"There are memories with Melanie which I still cherish. I wish you had told me what you knew, but I was only a child, and I understand you not wanting to share those things. Still, I am angry with myself that I didn’t notice it," Penelope said.
"You were a child. It wasn’t something you should have noticed. My troubles with my mother shouldn’t have reached you. It pains me that you found out all of this," Alessandra said, her chest aching, but she tried not to let it show before Penelope. "I am fine."
"You always say that you are fine, but we know it isn’t so. Besides Isaebelle, we are all aware of how you hide your feelings, so we don’t have to worry. We have all snuck out of our beds at night to play and witnessed things we shouldn’t have. Heard what we shouldn’t," Penelope shared.
"You shared some of your past with us, but as we grew up, we got curious and went to the court to hear more. After all that I know, you cannot be fine, mother. It is fine to let your emotions show to us," said Penelope.
"This is not an easy talk to have with you, Penelope. I don’t want my children to know how I came to be or how I have long accepted that I don’t have a mother. Please excuse me for a moment," Alessandra said, walking away from Penelope.
"Mother!" Penelope called, gathering attention to their talk.
Penelope wanted to follow her mother, but also knew that it was best for her to give her mother time alone.
Edgar approached Penelope.
"The timing wasn’t the best. I told her of my conversation with Melanie," Penelope informed her father.
"I will speak with her," Edgar replied, following Alessandra. He was concerned about what was said since nothing small would have made Alessandra walk away from a gathering she planned.
Edgar didn’t call out to Alessandra. Instead, he followed her to a quiet room.
Edgar closed the door after he entered and locked it. "Do you mind telling me what troubles you? Penelope said she shared something about your mother. She appears remorseful that she shared it with you."
Alessandra wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "She shouldn’t regret sharing it with me. I wouldn’t want her to know what she does alone and have it linger on her mind. I only needed a moment alone."
Edgar was careful as he walked over to Alessandra. He had been the one to witness her tears, though there were fewer as time went on. She held her tears to appear strong in the eyes of her children.
Edgar placed his hand on Alessandra’s back and asked, "What was said?"
Alessandra looked to her right, her eyes still teary despite how much she wiped them. "Penelope knows of my father being the only one to want a child and what he did. I did not want any of them to know. It is not something I wish to think about, yet my daughter mentioned it to me."
Alessandra couldn’t wrap her mind around why Melanie would speak of this to Penelope. What was the conversation about for this to be a topic?
Edgar didn’t expect anything else from Melanie. This fell right within her character. Alessandra expected too much from a woman who turned her back on her daughter and dying parents.
"She also overheard that Melanie only cares for Melody and Claire," said Alessandra.
"You’ve shown your mother enough grace by sending our children there over the years. You’ve helped your siblings throughout the years. Enough is enough. They can’t use our name anymore," said Edgar.
While Edgar grew to like Melody over the years after she proved herself to be a worthy tutor to his children, he wasn’t fond of the other two siblings.
"I don’t care who enjoys her company. My children will not go to see her. I should have left her where she was and made her life hell in secret," Edgar said, regretting that he didn’t.
Alessandra smiled and continued to wipe her tears. "We didn’t know she would be . My memory of my mother wasn’t . Looking back now, all the memories I had of my mother were ones I made up. I was too young to remember anything about her."
While Edgar couldn’t change the past, he could still mess with the present. Not only had Melanie caused Alessandra to cry, but she had said something she shouldn’t have to Penelope. Once Penelope knew, her siblings would soon know.
"I will not leave her be," Edgar informed Alessandra now. "I won’t kill her. Death was too easy for your father."
Alessandra didn’t feel the need to shield her mother this time around.
Alessandra had tried. Her children had a chance to meet their grandmother earlier on, unlike Alessandra, who was reunited with her grandparents when her grandfather wasn’t well.
"You tried, and I admire you for it. You placed our children’s feelings first. Your mother turned out as I expected she would, but you tried. Not everyone can change. I am still surprised my mother changed for the better," Edgar said.
There was a point in time when Edgar wanted to torture his mother for coming after the people he loved, but now they were close. It happened because of Alessandra.
"Priscilla wasn’t so bad once I had a proper talk with her. As you said, we cannot change anyone. I didn’t want to change my mother, only to have her realise that I am her daughter as well. I gave up waiting for that moment long ago," Alessandra said.
"Penelope," Alessandra sobbed, wishing there was some way for Penelope to go back, not knowing.
"Penelope’s concern is for you right now. Your mother is careless when she speaks, so this was going to happen at some point. You must assure Penelope that you are well. You know how she gets in her mind and panics," said Edgar.
"I know. I will have a proper talk with her soon. I was only overwhelmed by what she shared. I hope this will not spoil the day. I have been looking forward to this day with all our children here," Alessandra said.
Hearing this added to Edgar’s need to ruin Melanie.
While Edgar didn’t enjoy his home having so many people, even though he cared for them, this was something Alessandra wanted so naturally, Edgar wanted it to go well.
"The day will not be spoiled," Edgar promised.
"I must go back to Penelope," Alessandra said, wiping her tears once more. "How do I look?"
"Beautiful. I should make you cry more often," Edgar said, wishing they could stay in the room.