CHAPTER NINE - Her Eyes
"Almost there," Craig announced as we turned into a residential street. The rain had stopped, but grey clouds were looming above us, threatening us with more showers. I opened my window, in desperate need for fresh air to calm me, just as he pulled into a wide driveway where a red van was already parked. The garage door creaked as it opened automatically. It was attached to a big beige coloured house with a large front lawn.
Craig cut the engine and looked at me expectantly. "Ready, sweetie?" he asked. I swallowed a lump in my throat and nodded, unbuckling my seat belt. Stepping down from the SUV, I noticed that the other side of the garage was cluttered with "boy" toys: hockey sticks, basketballs, soccer balls, roller blades and a pair of bikes. I smiled wistfully. I guess being messy ran in the family.
I turned and clasped Pete's hand in mine as we followed Craig into the house.
"Manny?" Craig called out, entering through the back door, into the kitchen.
Manny... Manuela. It made sense. I gripped Pete's hand, my knuckles turning white as I felt my heart shoot up to my throat, beating a hundred times faster. I breathed in sharply and closed my eyes, making a mental note to calm down. I opened them and watched as this woman entered the room. I knew it immediately, with no hesitation. I felt it. This was her. She was my mother.
And, her... her eyes. They were just like mine.
Her eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled as she approached me. She didn't say anything but took me in her arms and cried. My own tears ran down my cheeks. There was no holding them back anymore.
"Daddy? Who's that girl?" I heard a small voice say. "And – And why is Mommy and you crying?" I looked up and through my tears, I saw Craig, with dampened cheeks, carrying a little boy who was maybe four years old. It was Manuela, who quietly laughed and replied, "These are tears of happiness, Jakey. Because our family's finally complete." At that, she started to cry again, cupping my face in both her hands and looking into my eyes with this immense look of sadness.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. At those three words, I broke down completely. My knees began to feel weak and I slowly crumpled to the floor, Manuela holding me in her arms and we cried together. Never in my life have I ever cried that way... I simply didn't know I had it in me.
I guess that eighteen years of simply not knowing was finally lifted off my shoulders... and that felt so amazingly good.
A/N: Sorry again for the short chapter! I promise! I'll post quicker next time around. I hope that's enough consolation for everyone out there! Thanks again for all the reviews... it couldn't hurt to have a couple more!! hehe =)