Chapter 10
For a long time, Kaiya couldn’t stop herself from weeping. She laid in Tyler’s arms on the bed and allowed the discoveries of the day wash over her. She still couldn’t wrap her head around how devious and conniving her father had been. And to think he claimed he had done it for her own good. Granted, she loved the fact that she was a ballet teacher and had her own school and hoped to set up more, but her life would have been more fulfilled. Having her daughter and Tyler by her side would have made her life extremely happier than how it could have been.
Sighing ruefully, she shook her head. For years, she had blamed herself for her baby’s death. She had thought she was being punished for getting pregnant and wishing her baby away. She had also faced insecurities that she might never have another baby because of the fear of losing it again.
All these she had discussed with her women’s support group, but she couldn’t really say it had helped because she still found herself going to baby shops to stare at and inhale baby things, longing for her baby. Subconsciously she still celebrated her baby’s birthday every year, lighting a candle and buying a cake, even if it was a cupcake.
“Are you alright?” Tyler asked beside her.
It was evening now. They had remained lying on the bed, talking about everything that happened.
“I still can’t believe that I have a daughter and not a son. A daughter that is very much alive,” she delivered after a few minutes.
“With time, you will. I’m here for you Kai,” Tyler stated quietly.
“Please, tell me about Lili. Other than the fact that she’s super cute, smart, and a great dancer, I don’t know anything about her.” Those words saddened her and brought tears to her eyes, which she hastily pushed away.
Tyler caressed her hair in comfort. “I’ll tell you everything you need to know about her.” Then he gently pulled her from his body. He rose and stretched a hand toward her. “Come with me.”
“Where?” She eyed him with curiosity.
“To the living room. I want to show you everything you need to know about your daughter.”
Nodding, she pushed herself off the bed and took his hand. Together, hand in hand, they walked down the spiral staircase. Although her heart was beating rapidly against her chest, Kaiya applauded Tyler on the beauty and opulence of the house. He shrugged it off.
In the living room, Tyler opened a cupboard and brought out a box. He directed her to sit on the couch and placed the box on her lap. Kaiya bit her bottom lip as she stared uneasily at the box that would tell her things about her daughter.
“Go on,” he urged quietly and sat beside her.
With her heart beating against her chest and her hand shaking a little, she lifted the box’s lid. There were pictures, albums, and DVDs inside the box.
Tears glazed her eyes as she looked at numerous pictures of her daughter during her growing years. There were so many of them that it took a while going through it all. Her heart squeezed with pain as she saw every milestone she missed. Her daughter’s first smile, her first words, her first steps, her first day in school. She missed everything!
Pain tugged at her heart. How could the ache in her soul ever go away when her daughter had learned to call another woman, ‘Mom’ while she was still alive?
Jealousy snaked up her body as she saw Lena in a lot of the pictures.
“Lena seems to be in a lot of the pictures,” she couldn’t help commenting.
As if hearing the jealousy in her voice, Tyler looked at her queerly. “Lena was a good mother figure to Lili.”
Was she a good wife to you?Kaiya wondered.Did she fill the gap that my absence caused? Did she love you the way I loved you?
Kaiya mentally shook those painful thoughts from her mind and focused on the pictures. Lena seemed to have really loved Lili. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she realized everything she missed. Another woman had shown her daughter the love she would have given her had she been aware of her existence.
“I’m sorry if it’s going to bring back painful memories, but I overheard Lili telling Milania that her mother was in heaven. What happened to her?”
Kaiya dug her fingers into her palm to keep her jealousy from showing when she saw the intense sadness that crossed Tyler’s face.
“A drunk driver rammed into the rear of her car when she was coming back home one evening. Lili was in the car, but thankfully she wasn’t harmed. Unfortunately, Lena lost her life in the accident.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. How devastated you must have been.”
He nodded with sorrow in his eyes. “Indeed, I was.”
“She must have meant a lot to you,” she stated, fishing for words on how involved they were.
Noncommittally, Tyler remarked, “She was a good friend and mother figure to Lili.” His voice cracked.
