Finding What's Real

She took a careful sip of her coffee. "Mmm, this is really good." That sip seemed to wake her up a bit. "Thank you for the coffee by the way. I'm sorry I'm an ungracious guest this morning. I'm usually much more of a morning person."

Vinnie watched her glance down at herself and saw the blush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. He decided to be a gentleman. "Excuse me for a minute." He walked into the downstairs bathroom, knowing that she would run upstairs to put some clothes on. He walked out several minutes later to find her back at the table wearing the fluffy robe he'd hung in her closet for her. He pretended not to notice the switch.

"So, did I smell bacon? I make great omelets if you don't mind me encroaching on your kitchen space or, well, Angie's kitchen space, but since she surely doesn't use it, I mean..." she stopped and took a deep breath. The blush hadn't totally cleared from her cheeks, and he could tell that she was trying, unsuccessfully, to gracefully change the subject. God, she was adorable.

"I would love an omelet," he said, flashing her a bright smile.

"Does Ang even have any food in the house that can't be prepared in the microwave?" she asked dryly.

He laughed, loving that she nailed Angie so well. "Mom and I come over and cook for her a couple of times a week, so..." he paled, realizing what he'd said. The grief that had calmed came roaring back to the surface and his body started to shake. He sat down and buried his face in his hands, sobbing. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to find Kira standing in front of him with tears in her eyes. Before he knew what was happening, she sat down in his lap and wrapped her arms around him, rocking him slightly. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and just cried until he felt like he couldn't cry anymore. He raised his head and Kira met his gaze, her eyes blotchy and red. He reached up and pushed the hair out of her face, noticing that she closed her eyes with a quick breath. It would be so easy to just lean forward and kiss her.

"So, how about that omelet?" she asked softly

He placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. That's what family is for."

She got up and started searching through the fridge for the necessary ingredients. He wondered if she would be up for discussing Michael. He wanted to talk to her without Angie present, as his sister tended to be more emotional than rational. He stood and started chopping the vegetables she'd set on the counter as she cracked eggs into a bowl. They worked together in companionable silence as if they did this every day. As she stirred the veggies into the mixture, he added cheese and seasonings. Before long, the smell of the omelets was joining that of the bacon. He fixed more coffee for the two of them as she put the plates on the table. They both took bites and savored their food.

He put his fork down and looked at her. "Would you mind if we talked about Michael?"

"I was just thinking the same thing," she replied. "How are you handling the news?"

"I was stunned, then angry that she kept this from us for so long. But then felt so sad for her that Mom held it in all these years. It must have been hell for her to give up a child so he could have a better life. It was so selfless."

"Many wouldn't think it was selfless...quite the opposite, actually. Some people would think that she did it because she didn't want to put forth the effort of raising a child while going to school or putting a dent in her social life."

Vinnie stared at her, bewildered at the words that had just left her mouth. He spoke, his voice rising on its own accord, "How can you of all people make that assumption?"

"Vinnie, I said most people. I'm not one of them. I was adopted, remember? I also knew your mother as well as I know my own. I said what I said to prepare you for what the future might hold. Society has many misconceptions about adoption."

He reached across the table and took her hand. "It was a surprise to me that you were adopted. I had forgotten until I read Mom's letter yesterday. This must hit you really close to home."

"It does, but now I understand the closeness that Donna and I shared. She was an invaluable mentor for me and I'm glad that I was able to be there for her as well."

"I want to know him. I can't believe I have a big brother. And another little sister! Well...sort of." Vinnie felt the grin spread across his face.

"I want you to know that if you decide to meet him, it may not be all hearts and flowers." The look on Kira's face was serious and sympathetic.

"What do you mean? Don't you think he will be happy to meet us?"

She walked around the table and took the seat beside him, taking his hands and turning to look him right in the eyes. She spoke softly, "Vinnie, you don't know what he's been told or if he's even been told at all that he was adopted. He may know but may be ashamed. He may think that Donna didn't want him and finding out that she had other children after she gave him up could be really painful. He may know and Ali may not. We don't know what kind of relationship he had with his adoptive parents or how they would have reacted to you reaching out to him."

A wave of angry and jumbled emotions washed over him. "He's a grown man and his parents are no longer alive. Why does it matter how they may have reacted?"

"Okay, tough guy. I'm going to start calling you Angie in a minute." She reached out and wiped a tear from his cheek. "Just trust me, okay? The news that you have a big brother on top of Donna passing is a huge load to bear and it will be easy to become irrational. I think it's important to wait and let things settle down before you and Angie make any decisions that could change your lives and the lives of Michael and his family. As for his parents...he may feel as if he is betraying their memories. By the way, we should probably start referring to him as Jason, not Michael. Jason is his real name."

He stared into her eyes and felt his racing heart start to slow. "You're right. You're right. What was I thinking? I'm being so selfish and insensitive." The brief high crashed down hard, and he felt suddenly exhausted.

"You're thinking that, while you miss Donna, there is a door open to a whole new family and you don't want to pass up the opportunity."

He smiled weakly at her. "You're pretty intuitive, you know that?"

She smiled softly. "C'mere, Vin." She pulled him into her arms and scratched his scalp.

God, he loved that. Anymore and an already alert dick would start to mutiny. "I'll take care of the dishes if you want to go grab a shower."

"Sounds good." She stood and walked towards the stairs.

"Hey, Kira?"

She looked over her shoulder at him, eyebrows raised.

"I'm really glad you're here."

She gave him a smile that lit him up inside. "Me too."

He watched until she reached the top of the stairs and then busied himself at the sink. He was going to have to be really careful not to screw this up. He wondered if she noticed their chemistry. Or if she did, she probably thought her emotions were just running amok.

Running the dishes under the water, his mind immediately imagined her in the shower, the streams of water hugging her curves...dammit! Get a grip dude. You're acting like you've never been attracted to anyone before. Think about something else. Think about your last date with Candy. She was pretty. And dumb. And she discussed potential color choices for her next manicure for thirty minutes on your last date. There, his erection dissipated. He couldn't explain how in the heck he'd maintained an erection discussing what they had been discussing, but thinking about his last date with a tall, beautiful woman made him wilt like a dying flower. He was in big, big trouble.

*****

The wake the day before had been heart-wrenching and Kira had done her best to keep her composure so that she could be there for Angie and Vinnie. She felt a sense of closure after she was able to hold Mama D's hand and kiss her cheek one last time.

They had decided on a grave-side service, despite the heat, because Donna loved nature. Flowers of all types and colors surrounded them and a gracious breeze cooled their skin. As she stood amidst the DeLucas' friends, listening to stories of the past, Kira decided that she wanted to speak. She was absolutely terrified of speaking in front of groups or being the center of attention in general, but her love for Mama D was enough to push her forward. She saw Angie's startled glance as she stepped up to the podium. She took a deep breath as she turned around to face the group. She stood silently for several moments, trying to slow her racing heart. She gripped the sides of the lectern for support and started to speak.

"F-for those of you wh-who don't know me, my name is Kira Jensen. Angie and I have been best friends since we were kids." She took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and tried to find some composure. "Donna DeLuca...Mama D to me...was a very special lady. She touched me in so many ways. She was like another mother to me, and I truly felt like a part of her family. I'm sure most of you remember rebelling against your parents. I used to do the opposite of whatever my parents told me to do. When we would fight, I would run to Angie and Mama D. Angie would be there to commiserate about how unreasonable parents were and how we knew what was best for ourselves. And Mama D would be there to listen to me vent and then give calm, motherly advice that actually seemed to make sense coming from her, even though she was saying the same thing that my own mother did." The crowd chuckled, and Angie wiped away a tear and smiled.

"Most of all, she was a teacher. She taught me about love and family, about being open-minded and accepting, about keeping a positive attitude, and when to keep my mouth shut. We used to talk for hours over making cookies or while I helped her wrap Vinnie's Christmas presents. I wasn't allowed to wrap Angie's because Mama D knew that I would tell Angie what was in them. She used to tell me about Mr. DeLuca and what kind of a father he was before he died. I'm going to miss her terribly, but I know that she is with him again and she will live in my heart always. Thank you." Kira walked back to Angie's side on shaking legs. Suddenly, Angie was hugging her from the front and Vinnie from the back, their arms reaching around each other. Angie kissed her on the cheek.

"Thank you. You're the best friend a girl could have. I know how hard it was for you to go in front of a group of people. Mama would be proud."

*****

Several days later, Vinnie pulled up to Angie's house at about 9 pm, hoping to help out. He had been called into work earlier that day and felt guilty for leaving Angie and Kira to deal with everything on their own. Kira had been a Godsend this past week. He didn't know what they would have done without her. She had to be completely and utterly exhausted. He used his key to enter the house and walked into the living room, only to find Kira sound asleep on the couch. She was curled up in a ball with her head resting on an outstretched arm.

"Kira, sweetie?" he asked softly. She didn't move, and her deep breathing indicated that she was pretty far gone. He covered her with an afghan, sneaked a pillow under her head, and brushed her hair back from her face. For the first time, he was able to really look at her without her catching him. She had long, red eyelashes that touched her freckled cheeks. She had a pert little nose and full, pink lips. As his gaze traveled her face, he noticed a mole, more like a beauty mark, below her ear at the base of her jaw. He'd dream about kissing that spot.

He traced his fingers softly around her jaw and then around her ear. He had never felt skin so soft. A little moan escaped her lips and she turned slightly into his caress. He thought she was waking up, but he was afraid to jerk away. Her hand came up and covered his and she resumed breathing deeply. He felt the warmth from her hand down to his toes. He closed his eyes to savor the feeling. Her fingers curled around his, and he wondered how he was going to avoid waking her when he moved his hand.

He carefully pulled his hand away and her eyes fluttered open about halfway. She reached out and traced his lips with her thumb and mumbled his name sleepily. She murmured something else unintelligible, tucked her hand under her head, and fell back to sleep. He stayed frozen for several minutes, trying to keep his breathing normal. The thought of losing her again left a gaping hole in his chest that he didn't even want to contemplate the meaning of.

*****

The next morning, Kira awoke to the sun shining through the blinds in the living room. She slowly became aware that she was still on the couch, covered by a soft afghan, and there was a pillow beneath her head. She sat up, feeling stiff, wondering if Angie had woken up to find her asleep on the couch. She smiled at the thought. Angie had definitely changed. Nurturing was not a trait she'd displayed before.

Angie came down the stairs yawning a few minutes later.

"Morning, Ang. How did you sleep?"

"Like a rock. I slept straight through the night for the first time this week."

"You mean, you didn't cover me up and bring me a pillow?"

"Haha...you know me better than that. I probably would have just woken you up and told you to go to bed."

At that moment, the front door opened, and Vinnie walked in.

"Dude, seriously?" Angie complained. "Just because you have a key doesn't excuse you from knocking. Mama taught you better manners than that. What if I had been walking around here naked?"

Vinnie rolled his eyes. "One, thanks for the disturbing visual; two, I would have a lot of questions for you if you were walking around naked while Kira was here. Good morning, Kira." He flashed her a smile that made her toes curl.

The sound of his voice brought back the memory of the night before. She had thought she was dreaming that he was tenderly caressing her face and she was tracing his lips with her fingers. Her eyes widened in embarrassment, and she could feel the blush spring up in her cheeks. She cleared her throat and looked away. "Good morning," she said quietly then went up the stairs as fast as possible without running.

*****

Angie looked at Kira's retreating figure and then at Vinnie, a suspicious smirk on her face. "Let me guess, you came by last night and found her asleep on the couch."

"Yeah, I tried to wake her up, but she was sleeping so soundly that I just covered up and brought her a pillow. Why, did she say something?"

"No, but by the look on her face just now, she was embarrassed by something, and I highly doubt that it was you covering her with an afghan."

Vinnie wracked his brain for something to say to his sister but came up blank. His face must have been doing plenty of talking for him.

Realization dawned in Angie's eyes. She yanked him outside onto the back porch. "You like her."

Vinnie just stared out into the yard.

"Okay, you really like her."

He turned toward his sister with a pleading look on his face. "I..." He sighed. "Yeah, but I don't know what to do with it."

"Let me just say this. I love you brother, but she is the best friend I have ever had. She's complicated and strong, but she's fragile. I won't object to you having a relationship with her, but if you hurt her, I swear to God, I'll castrate you myself, even though that means that I'll have to look at your willie." She shuddered dramatically.

"She's leaving soon anyway, right?" He could hear the blatant disappointment in his own voice.

"Speaking of which, I'm glad you showed up this morning because I wanted to talk to the both of you. I think I may be able to get her to stay a bit longer. Come on." Her voice had taken on a conspiratorial tone that Vinnie wasn't sure he liked. She dragged him back inside.

Kira had gotten dressed & pulled her hair back into a high ponytail. Vinnie's eyes immediately found the beauty mark and he groaned inwardly. She wasn't making this easy on him.

"Family meeting?" Kira asked curiously.

Vinnie and Angie sat down at the table with her. Vinnie realized before Angie started speaking that he probably should have asked about her idea beforehand, but it was too late now.

"I've decided that I'm going to go meet Michael".

"What?" Kira and Vinnie both exclaimed simultaneously.

"Angie, sweetie, let's talk about this. You don't know what the situation is with him and his family. You run the risk of turning his life upside down."

"Kira's right," Vinnie added.

Angie looked at Kira with a big smile. "That's why you're coming with me. You have the experience to mediate and help smooth the way. You won't change my mind about this, so don't bother trying. We have more family out there and I fully intend to integrate them into our lives, even if they are 3000 miles away."

"I'm not a psychologist!" Kira sighed. "I think you're making a mistake, but I'll go...for damage control," then added under her breath, "as if I had a choice."

Vinnie pinched the bridge of his nose. "Angie, this is totally a Lucy Ricardo moment. This can't turn out well."

"Huh?" Angie looked at him in confusion.

Kira snorted out a laugh and turned her mega-watt smile on Vinnie. "It totally is. And I'm Ethel being dragged along for the ride." She turned to Angie. "Okay, I'll bite. I don't have enough adventures in my life. I only brought one bag with me, though."

"So, you'll pop back home and get more clothes, no biggie!" Angie said enthusiastically.

Kira's face went from good humor to annoyance so quickly that it was almost comical.

"I'm sorry, did you say pop back home? Need I remind you, dear friend, that I live 500 miles away? Not to mention that the cost of the ticket on such short notice is going to drain my bank account to almost nothing."

Vinnie was desperately trying not to smile. Kira was like a tigress when she was ticked. It was sexy as hell. Not that she wasn't completely justified in being ticked.

Angie waved a hand. "No biggie, Chica, I'll pay for the ticket. Unless you want me to buy you a new wardrobe, which I would be more than happy to do as a thank you for coming with me."

"Because that makes me feel so much better. You know, Angie, it's really annoying that you wave money around the way you do. I know you work your butt off, but jeez!"

Vinnie now had a full-on erection that was tenting his shorts. The fact that she had to backtrack over her anger to not hurt Angie's feelings was too much. Her fists were clenched, and her face was red. He gripped the side of the table to keep from kissing the frown off her face.

Angie got up and kissed Kira on the cheek then walked behind Vinnie to go to the sink, undoubtedly catching sight of his lap. "Oh jeez, eww, now I need a shower," she said before running upstairs.

Kira looked at Vinnie questioningly. "What was that about?"

Vinnie just shrugged. "Thanks for going along with this. I know how important it is that we handle this well."

Kira sighed. "I know how she is. I just hope it isn't a mistake."

Chapter 4

Three days later, Vinnie was in the middle of sketches for the addition to a museum when Angie's ringtone, Queen's "Fat Bottom Girls" (because it drove her nuts), broke his concentration.

"What's up, Tubby Butt?" He was already grinning waiting for her return, sisterly insult. Yesterday, he poked at her about how she must have really funky feet if she required a weekly, professional pedicure.

"Hi, Vinnie, how's your day going?" Her voice was overly polite.

"Uh-oh, I hear Angie's voice, but those are not her words coming out of her mouth. That means you're sucking up. What do you want, sis?"