Her Venice Affair (The Albury Affairs) (22 page)

He stopped when he turned the corner and saw her. It
was really her.

God! She
was dressed the same as she did for their first dinner date in Rome.
She looked a vision then but now she looked like an
angel.

 
An angel that
was still alive.

“Riana!”

Chapter Twelve

Reno watched his sister as she stood at the beach
looking out at the ocean like she did every single day since she came to New
Providence. Every time she went missing, this was the place he found her.

The first time she disappeared, the same day she
arrived in New Providence, he had the employees of
Albury
Hotel search for her. He found her sitting on the beach, the low waves lapping
around her. He’d never been so afraid in his life. For a moment there, he
thought she was going to try and drown herself.

The girl he’d left in the USA three years ago was
different. This girl was always sad, pale, thin, puffy red gloomy eyes and a
permanent frown on her face. When he first saw her at the airport, he wasn’t
sure it was her. She didn’t even say a word to him she just collapsed into his
arms, sobbing her heart out.

He’d taken her home, waited patiently for her to tell
him what was wrong, but she didn’t speak. She just sat on the sofa, staring
straight ahead in a daze. She didn’t speak that night or the next morning and
she ate as if she was forcing the food down her throat, like she had to eat.

Reno felt out of his depth. It was clear she had
suffered a tragedy but he wasn’t sure what. She wasn’t like this even when
their mother died. His mind conjured up reasons that gave him nightmares. He
tried to dispense of his fears by asking, threatening, and even begging for her
to talk to him but still she didn’t say a word. She wasn’t even fazed. She just
sat on the sofa like her mind was completely switched off.

It was only when he found her in the ocean that first
time that she spoke.

“He’s dead,” she’d said. “I should never have left him
alone. Allan is dead.”

Reno had wanted to ask who Allan was but she didn’t
seem present enough to hear him. Lacking another avenue as to how to help her,
he’d sat behind her in the water and hugged her to his chest, like he always
did when she was sad when they were young. She would always tuck herself into
him like she was trying to crawl into his chest, but she didn’t now.

She hadn’t moved. With her back pressed against his
chest, she sat with her arms laying lazily at her sides, her hands and feet
sinking into the sand, as she stared straight ahead at the horizon. They’d sat
there like that for what seemed like hours until the sun began to set.

Then she’d said, “This was his favorite time of day
when we were out on his yacht.”

He had been a little surprised by her tone of voice.
It sounded like she was smiling. He’d looked down at her and true enough she
was smiling. Her cheeks were also wet with tears.

Reno had felt helpless, and angry because of it. He
hated not being able to help his sister. He pressed a kiss to her temple and
hugged her tighter. He was willing to do just about anything to lighten her
grief.

“He would always drag me out on the outer deck and
make love to me under the red, yellow, and orange sky until it was dark.” She
turned her head into his neck. “He wasn’t much of a romantic, but he had his
moments,” she whispered.

Once the torches on the beach were the only light
left, he lifted her in his arms. “Let’s go inside, Riana.”

She wrapped her hands around his neck and he began the
trek back to the hotel. He heard her whisper in his ear and the words turned
his feet to stone. Then she began crying and he held her tighter in his arms,
his heart torn to shreds at the despair in her voice.

“What am I going to do, Reno?” she sobbed. “What am I
going to tell his child?”

Oh, God no!
He felt a sharp pain in his chest and he visibly
winced. “We’ll figure it out, Riana, I promise.”

And now, over two years later, this wasn’t the
solution he’d been hoping for.

He stood next to her and listened to the excited
shrieks of his twenty-two month old niece as she played in the water. She was
beautiful, with soft, black curls bouncing around her head as she ran, brown
eyes that sparkled like diamonds, and a smile that rivaled the sun. She was
gorgeous, always so happy, and a light in their lives.

Reno thanked God every day for little Aurora. The
moment the doctor placed her in Riana’s arms, he saw a little of herself crack
through the shell of grief she was confined in. And though she wasn’t
completely herself, at least she cried less and smiled and laughed more. He was
finally able to let her roam the beaches alone without worrying she was going
to take a dip.

“Are you sure you want to go back?” he asked for the
umpteenth time.

“Yes, I am.”

“It’s just…” he stopped when she turned to him.

“Reno, I have Aurora. The only other family Allan had
was Melody and now she’s alone. Don’t you think our daughter would help her
with her loss as much as she has helped me?”

Reno knew she was right but why did she always have to
be the martyr? After his wife had run away, Riana and Aurora were all he had,
and he was so used to having them around. Now he was going to be alone again.

“And once you get there, what are you going to do
about a place to live, money…and other stuff.” It was the last kick of a dying
horse.

She moved before him and wrapped her arms around his
waist. “Loraine emailed me. She’ll meet us at the airport. And for money, Allan
left me some.”

This was the first he was hearing of this. “What do
you mean?”

“I checked my account yesterday. Allan deposited two
hundred thousand dollars the day…”

Reno felt her body tremble when she stopped speaking.
The time she said the words ‘Allan is dead’ was a onetime occurrence.

Reno wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly
against him. “You’re okay. Remember you have a part of him in Aurora.”

She let out a shuddering sigh and stepped out of his
embrace. She quickly wiped away her tears and smiled up at him. “He would be
proud of her wouldn’t he? Though he might have preferred a son—”

Reno grabbed her shoulders. “Riana, stop. Anyone would
be proud to have that little angel as a daughter.”

 
“
Weno
!
Pway
wit me!” Aurora yelled
laughingly as she ran to him.

Reno was amazed by how well she said that. At eight
months she spoke—more like gibbered—a hand full of words including ‘mama’ and
‘dada’. At ten months she was running around like a little penguin, causing
havoc and laughing at the disaster she left behind.

The day she could work her legs marked the beginning
of chaos and extreme exercise. An hour with her was more exhausting than a full
day of work with unhappy hotel guests.

He stepped away from Riana and prepared to catch
Aurora as she launched herself at him. “How’s my princess doing?”

She tugged on his shirt collar. “
Pway
wit
me!”

Riana laughed and Reno treasured the sound. They were
so few and far apart he never took one for granted.

“Honey, uncle Reno is tired. I’ll play with you.”

Aurora’s brows drew together. “
Weno
tired?”

He tickled her releasing a shrill of giggles. “Not too
tired for you.”

She wiggled in his arms and he placed her down on the
ground. She ran for the water and Riana called out to her to be careful as she
nibbled nervously at her lower lip. He was proud of the restraint she showed.
Usually she would run after Aurora just to make sure she didn’t get hurt
running or keep her from tripping or stepping on something sharp.

It took a great deal on his part but he’d finally
convinced her to stop smothering the kid. He knew she was afraid of losing
Aurora, but if she kept acting on that fear, their lives would be miserable.

Reno chased after his niece and they played until they
were both exhausted. Of course, once she had enough energy again, Riana had to
take his place in the game.

He watched the sun begin to set and he pulled the bag
Riana always brought with her closer. They always did this every day at this
time.

Aurora stood up from where she sat in the wet sand and
pointed at the horizon. “Daddy!”

Reno watch Riana fight back the tears as she picked up
Aurora. “Yes, it’s time from daddy now.”

She came and sat down next to Reno, placing Aurora on
her crossed legs. Reno handed Riana the shirt and album.

Riana hugged the shirt to her cheek then inhaled it’s
scent and whispered ‘Allan’, permitting a few tears to escape her closed eyes.
She then handed Aurora the shirt, which she hugged tightly in her chubby arms, and
then Riana opened the album.

Every day, at this time, Riana remembered Allan with
his shirt and their pictures in Italy. She shared those memories with her
daughter. Also telling her the little she knew of Allan Sr., Aurora, and Melody
Sinclair.

Every day, when the sun set and the sky turned yellow,
red, and orange, Aurora Cora Sinclair, from the day she was born, became
acquainted with her father, Allan Patrick Sinclair Jr.

* * * *

Loraine tapped her foot nervously as she watched the
flight announcement screen. Riana’s plane had just landed. Loraine could only
imagine how difficult it was to drag around luggage while trying to control her
almost two-year-old hellion.

Loraine chuckled to herself.

Riana had sent her Aurora’s pictures and even home
videos—the little girl was a hurricane! The one time—after Loraine had begged
in her countless emails—that Riana agreed to Skype, they’d only been talking
for ten minutes when she heard crushing and the screaming of a very scared cat.
Riana didn’t even flinch. She just sighed, disappeared for a moment, and came
back ‘restraining’ the girl who couldn’t be much bigger than the cat she was
terrorizing!

Aurora was such a beautiful girl. With the same brown
eyes that harbored mischief, same dangerous smile, and once or twice Loraine
had seen the familiar expressions on her face. She looked so much like her
father.

Loraine felt sad thinking about Allan. She didn’t know
him that well but the impact he made on her best friend’s life…she felt the
guilt pile up for not being there for Riana when she needed her the most. She
spent a year living it up in Paris only to get an email from Riana’s brother
Reno, asking for help.

He had been scared for Riana, because of the deep
depression she had sunken into. She’d wanted to go to New Providence but Riana
didn’t want that. She had told Loraine that she needed her solitude where only
Aurora and the memories of Allan were permitted. So Loraine had stayed put,
calling, emailing. Whatever form of communication was available to her she had
used to keep in touch with Riana. So when she’d decided to come back, Loraine
got a flight that would land in New York two hours before Riana’s.

Reno had done all he could to help Riana survive
Allan, now it was her turn.

Loraine clenched her fist tightly around the suitcase
handle. Just a few more hours before she could wrap her hands around Theresa’s
neck…

“Loraine!”

Loraine started looking up. Riana waved at her with a
huge smile on her face. But even thirty feet away, Loraine could tell Riana had
lost her spark. Her smile seemed necessary and it didn’t reach her eyes.

Riana pushed the trolley while a stewardess in a blue
and white uniform carried Aurora. She was glad Riana had gotten some help
because she had two bags piled up on the trolley.

Loraine laughed at the animated sight of Aurora as she
struggled to keep the blue bonnet on her head as she held her head up high and
her chin out proudly. The stewardess had better forget ever getting her bonnet
back.

Loraine moved to meet them, quickly wrapping her best
friend in a bear hug. She was about to move away when Riana’s grip tightened
stopping her.

Loraine reciprocated the tight hug as she whispered
reassurances to her. “Everything will be okay, Riana, you’ll see.”

She felt Riana nod against her shoulder then she
slowly released Loraine and turned her back to them. That’s when Loraine
noticed the tears she was discreetly wiping away. She knew Riana didn’t want
Aurora to see.

Loraine added her suitcase on to the pile on the
trolley and moved to block Aurora’s line of sight to her mother. She said hi to
the stewardess and turned her attention to Aurora. “Hi doll, remember me?”

Aurora stared at her for a long while before she let
out a shrill of giggles, stretching her hands out to Loraine. “
Cwazy
Wowi
!”

What? Loraine placed her fists on her hips. “Excuse
you, missy?”

Aurora wiggled in the stewardess arms until she placed
her on the ground. Aurora moved to Loraine and pulled at her jeans with a high-pitched
whine. “Up! Up!”

Loraine quickly picked her up to stop the sharp siren.
Immediately Aurora was in her arms, she began giggling again pulling at Loraine’s
hoop earrings.