“She was an infant! She did nothing wrong!” Adrik growled. “Your wife gave Bernadette her life and gave you the last bit of her!” _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
“You’ll apologize to her first, for what you’ve said and for how she’s been treated her whole life. After that, we will all sit down and discuss what needs to be done for her, my son, and their baby, do you understand?” Adrik asked, his wolfish features already retreating. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Adrik bristled again, but tried to save face (literally) in front of the security guards.
“You are a coward of a man.” Adrik hissed as he jerked away from the security guard. He pointed an angry finger at Aslan. “So help you if I find out you don’t at least do that. I’ve made bigger men than you disappear.” _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Security escorted Bernadette after what had happened with Adrik, one officer stood outside the door after she allowing her into Aslan’s office. Bernadette looked sad to say the least, her eyes were puffy from crying but it was less about what Aslan said and more about the confrontation. She knew how her Dad felt, she had always known, it didn’t hurt her feelings anymore. But she appreciated what Adrik went through to defend her and get an apology from her Dad, so she wasn’t going to refuse seeing him.
“Uh hello, Mr. Nikitin sent me in...He said you had something you had to say to me?” Bernadette asked, nervously wringing her shirt in her hands as she stared at the floor.
Aslan had been rubbing his temple, visibly rattled from the exchange between Adrik, but this time he looked up at Bernadette.
“Ah yes...You may sit down.” He offered, gesturing to the chair before the desk.
Bernadette sat down, a little unnerved, she wasn’t expecting be asked to sit.
“Bernadette...Hm, Bernadette.” He began, chuckling a little and trailing off at the second mention of her name. “Your Mother picked that name, I didn’t have any names in mind. But she decided right away that would be your name.”
Bernadette perked up at the mention of her Mother.
“Really?”
“Yeah. She knew everything about you before you were born...She’d lay in the field outside our house, stroking her belly. She would tell me how she dreamt of you, a bright and dreamy girl named Bernadette.” He explained.
Bernadette was quiet a moment, this might be the most Aslan had ever said to her about her Mother and what it was like before she was born. She was worried if she said anything, it would cause a ripple in his train of thought, and he would stop. But she was also worried if she didn’t say anything, he wouldn’t either.
“How did she know?” Bernadette asked then, after swallowing the lump in her throat.
By now Aslan slouched in his chair, seemingly more relaxed by talking about his late wide. He stroked his grey beard and returned to speaking in their native tongue. Speaking Turkish to Bernadette felt more intimate, special and private.
[in Turkish]
“Your Mother knew everything.”
Bernadette looked like she was just told the secret of the universe, her eyes wide and starry. She listened, leaning forward, her expression starved to hear more.
“Esther was well traveled, her parents kept her in a Catholic all girls school and when she graduated, all she wanted to do was travel. Before we met, she’d already been to seven other countries, and when she got pregnant it only made her want to travel more. She told me all the time, that when you were born, we would take a trip and she would show you the Aurora Borielis.” Aslan said, expression softer now than Bernadette had ever seen it. He reached for a framed picture on his desk, it had a heavy watch hanging off it which he moved before handing Bernadette the picture.
It was a picture of Esther, Bernadette’s mother. She was standing in a field, Bernadette’s home from the island in the background. Esther was very pregnant, round belly tucked under a orange sun dress. She was holding a straw hat flush to her head, it appeared the wind was blowing, her hair and skirt in motion. She had a big smile, a similar beauty mark to Bernadette’s under her left eyebrow.
“She’s beautiful.” Bernadette said, bewildered as she admired it.
“She was.”
“No, she still is.” She countered, daring to peek up at Ashland who looked a little surprised, a little charmed. He smiled at that.
“Yeah...She is.” He trailed off, he grabbed the heavy watch and handed it to Bernadette.
It was a watch, clearly old and having aged with time but still expensive looking. It was a tarnished rose gold, but was still ticking proudly.
“That was hers. It was her Father’s before, when she was put up for adoption, the watch came with her.” He explained. “It was important to her, it was too big for her wrist and it’ll be too big for yours but...You can have it, if you want it.”
Bernadette looked up, her heart felt like it had stopped, she was so full of emotion she thought she was going to cry. Her hand trembled as she reached for the watch, quickly slipping it on without needing to unclasp it. She rubbed her thumb over it’s face with care before looking back to her father.
“Dad...Thank you.”
Aslan nodded a little, and smiled softly, perhaps a little sad. “Bernadette...I am so, so sorry.” He said with sincerity.
Bernadette smiled, biting back tears. She laughed then, letting out a choking sob as she smiled through her tears.
“I accept your apology, thank you.” She cried.
There was a lingering silence then, the only sound was Bernadette’s simpering and sobbing giggles as she admired the watch. There was some finality in the exchange, it was comforting somehow. Feeling she had gotten all she could from Aslan, she stood up and uttered another quiet ‘thank you.’
“Bertie...Good luck.” Aslan said then, it feeling more appropriate somehow than ‘goodbye.’
With that, Bernadette made her exit and was returned to the Nikitin’s car. The watch sagging off her wrist as she hugged the picture of her Mother close to her chest.
----
Viktor was outside of the town car, anxiously pacing until he saw Bernadette emerge from the building. He immediately went to her, cupping at her face and fussing over her when he saw the fresh wetness on her cheeks. His brows were pinched anxiously.
"Bertie, are you okay?" He asked.
Meanwhile, Adrik was sitting in the car already, watching out the window as he watched Viktor fuss over Bernadette, much like he fussed over Asha whenever the occasion called for it. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Bernadette nodded, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Yes, I’m great.” She sniffed before carefully tearing away the frame from her chest to show Viktor, too full of joy to not celebrate it. “Look, that’s my Mom! He gave me her picture, and this too.” She said, raising her wrist to show him the watch.
Viktor wanted to ask if that was all Aslan had given her, maybe he'd given her the promise of a bettered relationship in the future, but from the way his father spoke of his encounter with the man, how he had to practically force him to apologize, he wasn't optimistic. So, he bit his tongue and smiled instead at the picture and at Bernadette's earnest joy in having received it. He went to gently grab the frame so he could raise it higher for him to see better, as he did, he let out a little laugh.
"You look just like her." He commented.
Meanwhile, Adrik continued to watch this careful interaction between Viktor and Bernadette and where Viktor was at least relieved Bernadette seemed happy in the moment, Adrik still worried that the moment would pass and it wouldn't be enough.
He felt for Bernadette. She'd lost her mother before a time of recollection and in that same moment she was denied a father who could show her the affection of a parent all together. He could never imagine having neither of his parents' love and adoration, moreover, he couldn't begin to fathom denying that love to his own children no matter the conditions.
And he wouldn't deny her it any longer.
After a few moments and quiet words, Viktor coaxed Bernadette towards the car, his arm slung around her shoulders and holding her close to his side as he did so. He opened the door to let her in ahead of him, Adrik scooting over in the seat to make room for the both of them. _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
Bernadette piled in the car, once settled in, her eyes immediately found their way back to the picture. It was the only photo she had ever seen of her mother, and to study it almost filled some empty part of her. She only felt sad and jealous that Aslan got to know her.
Adrik looked over at the picture, immediately seeing the woman's likeness to Bernadette and figuring that it must be her mother.
"You two look a lot of like." He commented to Bernadette, reaching to point out the subtle little freckle on her face. "Especially right there." _________________ Butts n' butts n' butts n' butts.
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