Chapter 47 - Forty-seven

Refer to chapter 13 for a flashback! Remember to comment on your opinions.

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"Take out?" Vanessa repeated what she heard from the conversation in the kitchen. "I'd love to eat something from the outside honey."

"Sure thing. I'll call the Thai restaurant." Thomas said while taking out his phone.

"Actually," Alexis intervened making him look up, "I'm in the mood of Chinese and Indian and you gotta listen to the bride!" She said shrugging as if it was way too obvious.

"Yes! We have to!" Vanessa cheered on seeing her daughter's happiness. "Come on honey! Order now, we're hungry!"

He smiled tightly, "of course sweetheart. Be back in no time." And went out of the room.

Her mother kept talking about something but Alexis kept her eyes on the stairs that he just climbed up. She felt something strange in her chest. Earlier when she saw him, it was anxiousness, fear, terror and for some reason, she immediately wanted to be on her knees and beg him to leave her alone even after all these years, she wanted that.

But today when she looked at him in the eye, she remembered Angelo. He was a bully who was the most powerful one that she had come across, but even he now was making efforts for them. He had given her power, a feeling of comfort, knowing that if Thomas did anything the eight guys outside would gun him down. Power; he gave her power to talk back to her demons. And quite frankly she like the power, she liked using it, she loved using it to protect herself.

"Hey," someone shook her shoulder, "what are you thinking about?" Vanessa asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Nothing mum. Just happy that I'm here." She smiled. She was happy for many reasons but this one that mattered the most. 

"Awe bub, come here," she hugged her daughter. Vanessa knew her child was troubled but couldn't do anything about it. Alexis had long ago stopped including her mother in her life.

"Hey, mind if I ask you something?" She quietly asked her child.

"Yes sure," she immediately looked her way, "you don't need to ask permission mum."

"Okay, um, well now you're getting married so I wanted to ask you a question. Why is it that you never include me in your problems? I wanted to be there bub, but you never let me." Her nose turned a bit red, "I swear I wanted to, no matter what-"

"Mum stop," Liam and Agatha were long forgotten by now, "I didn't do it for a reason, okay? Dad was the earning member and when he died, you worked jobs days and nights for us; for good food, good clothes and all those luxuriousness. When you had already taken that much of a load how could I possibly burden you with unnecessary stuff? I had to do what I was supposed to do. I studied hard and I got scholarships. I wanted you to rest mum. I was happy you married again because finding love once is difficult but twice is rare." She sniffed hard. It was difficult to get this out.

"You had so much to go through daily, I just wanted you to have happiness from my side. Brightness, from me." Her throat felt constricted, raw maybe? She wanted to cry so bad and by looking at her mother, she did too.

"Come here," Vanessa said, barely keeping it together. Sobs were heard throughout the room. They held each other tightly, crying their pain out. One for not giving enough time and repenting for it. One for being simply grateful.

"Mum, you have no idea how happy I am and was. You didn't turn sour or an alcoholic or be even depressed. You took charge and I had no problems living in the small apartment with you because it made everything more manageable for you!" Sniffing hard again, she continued, "I was so so happy that you found Thomas Johnson and you decided to marry again, to be happy again. I wanted you to have the good life that you sacrificed for me."

"For us, baby," she pulled back and held Alexis's forehead to hers, closing their eyes, feeling the love that the other provided with the warmth and comfort. "There's nothing for you to be grateful about, dearie. That was my duty to you as a mother and stop sending me expensive gifts and putting money in my account!" She scolded her child at the end. There was no need for that money to her.

"Oh please, old soul I have every right to be grateful to you and deliver my thanks. Anyway, what did Mrs Martin say about the Louis Vuitton bag for the latest collection and FYI why are you dressed up?" Her mum was dressed up in a white blouse and black dres's pants. She changed the topic that had led both of them to cry. She wanted them to be happy now, only happy.

"Ah!" She pulled away from her cuddling, yet holding the kid in her arms. "Oh her ears were red! She couldn't get one since you know it's New York and people with more contacts often get things for themselves and oh! It was so worth watching!"

"Hey," they both looked up at Thomas standing there. "The food's gonna arrive in a few minutes, wanna set the table, hm?"

"Oh yes! I'll bring the expensive cutlery out!" She immediately ran away. As fast as her age could take her. Well, she was in her fifties.

"So, you just want her to be happy?" Thomas said sitting on the single-seat sofa next to her.

"Yes, Thomas that's what I want and if you're wondering, that's the reason why I never told her about the bullying because she was happy to find love again." She nodded a bit while saying so. Might as well get that out of the way, she thought.

"And yet you still come here. Don't you think that she was happy while you were maintaining your distance from her?" He practically sneered at her. Alexis could feel the fear trying crawl up to her spine again. She felt her cheeks grow warm, her chest involuntary tightened as well. Her heart, she could feel it would beat more and more quickly. 'Best get away from him.' She thought.

Getting up she headed towards the kitchen. When her head jerked back, making her stumble and lean towards Thomas's body.

"Why can't you leave? Haven't you had enough? Fuck, why do you have to come back for more?" He growled in her ear, pulling her hair. His patience was wearing thin. She always had to come back.

She breathed in and out and remembered what she was taught. Pulling her elbows in front, she intervened her fingers together, making a fist. Leaning her left elbow in front, she with all her force of both her arms hit Thomas in the chest with her right elbow. He gasped out loud. Not enough, she thought. Turning around, she took one of his hands from his chest and twisted it behind his back, hitting his knee from behind as he tried to free his arm, she sent him down but before that she guided his body to the sofa. She wasn't spoiling her clothes for the likes of him.

"Now Thomas," she cooed gently, loving the way his face twisted in pain below her. "I don't want any trouble for me and my mum when I'm here and when I'm not. Otherwise, if I hear anything about her being troubled, I swear to God I will kill you or even better I will burn you alive!" Digging her nails in his arms, her stilettos' pointy toe was digging into the back of his knee. Thomas was in pain but Alexis was holding him down by the exact points that had rendered him helpless.

"Fine," he gritted out the word. "I won't cause any trouble to you or your mother." She could tell he didn't mean it but on the bright side, he had admitted defeat. For the first time in her life, he had admitted defeat. 

She gave him a push and walked to the kitchen. He looked at her with an expression full of promises. Promises of revenge. 'Wait for my son to come', Vanessa watched everything from a corner, she now knew her decision was right.

Liam and Agatha smiled at each other. They knew when to be invisible and they had noticed the way Alexis dealt with the whole situation. The power she had without Liam. He took his hands away from where his holster was. He was ready to shoot the bastard down who dared touched his Donna but she took charge of the situation.

"I guess," his voice was turned down a bit more than his usual volume, "Angelo will be happy to hear from us," he smiled at Agatha. She returned the gesture.. Yes, he would.