Chapter 16 - Visitor
Two Years Later...
Emma laughed as Cat ran around the apartment on her little legs. She didn't know how she ran so fast without running into anything. Caterina now wanted to be called Cat because she couldn't say, Caterina.
"Cat, Ezra, and Willow will be here soon. They're going to take you to the park while I'm at work." Cat ran full speed toward her mom, and Emma reached out for her just in time to pick her up.
"Mommy, go." Cat said as she hugged Emma.
"Mommy can't go, sweet girl. I have to go to work. Tomorrow we're going to go to the zoo so you can see lots of animals." Emma tickled her as she put her back on her feet, and Cat started running again.
"Lions, mommy." Cat started growling like she was a lion.
"Yes, we'll see the lions." Emma went into the bedroom that she and Cat now shared. A few months ago, she had gotten rid of the crib and put in a double bed that they slept in together.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Emma still had long pale blonde hair and had gotten her figure back. She was wearing a maroon dress suit, and her hair was in a long braid.
Ezra had helped her get a job as a secretary in the district attorney's office. Emma loved the job and all the people she met. She still dreamt about being a nurse, but right now, she had to make sure she and Cat had food on the table. Cat ran into the bedroom and looked up at her mother.
Emma sat on the side of the bed and pulled Cat between her legs. She brushed her long silky black hair and put it into a french braid like her own. When she was done, she had Cat stand in front of the mirror.
"There now, your hair looks like mommy's." Cat clapped her little hand.
"Cat mommy's work." Emma laughed as Cat started looking for a dress to put on.
"No, you have to stay with Ezra and Willow. When you go to the park, I want you to pick pretty flowers to bring to mommy, okay?" Emma had learned how to redirect her headstrong daughter pretty well. Cat started jumping up and down.
"Pretty flowers, mommy." Emma heard a knock on the door and thought Ezra and Willow were early. She opened the door, and her face fell.
"Hello, Emma." Leo smiled at his stepsister as she glared at him. She had no desire to see him or have him anywhere near Cat.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she pulled the door slightly shut so he couldn't see Cat.
"Can't a brother come and see his sister? It has been almost three years since the last time I saw you. I'm sure you remember the day they arrested our father." Leo had a fake smile on his face, and Emma smirked at him.
"Yes, I remember that day well. It was the best day of my life when they dragged that piece of shit away. I was even happier when I found out they killed him in prison. I finally got justice for the crap he put my mother and me through. You need to leave, Leo; I have nothing to say to you." As Emma tried to walk back into the apartment, Cat stuck her head out.
"Mommy?" Cat said, looking at the man in front of her mother.
"Mommy? Is this your daughter?" Leo asked, surprised. He estimated her to be around two, so he connected the dots. "Looks like I have a half-sister."
"You don't have anything. She will never know anything about you or your father. She's mine." Emma hadn't wanted Leo to know about Cat. She didn't know how different he was from his father, and she would never put her child in jeopardy.
"Listen, Emma. I came here to apologize. I acted like a fool when I was younger because I thought that was what my dad wanted. I would really like to be in your life again. I have no family, and I know you don't either. Please give me a chance to make it up to you." Emma couldn't believe what he was saying. She still didn't trust him, but he sounded sincere.
"Leo, right now I have to go to work. We'll talk later." Emma went into the apartment and shut the door.
Leo stood looking at the door with a smile. He couldn't believe that she had given birth to his dad's child. He had been plotting his payback for getting his dad arrested and killed, but now he was getting a new idea. Maybe he could use her daughter against her.
Leo whistled as he walked down the steps. When he got outside, he saw a man and woman walking toward the building. The man looked slightly familiar to him, but he shrugged it off. Leo had been in juvenile detention for over two years; he hadn't seen many people, so he figured the man reminded him of someone else.
Ezra watched the young man walk away from Emma's building whistling, and he immediately recognized him as Leo. He looked at his wife and grabbed her hand to run up the stairs. He was worried Leo had done something to Emma and Cat.
"Ezra, why are we running?" Willow asked, out of breath.
"That man was Leo, Emma's stepbrother. I don't trust him." When they got to the third floor, both were gasping for air, not being as young as they used to be. Ezra knocked on the door, and Emma looked relieved when she saw them.
"Why are you out of breath?" Emma asked as she opened the door for them.
"I saw Leo leaving, and I was worried that he had tried to hurt you or Cat. What was he doing here?" Ezra smiled as Cat ran up to him wanting to be picked up.
"Pap pap." Cat happily squealed as she hugged Ezra.
"Hi, little Cat. Are you ready to go to the park?" Cat clapped her hands.
"Mommy, pretty flowers." Ezra kissed her little cheek and put her down. Willow walked over and took Cat's hand.
"How about we get a basket from your room to put the flowers in, okay?" Cat pulled Willow into the bedroom so they could find a basket while Ezra looked back at Emma.
"He said he wants to make amends for how he was before. Don't worry, Ezra; I don't trust him enough to believe he has changed. I do wish he hadn't seen Cat. I don't want him anywhere near her." Emma put on her shoes after grabbing her purse and lunch.
"Good, I don't trust him. Let me know if he gives you any trouble. I still have contacts at the station who can put some heat on him." Emma smiled and hugged him as Cat ran out holding a little pink basket.
"Flower basket, mommy." Cat said as she ran over, holding up her basket. Emma picked her up, giving her a hug and kiss.
"That's a beautiful basket. Make sure you get lots of pretty flowers, okay?" Emma kissed her little cheek one more time before leaving. She felt truly blessed to have such wonderful people in her life to help with Cat. Emma knew she would be lost without them.
After moving to Texas, Melora and her family started off calling Emma every day. However, as time passed, she heard from them less and less. Now she gets a call or text every couple of weeks. Emma didn't blame them; she had known once they were gone, they would start new lives in Texas. She still missed them and intended to visit, but that would be down the road someday.
Ezra and Willow took Cat to the park down the street from the apartment. She referred to Ezra as pap pap and Willow as maw maw. Emma and Cat were part of their family now and would even come to family functions.
Ezra and Willow worried about Emma being alone and their family being her only contacts. She always brushed them off, saying all she needed was her daughter. She had no desire to find a man right now. Ezra and Willow understood that most of the men in her life had been less than desirable, and they figured she would find love when the time was right.
Cat ran around the park picking every flower she saw. By the time she was done, her basket was overflowing with flowers of all colors and sizes. They walked around the park, stopping to look at the ducks in the pond from time to time.
Cat walked between the two adults, holding each of their hands while Ezra carried her basket of flowers. She was adamant that he had to be the one to carry the flowers. Ezra didn't care; he would do anything the little girl wanted.
No one noticed the man following them around the park. Leo watched as Emma's daughter picked flowers and walked with the older couple he had seen when he left the apartment building. He hadn't planned on following them, but he had been across the street at a coffee shop and saw them leave soon after Emma.
Leo didn't have any regrets about the way he treated Emma and her mother. In fact, he thought they both deserved everything they got and more.
Now that he knew Emma had a daughter, he was making a plan to make her pay. Leo thought it was only fair to hurt the one person she loved since she took away his only family. He hadn't loved his father or even cared for him, really, but he was his dad.
The little girl was too young for him to use against Emma right now, but he figured that would give him more time to get her to trust him. Leo planned on being the best little brother she had ever wanted.
Leo left the park and went to a children's store. He bought a few things for Emma's daughter and figured he would take them to her in a few days. He had only been out of juvenile detention for a few months, but he was already making money.
Leo had set up his business while he was still in the facility, and it was becoming quite lucrative. Of course, that was because people paid well for his merchandise and his silence.
As he left the children's store, he saw a couple of girls that would be perfect for his business, but their mother wasn't letting them out of her sight. Leo decided it was too out in the open anyway; he liked to get his products when no one was looking. His prime targets were kids walking down the street alone or left to wander the stores. With Leo being small for his age, people often underestimated him, and he took advantage of their mistakes.
Leo laughed as he headed toward his apartment. He was just biding his time until he could get his payback. He couldn't wait to make Emma suffer.