Velvet Roses Ch. 08

Now, as she exited the automatic doors which led away from the lobby of the airport, she found that her body was weighed down with sadness. Her father, who strolled alongside her, must have picked up on the energy she was emitting, because he looped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze.

Unable to make eye contact with him, she kept her eyes focused ahead, and as they reached the parking garage, he led the way towards his rental car. Once they were seated inside, he put the car into drive and they took off. Both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, so for a few minutes, only silence passed between them. Then finally Gary spoke.

"They have this great Sunday buffet at this little restaurant not too far from my apartment. If you're you hungry, we could stop by." "No thanks. I'm kinda tired, so if you don't mind, could you just take me home?"

"Sure, no problem."

Catching sight of the green highway sign, he veered onto the ramp, then accelerated to match the speed of the other vehicles. As the car continued along the freeway, Jeneda noticed from out of the corner of her eye that her father kept taking brief glances at her, and although she knew he did it out of concern, she couldn't help feeling annoyed.

She felt uncomfortable, as if she were under a microscope, and it seemed to her that he was expectantly waiting for her to break down in tears right in front of him. They'd been on the highway for nearly ten minutes before she finally decided to address him, and in a voice which was more wavery than firm, she spoke.

"I'm fine, dad."

"No you're not. I can see that you're hurting."

She said nothing, only focused on the road.

"So, tell me what's happening with you. Are you still dating that guy?"

"What guy?" Knowing exactly who he was talking about, she feigned ignorance.

"The one you told me about. The comic book artist."

"Oh, him. We broke up."

"That was fast. You only met a month ago, right?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"It just didn't work out."

"That's too bad. From the way you described him, he sounded nice."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people aren't who they seem to be."

"Uh oh, what did he do?"

"I don't wanna talk about it," she said firmly.

"Okay, no problem."

Perhaps sensing his daughter's edginess, Gary halted his inquisition, and for the next few minutes, they both kept silent. It wasn't until he steered the car towards the exit ramp that Jeneda's voice cut through the quiet, and in a puzzled tone, she questioned her father.

"Why are we getting off the freeway? I thought you were taking me home."

"I was. But since Adrian's is on the way, I thought we would stop off for a visit."

"Why?" The mere thought of Vincent's son sent a twinge of anxiety through her, and with a hint of nervousness in her voice she said, "I thought he was overseas. When did he get back home?"

"A few weeks ago."

"He wasn't due back for another few months. What happened?"

Gary hesitated a moment, then in a solemn voice he spoke. "Please forgive me for not telling you this sooner, but Stefania died."

"What? No way, you have got to be kidding me. Stefania's dead?"

"Yes."

"And you're just telling me *now*?"

"I knew you were already going through a lot emotionally, so I figured It'd be best to wait until this whole situation with Riley calmed down."

"Well I appreciate your concern, but you still should have told me."

"I know, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I knew it would break your heart."

Jeneda blew out a heavy sigh, then in a wavery voice she asked, "How did it happen?"

"She committed suicide."

"But she was so religious. Why would she commit suicide?"

"You remember how she was after Vincent's death, don't you?"

Allowing her thoughts to drift to the last time she'd seen Vincent's wife, Jeneda recalled how closed off and reclusive she'd been. Normally a happy and easygoing person, Stefania had become increasingly reclusive, and had not only lost an alarming amount of weight, but had also developed a drinking habit.

Her downward spiral had been saddening to say the least, and although it had been obvious that she would never again be the same carefree person, Jeneda had certainly never expected that she would take her own life. Her heart constricted as she thought of Stefania's untimely demise, and the sorrow she already felt seemed to grow even deeper.

"Of course I remember," Jeneda said. "She was inconsolable, nobody could get through to her."

"Yeah, well Vincent was the love of her life, so I guess it isn't all that surprising that she lost the will to live."

Jeneda shook her head in dismay, then in a sorrowful voice she said, "Poor Adrian. Not only did he lose his biological parents, but his adopted ones as well. It's like he's an orphan all over again."

"I know, I really feel bad for him." Somber silence fell between them for a few moments, then in a voice which conveyed his dejected emotional state, Gary added, "Anyways, I thought it would be nice to check in on him and make sure he's doing okay. Plus, I think it would be good for you two to catch up."

"Most definitely. The last time we saw each other was at Vincent's remembrance service."

"That long, huh?"

She nodded.

"You two used to be so close when you were kids. Always joined at the hip, getting into all sorts of trouble..." His voice drifted off and a faint smile curled his lips.

"Yeah, we did had some fun times together," she wistfully said.

They only had to travel ten blocks before arriving at Adrian's residence, and after pulling up next to the curb, Gary put the car in park and they both got out of the vehicle.

Located in a neighborhood called North Beach, which was alternatively known as Little Italy, the home Adrian resided in was a well-kept, pistachio colored row house. Passed down from generation to generation, the home had been previously owned by his parents, but upon Vincent's death, it had been bequeathed to his sons.

Over the past two decades, Jeneda had accompanied her father to Vincent's house countless times, so it was definitely a place that held a lot of happy memories for her. Yet as she now made her way up to the front door, she found herself deeply saddened by the realization that life had changed so drastically, and that those lighthearted days were a thing of the past.

As they reached the door, Gary knocked, and after a brief moment of waiting, the door opened. Having expected Adrian to be the one who answered, Jeneda was surprised to find that his grandmother, Sofia, was standing before them. At barely five feet, she was miniscule, but what she lacked in height, she made up for in width.

As her soft, brown eyes came to rest on Jeneda, her lips peeled back, exposing pearly white dentures, and with joyful enthusiasm, she pulled her into a hug. As the plump woman's arms encircled her, Jeneda instantly felt the tension inside her dissipate, and as they parted from the embrace, she gave the older woman a warm smile.

"Jeneda, what a wonderful surprise," Sophia said. "How have you been? I've missed you so much."

"I've been okay. And you?"

"Not too great. Still missing my Vincent terribly, and now with Stefania gone, it makes things even harder, but I'm taking it a day at a time."

A look of sadness crossed her face before she gave Jeneda's father a long hug, and after ushering them inside, she closed the door behind them. She then led them into the kitchen, where a steaming pot was bubbling on the stove, and with a wave of her arm, she invited them to be seated.

"Sit down, relax," Sophia said, then with her distinctive waddle, she headed over to the fridge where she retrieved a bottle of juice. "Cranberry okay?"

Both Jeneda and Gary nodded, and after pouring them each a glass, Sophia handed them to her guests. She then poked her head around the kitchen doorframe, and in a voice which belied her small stature, she called out to her grandson.

"Adrian....Gary and Jenjen are here."

Jeneda's lips curled upward at the sound of her childhood nickname, and as the creaking of the hardwood floors announced his approach, she directed her eyes towards the kitchen doorway.

Clad in a pair of jeans and a white ribbed tank top which showed off his muscular arms, Adrian Copani had a military buzz cut and blueish gray eyes. His dogtags jangled faintly as he entered the room, and as his gaze met Jeneda's, he gave her a smile. She returned it with one of her own, and after rising to her feet, she allowed him to pull her into a hug.

"It's great to see you," he said as they parted.

"Nice to see you, too."

Adrian then acknowledged Jeneda's father with a nod and smile before saying, "As always, It's good to see you, Gary. How are things?"

"I'm hanging in there. How about you?"

"Doing okay."

As Jeneda sat down, so did Adrian, taking a seat directly across from her. Allowing herself a moment to study his face, she noted that there were dark circles under his eyes, and could tell from the way he sat in the chair that he was feeling weary.

This led her to guess that he hadn't gotten much sleep the previous night, and was suddenly reminded that he wasn't just enduring the grief of one death, but two.

"My dad told me that Stefania passed away," Jeneda said. "I'm really sorry about that. She was a lovely woman, and I'll miss her dearly."

"Thank you for your sympathy. I appreciate that."

"Sorry for not giving my condolences sooner. My dad just told me today, so I barely found out."

"No problem. Gary told me that you guys decided to transfer Riley to a nursing home out of state, so I completely understand why he didn't tell you about my mom dying. You already had enough on your plate, and he didn't want to burden you any further."

A moment of silence fell between them, during which the only sounds were the banging of silverware against pots as Sophia tended to the food that was on the stove. Then Adrian's voice broke through the stillness.

"So, what's been going on with you?"

"Oh you know, same old stuff," Jeneda curtly said before taking a sip of her drink.

"Something new must have happened since the last time I saw you." He watched her curiously, waiting for her to set the cup back down before posing a question. "No developments at all? It's been six months since we last saw each other."

"The San Francisco Symphony commissioned her to do a sculpture for them," Gary proudly piped up. "Tell him about that, junebug."

"Really? Wow, that's very impressive. Check you out, you're hitting the big time now."

"It's not that huge of a deal," she said as the corners of her lips tugged into a sheepish smile.

"Of course it is, no need to be modest. That's quite an accomplishment, and you should be proud of yourself."

"Yeah, I guess." She shrugged lightly, then added, "So, how is it being back on home soil?"

"It's always good to be back in the states, I just wish it wasn't because of my mother's death." He lowered his gaze, absentmindedly rubbing at a spot on the surface of the table before once again looking into Jeneda's eyes. "To tell you the truth, I'm kinda going crazy here. I don't know what to do with myself."

"Why not hang out with Daniel? You're both going through a rough time right now, so why not support one another?"

"Daniel's locked up. He got arrested a month ago."

"For what?"

"Don't know, don't care. All I know is he's back in."

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that."

"Why? He deserves to be there."

"Adrian."

"What? He does. The guy's a waste of space. He's had plenty of opportunities to make something of himself, but after all these years he still hasn't amounted to anything. Dad even got him a job as a dispatcher with the company he used to work for. You wanna know how long he lasted?"

Jeneda gave a light shrug.

"A month."

"Well maybe he just never got the hang of it."

"No, that isn't it. He's just lazy. The last time he was out of jail, all he did was lay around the house all day, smoking pot and wasting his inheritance money on cheap women and alcohol. Not to mention, he didn't even come to dad's remembrance service."

"Of course he didn't show up, he was in jail."

"Exactly. Every time he gets out, he goes right back in." His lips curled in disgust, and in a voice filled with loathing, he said, "What a loser."

"Hey, come on, Adrian," Jeneda said. "I know he's been in some trouble, but he's still your brother."

"No he's not. We don't even share the same bloodline. I'm adopted, remember?"

"But Vincent raised you as his own son. And although I can't speak for him, I'm sure he'd want you guys to finally make peace and come together."

"I've tried, many times. But Daniel has always made it very clear that he never considered me as part of the family. Ever since we were kids, he's made me feel bad about being adopted."

"It's probably just out of insecurity. Before you came along, he was the only child."

"Yeah, well he's had years to get over it." As if to convey his annoyance, he shook his head lightly, then in a haughty tone of voice he said, "It's not my fault Dad liked me better."

Exchanging a glance with her father, Jeneda saw from the look on his face that he was feeling just as uncomfortable as she was. It seemed that Adrian picked up on the awkwardness of the moment, as well, because he cleared his throat, then gave them both a weak smile.

"Sorry, guess I got a little carried away. You guys are staying for lunch, right?"

"Actually, I kinda need to get back home." As if to emphasize her words, Jeneda glanced at her watch.

"Already? But we've barely been here half an hour," said her father. "And you know how much I love Sophia's cooking."

"You're not leaving until you eat," Sophia said, giving Jeneda an almost stern look before directing her eyes back to the pots on the stove.

"Plus we came here together," said Gary. "You can't leave without me, so it looks like you're stuck here with us."

"I could drive her home," Adrian suddenly said, and locking his eyes with hers, he added, "If you'd like."

The truth was that she'd wouldn't, as she knew without a doubt that the car ride to her apartment would be nothing less than completely awkward. But if she refused, it would come across as rude, so there was really nothing she could do but accept his offer.

"Sure, why not?"

"Cool. Let me just get my keys and phone, and we'll be on our way."

While he went off in search of his personal items, Jeneda gave both Sofia and her father a goodbye hug, then walked with them to the front door.

They'd just reached the entryway when Adrian descended the foyer stairs, and after opening the door for Jeneda, he followed her outside. Now clad in a hooded sweatshirt with the Raider's logo on it, he led the way to his sporty Mazda, and after strapping themselves in, Adrian started up the car and they took off.

They spent the first few minutes of the car ride engaged in small talk, catching up on the various events in their lives since the last time they'd seen one another. Then gradually, their conversation steered towards more personal topics, and as Adrian's mood became more flirtatious, Jeneda found herself feeling uneasy. "So, how's your love life? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Nope. Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Not right now. I just got out a messy relationship, so I'm enjoying the single life. Plus, I'm not really in the state of mind to date right now."

"Yeah, I'm kinda in the same boat." No sooner had the words left her mouth, did she realize that they came off sounding insensitive, and she quickly added, "Not that I'm comparing my brother moving out of state to you losing both of your parents."

"It's cool, I understand what you meant." There was a brief lull before he offered some more words. "I figured the reason you were single, was because you still haven't found anyone who kisses as good as I do."

Her lips curved upward and she lightly shook her head in amusement before saying, "Just as modest as ever, aren't you, Adrian?"

"I'm only joking, of course." He cracked a smile before asking, "It was a pretty good kiss though, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was nice. For a first kiss."

"Try not to sound too enthused."

His sarcasm resulted in a wide grin. "We were thirteen. What do you want me to say? That nobody else has ever compared?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I want to hear."

They both chuckled, and as the car pulled onto the freeway, Jeneda noticed that there was a pair of mini boxing gloves hanging from the rearview mirror. She didn't know how she'd failed to notice them before, but as her eyes came to rest on them, she reached out to cradle them in her palm.

"Those were my dad's," Adrian said. "They used to hang in his truck."

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded. "It was one of the mementos the police gave me."

She couldn't help noticing the way his voice had become thick with emotion, and a twinge of sadness swept through her as she felt his mood shift to one of somberness. It seemed to her that the right thing to do would be to offer some words of sympathy, but Jeneda didn't have a clue as to what she should say, so she chose to remain quiet.

A long moment passed before Adrian broke the silence, and as he began to speak, Jeneda directed her gaze toward him.

"This will probably sound crazy, but sometimes it feels like he's riding around with me."

"You can feel his spirit?"

"Oh yeah, most definitely. I have no doubt at all that he watches over the whole family." A faint smile crossed his lips as he said, "He probably watches over you, too."

"You think?"

"Of course, you were like a daughter to him. Dad loved you like you were one of his own."

Her heart tugged guiltily at his words, and averting her eyes from Adrian, she purposely focused them on the view beyond the window. "I loved him, too. Vincent was a wonderful person."

"The best."

Adrian's voice was filled with such admiration, that it only made Jeneda feel worse, and as she continued to gaze out the window, she began to wonder just how long she would manage to keep Dane's secret, and if by doing so, she wouldn't slowly be driven to madness.

"Not a day goes by that I don't find myself wondering why it happened." Adrian said.

Already filled with shame at her inability to divulge the information she knew, Jeneda fell silent, looking at the stretch of highway that lay out before them.

"What makes a person do something like that?" He paused a moment, as if to reflect on his own question, and then continued. "Why not just rob him and let him go? Why did they have to murder him?"

Struck with self-loathing, Jeneda gazed at down her hands, fidgeting them nervously in her lap.

"He didn't deserve to die. He was a good, hard working man, just trying to live his life. He never hurt anyone."

His voice had steadily grown louder, and his fingers were wrapped around the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

"It seems like living an honest life doesn't count for shit these days. You try and do good, be a responsible citizen, but what good does it do? This is a sick world we live in," he said bitterly before shaking his head in disgust. "An innocent man was shot to death, and his killer is out there roaming the streets. How fucked up is that?"

Although the question was clearly rhetorical, Jeneda couldn't help feeling as if she should offer some answer to convey her sympathy towards him. But what exactly could she say in response?

The energy in the car was so thick with hostility that it was nearly overwhelming, and although she knew he had every right in the world to be pissed off, she found herself eagerly awaiting the moment when they would arrive at her apartment.

It wasn't until they exited the freeway and came to a stop at a light that Adrian glanced her way, and as his eyes locked into hers, she saw they were filled with pain.