if you could just forgive me I would leave you alone, and never bother you again." He paused, "That is if you want me too."
Serena glanced at him through her eyelashes, and began pondering what to do. Should she forgive him? Should she put her heart on the line again just because she loved him? And then......suddenly Serena remembered why she had come here in the first place. Rini. Before she did anything she needed to tell him about Rini.
"Excuse me a moment." she said to him as she picked up her cell phone and dialed August's number.
"Hi, it's me, everything going alright, how're you guys doing? Uh- huh..........Uh-huh.....Ok, well give me about 5 minutes then head on over. Ok, see you soon, my love to Rini, ok, Bye." Serena hung up and looked at Darien who had a strange expression on his face.
"Sorry about that, I had to tell my friend August something important." she said.
"That's ok." He replied, "She's a good friend?"
"Yeah."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
"So...who's Rini?" Darien asked.
"Well, you see, Rini is very special, especially to me." she paused, "Darien, Rini is my daughter, she's our daughter."
The look on his face was indescribable.
Chapter 3
It was Friday.
Today was the day that Serena was going to meet Darien for lunch and tell him about their daughter.
She wasn't too sure how he would take the news, but nonetheless, she was going to tell him about her.
"At least everything went alright when I told Rini about her father after all these years." she said aloud to herself, "I'm glad Rini is old enough to understand."
"Yeah, me too!" said a voice behind her.
Serena turned to see August in the doorway holding Rini's hand and holding Jacob in her arm.
"And why's that?" asked Serena. "Because," answered August, "if she wasn't old enough she'd be more of a handful than she is now!" Serena laughed, then opened her arms for her daughter to run into.
Rini did just that. Then looking up with wide eyes, she asked, "Mommy, am I gonna see my daddy today?"
Serena smiled and told her in the nicest "mommy" voice she could, "Honey, mommy told you earlier, Daddy may not "be able" to see you today. He's a very busy man. Understand?" Rini nodded her head. "Ok, then, why don't you go get ready to go to the park with Aunt August." Serena finished.
"Ok Mommy. I love you!!!" Rini gave Serena a big hug and then ran out of the room.
Serena sighed, and August, still standing in the doorway knew that she was secretly thinking that Darien may not want to see Rini at all. That made her upset. "How could anyone not love Rini?" she thought, "She is the sweetest little girl I have ever known. If he doens't love her, I'll have to jump him and wring his neck!!" After all, what father wouldn't love his own daughter?
When Serena was finished getting ready, she and August, along with the two children, got into their seperate vehicles and left. August taking the kids to the park; Serena heading towards a small cafe downtown.
Seated at an outside table, Serena impatiently awaited the arrival of the only man she ever loved.
Turning her head, she looked around for him, only to see a crowd of people behind her waiting for their lunch. A tap on her shoulder made her turn her head again, this time to come face to stomach with a person.
She jerked back and lifted her head to look into the face of the person standing in front of her.
"Hi Serenity." Darien greeted.
"I told you Darien, here, my name is Serena." she replied.
"Oh yeah, sorry." he apologized. "So, how have you been? It's been, what, six years since you left?"
Sighing she said, "Yeah, going on seven."
"How do you like it here?" he asked.
"It's nice and quiet. Lots of friendly people. I'm getting along great." she answered.
"That's good to hear." he said.
A long silence drifted between them.
Darien cleared his throat. "I can't keep this up Serenity...er...Serena. I've missed you so much!
I want you to come back."
Her eyes went wide at his proclamation. "What do you mean you want me to come back? You were the one who slept with another woman. What, did you think I wouldn't find out? Did you really believe that you could come here today after six years and think that I would just fall in your arms and love you like I used to?" She was angry and she let it show.....he deserved it.
"I know I deserved that Serena, and I know that what I did was wrong, really really wrong. I want to explain it all to you. That is, if you'll give me the chance." he said.
She waved her hand at him and sighed, "You might as well, I've got no where else to be."
Darien cleared his throat again and began his story.
"After you had left, the last time we were together, I got a page from the hospital. When I called, the woman on the other line told me that you had been in an accident and that they needed me down there right away.
It turned out that the page came from the hospital, but it wasn't about you. A friend of my sister's worked there and she thought it would be funny to get me worried about you and then turn up and say that she just needed a ride home. Before you scoff at me, remember that I was going there for you, and had no intention of taking that woman home with me."
Serena just sat there and waited for him to continue.
He sighed, "Well, she had three other friends with her, one I knew, his name was John Sangon and he was a good buddy of mine in high school. So, I figured since there was at least one guy other than myself in the group, I took them into my car. However, instead of taking them home, John wanted to go to the local bar and have a few drinks with the gang. I didn't see how it would hurt, so I went with them."
Serena started to become bored. "Get to the point, Darien." she said.
"I am; I don't remember how long we were there, but it seemed like forever, apparently I had a few too many and without really realizing it I took Maria home with me. Maria is my sister's friend, the one who called me from the hospital. Anyway, we got to my apartment and unfortunatly one thing led to another and
you found us the next morning." He finished, his eyes cast downward and a frown upon his face.
"Darien, that still doesn't explain why you said all those nasty things to me." Serena stated.
"I know, Serena, and truthfully, I can't even remember half of the things I did say to you that morning. All I want is your forgivness for what I've done, I can't bear living, knowing that you will hate me for the rest of your life."
Serena sat back in her chair and let out a long breath that she didn't know she was holding.
'How long will it be before he hurts me again? What would I do if he did?' she thought to herself.
Darien took her hands in his; "Serena, I know that what I did to you was wrong, and I promise that if you could just forgive me I would leave you alone, and never bother you again." He paused, "That is if you want me too."
Serena glanced at him through her eyelashes, and began pondering what to do. Should she forgive him? Should she put her heart on the line again just because she loved him? And then......suddenly Serena remembered why she had come here in the first place. Rini. Before she did anything she needed to tell him about Rini.
"Excuse me a moment." she said to him as she picked up her cell phone and dialed August's number.
"Hi, it's me, everything going alright, how're you guys doing? Uh- huh..........Uh-huh.....Ok, well give me about 5 minutes then head on over. Ok, see you soon, my love to Rini, ok, Bye." Serena hung up and looked at Darien who had a strange expression on his face.
"Sorry about that, I had to tell my friend August something important." she said.
"That's ok." He replied, "She's a good friend?"
"Yeah."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
"So...who's Rini?" Darien asked.
"Well, you see, Rini is very special, especially to me." she paused, "Darien, Rini is my daughter, she's our daughter."
The look on his face was indescribable.
