Below deck, Livvie lunged from her bed again, but Remington moved faster, blocking her way to the stairs and reaching up to close the hatch.
"I understand the impulse, a stor. Believe me, I feel as helpless as you. But Sophie is finally talking, it would seem, and we wouldn't want her to close up, now would we?" Livvie deflated before his eyes, her shoulders slumping and her eyes on the door that would lead her to her sister.
"No," she whispered, defeated.
"Come, sit with me." He guided her to the bunk she'd been in only moments before, then waited while she reluctantly sat. "Do you recall the first time we went to Greece after Sophie came to us?"
She shrugged. Not really. Hazy memories at best, the party celebrating Holt and Sophie's baptism the only clear memories and even those came in flashes.
"Oh, well," he drew out the words, a sign he'd be telling the story with enjoyment. "Sophie wasn't over the trauma of being present when her mother was murdered and had never been without Clarissa so much as a night of her life. Had it not been for you, I'm not sure how she'd made it through those first months. She was afraid of men, your Granddad and present company included. She found some sense of safety in Aunt Lina and Grams after a spell, but it was your mother to whom she'd attached herself to, somehow knowing at such a tender age that your mother would protect her from whatever might come. And your mother," he chuckled low in her voice, "Well, it had only taken one look at the terror in Sophie's eyes for her to turn into a tigress prepared to bear her claws and eviscerate whomever dared even try to hurt Sophie on her watch."
"Mom always has been close to Phie." The air of wistfulness surprised him, hinting a vulnerability she'd refused to share previously. He eased closer, stretched his arm around her and rubbed her arm vigorously while pressing his lips to her temple.
"Ah, a stor," he sighed. "She's as close to you as she is Sophie, in her own way," he lifted a brow at her "…when you'll allow it." She at least snickered beneath her breathe. "It's my own fault, I suppose," he heaved a false sigh.
"Because I'm yours?" He was thrown akilter by that one. He and Laura would have to be more discrete when they spoke. He chuckled lightly, but refused to acknowledge the question.
"Because from the day we knew you were conceived, I believed wholly that you were a girl and hoped daily you'd be just like your mother." She shriveled her nose. "You may take after me in appearance… height aside—"
"Daaaaaaaaaaaaa!" she drew his name out in complaint and poked him in the ribs. She considered it a personal affront that not only did Sophie and Holt tower over her, but she hadn't even made it to her mother's five-foot-six yet, lagging an inch behind.
"Speaking of your mother," he groused, pretending to rub offended ribs. "As I was saying, before so rudely assaulted, except for appearance you are your mother through-and-through: Bull-headed, short-tempered, running to danger instead of away, independent to a fault, unwilling to yield when you believe you are in the right, razor-tongued—"
"Gee, thanks, Da," she crossed her arms.
"You didn't let me finish: You love fiercely, once someone has earned your loyalty no one is able to shake it and you guard what is yours with the tenacity of a jaguar hunting its prey." He gave her a small shake with that arm wrapped around her. "It's those last things which allow your mother and I to know, unequivocally, you'd have never knowingly put Sophie in harms way. But, it's those other things that put you and your mother at sixes-and-nines. She knows all too well how an impetus decision made in the moment can lead to regrets that may weigh you down for years to come."
"Like me with Phie?" she questioned, downtrodden again.
"You may not like my answer, but yes, to a degree. In a pique of anger, you made a decision which could have ended in any number of regrets, even If just guilt for betraying the trust your mother and I gift you," he told her honestly. "But… no one could have predicted what did happen, and," he emphasized, "It could still have been so much worse." The little hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, at the thought of Roselli, on the lam, after bribing his way past a prison guard…
A guard who ended up dead for his troubles.
"Do you mean Anthony Roselli?" He nodded slowly.
"Yeah, I do. But, getting back to your mother. If you think she's hard on you, be thankful. She wasn't much older than you when her father left"… the bugger… "and she had no one to depend on but herself. If she wants anything as much as she wants you safe, it's that you don't have to grow up far beyond your time. If your temper gets the better of you and you feel less than grateful for that love, then take a moment to look around and remember that all you see before you is by her hand: The Agency, our home…" he flicked a wrist towards the center of the cabin, "…this boat, our places in Vail and Europe and even your grandad, grans and the entire Androkus family. All of it stands as testament to just how much she loves this family." Her brows drew together and lips puckered, doubtfully.
"She said the same thing about you the day I told you—" She stopped and stricken eyes fell on him. She'd never forget how he looked that day, how she had hurt… or the way she'd dismissed what her mother had say until she'd needed him more than she ever had in her life. She licked her lips and changed course. "The day I ran away."
"I came into our marriage with a few more nuts stored away than she, but don't be fooled: If all our investments were to bankrupt, your mother's comfortable enough in her own right to keep us in the lifestyle to which we've all become accustomed."
"Because of the Agency," Livvie concluded.
"The very one, although even if not for the Agency, she'd find a way to make sure the three of you were secure in all you've ever known: This life by her design." She worried her lip for a second, then with a nod of her head, set the matter aside to examine in depth at another time, much like Laura.
"The first time Phie went to Greece?"
"Mmm, yes," he veered easily to their original conversation. "When we arrived at YaYa and Papouli's, you were greeted the same as you've always been—"
"A crushing bear hug from Papouli and covered in kisses by YaYa," she laughed. He joined in.
"Exactly. Holt, not quite four months at the time, was whisked away immediately, for all the relatives to meet the youngest addition to the clan. But, Sophie? Marcos and Elena hadn't so much as said a word to her. Just as your mother was fixing to work herself into a lather, Marcos said to her…
"This is our way, Lara. Melina has explained to Elena and I that your Sophia is fearful of new people. We do not wish to overwhelm her. She will come to us in her own time.."
"It wasn't a matter of days before Sophie was seeking those kisses from Elena and those hugs from Marcos. Much as he'd promised your mother that day, I promise you this: While Sophie needs your mother at the moment, it is with you she'll find her footing again, as she did when she first arrived on our doorstep. Be patient, a stor, she'll come to you…"
"In her own time," Livvie finished on a yawn. Sitting up, Remington bussed Livvie on the top of the head.
"In her own time. Get some sleep, Livvie Bee. I suspect we've an early morning in store for us." With a nod, she crawled across the bed, pulled up the sheet and turned towards the wall, intent on waiting for her sister to reappear, but despite those intentions was fast asleep before Remington had fully settled himself in the bunk he'd call bed for the evening.