Part 26 (2/2)

Terasa went outside. She leaned against the rail next to her daughter. Caroline smiled as Terasa wrapped her arm around her waist.

”I love the view from up here,” Caroline said as she looked out across the bay.

Terasa looked around the expansive property and nodded in agreement. She sighed heavily. ”The view is what first sold me on the property when we decided to build the house.”

It felt like a lifetime ago. She turned to Caroline and reached up to brush a few stray hairs back from her face. ”You know, I have truly loved only one person in my life,” she said, and then paused to collect her thoughts. ”I met her in Sicily while attending college. I was twenty-two at the time, she was twenty-four.” She laughed at the surprised look on Caroline's face as the realization of what her words meant sank in.

”Oh-wow, Mom, I had no idea,” Caroline said, unable to keep the surprise from her voice.

Terasa smiled and looked back out at the bay. ”When my father found out, he forbade me from ever seeing her again.” She laughed again at the shocked expression on Caroline's face.

”What did you do?”

Terasa chuckled. ”We sneaked around until we got caught, and when your grandfather found out, he sent me to America. He arranged for me to marry your father and told me that if I cared about Serena, I would do as he asked, or she would pay the price for my disobedience.”

Caroline turned to look directly at her mom. She reached up and wiped the tears from Terasa's cheek. After all these years, she could clearly see the pain in her mother's eyes.

”She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, with hair like black silk and piercing grey eyes. In a lot of ways, Rheyna reminded me of her.”

Terasa smiled as she thought about how much Serena and Rheyna resembled each other. There were times when she thought if Serena ever had a child, she would look just like Rheyna. ”I wanted to die. Just knowing that Serena was out there somewhere without me was unbearable,” she said, her voice shaking with emotion. She turned to look at Caroline. ”But I loved her enough to let her go.”

Terasa tried unsuccessfully to keep the tears from spilling down her cheeks. She placed her hands on Caroline's face so she could look her in the eye. ”No person on the face of this earth should ever be forced to pretend to be something they're not, or to live life as a lie.”

Caroline's heart was breaking for her mother. ”Maybe you can still find Serena. There's no one to stop you now.”

”Maybe,” Terasa said, taking Caroline by the hand. ”Come with me, there's someplace I want to take you.”

”And where might that be?” Caroline asked as she let Terasa lead her back into the house.

A sly smile formed on Terasa's mouth. ”You'll just have to wait and see,” she answered as they stepped outside to the waiting limo and Vincent. He nodded to Caroline and smiled as he held the door open.

Caroline turned to Terasa with a puzzled look on her face. Her mom was up to something and had obviously enlisted Vincent's help in this little adventure. ”Can't you at least give me a clue?” she asked after they were settled onto the backseat.

Terasa shook her head and gently squeezed Caroline's hand. ”No, I told you it's a surprise.” Terasa thought about the strings she had to pull to make this happen and the countless number of favors she now owed. They were big ones, but in a short time, each one would be worth it because Caroline was the only thing that mattered to her. She would do anything to ensure her daughter's happiness, no matter the cost.

Caroline looked out the window and noticed they were heading up the coast. She turned to Terasa. ”Mom, what are you up to?”

Terasa feigned ignorance. ”I'm not up to anything, dear. What would ever give you that idea?”

”Yes, you are and somehow, you've talked Vincent into helping you.”

”Nonsense, you just sit there like a good girl,” Terasa said, trying to hide the smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Caroline was too much like her, and she knew she was not about to give up that easily.

Vincent turned onto Topanga Canyon Boulevard and headed south. Caroline looked out the window and turned back to Terasa. She held her thumb and index finger an inch apart. ”Can't you at least give me a tiny hint?”

Terasa was not about to give in. She patted Caroline on the knee. ”I'm not telling you. I promise we'll be there shortly.”

Caroline leaned back in the seat and tried to relax as Vincent maneuvered the car along the winding road. After fifteen minutes of driving, he turned onto a side road and then into the driveway of a small beach house.

Terasa didn't wait for him to come around and open the door. She pulled Caroline out of the car by the hand.

Caroline looked at her with a confused expression on her face. ”I don't understand,” she said as Terasa led her around to the back of the house.

”Whose house is this?” Caroline asked, continuing to follow her mom onto the back deck. She heard a radio playing Inside Your Heaven by Carrie Underwood and then she heard a dog barking somewhere in the distance.

She turned and looked toward the beach and then stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at the two figures walking near the water. She felt her heart catch in her throat. ”Oh my G.o.d-How ... Mom-I don't understand.” She turned to Terasa and saw tears streaming down her face, and felt her own eyes fill up with tears.

”Go, go to her,” Terasa said, waving her hand toward the beach.

Caroline took the deck stairs two at a time. By the time she hit the sand, she was sobbing. She flung off her shoes and ran down the beach where Rheyna stood playing with Annie.

Terasa felt Vincent put his arm around her waist. The two of them watched Caroline run through the sand.

Rheyna turned to look at the figure running toward her. It took less than two seconds for her to realize who it was. The cane in her hand fell to the ground.

”Caroline!” she yelled, and quickly closed the remaining distance between them. She caught Caroline in her arms and lifted her up off the ground, spinning in circles.

Caroline cried as she took Rheyna's face in her hands. She kissed her with so much tenderness and love. ”Please, please, don't ever leave me again,” she said between kisses.

”I promise I'll never leave you again,” Rheyna said, pulling Caroline close and kissing her deeply.

Caroline pulled back to look at her. ”I think you have some serious explaining to do.”

”I know I do, but can I do it later?” Rheyna asked sheepishly.

”I guess so,” Caroline said as she cupped Rheyna's face and kissed her softly.

Vincent laughed as Annie playfully jumped around the two women and then proceeded to knock them to the ground. She happily licked Caroline's face and then Rheyna's and then Caroline's again.

Teresa turned to Vincent and smiled. He turned his head to keep her from seeing the tears running down his cheeks.

”Are you getting soft on me, Vincent?” she asked, hugging the big man close.

He puffed out his chest and shook his head, trying to compose himself. ”Me, soft? Never!”

Terasa knew better. Deep down, Vincent was one big lovable teddy bear. She saw the little smile form at the edge of his mouth as he turned and looked at Caroline and Rheyna laying on the beach, and Annie who had now turned her attention to biting at the waves.

Chapter 26.

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