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"I'm sorry," she said stiltedly, as if stifling a sob. "I'm so sorry for everything." She had a lifetime of game-playing with her sons and husband to apologise for, and she had no idea where to start except here, with these three young women who had captured her sons' hearts and offered her an olive branch and a chance to make things right.
"You're only sorry because you lost this round with Papa," Genesis said through gritted teeth. "Excuse us if we don't believe you truly mean it this time, any more than the last apology you made."
"I deserve that," Tatianna admitted. "I will prove to you that I mean it over time. No more games. I will be a better mother, a better person, if you'll let me."
"Shit!" Noah hissed as he heard a scuffle and his father's voice outside. "I'll go," he blew out a breath. "You might want to send the girls upstairs for a while. He sounds pissed."
"It's my fault, I'll stay," Vivienne said, with a tremor in her voice. This had gone badly. She didn't regret what she had done to try and rebuild bridges, but she should have thought it through better, perhaps. At the very least, she knew she shouldn't have put Madrina in the middle of an awkward situation.
Gideon said nothing but wrapped his arms around his wife and squeezed her. She always meant well, and she had done this for him. He had thought that he had hidden the fact that he hated not having his parents at his wedding better, but she had known. He knew that, even though she went about things in the wrong way much of the time, she did what she did with a pure heart and good intentions, unlike his mother, who was now reaping the benefits of what she had done to them all for so many years.
"What the hell is going on here?" Armando raged before he even entered the room. He turned to look at his wife and stopped in his tracks, noting her haggard appearance, the weight loss and the obvious dark circles beneath her make-up. She had suffered far more than he had thought possible, and his heart broke that he had done that to the woman he loved.
"It was me," Vivienne said clearly and came to her feet to meet his challenge. "Family is so important, and it was me that caused the problems, running away and not trusting what I had with Gideon. It was all my fault, so I just wanted to make things right."
"None of it was your fault," Tatianna said softly, a catch in her voice as she looked away from the man she adored and who had always loved her absolutely, until she had caused this rift in the family. "None of this is your fault, Vivienne, and I am so sorry that you felt that way. They all know who is to blame here. and it is not you." She stopped short of admitting her guilt out loud, but they all knew she was admitting it without voicing the words.
"Where's Sera?" Madrina asked with a frown. "She went to get you and food."
"Isaac was bringing her. I wasn't about to wait for food when I heard what was happening," Armando growled, still staring at his wife's worn-down appearance.
"So that's thirteen for dinner. I hope we ordered enough," Madrina laughed. "Come on, you lazy boys, help me set the table outside and open some wine for dinner," she commanded, as if they were still teenagers.
"I'll help," Marcella offered, wanting to get out of the firing line now that Armando was here, radiating rage and disappointment in equal measure. "Come on, Viv, we can organise plates and napkins." She encouraged her friend to move, seeing Genesis helping Olivia to stand and follow him to the outdoor patio off the kitchen area.
Sera and Isaac arrived not long after, carrying boxes and boxes of pizza from a small Italian restaurant and dropping them on the tables out the back. Half of the food had gone before Tatianna and Armando joined them. Even though the brothers were still wary of their mother and the conversation seemed strained whenever she tried to join in, everyone did their best to act as normally as possible. Isaac stayed, choosing a chair close to Marcella and engaging her in conversation about Perth and how long she intended to stay in Darwin.
"Noah, doesn't Marcella look just like M..." Isaac began to ask before Noah cut him off.
"Completely different, trust me on that," he chuckled and shook his head, willing his cousin not to say anything more about Matija here with the girls present. He didn't think being compared to a prize Kept would impress Marcella in the slightest. He glanced at his father, who hadn't missed the conversation and raised an eyebrow at his son in question. What that question was Noah wasn't sure exactly, but he knew his father wouldn't let it go easily.
*****
- COMMENTS
Anonymousover 3 years agoAs always another awesome instalment ! I’m humbled by your writing talent.
Marcella - let’s face it she’s not wrong they are misogynistic, blatant and unrepentant about it too.
Every time a female character is bratty it’s just more reinforcement for the broken structure of the whole thing. The girls of the Tables get treated like princesses and given everything they want unless it’s independence and an education. Then bizarrely the men are dismayed by the bratty strong willed women for not toeing the line and becoming baby factories. It’s not a good reason for the men to put on their Dom faces and actions, if they don’t want to take that route then no worries because they have the institute at their disposal - The Battaglia to brain wash them into submission again. It’s been said often enough in various stories that the place is barbaric, so how is that any different than Remington?
I can accept a private clinic scenario if someone has substance abuse, they are all meant to be wealthy prominent families. Using it to retrain their women is way over the top. To me it comes across as though the TPE version of D/s is mandatory.
I’ve always wondered if The Twelve Tables universe is meant to be an alternate reality?
Tess (UK)
Anonymousalmost 5 years agoMarcella had a terrible childhood because of her dad. She is not looking for money but for independence. And I can understand her constant need for fighting. That is how she survived her childhood and did not break. And I think it is weird that everybody is angry at her but nobody asks her why she is so driven. And she is not the only one who thinks Genesis is a creep. He lies to Liv but tells Liv that lying is wrong. He doesn't talk to Marcella about her childhood so he could better understand Liv (and Marcella). But complains when Marcella does not agree with him or doesn't seem to understand him. They all complain about the spoiled table princesses, but I think that most girls behave better than the boys. And yes all the mean bitches are women. The story is written so well that we start to look at the world as if we readers are the girls that should be saved or the man that are wise, strong and always know best. I love the story because of this good writing. Thanks!!!
SouthernGirl804about 5 years agoI agree with some of the commenters who say that Marcella is on-point with some of her questions and concerns; however, ultimately, she seems to be all about the money. I first noticed this during her multiple ruminations about the use of the car, apartment, and credit cards provided by the Zenati. She comes off as money-hungry. And she is hell-bent on trying to gain access to Remy's vast fortune. She claims that she is doing it for Olivia, but I'm not so sure. Doesn't she realize that now that she is tracking down Remy's assets, she is inviting grave danger to Oliva...and everyone around her, including herself? In fact, it would not surprise me if Marci meets a tragic fate.
SouthernGirl804about 5 years agoThank you for continuing to share your incredible writing with us. I hope that your treatment is going well.
Anonymousover 5 years agoScrewing one woman while thinking about another is an insult to both.
Who would want a man who is spends his time “training” others anyway?
I really don’t think that he is a catch at all. She could do so much better.
