Chapter 3 - The Long Drive Home
The drive back to Julian’s penthouse in downtown Charleston was silent, save for the rhythmic thrum of the tires on the asphalt. The rain had started to fall, blurring the twinkling lights of the city.
Mia sat in the backseat, clutching her only Christmas present—a cheap, generic stuffed bear that Sarah had clearly bought at a gas station, a stark contrast to the custom dollhouses her cousins received.
"Papa?" Mia’s voice was small, hesitant.
"I'm right here, sweetheart," Julian said, adjusting the rearview mirror to look at her.
"Are you mad at me? For ruining the party?"
Julian pulled the car over sharply. He put it in park, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned completely around in his seat to face her.
"Mia, listen to me very carefully," Julian said, his eyes fierce with love. "You didn't ruin anything. They ruined it. They are wrong. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You are beautiful, you are brilliant, and you are my daughter. Do you understand?"
Tears spilled over Mia’s cheeks. "But Grandma said I don't look like you."
"Thank God for that," Julian smiled through his own tears. "You're much prettier than I am. We are family because we chose each other. Love makes a family, not matching dresses or the same colored hair. I am so sorry I didn't see how they were treating you. But I promise you, I will never let anyone make you feel small again."
May you like
Mia reached out, and Julian held her hand over the center console. For the first time that night, the tight, anxious knot in Mia’s chest seemed to loosen.
But as Julian drove them the rest of the way home, his mind was racing. His family was proud, vindictive, and obsessed with their image. They would not take this public embarrassment lightly. The war had just begun.
