A Mother, A Daughter, and A Past
Chapter 4
Darien couldn't shake the feeling that Serena had just turned his life upside down.
Too be sure he heard her right he asked, "Did you just say what I thought you said?"
"That you and I have a daughter? Yeah, I think you heard me right." she replied coolly.
'Coolly, HA, that's a laugh; how could she be so calm about this?' he thought to himself,
'Maybe because she's the one who's been taking care of this child.' he thought again.
He sighed and put his face in his hands; Serena thought for sure he was going to blow up.
So, she decided it was best to just go and let him think this all out on his own.
As she grabbed her purse to leave, he grabbed her wrist and looked up at her.
She looked at him, and the moment their eyes met she could see there were questions he needed answered. And now that she had the truth out, she had no problem answering them.
So, the verbal questioning began.
"So, we have a daughter?" he asked.
"Yes, we do." she answered.
"What does she look like?"
"A lot like you, mixed with a little of me."
"How old is she?"
"Almost seven."
"So, that means....."
"Yes, I was pregnant before I left."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I would have if I hadn't found that brunette in your apartment."
"Oh."
Serena didn't want to hurt him. In fact that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Darien, I'm sorry. I should have told you anyway. But I didn't want you to think that I was telling you just to get you back. It was your choice; me or her, I left it up to you, and left the baby out of it."
Darien shook his head...."I would've chosen you no matter what Serenity. I love you."
She didn't quite know what to make of his proclamation.
'He loves me? After all this time of running away and hiding, he loved me all along?'
Serena looked up at her surroundings.
She didn't realize till now that they had walked to the park across the street and were now sitting on a bench.
"So, what do we do now?" she asked as he took her hand in his.
Intertwining their fingers, Darien had to ask the one question that still plagued his mind. "Serenity? Do you still love me?"
She started crying; after all these years of keeping her emotions held tightly inside of her, she let them all flow from within her.
"Yes, Darien I do love you still. The truth is, I never stopped loving you.
Not for one moment."
They sat there together for what seemed like hours, when Serena suddenly became still.
Darien felt the change; "What wrong Serenity?"
"Nothing, I hope." was the reply.
Then Darien realized that there was someone coming towards them.
A woman with two small children; one seemed to be only a few months old, while the other...... "Oh my," said Darien, "Serenity...is that...her?" he finished, looking at the young girl bounding closer to them. Serena sighed, "Yes Darien, that's Rini."
August saw Serena from far off, sitting on a park bench with Darien.
She smiled at the fact that they both looked happy.
'I knew this would work,' she thought, 'I knew Serena and Darien were perfect for each other the moment I saw that picture he carried in his wallet.'
~*FLASHBACK*~
"So, Dare, who's this girl you've got it bad for?" August asked.
"She's really special, A, she's sweet, funny, beautiful. You would like her." Darien replied.
"Uh-huh, and I suppose she's so special that you don't even have a picture of her to show me?" she joked.
"Oh c'mon A, you know me better than that!" he said as he pulled a small picture from his wallet.
As August looked at the girl in the picture, she could tell that they were meant to be together.
Hopefully, Darien knew it too.
~*END FLASHBACK*~
"Hi Sere!! I hope I'm not to early?" August exclaimed while taking a break from Rini's hand and hugging her. "Nope, right on time!" Serena replied.
"Darien, this is my friend August." she introduced.
But to her surprise instead of a simple handshake, they hugged!
"What's up A? How's it been going?" Darien asked August.
"Hey not much...didn't I say things would work out?" she replied.
Serena, not getting what was happening, spoke up.
"Ok guys, is there something going on here that I don't know about? And how do you too know each other?!" she said.
Darien and August laughed a little and then Darien turned to Serena.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he said "Serenity, I would like you to meet my cousin August. 'A' for short."
"Your cousin!? How could I not have been told about this August?? Darien?? Why the big secret?" Serena asked.
"Because, Sere, if I had told you I knew who you were and that I was Darien's cousin, you and I may not have become friends. You told me yourself that when you got off the plane that this was where you were meant to be. So, by not saying anything, I just kinda helped things along. And I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself." August said.
Serena started laughing. And she couldn't stop.
"What's so funny Sere?" asked August.
"I was just thinking, that it's kind of a coincidence," she said between laughter, "that you really are related to Rini, although you aren't her aunt, you are her family!!"
Darien, having no clue what she was talking about decided it may be best not to ask, and left it alone; for now.
Chapter 4
Darien couldn't shake the feeling that Serena had just turned his life upside down.
Too be sure he heard her right he asked, "Did you just say what I thought you said?"
"That you and I have a daughter? Yeah, I think you heard me right." she replied coolly.
'Coolly, HA, that's a laugh; how could she be so calm about this?' he thought to himself,
'Maybe because she's the one who's been taking care of this child.' he thought again.
He sighed and put his face in his hands; Serena thought for sure he was going to blow up.
So, she decided it was best to just go and let him think this all out on his own.
As she grabbed her purse to leave, he grabbed her wrist and looked up at her.
She looked at him, and the moment their eyes met she could see there were questions he needed answered. And now that she had the truth out, she had no problem answering them.
So, the verbal questioning began.
"So, we have a daughter?" he asked.
"Yes, we do." she answered.
"What does she look like?"
"A lot like you, mixed with a little of me."
"How old is she?"
"Almost seven."
"So, that means....."
"Yes, I was pregnant before I left."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I would have if I hadn't found that brunette in your apartment."
"Oh."
Serena didn't want to hurt him. In fact that was the last thing she wanted to do.
"Darien, I'm sorry. I should have told you anyway. But I didn't want you to think that I was telling you just to get you back. It was your choice; me or her, I left it up to you, and left the baby out of it."
Darien shook his head...."I would've chosen you no matter what Serenity. I love you."
She didn't quite know what to make of his proclamation.
'He loves me? After all this time of running away and hiding, he loved me all along?'
Serena looked up at her surroundings.
She didn't realize till now that they had walked to the park across the street and were now sitting on a bench.
"So, what do we do now?" she asked as he took her hand in his.
Intertwining their fingers, Darien had to ask the one question that still plagued his mind. "Serenity? Do you still love me?"
She started crying; after all these years of keeping her emotions held tightly inside of her, she let them all flow from within her.
"Yes, Darien I do love you still. The truth is, I never stopped loving you.
Not for one moment."
They sat there together for what seemed like hours, when Serena suddenly became still.
Darien felt the change; "What wrong Serenity?"
"Nothing, I hope." was the reply.
Then Darien realized that there was someone coming towards them.
A woman with two small children; one seemed to be only a few months old, while the other...... "Oh my," said Darien, "Serenity...is that...her?" he finished, looking at the young girl bounding closer to them. Serena sighed, "Yes Darien, that's Rini."
August saw Serena from far off, sitting on a park bench with Darien.
She smiled at the fact that they both looked happy.
'I knew this would work,' she thought, 'I knew Serena and Darien were perfect for each other the moment I saw that picture he carried in his wallet.'
~*FLASHBACK*~
"So, Dare, who's this girl you've got it bad for?" August asked.
"She's really special, A, she's sweet, funny, beautiful. You would like her." Darien replied.
"Uh-huh, and I suppose she's so special that you don't even have a picture of her to show me?" she joked.
"Oh c'mon A, you know me better than that!" he said as he pulled a small picture from his wallet.
As August looked at the girl in the picture, she could tell that they were meant to be together.
Hopefully, Darien knew it too.
~*END FLASHBACK*~
"Hi Sere!! I hope I'm not to early?" August exclaimed while taking a break from Rini's hand and hugging her. "Nope, right on time!" Serena replied.
"Darien, this is my friend August." she introduced.
But to her surprise instead of a simple handshake, they hugged!
"What's up A? How's it been going?" Darien asked August.
"Hey not much...didn't I say things would work out?" she replied.
Serena, not getting what was happening, spoke up.
"Ok guys, is there something going on here that I don't know about? And how do you too know each other?!" she said.
Darien and August laughed a little and then Darien turned to Serena.
Wrapping an arm around her waist, he said "Serenity, I would like you to meet my cousin August. 'A' for short."
"Your cousin!? How could I not have been told about this August?? Darien?? Why the big secret?" Serena asked.
"Because, Sere, if I had told you I knew who you were and that I was Darien's cousin, you and I may not have become friends. You told me yourself that when you got off the plane that this was where you were meant to be. So, by not saying anything, I just kinda helped things along. And I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself." August said.
Serena started laughing. And she couldn't stop.
"What's so funny Sere?" asked August.
"I was just thinking, that it's kind of a coincidence," she said between laughter, "that you really are related to Rini, although you aren't her aunt, you are her family!!"
Darien, having no clue what she was talking about decided it may be best not to ask, and left it alone; for now.
