Sweet Hatred-Chapter 437: Shape of Happiness pt 2

The air vanished from my lungs.

Olivia stood before me. Not a memory. Not a face on a screen. Her here, solid and real, her own eyes swimming with the same disbelieving joy that was currently drowning me.

I launched myself at her, my arms locking around her frame with a force that was probably painful. I buried my face in the familiar softness of her shoulder, the scent of her laundry detergent and her perfume a time capsule to every safe moment I had ever known.

"You’re here," I sobbed, the words fracturing into her shirt. The tears were immediate, hot and relentless. "You’re really here."

"I’m here," Olivia whispered, her own voice cracking under the weight of emotion. Her arms tightened around me, a lifeline I had been clutching in my dreams for weeks. "I’m here, Aria."

Then a small, wiry force cannoned into us both.

"Aunt Aria!"

Kaleb.

My eight-year-old nephew wrapped himself around my waist, his face pressed into my stomach, his grip surprisingly strong. The feel of his small, sturdy body against mine was a balm on a wound I thought would never heal.

"I missed you so much!" His voice was muffled by my dress.

My heart broke open, not with sorrow, but with a love so vast it felt like it would spill out of me. I sank to my knees, the rough texture of the rooftop floor biting through the silk of my dress, so I could gather him properly into my arms. I held him, this piece of my soul, and pressed kiss after kiss into his messy hair.

"I missed you too, buddy," I choked out, my voice thick with tears. "So much it hurt."

"Where did you go?" he demanded, pulling back just enough to fix me with those earnest, brown eyes that saw the world with such pure logic. "Mom said you needed a break, but it felt like forever."

"I know. I’m so sorry." I cupped his face, my thumbs stroking his cheeks, memorizing the feel of him. "But I’m back now. And I’m not leaving again."

"Promise?" The word was a solemn vow in his small voice.

"I promise."

He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded, satisfied, and burrowed back into my embrace.

Behind him, Olivia was crying in earnest now, tears streaming down her face unchecked as she watched our reunion.

"Stop crying," I told her, even as my own tears dripped onto Kaleb’s head.

"I can’t," she gasped, swiping at her cheeks with trembling hands. "I was so... I didn’t know... I was so scared for you."

We managed to untangle ourselves and move to the nest of pillows and blankets Kael had created. My legs felt unsteady.

Kaleb immediately began his report, his hands flying as he spoke.

"So, I got to Level 47 in Super Mario Bros," he announced, his eyes wide with the importance of this news. "And I beat Mom at Mario Kart three whole times. Three!"

"That’s incredible," I said, the genuine awe in my voice making him beam.

"And I got an A on my spelling test. Well, it was an A-minus, but that’s basically an A, right?"

"Absolutely an A."

"And Coach said I’m getting better at soccer, but I still can’t do a bicycle kick. I tried once and fell right on my butt."

I laughed, the sound watery but real, and ruffled his hair. "Keep practicing. You’ll get it."

Then Kaleb turned his serious gaze to Kael, who stood a respectful distance away, a silent, watchful guardian. His expression was soft, unreadable to anyone but me. I saw the tenderness there.

"You!" Kaleb pointed a finger. "I remember you. You beat me at Mario Kart."

Kael’s lips twitched, a ghost of a smile. "I remember. You put up a formidable fight."

"Next time I’m gonna win," Kaleb declared, puffing out his chest. "I’ve been practicing every day."

"I look forward to the rematch."

Lily, who had been contentedly observing the world from the safety of Olivia’s lap, suddenly let out a stream of cheerful babbles and pointed a chubby finger at the canopy of fairy lights.

"Light! Light!" she exclaimed, her voice a tiny bell of delight.

"Yes, sweetheart," Olivia said, kissing her daughter’s downy head. "Pretty lights."

Lily clapped her hands, her entire body wriggling with joy.

I looked at my sister and found her watching me with an expression that made my breath catch. It was a deep, aching pity.

"Don’t," I said, the word coming out sharper than I intended.

"Don’t what?"

"Don’t look at me like I’m a sad case."

Olivia’s face crumpled. "I can’t help it, Aria. I know how much this must have destroyed you. Sarah was... she was our family. I would have never, ever believed she could do those things."

The sound of her name was a cold stone dropped into the warm pool of this moment. My heart gave a single, painful squeeze.

I forced a smile, fragile but determined. "What’s done is done. I’m just grateful the truth is out now."

"Still," she said softly, reaching for my hand. "Knowing the truth doesn’t erase the betrayal."

"No," I agreed, my voice quiet. "It doesn’t."

A heavy silence settled between us, filled with the ghosts of a friendship that had never been real.

Then I drew a steadying breath. The time had come.

"I have something to tell you," I said.

Olivia’s eyes searched mine, immediately alert. "What is it?"

I glanced at Kael. He gave me a small, firm nod, his presence a solid wall at my back.

I looked back at my sister.

"I’m pregnant."

Olivia went perfectly, utterly still.

Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again without a sound.

Then a fresh wave of tears burst from her, a sob of pure, unadulterated joy.

"Oh my God," she cried, lunging forward to grab me again. "Oh my God, Aria."

"Mom why are you crying again?" Kaleb asked, his small face pinched with concern. "What’s wrong?"