Free Contessa by Lori L. Otto

remember? ”
    “ I wasn ’ t there, ” he says. “ That was the week my, uh... ” He clears his throat. “ My father passed away. ”
    “ Oh, ” I whisper apologetically. “ I forgot about that. I mean, I remember that he did, but– ”
    “ It ’ s okay, ” he says as he climbs the rest of the steps to the top platform, meeting me as I open the door. I hit the lights quickly and go inside, with Jon fast on my heels. The door shuts behind us.
    “ My dad would kill me if he knew you were here. ”
    “ Why? ” He sounds amused. “ My intentions are good. I ’ m here to make sure you ’ re okay. ”
    “ I don ’ t think he ’ d care why you were in here, with me, alone. ”
    “ Well, I ’ m not going to try anything. Not even if you ask me to, ” he taunts me.
    I just turn around and blush at his suggestion, going toward my mother ’ s office. I grab the book off of her desk and turn off the lamp she ’ d left on. Jon ’ s looking at the permanent display of some of Nate ’ s paintings when I come out. “ Aren ’ t they incredible? ”
    “ Yeah, ” he says. “ It ’ s a shame he died so young. ”
    “ I know, ” I agree, feeling a tinge of sadness. “ Look at this one, ” I tell him, pulling him by his sleeve to the far wall where a very large mural hangs. “ This one was apparently painted for my mom. They shipped it here from Los Angeles a few years ago. Cool, huh? ”
    “ It ’ s stunning. ”
    “ He thought my mom was stunning, ” I tell him. “ He loved her. ”
    “ Really? ”
    “ Yeah. They were in love. ”
    “ I didn ’ t realize that. I guess that makes sense, though, why you call Donna ‘ Granna. ’ I ’ ve always wondered that. What happened with them? ”
    “ He died, ” I say simply. “ And that was it. ”
    He ’ s silent for a few minutes, walking the span of the wall and looking at the details of the mural up close. “ That ’ s sad, ” he says.
    “ I know. ” I debate telling him any more, and just settle on voicing my own curiosity. “ I often wonder what he would be like as a dad, like if Mom had ended up with him. ”
    “ Well, ” he says gently. “ Do you think you would have even met him? Or even your mom? ”
    “ Definitely, ” I tell him. “ Granna ’ s the one who introduced me to Mom and Dad. You know how you just feel like you ’ re destined to be a part of someone ’ s life? ”
    He smiles softly and nods. “ Maybe a little. ”
    “ Well, I feel like I was destined to find my mom. I feel certain I would have found her, even if she hadn ’ t been with Dad–you know, if Nate had lived, and had they been able to stay together. I think they would have raised me. ”
    “ Interesting perspective, ” he says. “ Maybe you ’ re right, but I guess we ’ ll never know. ”
    “ Nope, ” I say, sullen, my eyes dropping to the floor.
    “ But hey. ” He lifts my chin back up, and once my eyes are trained on his, he drops his hand. I ’ d wanted him to leave it there, to pull me closer to him... to give me my first real kiss. “ You ’ ve got the best dad any kid could hope for. ”
    “ I don ’ t know about that, ” I say as the heavy metal door opens up.
    “ Livvy? ”
    “ I ’ m here, Granna, ” I yell from behind the paintings, stepping out into the open room so she can see me, my cheeks bright red with guilt. I glance at Jon, and he steps out behind me, quickly walking past me toward her. He ’ s blushing, too, even though we ’ ve done nothing wrong.
    “ Donna, ” he says with his hand outstretched.
    “ Jon! My... ” She shakes his hand and takes a long, hard look at him. “ You ’ ve grown up since I last saw you! ”
    “ Yeah, I guess my growth spurt finally hit. Took long enough. ” He laughs easily with her.
    “ Jacks told me you might stop by to walk Livvy home. Sweetheart, did you get your mother ’ s book? ” I hold it up to show her, again feeling the need to prove my innocence. “ Let ’ s get