Chapter 19 \u2013 Vivienne Makes Everyone Happy\u00a0<\/p>\n
DARIUS\u00a0<\/p>\n
An hour later, I was standing in the driveway waiting for Vivienne. Sera and Luna were already in the backseat of my car, Luna chattering excitedly about seeing Grandma Mary while Sera stared down at her with a soft smile stretching her lips.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre we waiting for someone?\u201d Sera asked when I didn\u2019t get in the car, her confused eyes meeting mine and my mind foolishly went back to the memories when I\u2019d felt her lips against mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVivienne\u2019s coming with us.\u201d I said in a low, controlled voice. Still, I waited for her reaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The temperature in the car seemed to drop ten degrees. Sera turned to look at me, her eyes sharp and cold. I was caught off guard by it. I knew things were different now, but the way she looked at me\u2026I felt so guilty under that gaze, almost ashamed and I couldn\u2019t understand how she could make me feel that way. I avoided her gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy is that?\u201d She asked slowly, calmly, but I could hear the edge in it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe wants to meet mom properly. Clear up any misunderstandings.\u201d I explained in the same calm tone, hoping she would understand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t understand, Darius.\u201d Sera\u2019s brows pulled together in confusion and discontent, almost dangerous.\u201d What misunderstandings would that be?\u201d She asked, the look in her eyes wasn\u2019t the soft and cautious look I was used to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I felt my jaw clench. \u201cYou know exactly what I mean,\u201d My eyes narrowed, and I felt instant regret for bringing it up at such a time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why couldn\u2019t she just understand? Vivienne had already apologized, cleared everything up, why did she still have that hurt look in her eyes?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy does she have to come with us?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could answer, Vivienne\u2019s silver sedan pulled into the driveway. She got out slowly, moving carefully like she was still feeling weak. She was wearing a simple black dress and a cardigan, her blonde hair pulled back in a modest bun. She looked innocent and harmless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everything Sera probably claimed she wasn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHi,\u201d Vivienne said softly as she approached the car. She gave a little wave to Luna, who waved back enthusiastically from the backseat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHi Vivienne!\u201d Luna called out. \u201cAre you coming to see Grandma Mary too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf that\u2019s okay with everyone,\u201d Vivienne said, her eyes flickering to Sera uncertainly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sera said nothing. She just turned and faced the window, her whole body rigid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I opened the passenger door for Vivienne. She slid in with a grateful smile, settling her purse on her lap and buckling her seatbelt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for letting me come,\u201d she said as I got behind the wheel. \u201cI know this must be awkward,\u201d She said\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19 Vivienne Makes Everyone Happy\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
low enough that only I heard it. Her eyes darted to Sera uncomfortably and I sighed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be,\u201d I said, shooting a pointed look at Sera in the rearview mirror.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drive to the family house was torture. Luna filled the silence with stories about school and her piano lessons, while Vivienne made encouraging sounds and asked gentle questions. Sera might as well have been a statue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I couldn\u2019t stop glancing at Vivienne in the passenger seat. She looked natural there, comfortable. Her presence felt calming after days of Sera\u2019s cold shoulder and unexplained silences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you feeling better today?\u201d I asked as we stopped at a red light. \u201cYou still looked pale this morning.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA little better, thank you.\u201d Vivienne\u2019s hand fluttered to her chest. \u201cThe doctor said I need to be careful not to overexert myself. That\u2019s probably why I fainted yesterday.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou should have called me sooner,\u201d I said. \u201cI would have come right away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t want to bother you. I know how busy you are.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re never a bother.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For some reason, I searched Sera\u2019s eyes for a reaction through the rearview mirror and almost flinched when\u00a0<\/p>\n
our eyes met.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What is this feeling?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She held my gaze for only three seconds before looking away, no reaction whatsoever to my words or my conversation with Vivienne.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was still ignoring me and as much as I hated to admit it, it bothered me. So much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVivienne, do you want to sit with me at dinner?\u201d Luna asked suddenly. \u201cGrandma Mary makes the best mac and cheese.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat sounds wonderful, sweetheart,\u201d Vivienne said, turning to smile at Luna. \u201cBut I should probably sit wherever your parents think is best.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can sit next to Daddy,\u201d Luna decided. \u201cMommy won\u2019t mind either because she\u2019s always sad. Right mommy?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart clenched. I saw the look in Sera\u2019s eyes when she heard Luna\u2019s suggestion, she wasn\u2019t happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLuna,\u201d Sera said quietly, speaking for the first time since we\u2019d left the house. \u201cThat\u2019s not appropriate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s true,\u201d Luna said with the brutal honesty of a four\u2013year\u2013old. \u201cYou\u2019ve been sad ever since you came back from your work trip. Vivienne makes everyone happy.\u201d Luna said innocently, her green eyes lit up as she said those words out loud, but it made Sera\u2019s eyes darken.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I saw Sera\u2019s face crumble for just a second in the mirror before she put her mask back in place. But the damage was done. Even our daughter preferred Vivienne\u2019s company to her mother\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 19\u2013Vivienne Makes Everyone Happy\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe that should have bothered me more than it did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sera inhaled and managed a small smile at our daughter, \u201cIf sitting with Vivienne makes you happy then sit with her, baby, I don\u2019t want to make you sad,\u201d Sera said, surprising me and I noticed, Luna as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo mommy\u2026you don\u2019t make me sad!\u201d Luna\u2019s eyes widened with probably fear that she\u2019d hurt her mom. Sera simply smiled and patted Luna\u2019s hair, she didn\u2019t say anything else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rest of the drive was shrouded in silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As we pulled into our family mansion\u2019s driveway, I couldn\u2019t shake the feeling that I should have said something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Souls Remember What Matters \u2014 Corey Gibson 19 Chapter 19 \u2013 Vivienne Makes Everyone Happy\u00a0 DARIUS\u00a0 An hour later, I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23465","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-day-i-signed-the-papers-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23465","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23465"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23465\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}