Page 32 of The Biggest Secret
"Chelsea, I’m so happy you came home, sweetheart.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Casanova. I wasn’t sure how all of this was going to go, and I just,” she drops her head, shaking it slightly, “thank you so much for accepting my mistakes.” She reaches out and squeezes my hand and my heart skips a beat.
She reached for me this time.
“There has been no mistake made here at all. You’ve given me a gift greater than anything I ever had. A new generation to love.”
And cue the tears, once again.
“So, what does this mean for you two?”
Way to cut the tears off at the source, Dad.
I clear my throat but don’t make eye contact with Chelsea. “Um, we haven’t gotten that far yet.”
Knock, knock.
Billy’s booming voice carries through the foyer and into the living room where we’re all seated. “Oh, here we go! Adam, you just couldn’t wait to get over here and become the favorite son again, could you? Give Mom the first grandchild. There’s no way the rest of us are going to be able to measure up, I might as well just leave town now!”
I snicker. “You’re such a dramatic ass.”
“Ass!” Dominic squeals.
My eyes widen and Chelsea gives me an evil look. “Adam.”
“It’s Billy’s fault.”
“Is not.”
“Is too.”
“Boys!” Mom corrects us both and we fall into line. She turns to Chelsea and winks. “Just be glad it wasn’t twins! They do run in the family, ya know.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Chelsea
“So that went better than I thought.” Dominic is napping in his room, and Adam and I are settled on the couch. Him with a beer and myself with a glass of wine.
It’s been a very emotional day, and I’m glad to be able to just sit and unwind right now.
“I told you they’d love him. And you.” He knocks his knee with mine and gives me a small smile.
“I know you did. Your parents are amazing people, I shouldn’t have had any doubts,” I shrug. “What I did though, I just couldn’t imagine them, or anyone, wanting to see me again.”
His parents are the most loving wonderful people I have ever met. I’ve never known a mom or dad who put their kids’ needs and wants before their own. Hell, they even put the neighborhood kid's needs and wants above their own. It only makes sense that Jackson came home and fell in love with their only daughter.
If anyone could love Francesca like she deserved, it was Jackson. I saw it when I moved here, the few times he was with her spending time with the family in between playing in the NFL. He could deny it all he wanted, but I saw it. And I wanted to be loved like that, too.
Adam saw his love and was not the least bit happy about it. We had many a conversation about how he didn’t like the way Jackson looked at his sister, or the things he said; little questions he asked about her.
Let me tell you about Adam Frances Casanova. Adam is a perfectionist. He’s protective and loyal to a fault. He’s an alpha if I ever saw one. He’s dominant and takes charge of every situation. What’s worse is that he thinks being in charge is his role and doesn’t allow anyone to question it. His brothers and sister have all fallen into deferring to him. Even Jackson steps to the side of him, to an extent.
Those all sound like great traits but let me tell you. Those are also his faults. His downfall in relationships. He has communication issues and uses avoidance tactics like it’s his job.
In the beginning of our relationship, he did everything. Ordered for me. Opened doors. He strived to be the best boyfriend. Heneededto be the best boyfriend.
But it slowly bled into every other aspect of his life. He had to be the best boss. When we graduated and decided to move back to Christmas, he worked his ass off to be perfect for his dad. For the company. He took his role as leader very seriously and wanted to ensure he succeeded. If he succeeded, so did everyone else.
