5 Years Ago -Rome, WI

"So you're Julia," Kim said, "I heard about your parents. I'm sorry."

"Thanks," I said, wondering how my parents managed to lie about who they were for so long, "Your parents were nice enough to take me in . . . I didn't expect it."

"You look familiar," Kim added, as she studied me, "Did we know each other before?"

I shrugged, "I don't think so."

"I just have the strangest sense of deja vu. What were your parents names again?"

"Carolyn and Sam Albani," I lied, taking the names from the set of documentation I decided to use, "Listen, I'm not going to hurt or take advantage of your parents. They've been very kind to me, and without them I'll probably be in some foster home. I just want to finish school, and live my life again."

Kim nodded thoughtfully, "You're very direct."

"I take after my mother," I replied, as I studied the 30-year-old woman in front of me, "I don't want or need another set of parents. Mine were great, and no one could ever replace them."

Kim sighed, "Listen, Julia. I'm 30, Matthew is 26, and Zach is 22. We're adults now, and we live far from where we grew up. My parents have always had good judgement, and I'll take you at your word when you say that you won't hurt them."

"Thank you."

Present - Tahiti

"I went to Rome High School, and lived with the Brocks," I finished, "No one knew me, or really questioned where I came from. They were good to me, but I hated not telling anyone who I really was. Who my parents were, and what happened. I want to tell people. I need to tell people, they should know. The world should know what the mafia is capable of."

I stared down at their graves, as I continued, "I want them to pay for what they did to you. I'm going to make them pay."

5 Years Ago - Rome, WI

"Hey, Julia!" Zach called, "Surprise!"

"Hi, Zach," I said, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that I would surprise my parents, and I needed a break from law school. Look at you! You look great."

"Thanks," I said, as I closed my textbook, "Your parents are inside. I was just doing some studying."

"Senior year. I remember it. Any idea where you want to go to college?"

I shrugged, "I sent my applications out. Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA, mostly schools on the west coast."

"The Wisconsin winters getting to you?"

"I miss the sun, and the beach."

Zach nodded, "Me too, especially in February around here. I'm going surprise them, maybe we could catch a movie while I'm here?"

"Maybe."

Present - Tahiti

I rose from my parent's graves slowly, "I'll be back. I promise. I love you. I want to make you proud of me."

"Julia?" a voice said from behind me, "My God. Julia Cooke?"

3 Years Ago - Rome, WI

"I think Zach has a crush," Jill whispered.

"On Julia? She's a freshman in college, and only 18. He's 24, and about to graduate from law school."

"Oh, I'd say she is wise beyond her years," Jill replied, "Plus she is a beautiful young woman, Jimmy. He keeps staring at her!"

"And she is oblivious to him," Jimmy sighed, as he followed his son's gaze, "Jill, this can't be good."

"Because of who she is? Where she came from?"

"Yes. What if she tells him? How do you think that he'll react? How would anyone react?"

"Not well."

"Hey, Julia," Zach said, "How was your first semester?"

"Good," I replied, as I turned away from fire, "It wasn't as hard I thought it would be."

"Really? I was so homesick my first semester."

I shrugged, "I kept busy. Between studying and soccer, it didn't leave me time for much else."

"No guys?"

"Zach!"

"Come on," he teased, "You can tell me."

I shrugged, not liking to puppy dog look in his eyes, "I don't have time for guys."

Plus I don't know what to tell them, I thought. Julia Alabani? The orphan? Julia Cooke? The girl who watched her parents be brutally slaughtered, and then killed to known mobsters. Somehow it isn't what guys want to hear.

"What do you say that you and me go out to dinner before we both go back to school?" he asked, "My treat."

"I was planning on flying back early," I said, "Getting some soccer practice in."

"Come on," he begged, "You work too hard. One dinner. It'll be fun.

Present - Tahiti

"Julia?" Terry repeated, as he dropped his bouquet of flowers to the ground, "Holy shit!"

I just stared at my first boyfriend in total shock, "Terry?"

"I thought that you were dead! Everyone did! What are you doing here? Why didn't you let anyone know that you were alive? Where the hell have you been?"

"It's complicated, Terry," I said softly, "Very complicated . . . I should go. Just forget that you ever saw me."

"Forget? How am I supposed to do that?" he said, "My God, Julia. What happened to you?"

"I . . . my parents," I whispered, as I gulped back the tears that threatened to spill, "They killed my parents, they were going to kill me . . . I ran, hid, until they were gone. I watched them die, Terry."

"Oh, Julia," he said softly, "Who were they?"

Lie, I thought, lie. Don't drag him into this, "The robbers. Mom and I came home, Dad was already here, and they shot them. I was so scared. They said that they would kill me too."

"Where?"

I shook my head, "Far away. I knew I had to come back some day, to say good bye to them."

"You have to tell the police what you know. They never were caught."

"I can't," I pleaded.

"Julia."

I shook my head, "Terry, no. You can't tell anyone I'm here either. I'm leaving . . ."

"Let me help you."

Present - Rome, WI

"She went where?" Zach asked, "I wanted to surprise her. Why Tahiti?"

"She worked hard in school, and I guess she wanted a vacation," Jill replied, "Zach, honey, I don't think she's interested in you that way."

"Mom," he said patiently, "She hasn't ever had a serious relationship. I want to be her first one, her only one. I fell for Julia when she was barely 15, and I was 21."

"I'm not sure that she's coming back," Jill replied, "She has a lot to figure out."

"So she's just going to cut us out of her life? After all that you and Dad did for her? That isn't the Julia that I know."

"Zach."

"She is hurting, she has always been hurting. She never dealt with her parent's death very well," Zach said carefully, "I want to help her, Mom, make her happy again."

"Just let it be, Zach. If she wants your help, she'll ask for it."

Present - Tahiti

"You don't know what you're asking of me," I said, "Terry, there are people out there that will kill me if they know that I'm alive. The same people that killed my parents."

"It was more than a robbery, wasn't it?"

"My parents . . . they had a lot of secrets. That's what killed them. I can't say anymore. Please Terry, don't tell anyone."

"You call me if you need anything. I mean it Julia, day or night."

Present -Berkeley, CA

"What did I learn in Tahiti?" I muttered, as I pushed the door to my apartment open, "Uh, hello?"

"Hey, Julia. Congrats on graduating," Zach said, as he stood up, "I heard you were coming back today."

"How did you get in here?"

"I told the landlord I was your brother. How was Tahiti?"

"I'll have to talk to him about that," I said under my breath, "Why are you here?"

"I thought we could celebrate," Zach said, "Here, I got you a graduation present."

"I'm really not in the mood for this," I said, "Maybe some other time."

"Come on. Just open it," he prodded, as he handed me the wrapped box.

Sighing, I pulled the box and paper off, "Zach, wow. Uh, I don't know what to say."

"I saw it and thought of you," he said, as he lifted the diamond flower necklace out of the box, "It's beautiful, just like you. You've gone and grown up on us, Julia. Let's see how it looks on you."

"It's too much," I protested, as he fastened the clasp around my neck.

"It's perfect," he said, as he brushed my hair back off my face, "Like you. I've dreamt of this moment."

"Zach."

"Ssh,"he whispered, as he bent his head down to kiss me.

I can't do this, I thought, as his lips met mine. Oh, this is nice. His tongue pried my lips apart, as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Julia," he breathed, as he pulled back, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

"We can't do this," I said quietly, as I took a step back, "I'm not ready for this."

"I've waited for six years," he replied, "What do you say we try dinner first?

"Okay," I said, "I know I have some chicken in the freezer and some wine, if you don't mind eating in?"

"I'd love to," he agreed, "Do you have any candles?"

"In that drawer," I said, as I stepped closer to the kitchen and tried to get my bearings back.

"Got them," I heard, as I opened the fridge.

"Great, the matches should be there too," I called back, "Zach?"

Hearing nothing but silence, I laid the frozen produce on the counter and made my way back to my living room, "Zach? Are you okay?"

"Who are you?" he gasped, as he turned to look at me.

"What are you talking about? You know who I am."

"No I don't! Do my parents know?"

"Know what?" I asked, as I saw the photographs in his hand, "Oh."

"You're," he choked, "It's not possible! Who the hell are you?"

"Julia Cooke, not Albani," I replied, "Zach listen to me!"

"Do you know what your parents put us through? I watched the mob torture and shoot my brother because of them!"

"They told me."

"Do my parents know who you are?"

"They do."

"Why didn't they tell us?"

"It was too dangerous. My parents were killed when I was 14, and if the mob knew about me . . . I'd be dead too. They kept me safe."

"Max and Kenny, they died in Mexico. My Dad saw it."

"No . . . They died in Tahiti six years ago. I watched them die, Zach. That's why I went back last week, to say goodbye."

"You're Kenny and Max's daughter," he repeated, "I see it now . . . You look like Max."

"That's what people tell me," I replied, "My Mom was beautiful . . . I still miss them."

"So what? We're just supposed to wait around for the mob to kill you?"

"They don't know about me! The people that came to kill my parents died that day too. I don't exist anymore. They think I'm dead too."

"What about the hitmen?"

"They're dead," I repeated.

"How?"

"I killed them," I said softly.

"What!"

"They killed my parents, they were going to kill me."

"I can't stay here," Zach said, as he stood, "I can't believe this."

"You can't tell anyone about me."

"Who would believe me?"

"Please."

Present - Rome, WI

"Zach went to see Julia?" Jimmy asked dumbfounded, "Why?"

"He's crazy about her," Jill replied, "You know that?"

"She's rebuffed him for years."

"Same with just about everyone who tried to get close to her. I worry about her, Jimmy. There is a world of not just hurt, but anger buried in her. I hope she made peace with it in Tahiti, with her parents."

"She won't even talk about them anymore."

"She misses them . . . I know she and Max were really close from what she has said, and I think she was a daddy's girl too. They would be so proud of her, Jimmy."

Present - Berkeley, CA

I sank down onto my sofa after Zach stormed out. Picking up the photos, I sighed.

"I wish that you were here."

7 Years Ago - Tahiti

"You're so perfect," Dad said, "Hmm, Tamara. I want you, right now."

"Michael . . . Julia is in the next room."

"Sorry, I can't keep my hands off of you. Never have been able to."

"Well, I happen to like your hands on me," she countered, as she kissed him quickly, "But what if we save it for later? I bought something today that I think that you'll like."

"God, I love you."

"I love you too."

I smiled, as I listened to their conversation. That's what I want, I thought, I want to be in love with my husband after all those years have gone by.

"Hmm," Mom said, "I have to help Julia with her homework . . ."

"When do we ever use geometry?"

"Ssh. Kids aren't supposed to know that," Mom giggled, "Later, okay?"

"You're killing me, Sweetheart."

I shook my head, as Mom came back into the living room, "You took a long time to get the sodas."

"Sorry, kiddo. Here."

"Do I really not need geometry?" I asked.

"You need to know it," Mom replied, "At least to graduate high school. After that . . ."

"What does happen after that? What do I do? What can I do?"

"Anything you want."

"Mom, you can't be serious. I know you and Dad aren't leaving here, so how can I? What if . . ."

Mom sighed, "No one knows about you, or any of us for that matter. Most days I don't even think about it. As much as your father and me want to keep you tucked away here, we can't. There is a whole world out there, kiddo, and it isn't a horrible and scary place. We've seen a lot of it, and you should too. Someday. When you're older."

"I'm scared," I admitted, "Sometimes when I'm walking home and someone looks at me funny, I think . . . What if they're here to . . . How can I ever leave?"

"You have nothing to be scared of. Ever," Mom said firmly, "Julia, I promise you that."

"You and Dad. How do you . . . lead a normal life in the middle of all of this? And raise me? And be so happy together? It seems like too much."

"You are a blessing. Even in the beginning when I had no clue how to take care of you. It was so hard leaving everything behind, and then we had you . . . You make your Dad and me so proud, kiddo, and happy."

"Mom."

"I mean it."

"So what happens if I go off to college?"

Mom smiled, as she brushed my hair back, "We'll miss you, but I know that you are more than capable of doing anything you set your mind to."

"And it'll give you and Dad more time to . . ."

"Retire," Mom interjected.

Present - Rome, WI

"Mom! Dad!" Zach yelled, as he stormed into his childhood home, "How could you not tell me?"

"Zach?" Jill asked, as he stumbled into the living room.

"Julia is Kenny and Max's daughter? What the hell! How could you keep this a secret? Dad! You know they didn't die in Mexico! How could you, especially after what happened to Matthew?"

Zach fell silent, as he noticed the other occupants of the room.

"I guess we have some explaining to do," Jimmy offered lamely.