A knock abruptly sounded from the door. “Now.”
“What?!” I shouted, almost falling out of my damn chair.
Danté didn’t miss a beat, practically skipping to the door to answer it.
I’ll never forget the expression on Aiden’s face when Danté opened the door. His eyes went from him, to me, to my parents.
All the blood drained from his face as he announced, “Mario? Eva?”
Leaving me completely confused.
How did he know my parents’ names?
<>Aiden<>
“What the fuck?”
“Faith!” Eva reprimanded. “Don’t cuss! Unless you want me to wash your mouth out with soap!”
I jerked back, my eyes opening as wide as could be. “Faith? I thought your name is Camila?”
“You’ve been able to pronounce my name this whole time?”
Mario stepped forward. “Aiden?”
“What the hell is going on?” Danté chimed in, taking the words right out of my mouth.
“How do you know my parents’ names?”
“They’re your parents? Mario and Eva?” I questioned, trying to keep up.
She nodded. “Yeah. Are you going to tell me how you know their names?”
“Not until you tell me why the hell your driver’s license says Camila Jimenez when your name is Faith de la Ramirez?”
“How do you know that?”
“Wait!” Eva interrupted, putting her hands out. “How do you know each other?”
“He’s my boss. How do you know him?”
The surprised expression on her parents faces mirrored one another.
“He was our foster son,” she simply stated, looking at me with so much love in her eyes. As if no time had passed between us. “Hijo, we haven’t seen you in decades. Ven aqui,” she said, “Come here.” Pulling me into a tight hug, Mario following suit. “Ay dios mio! What a beautiful surprise!” Eva pulled away, grabbing my stunned face in between her hands. “Mírate, look at you, so handsome. My boy is a man.”
“I knew it! I knew you guys were soulmates!” Danté cheered, clapping his hands in excitement. Making my head spin.
Eva let go of my face, and Camila and I locked eyes.
This morning kept going from one thing to another. I woke up alone with the bed cold beside me. At first, I thought she left to get us breakfast, but when she didn’t answer my calls or texts, I got worried.
I was ready to call every fucking hospital in North Carolina, thinking she was in a car accident.
Or worse…
Sean retaliated, and someone hurt her, but Damien reassured me that would never happen.
Skyler saw my face as soon as she walked through the door with my kids.
The panic.
The turmoil.
Was killing me all over again.
I didn’t have to say a word, she knew it.
I was in love with Camila.
After I told her what happened, and how I couldn’t fucking find her, she said to call Danté. Through my terror, I didn’t even consider him. When I heard her yell and then whimper in pain, my heart fell to the goddamn floor beneath me.
My worst fear, I was losing her too.
Except it was in another form.
She ran.
From me.
Taking something I said while I was dreaming completely out of context. I was so fucking furious she didn’t give me the chance to explain. I didn’t hesitate jumping in my car and hauling ass over to her parents’ where Danté said she was.
Never in a million years, thinking it would be Mario and Eva’s home. The family that loved me like I was their own.
She was their daughter.
The first baby I ever held.
The first person to ever hold her.
My hands brought her into this world.
Feeling an instant connection to the baby girl the moment I held her in my arms. She was the reason I became a doctor.
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. I didn’t know what to say or where to even start.
My girl was right in front of me, she’d been in front of me all this time. Everything made so much sense now, why I felt like she was mine since the moment she stepped into my house. And why she felt it too.
I named her.
Mine.
She’s my Faith.
“When we heard about Bailey, our hearts broke for you,” Mario shared, bringing my sudden confused stare back to him. “We loved her like she was our own, Aiden. You were both ours.”
“She was such an amazing mother,” Eva added, caressing the side of my face. “Your son Jagger is so handsome. Reminds us of you.”
“How did you—”
“Bailey visited us with Jagger a few times. You know, before the—” she did the sign of the cross. “—took over. It’s how my brother Feto got the job as your gardener. She