Valenci: Never Lose Me

Valenci

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Rohm squeezes my hand, super hard, as we walk up to my father's house. I can feel the nervousness radiating off of her.  I can't blame her.

With every step we take toward the big doors. The ball in my stomach seems to get bigger. Maybe we shouldn't have come here. The door is open, and my brothers stand in the doorway.

Vlad glances at me before turning his attention to my wife.

"Rohm." His voice is soft, but I can see the concern written all over his face. Rome smiles at him.

"Please come in." Vlad opens the doors wider as he pushes us inside.

"Yeah, I think your whole fucking entire family hates me." She mutters under her breath as we step inside my father's home.

"Don't do that." As soon as we are inside, Harlem walks towards us and hugs her cousin, and now her sister-in-law.

"I'm guessing I should congratulate you on the wedding? Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Vlad. Where's your daughter?  It's super quiet in here," at the age of five. Vlad's daughter is the epitome of a bundle of energy.

" Anaya has a sinus infection, so her aunt came over and is taking care of her."

"You left your sick child at home. Wow, you're such a good father."

"Everything will be okay." Vlad lost his girlfriend Monet, the mother of his child, when their child was only 10 months old. He struggled for years to step up for the family while raising his child without her mother.

Then Monet's sister came into the picture, got over her hate for Vlad, and decided to help him take care of her niece. Our talk ended when our father stepped into the room, already holding a drink in his hand.

"I wish my granddaughter were here. I would've loved to see her, but at least I have one of my other grandchildren here," he says, pointing at Harlem's belly.

Rome takes a step closer to me when he passes by her to greet Harlem with a hug. The big smile on his face vanishes as soon as he sets his gaze on us.

"I'm astonished that you decided to show your fucking face here." Silence falls over the room, and my father gulps down the rest of his drink. He takes a step toward us, and his glare settles on my wife.

I take two steps in front of her, grabbing her hand.

"Why are you here again?" His question is answered with silence. Valco clears his throat.

"I don't know about y'all, but I'm starving. We should talk at the table."

"We'll sit down and have dinner once she leaves my house."

"That's fine, I'll leave. I ain't wanna be here in the first fucking place."

"No, she's not leaving."

"She's already halfway out of our lives. Aren't you Rohm?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I look at her, but instead of seeing confusion on her face, her jaw is clenched.

"Or would you wanna know more about your mother's and wasn't enough to know how I did her." An evil grin spreads across my father's lips.

"What do you mean, Vitalii?" Rohm spits out.

Father, that's enough." Vlad moves closer to my side while Valco does the same with our father. They're both prepared to intervene if shit gets physical.