“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I never told you.”
“No,” Vincent murmured. “You never did. I don’t—”
“I never mentioned her because I’ve had to live as if she never existed.”
“I don’t—I don’t understand,” I said.
“She told me to stay away from her and her husband. But I’ve just found out she’s been manipulated and controlled by this—thishorribleman for years, and she’s finally left him.”
He blinked back tears, but one escaped and trickled over his cheek. “She wants to meet with me,” he said in a voice filled with emotion.
Holy shit. Before I could get to him, Vincent stood and stepped forward, wrapping Matteo in his arms.
“Oh my God, Matteo,” Vincent said.
Taylor and I followed suit, recognizing a man brought to a place he’d given up on ever seeing again.
“I wish you hadn’t kept such an important part of you a secret,” I murmured.
“I’m so sorry, Nic. It was easier if I just pretended I didn’t have a—a daughter,” Matteo whispered.
“We’re going to have to talk about this,” I murmured, but I tightened my hold on Matteo.
“I know,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I affirmed.
Matteo nodded and pulled back from us. “I told her about you two, who you are to me, about our arrangement. She said she wants to meet you both. Maybe tomorrow?”
I nodded, looking at Vincent and Taylor. “Sure.”
“Okay, good. Thank you.”
We didn’t say anything more about it. We hadn’t met Zarah yet, and it seemed too early to dissect this new development.
* * * *
Matteo arranged for Zarah to come by after supper the next day. He hadn’t really explained the situation any more than to say he was sorry to have kept her a secret from all of us. After the first couple of times, I told him to leave it alone, that we’d talk about it in depth at a later date. Zarah was his daughter, and we looked forward to meeting her. The fact that she knew who we were to her father and still wanted to meet us was reassuring, even if this entire situation was unnerving and unexpected.
Zarah had deep brown hair and eyes, like Matteo, but her complexion was much darker than his, indicating the influence of an additional ethnicity. She was stunning, with bold intelligent eyes, an assertive nose and a lush mouth—standing as tall as Matteo.
“Zarah, these are Nic and Vincent, my partners,” Matteo said.
“I’m so pleased to meet you!” Zarah said with sincerity.
“Welcome, Zarah,” I said, holding out a hand that she shook with eagerness.
“Hi,” Vincent said, shaking her hand after I did, a cautious look on his face.
“And this is Taylor,” Matteo said, “our son.”
Taylor stepped forward. He cleared his throat and threw me a glance before offering Zarah a smile. “Hey, sis.”
I wanted to kiss Matteo for being bold enough to reinforce Taylor’s validity in this household.
Zarah frowned. She looked back and forth between Matteo and Taylor. “I don’t understand. I’m sorry. Your…son?”
Taylor laughed, his contagious amusement lightening the mood in the room.
