Page 13 of Divine Obsession

As we turned the corner, we entered the luxurious, three-Michelin star restaurant, also known asMoretti’s.Known for its authentic, to-die-for Italian food, as well as three-month wait list.

I followed behind Salvatore as he headed up a fancy staircase, leading us to the VIP section with larger tables. Wewalked straight towards a table of five, though I slowed down as anxiety suddenly flooded throughout me.What was I doing? I didn’t even know these people–

The moment a beautiful brunette noticed us, she stood. Four kids followed, falling in line as she smiled, approaching us.

Completely ignoring her husband, apart from a light touch on the arm, Ines reached for my hands. From years of faking high-society manners, I unconsciously complied.

Her eyes watered when she saw my red ones, the aftermath of my crying still obvious, as I felt her give my hands a soft squeeze. She opened her arms, pulling me into a hug, and embracing me tightly. Despite wrongly assuming it would be robotic, her touch comforted me, warming my cold skin.

It was the hug of a mother.

Something I hadn’t experienced in a very long time.

I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but when she pulled back, she was crying too. Her soft hands cupped my face, stilling my chin.

“Mio Dio, posso dire che sei bella dentro tanto quanto lo sei fuori.” She spoke so honestly, I knew it came from the heart.

“Grazie mille,” I replied shyly at her compliment.

She gasped, followed by a small laugh. “Parli italiano? Come mai?”

“Ho studiato.”

She smiled somberly, understanding exactly what I meant.

Growing up, I didn’t remember much about my mother. Though one thing I knew for certain, we were Italian.

So, as a kid, I learned the language. At the time, it made me feel closer to her somehow.

“Natalia, please meet my wife, Ines,” Salvatore spoke with a smile, from behind his wife.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! Where are my manners? I just feel like I’ve known you this whole time.”

“Me, too,” The confession escaped me so easily, it was the truth.

Ines smiled, my hand still in hers as she guided me closer to the table. “This is Carmen. She is eighteen.” She introduced me to her oldest daughter, the one with light-brown hair, just like hers, before moving on to the second, who resembled Salvatore’s dark features. “And Kimberly, fifteen.”

A smile took over my face when they both gave me a cute, excited wave, their smiles big and sincere.

“And these are the twins, Nicolas and Emmanuel. They’re turning thirteen this month.”

The boys gave me matching grins, which I returned, though they looked nothing alike. Emmanuel was nothing like his brother, with his light-brown hair and soft eyes, matching his mother and oldest sister.

But there was something dark about Emmanuel; something I couldn’t pinpoint. He had a tired look in his eyes that only I seemed to notice. I suddenly wanted to hug him and ask what was wrong. Because somethingwas. And it broke my heart that I was the only one able to see the pain behind his perfect smile.

“We call them Nico and Manny,” Kim announced, stepping between the twins and throwing her arms around their shoulders, though I could tell her hold was slightly tighter on Manny. And I knew – whatever it was – she knew too. It lightened my chest to know they had each other’s backs.

“It is so nice to meet you all.” I smiled as Ines wrapped her arms around her babies and gave them a quick squeeze.

The picture-perfect modern American family.

For a moment, there was a sick, nasty feeling in my gut. Like that was supposed to bemine.

Not the black and grey orphanage.

I couldn’t disassociate like Maria. I couldn’t daydream with my eyes wide open like she did as a kid, seeing opportunities instead of challenges. Paris instead of the Bronx.

I was always wide awake.

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