Jefferson Hardy opened the door. A surprised expression lit his eyes as he stood back .
"Will ow, please come in. Larissa was just talking about you."
He remembered my name.
I stepped inside and Cage was right behind me.
"Who is it?" Tawny asked as she appeared at the top of the large elegant wooden staircase. She froze and her gaze shifted from me to Cage and back.
"Low what're you doing here?"
She was annoyed. Good. I was devastated.
"I need to talk to you," I turned to look back at Jefferson,
"and him."
Jefferson and Tawny exchanged looks while I waited.
"Okay, well Tawny why don't you get Larissa and come on down here. She'll be thrilled to see Will ow." This man was playing house so easily. As if he hadn't just abandoned another family. The one he'd had for more years than Tawny had been alive.
"follow me," Jefferson said smiling at me and then turned to lead us down a hallway and then into a large living room already furnished with several large leather chairs big enough for two and a huge sectional sofa. The largest flatscreen I'd ever seen hung on the wall and a gas fire crackled in the fire place. Wasn't this just cozy.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" Jefferson asked.
I shook my head.
"No," was Cage's only reply. I felt like he was my silent bodyguard. It helped knowing he was here.
"My Lowlow," Larissa squealed in obvious delight when Tawny walked into the room carrying Larissa on her hip.
Her hair was damp from a bath and she was in a pair of pajamas I'd never seen before. They looked soft, frilly and expensive. Seeing Larissa in something so nice just added to the mass of emotions swirling around inside me. I wanted the best for Larissa. I wanted her to have a daddy who loved her and was there for her. But what about the other little girl this man had. The teenage one who was falling apart from his betrayal. I wanted to scream in frustration.
Tawny put Larissa down and she ran to me her arms up in the air. I bent down and picked her up and nuzzled her sweet neck. She smelled so good. Like a baby should smell. A healthy, loved baby.
"Hey my favorite princess," I whispered in her ear.
"Lowlow," she smiled up at me.
"I missed you," I told her and she clapped happily and then planted a wet kiss on my cheek.
"CAY!" she squealed when her eyes found Cage and she wiggled in my arms to get to him.
"Hey gorgeous," he replied taking her from my arms.
I turned to look back at my sister and Jefferson.
"I didn't know until today who you were, exactly." I said, staring straight at Jefferson.
"It wasn't your business Low," Tawny snapped coming to stand beside him wrapping her arm around his.
"That's where you're wrong. It unfortunately is my business"
"Larissa is mine and Jefferson's. Just because we---"
"Tawny shut up. You have no idea what I came here to say.
So just let me talk. For once." I watched as my sister's eyes glowed with anger. Jefferson patted her hand soothingly.