The Stranger in the Mirror(7)

Julian asked me to marry him! He took me to Ricard’s for dinner. He ordered their most expensive bottle of champagne. It only took a moment for me to see the diamond sparkling at the bottom of the crystal flute. The ring is a perfect fit—of course—just like Julian. It feels as though my life is finally taking a turn in the right direction. He’s been my rock and my safe place these last few months, but I never dreamed he felt about me the way I do him. I’ll finally have a real family of my own. We talked about children, and he told me he wants them as much as I do. It’s time for me to leave the painful past where it belongs and look ahead to a bright future.





He sighed and closed the book, the tightness in his chest increasing. How beautiful she had looked that night. He’d spent weeks planning the proposal, down to the smallest detail. He hadn’t known what she would say, but the look in her eyes when she saw the ring told him all he’d needed to know. And unlike that of so many couples he knew, their love hadn’t diminished over time, but had only grown deeper with each passing year.

He stood and walked out of the bedroom and toward Valentina’s room. Slowly opening the door, he peeked in to check that she was sleeping. Her raven hair fanned out on the pillow, her porcelain skin unblemished, even in sleep she looked so much like Cassandra. The resemblance was a comfort and a curse at the same time. He stepped quietly into the room and stood by the bed, gazing at her.

“Don’t worry, my sweet. I’ll bring her back. Everything is going to turn out fine, I promise.”





??6??

Blythe




Blythe looked across the table at her son, the crushing love she felt for him washing over her. He’d come over for their customary Sunday dinner. From the time Gabriel and Hailey were small, she and Ted had made a commitment to keep Sunday sacrosanct. The weekdays may have found them running in a million different directions with sports, activities, and other commitments, but Sunday was reserved for family. Church in the morning, Sunday brunch at the club, and a home-cooked meal on Sunday evening, one that the children helped to prepare as they got older. The contentment that she usually felt sharing this meal with those she loved best in the world, though, was overshadowed by a nagging worry.

Her gaze traveled to Addison, and the familiar tug-of-war inside her resurfaced. She and Gabriel were clearly very much in love. He’d fallen hard and fast for her, and Blythe couldn’t deny that she seemed kind and caring. She was a beautiful young woman, too, with her pale skin and eyes the color of fiery emeralds—the complete opposite of the blond, blue-eyed Darcy, who had been his serious girlfriend until he met Addison.

The fact that Addison’s entire past was a mystery didn’t seem to bother the rest of the family. Hailey adored Addison, claiming her as the sister she’d never had. And Ted seemed perfectly comfortable with his son marrying someone who was as much a stranger to herself as to them. But then again, Ted loved everyone. It wasn’t that Blythe didn’t have sympathy for her son’s fiancée. After all, it wasn’t Addison’s fault that she had amnesia, as Gabriel made a point to remind her.

She’d seen that look in his eyes the day he came to tell Blythe about the new talent he’d discovered, the same look he used to get when he found a stray dog or lost kitten. He’d gone on and on in an excited rush about this beautiful and talented young woman who’d been rescued by kind strangers, and Blythe could tell he was a goner. If only Hailey had been the one to bring her into the family, Blythe reflected, she would have been happy to take her in as a surrogate daughter. What concerned her most was that one day Addison would remember who she was and go back to her own life. For all they knew, she already had a husband. Blythe had an ominous feeling that one day Addison was going to break her son’s heart.

“Mother, did you hear me?”

“What?” she asked, startled out of her thoughts.

“Addy and I are going to see Beautiful next Thursday, you know, the Carole King musical. I thought maybe you and Dad would like to join us. We could grab dinner first.”

“That sounds lovely. What do you say, Ted?” Even though she had a million and one things still left to do for Ted’s birthday party next Saturday night, she was grateful for their desire to include her and Ted and didn’t want to do anything to offend Addison. Especially as she knew that it had most likely been Addison’s idea to invite them along. When Gabriel was dating Darcy, the two of them had gone to the theater all the time, and he’d seldom thought to ask her and Ted to join them—not that she would have expected him to. But since Addison’s arrival on the scene, Gabriel had spent a lot more time with the family. She wanted to believe that it was because Addison yearned for a family, to be a part of something, but sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder cynically if she was only currying favor. Blythe hated to think that way, but her own mother had ingrained in her the need for caution due to their wealth.

Ted smiled. “Sure, sounds great.”

“I’m so glad you’re going to join us,” Addison said, giving them a warm smile.

When they finished eating, Addison jumped up and began to clear the dishes away. Blythe put a hand up. “Darling, it’s okay. Grace will see to that.” She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice. This wasn’t the first time Addison had dined with them, and Blythe was frustrated that she had to keep reminding her that they had help. Was her insistence on taking in her own plate a little form of rebellion against their lifestyle?