Reasons


    After telling me the truth he had kept hidden for so long in a t voice with a stoned face, Lucien now


    had a look of clear concern in his eyes. It was easy for me to realize that he was worried about my


    feelings and was ready tofort me.


    Regardless of how I felt, which at that moment I couldn’t quite make out what exactly I was feeling, I


    realized very quickly that Lucien was right about one thing. The truth is useless.


    The old me would have started crying a long time ago or somehow ended up an emotional sobbing


    wreck. However, no matter how shocked or shaken I felt at the news, my mind was clear, and it was


    quickly processing this information in light of how I should proceed into my future. Since when did I


    be a little heartless and a lot more calcting?


    I liked Uncle David but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I loved him or cared about him so much. The


    truth was I forgot all about him until Lucien handed me the photograph. It made no sense to get


    sentimental just because I found out he’s my biological father. What do blood ties even mean when he


    was never really there for me? It’s unfortunate that he was no longer in this world, but again, people


    die.


    Death is a natural thing.


    Very rapidly, my mind and emotions began to me my father for all the misfortune that mother and I


    had to experience. I wondered if our lives would be different if he had stuck around as my mother’s


    husband and my father? I wonder if we would have been happier if we were just a normal and


    as a single mother? Finally, I wanted to know what good reasons did father have for abandoning us?


    Would any reason be good enough, though? Probably not.


    “I’m not crying. Are you shocked?” I asked Lucien teasingly as I shed him a bright smile.


    “Natalia…” Lucien whispered my name in wonder as my reaction surprised him.


    “Thanks for telling me. It must have been difficult for you to bring this up after all this time. I’m ok…


    really,” I assured Lucien as best as I could.


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    “I see. I know it’s a lot to take in. Please don’t push yourself. I just want you to know that it doesn’t


    change who you are…” Lucien said before trailing off.


    “You were right. This truth…is useless,” I replied with a small sigh as I closed my eyes for a bit. Father


    or no father, he was dead. They were both dead, my father and my mother. Both dead.


    “Your father was a good man, Natalia. He made many sacrifices for his family…I just wanted you to


    know that. He loved you and your mother very much,” Lucien said sincerely.


    “Then why didn’t he just be my father like he normally should? Why did mother and I have to live like


    that?!” I shot back, instantly regretting the fact that I raised my voice at Lucien. I’m just taking out my


    frustration and anger on him when I knew full well that it wasn’t his fault.


    “He had his reasons, Natalia. It was all for your mother and your benefit,” Lucien replied back smoothly.


    “Reasons? What reasons?” I asked without missing a beat.


    Lucien fell into silence. One that I think couldst for eternity. This is ridiculous. How am I supposed to


    know how to react if I didn’t know the whole truth?


    I didn’te here without considering that this could happen. Lucien has a track record of telling me


    only the things he thought was necessary or appropriate. True, it was probably because he thought so


    much of my wellbeing that he was choosing what he thought would be best for me. However, that


    doesn’t mean that he knows what is best for me. Shouldn’t I be the one who knows that best?


    I didn’t want to y this card against him…


    “It’s fine if you refuse to tell me. I’ll just ask Edward,” I said simply as I slipped the photograph back into


    the ck envelop seemingly without a care.


    As soon as Edward’s name escaped my lips, Lucien’s expression turned clearly grim and the


    temperature in the room seemed to have dropped by several degrees. I knew this would be bad, but


    his reaction was well above my expectation. All of my prior belief of these two brothers having a caring


    rtionship of brotherly bond between each other was all gone by now. Due to the dark past


    experiences of their family, these two brothers were far from being on good terms.


    After narrowing his eyes at me for what seemed like a short eternity, Lucien sighed loudly while


    rxing his shoulders. I watched as he began to rx as if he had made up his mind on how to


    proceed with this this development. Lucien’s dark mood confirmed my suspicion. Edward also knew


    something about my father, and he also decided against telling me.


    “I doubt Edward would tell you anything. After all, he didn’t even tell you who your father was. It was a


    good move to use Edward against me though. To give you credit, I’ll tell you a little more about your


    father,” Lucien said calmly, the dark vibes surrounding him didn’tpletely subside though.


    “…Thank you,” I whispered without knowing what else to say. I focused all my attention on Lucien as I


    waited impatiently for him to start speaking.


    “If I die, promise me that you will protect what is inside this envelop…this was what your father said to


    me when he gave me that ck envelop,” Lucien stated tly as he gestured with his beautiful fingers


    at the ck envelop lying on the table between us.


    My father’s words that Lucien decided to repeat to me held many significances and they were slowly


    starting to sink in as I pondered his words.


    --To be continued…