The #1 Bestsellers Collection 2011(100)
The night before Megan’s first birthday, Lana got up from the sofa and went over to the sideboard.
“Matt, I have something for you,” she said, coming back with a photograph album in her hands. “I thought you might like to see some pictures of our daughter’s life so far.”
Something emotional crossed his face.
“You’ve never asked about her birth, but I thought you might like to know anyway,” she said, sliding onto the sofa next to him.
He swallowed hard. “I didn’t ask before because it was too painful.”
“I figured that.” She handed him the album.
He looked down, almost in slow motion, and opened the heavy cover, staring at the first item. It was a commemorative birth certificate with his name as the father.
He darted her a look, turned the page. A picture of Megan just a few hours old stared up at them. She was still wrinkly and her eyes were shut.
“She was beautiful,” he said huskily.
She smiled. “Every parent thinks their child is beautiful.”
He arched a brow. “You think I’m biased?”
“Definitely,” she teased.
He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “Then she takes after her mother.”
She caught her breath. “No, she’s like you.”
His lips twitched. “Are you saying I’m gorgeous?”
He was.
She flushed and drew his attention back to the album. If she told him the truth, would she give herself away? Would he see that she loved him?
“Look at that mop of black hair on her,” he said, interrupting her thoughts.
“She’s a Valente. What do you expect?”
He grinned, then continued to turn the pages until he came to the one of Lana. He frowned. “You were crying?”
“They call it the baby blues.” She didn’t say but she’d been upset because Matt hadn’t been able to share in the joy of Megan’s birth.
He held her eyes a minute, then returned to the album. Page after page they went through together. At the end he closed the book carefully and went to hand it to her.
She pushed it back to him. “It’s for you to keep.”
He seemed to hold himself in check. “Thank you.”
She cleared her throat. She couldn’t tell him she loved him, but there was something else that very much needed to be said.
“I’m sorry, Matt.”
“Sorry?”
“For keeping her from you. If I’d known how much you would love her—” She broke off, unable to finish the words.
He tenderly ran a finger down her cheek, turning her heart over. “That means more to me than you know.”
“It does?”
He nodded.
“I’m glad you’re here for her first birthday, Matt.”
“Me, too.” He leaned toward her and kissed her softly on the lips. Then without warning, he got up with the album in his hands and walked out of the room.
Lana’s throat closed up. She’d wanted him to take her in his arms and make love to her, even as she understood why he hadn’t. He needed to be alone right now.
If only she could feel less alone herself.
Lana was excited about Megan’s party but tried not to let it get the better of her. She recollected only too well the last party her own parents had given her on her tenth birthday. Her father had come home drunk and caused a scene in front of her friends. And her childhood humiliation had been complete.
Oh, she knew no one would cause a scene at Megan’s party the way her own father had done years ago. That wasn’t the Valentes’ style, and thank the Lord it wasn’t. She wouldn’t be here if it was.
But she didn’t want to get too emotionally attached to this family when in years to come, possibly even Megan’s next birthday, she would not be invited along. It would only end in heartache for herself, despite Megan’s emotional attachment to them being a positive thing for her daughter.
“Lana, smile,” Sasha said, holding up the camera.
Her sister-in-law took a picture of her and Matt crouching down to help Megan unwrap one of the myriads of presents on the living room floor.
And suddenly Lana was a part of them.
They were all just so thrilled to have Megan in the family that she couldn’t be aloof. She tried … God knows she tried … but their joy was catching.
She smiled, then quickly looked down at her daughter’s head, her eyes misting over, but not before she caught a gentle look in Matt’s eyes. He knew how much this meant to her.
They continued opening the presents. Olivia and Alex’s son, Scott, was disgusted that no one had bought Megan any boy-type gifts, but their six-year-old daughter, Renee, thought the doll was great.
“It’s bigger than Megan is,” Nick scoffed when he saw what Cesare and Isabel had given her.