The awkward silence and the tears in Mrs. Waller's eyes made Ian start to calm down. After he angrily burst into the family home and berated his parents for everything that was on his mind, the woman was shaken for a long time. She didn't want the truth to ever come out, but she assumed that her brother would, eventually, tell Ian everything.
She was afraid of how her son would react, which is why she was unable to defend herself, lest she further offend him.
- Will you not say anything? Will you keep quiet? - He asked, looking at them with pain in his eyes. Clare, who accompanied him, embraced his hand to give him encouragement.
- I'm sorry, Ian, that we hid this from you. Your father wanted to reveal the truth to you long ago, but I forbade him. I concluded that it would be better for you if you never found out that you were the son of a gangster.
The boy laughed nervously.
- Everyone should know the truth about his true background. I'm not talking about the fact that I would like this man to raise me because I'm grateful to you for taking me from his hands, but it hurts me that you hid something so important from me.
- We simply wanted to protect you. We thought it was best for you.
- Best? What did you want to protect me from? From the truth that I am the son of a gangster? A murderer who kills people in cold blood?
- That's right, Ian. He murdered his wife. He is a sultry, canny pig who has people from cleaning his hands dirty with blood. He walks slowly in the world, although he took many lives.
The boy rubbed his face with his hand and looked at Clare with a weary gaze, as if looking to her for clues whether he was doing right by his parents. Her gaze said a lot: she wanted him to come to an understanding with them.
After all, they were trying to protect him and give him the best life possible. He shouldn't blame them.
- I'm sorry," he finally said in a stifled voice, looking at them uncertainly. The blonde smiled slightly. - It all hit me too hard. I don't resent you, I'm just bitter that I learned the truth at the age of twenty.
- You have the right to be angry with us, but I want you to forgive us. Parents make many mistakes, wanting the best for their children, I think you will understand this when you have children of your own.
Ian lowered his head and lightly nodded it.
- You are the ones who should forgive me for my purplish behavior. I'm sorry.
Clare saw the caring look her mother-in-law gave her son's face. Her husband also did not take his eyes off Ian, looking worried about his condition.
- Will you stay for dinner? - The boy looked surprised at his parents and then something strange happened, he started laughing. It was a hearty laugh, especially when he put his hands to his face, unable to stop himself.
- What about you? - Clare blinked her eyelids, not understanding him at all. His mood swings were worse than during her menstrual days.
- I just remembered the time in elementary school when I gave a classmate dog poop in a candy paper, and he ate it, thinking it was truffles. His mother came to us greatly outraged, and my mother, to change the subject, simply asked her if they would stay for dinner.
The woman also laughed, remembering that situation.
- Why didn't I know anything about it? - the father spoke up.
- Because you devoted your whole days to the company and nothing else interested you. That's why," the woman answered him, putting her hand on his shoulder.
Ian looked at Clare and the girl then noticed that his eyes were slowly beginning to regain their former luster. He needed to get all the anger out of him, to explain everything with his parents, to make his heart calm.
- I don't know about you, Ian, but I'm staying for dinner. I love your housekeeper's food.
- I also love them, although I adore yours even more. - Saying this, he brought his face closer to her, and she stroked his chin.
Nothing is more important than a strong relationship with your family.
*
The blonde sat at the dressing table applying cream to her face. A cool shower helped her recover from a tiring day. She was glad that Ian acted maturely towards his parents and came to an understanding with them.
After all, they were doing all this out of concern for him.
She smiled at the reflection as her husband came up to her and embraced her from behind. His wet hair, which had begun to curl, touched her cheek.
- You can't even imagine how much I love you," he muttered in her ear. - When we were friends I didn't think the day would come when you would reciprocate my feelings, and now the thought that you are my wife still sounds like a dream to me.
Clare placed her hands on his hands and, looking at them in the reflection of the mirror, smiled.
- It was I who was an idiot for not noticing earlier how strong an affection you had for me. I made you suffer for many years.
- It was worth it," he announced and raised his face, reciprocating the smile in the reflection of the mirror. - I have everything I wanted in life. I have you.
The girl rose from her chair and faced him. He brushed her hair back behind her ear, looking at her with tenderness in his eyes.
- Something else is missing....
- Hm - Ian raised an eyebrow, and she put her arms around his neck.
- Children.
Clare squealed cheerfully as her husband put his arms around her waist and circled her so that they landed on the bed. She lay beneath him, looking at him with amused eyes.
- So let's get right down to business. Do you want to give birth year after year?
The blonde hit him on the chest with her palm.
- Are you crazy? Am I a sow?
- I dream of a large family," he muttered, bestowing kisses on her neck and cleavage.
- Ian, there is no way. Do you realize how terrible childbirth is?
- If there was a possibility, I would give birth for you so you wouldn't suffer.
She couldn't stop laughing when he started telling her nonsense.
- I love you, rascal.
- Bullies love the most. - He kissed her nose, lips, forehead and finally both cheeks. - So what? Are we starting to create our first offspring?
- And don't you think we are too young? We have all our lives to do it.
- Let's do it while I'm fertile.
- Am I not aware of something?
- Different accidents go around people. You have to be ready for anything. - He was biting her ears, and she couldn't stop laughing.
- Calm down," she warned him.
He grabbed her hands, making it impossible for her to defend herself. He had total control over her.
- Be good or I'll eat you.
- My mistake I washed myself in strawberry gel. You love strawberries.
- I love you, I love strawberries, that's why I will eat you.
Her laughter echoed against the walls as Ian began to tickle her body with his kisses.
This evening was theirs.
*
The next day Clare smiled at the sight of Felix, who headed toward her with a quick step. He sat down next to her on the swing and handed her a single cup of coffee.
- I bought you your favorite, with cinnamon.
- It's nice that you still remember.
The boy smiled under his breath.
- Forgive me for taking you out so suddenly.
- That's okay. Ian is still at lectures, and I didn't have anything to do with myself anyway.
- I just wanted to have coffee with you one last time. I wanted to say goodbye because tomorrow I'm leaving town and this time permanently. Miley and I are moving to her house, which her grandmother left to her as an inheritance. We intend to build our future there.
Clare smiled at these words.
- I am happy, pleased. I hope you will do well," she said.
Occasionally, it seemed to her as if his gaze expressed longing for her, but she could also be imagining too much.
- I hope so too," he said in a whisper, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
- Do you smoke?
- For some time now.
- Does Miley smoke too? - She asked suspiciously.
- You got me. I picked up this bad habit from her," he replied with laughter in his voice.
The blonde took a sip of coffee and looked ahead for a long moment.
- It seemed to me that you were going to stay here a little longer. I can't hide the fact that you surprised me that you decided to move so suddenly.
Felix was not going to tell her the truth. After all, this decision was largely made for her sake. Miley noticed that he still had feelings for Clare, so she made him choose: whether he wanted to be with her and move to the house she inherited from her grandmother, or stay here and painfully watch Clare live happily by her husband's side.
- It's time to start putting her life together. You have to think about the future.
- I'm glad you wanted to meet me and say goodbye before you leave tomorrow. That's nice of you.
- Yes, especially since I disappeared without a word before.
Clare nodded and took another sip of coffee.
Felix's phone beeped with a message. The boy read the text message, and his face grew sad.
- Too bad I was given so little time to say goodbye to you. Miley rushes me, claiming that there are a million things to pack and I should help her.
The 20-year-old nodded again.
- She is right. You can't burden her with this duty. You have to help her.
She got up from the swing and Felix stepped down opposite her.
- Can I embrace you one last time?
- You must do it.
She closed her eyelids as he took her in his embrace, but to her surprise he did something else. He kissed her on the forehead, then left without a word.
With wide-open eyes, she watched him as he headed for his motorcycle. He sat down on it and as he put on his helmet, he looked in her direction one last time.
This was their goodbye. This time forever.