The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)
TheRandomTeam:
great update, i'm so happy updates r coming so fast u really have a great story coming along. keep up the great work!
CuriousSimmer:
The Inheritance
Chapter 4 - Part X
December 1964
Christmas Day
Some things that pile up in nearly twenty years of marriage are easy to quantify.
There are the things that a couple accumulates, like furniture, household goods, and trinkets such as the serving platter we received for our tenth anniversary.
But what about the photographs and the memories that were attached to them? How did one determine who got what?
And what of the time spent on a marriage, the nearly two decades of time that one invested in a relationship? I could never get it back.
The doorbell rang, stirring me from my reverie. I went into the hall to see my daughter opening the door.
Josephine and Donovan kissed hello while Judith and I exchanged slightly abashed looks. Josephine said, "Merry Christmas, Donovan. Merry Christmas, Mrs. O'Reilly."
"Thank you. And thank you for having us," said Judith.
"Donovan, Dante is in the kitchen if you'd like a cocktail," I said.
Fifteen minutes later we all sat down to dinner. "How's school coming, Josephine?" asked Judith as she cut her turkey. "I hope my son isn't distracting you too much from your studies," she said wryly.
"Not at all," said Josephine with a grin. "I should graduate next year."
"Any plans after that?" she asked.
"We'll see."
"So, dad," said Marco, leaning in to peer down the table at his father. "Have you decided whether you'll run for re-election? They're coming up, aren't they?"
"I've got time," Dante said simply, then looked back down to his plate.
Andre leaned forward too. "Are you all right, dad? You don't sound so good?"
"I'm fine," replied Dante without looking up.
After dinner, but before dessert, Donovan cleared his throat and said, "Signor Moretti, Signora Moretti, if you don't mind. I'd like to give Josephine one last Christmas gift."
I looked across the table and saw Dante finally take interest. A secret smile passed between him and Donovan and then Donovan placed a small felt case on the table between himself and Josephine.
"What's this?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"Open it."
There was a ring with a small diamond inset. Josephine pulled it from the box, finally managing to tear her eyes from it up to Donovan.
"Will you marry me?" he asked.
Josphine laughed and slipped the ring onto her finger. "Of course I will, yes."
There was much cheering. It was the perfect ending to a beautiful family meal. Too bad, then, that it came when another marriage was dissolving. But at least for now, we were together; a family united by blood and love.
And though a part of me was sad, shocked to find that my daughter was no longer the little girl she should have been, I knew that I wasn't losing a daughter, but gaining a son.
One week later...
The school holiday was over, and Dante volunteered to drive Josephine to the train depot while I got Andre and Lara ready to resume school the next morning.
"I'm sorry about the divorce," said Josephine to Dante as they drove through the darkness. "I don't know what to say."
"Sometimes there's just nothing to say," Dante replied, smiling at Josephine sadly. What a fine girl she had been, and grown into a fine young woman. He couldn't have been prouder if she was his own flesh and blood.
"Do you really think mom...tried to kill you?" Josephine asked incredulously. "I realize you're hurt, but I can't imagine she would do anything to hurt anyone, regardless of how..." her voice trailed off.
"How I hurt her," Dante said, his voice catching a little. Josephine nodded and Dante continued. "No, I don't think she did anything of the sort. But...it's complicated."
"Daddy, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm going to get married myself, soon," she said, twisting her engagement ring. "Don't think I won't understand. Try me."
Dante sighed. "I know you're not. It's just so hard for me to accept that you're not a little girl anymore. It seems like yesterday you were small enough to fit in the crook of my arm."
"Dad," she said. "Do you love mom?"
"Yes."
"Then how can you let her think you suspect her?" Josephine demanded.
Dante was silent for awhile, thoughtfully looking out the windshield. Finally, he confessed, "It's easier for me to pretend to be angry with her than to admit to myself that I hurt her. It's easier for me to be silent than to do what I know I should: beg for her forgiveness and throw myself at her mercy."
Josephine reached out and touched her father's hand on the steering wheel. "You have to tell her."
"I'm afraid," Dante whispered, his voice cracking. "She could refuse to forgive me."
"That's the price you pay for what you've done," said Josephine sadly.
Dante nodded his head, and they were silent for a few more minutes until he parked at the train station. "Let me help with your bag," he said.
"I'm fine. Donovan's waiting for me," said Josephine. She kissed Dante's cheek and said, "Tell her, daddy. She loves you."
Dante watched Josephine walk into the station with her bag and then stared at the train as it pulled out of the station. He was still watching a long time later when it disappeared from his view, deep in thought.
An hour later...
We had agreed to tell Andre and Lara about our plans to divorce that night when he returned. I was nervously waiting on the couch, watching the news with them when Dante finally returned. As he came over, I switched off the set and sat back down. "Andre, Lara, there is something that your father and I need to tell you."
"What's going on?" Andre demanded suspiciously.
I hesitated, twiddling my thumbs. "Your father and I have decided that it would be better for both of us if we get a divorce," I finally said. "He's going to move out of the house."
"What?" Andre said incredulously.
"How come?" Lara demanded.
"Sometimes, two people just...can't live together anymore," I said, my heart breaking at the look of sadness in my daughter's eyes. "But we'll both still be here for you, and we both love you very much. You and your brothers and sisters," I added, looking warmly at Andre.
"Liar!" said Lara.
"This is your fault," she said, pointing at me. "You left for all that time and then when you came back it was different. You did it!"
I felt the couch shift and looked to see Dante sitting next to me. For a moment I longed for him to put an arm around me and pull me close...
...but he didn't. He simply said, "Lara, don't speak to your mother that way. If I ever hear that you did, you're going to be in serious trouble."
He paused, then blew out a sigh. "This is hard, for both of us and it will be hard for you. But it's my fault, Lara. My fault, Andre. I did something wrong, not your mother. She's only been kind and gracious and loving for you. So you will respect her, do you understand?"
"Yes sir," chorused Lara and Andre, but the former still looked angry.
I glanced at Dante as if to say thank you, and he smiled. It was the first genuine smile he had given me in months. And then tears welled in his eyes and the wall of coldness fell over him again, leaving me on the outside.
"Bedtime, my darlings," I said, clearing my throat. "We can talk about this more tomorrow if you have questions. But everything is going to be fine, I promise."
But was that a promise I could keep?
End of Chapter 4
CuriousSimmer:
It's time for a poorly made preview of Chapter 5!
There are some loose ends that I've been letting hang out for a bit, and it seems like it might be confusing, so I'm going to try to explain it all in chapter 5. I've been unable to tell as much of the story as I'd like but I hope it will all make sense at the end.
Thanks everyone for reading!
eefje00704:
No, thank YOU for writing!
magma067:
thank u so much-this update was great...i hope dante and elizabeth get back 2gether
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