Shattered - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

"Are you ready to go in?" Nathan asks me while I was looking out of the car window at the big familiar house that I used to spend my time in.
"Yeah, I just need a moment." I've been dreading this moment from the moment we sat in the car, it's just this weird feeling that I can't describe, even though the situation was blown out of proportion and people saw what the articles butchered.
Just seeing his parents gave me anxiety at the fact that we've haven't seen each other for four years and now they have a grandson out of nowhere. What if they are angry that at me for keeping their grandson away from them or something?
He rest his hand on my thigh, "it's okay, you have nothing to worry about babe."
"What do you mean nothing to worry about? All I know is that your parents can be angry at me for keeping Leo away and hate me. Why would they not hate me? I mean what kind of mother keeps her son away from his birth father?" I ramble on panicking.
"Shhh, you'll be okay, now calm down Leo is waking up from his nap," he says stepping out of the car and to the back where Leo was buckled in.
I take a deep breath myself before stepping out of the car, the sunlight shines on my skin emitting it's warmth and starts to calm me down. I've been cold sweating, my palms are all sweaty and shaky. My legs can't seem to sit still and my heart rate quickens, inhaling and exhaling in attempt to regain a calm state.
Leo wakes up holding Nathan's hand while he wraps his other arm around me, we walk to his parents front door then he knocks.
My heart rate stays the same as the sound of foosteps approach th door, as it opens we were met with the face of a maid, she kindly let us in following us to the direction of their kitchen. Leo was looking around curiously, adjusting to the new place setting and Nathan brought us out to the backyard where a nice table was set up.
It had vases of flowers nicely placed with utensils set along and Nathan's siblings. Sam his younger brother and Aviana, they weren't particularly close to each other, they don't tell each other everything but some stuff they do. Mainly because Sam lives in a different state and Aviana is busy with her own fashion line, she barely came around.
They both greet Nathan, looking at our son then quickly averting their eyes to me in shock. Aviana's expression changed speedily seeming more intimidating with anger, "why the hell is she back?" He asks, Aviana probably was not updated on the news clearly and her words stung me. When you personally step out of the public eye, everything is left to secrecy and allows curiosity to take over.
Nathan's expression changed, he looked at her with a killing expression, "Aviana, stop being rude."
"Why Nathan? She already tried with Luc, who knows that she didn't sleep with another man and is this even her child?" Aviana asks in a irritated tone, to be honest it made me happy that she was looking out for her older brother, I wish I had the priceless to do the same with my sibling.
"Actually, Aviana this is our son Leo, you're nephew... Did nobody update you on anything?"
"Update me on what? I just got back from Milan today, I've been resting after the flight, I've been travelling around the world and barely have had any time to speak to any of you, please inform me on what I miss. I hate being out of the loop." She says exasperatedly.
"Aviana," Nathan's dad Anthony starts, "me and your mom kind of forgot to tell you what's going on. Nathan found out years ago that Alina was innocent and we made the whole country hate her for- something she didn't do..."
"So we basically were horrible to her for no reason? This story gets even better every step of the way, so I don't have to be mean to her, thank god."
"Yes, unfortunately..." Nathan's mom Elise said.
"Oh... Alina... I'm sorry, I didn't know." She apologizes right away for her ill mannered behaviour towards me.
"It's okay, don't worry about it," I tell her trying to reassure her. "Let's leave the past in the past, there is no need to open old wounds." It was always a strength I had to forgive someone quickly, well I don't actually know if I'd classify it as a strength or weakness.
She smiles feeling more comfortable, "now I want to meet this little man right here, hello! My name is Aunty Aviana or you can call me aunt Avi for short."
"Aviana for god's sake don't scare the child before he even feels comfortable." Sam says.
"I'm not scary Sam, shut up" Aviana snaps back.
"You're not but your face is." Sam says and we all start laughing at his ridiculous joke that came out of nowhere. They were always like this, bickering about the most ridiculous thing every second when they were in the same room as each other, the most admirable thing about their relationship is how they've always had each other's backs even if they were angry at with one and other.
"Meany," she comments hitting the side of his arm.
"Please come sit down," Elise tells us. My nerves seem to be more at ease.
Why did I have to make this so complicated? I should've contacted them after the first year that my little baby was born, what if this was all my fault because I gave up on Nathan and this was the reason Leo was deprived from his father?
Everything seemed like a lot of stress on me even if it was just minor changes that were about to happen, "it's been a long time Alina, way too long..." Anthony tells me.
"Yeah..." Leo comes and hugs me, shy to speak to the others around the table.
"Mommy? Can I stay with you?"
"Sure, you can sit between me and dad."
We take are seats around the table allowing Leo to sit in between us, "Leo this is your grandpa," I say pointing to Anthony, "and your grandma," I repeat my action changing direction.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you young man." Elise says smiling at Leo.
"Grandma." Leo states using a monotone voice, "grandma?" He repeats.
"Yes." I tell him.
"I have a grandparents!" He squeals and everyone giggles at him.
"Don't forget your aunt and uncle too," Sam interrupts.
"Woohoo! Yay!" Leo shouts in joy.
"Alina, how have you been all these years?" Elise asks.
"I've been good, just a few rough bumps here and there but it was manageable." I wasn't about to dish out every negative thing from these past four years to make her feel guilty. It would make me feel bad about myself for even numbering everything in chronological order as if she had to be sympathetic towards those situations.
"That's good, we've all missed your presence... when you were gone, things kind of got a little insane around here..."
Before I managed to ask a question as to what she was referring to, Anthony interrupts us, "how about some dessert now?"
"I want ice cream! Can we have ice cream? Pretty please!" Leo begs.
"Did you eat all your food, including your vegetables?" I arch my eyebrow at him.
"Yes mommy, see" he tells me pointing at his empty plate then looking at Anthony who shoots him a quick wink and he giggles covering his mouth with his tiny hands.
"Okay, not too much though," they both stand up to follow Elise into the kitchen for dessert.
Me, Nathan and his siblings were still around the table. "So you guys are officially back together now?" Avians asks.
"Well we are kind of still married," I sigh, "because somebody didn't file the divorce papers." I say looking at Nathan's eyes and he just smirks.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"He never filed them when I send them..."
"What really?" Sam looks at Nathan in shock and he nods back. "Damn, my brother's a fucking badass." He say there for a second to think, "so you never filed them right after, jeez."
"I'm glad that I never did, now I am back with my favourite person in the world." Nathan says grabbing a hold of my hand and kissing the top of my head.
"Is this the part where you guys sneak off somewhere, have sex, then comeback in a happy mood?" Sam asks and my cheeks start to heat up from embarrassment.
"You better not be talking like that in front of our son." Nathan tells him with a stern voice.
He chuckles, "okay okay, it's just good to see you smiling again and to have Alina in our lives is a bonus. I mean look at this happy man. A few months ago he was literally the grinch now he's a fucking care bear."
"I'm glad we are where we are now, it makes me happy and I'm pretty sure I'll be staying around for a long time, I'm actually moving back here on Friday."
"That's amazing! I miss old times, it sucked having to hate you, now I don't have to forcefully do it and go back to before. I missed having a older sister," Aviana says which made me so thankful for what I had, it made my day.
"Aww that's so sweet! I'm glad I'm back too, hopefully we will have time to catch up."
"Of course, speaking of catching up, I have a celebration for my fifth year of my clothing line. You should come!"
"I'll definitely be there to check out your talented work." I smile, I loved to support her before with her clothing line when she just beginning and even helped her financially. I encouraged her when other people doubted her, there were men she pitched her idea that didn't believe a women of her status could possibly start an empire of her own. With my encouraging words and my financial loan she was able to do it and make a fashion line to inspire other girls to be adamant.
Now she is an advocate for feminism which is the belief of equality rights for both genders. To prove the social spectrum wrong. It inspired me in so many ways her resiliency against the people oppose.