Ricardo grabs his mother's hand and squeezes it to assure her before they walk towards the house, Flora greets them with a bright smile and hugs Alana.
"It's so lovely to see you again" Flora gushes as she hugs Ricardo.
"Where's your wife? Laura said she was with you last night" Flora asks Ricardo who smiles before he answers.
"Uh, she has gone to meet her cousin"
"Ah, the Storms" she nods her head before welcoming them in the house.
"Luc" she calls before Lucero Sr comes in view along with his sons and Alana glances at Ricardo.
"Boys" Flora calls smiling, and her sons all gets up saying a hello in unison.
"I love when their sounds echoes" Flora gushes excitedly as she glides to where her husband was standing.
"Ooh, you have yet to meet my daughter-in-law, thought I was hoping Ricardo could bring his wife, is she not your cousin?" Flora speaks before she pulls Leah to her side.
"Leah, this is one of my oldest friend Alana and her son Ricardo"
"Hey" Leah smiles as she goes to hug Ricardo first.
"How are you?" Ricardo asks with a smile patting on her back.
"You should have brought Gabby along" she smiles.
"You know him?" Flora asks raising her brow.
"Uh, we have met few times when I went to spend my vacations at Gabby's place" Leah fills in.
"Oh, that is just so perfect, now I feel so much better about it already"
*******
None of the men in the room speak a word as they keep on staring or glancing at each other with a serious mask on and Flora could just only talk so much.
"Is it not getting awkward?" Flora asks as she looks around the room and the boys start to get up and busies themselves.
"Drink?" Leon offers as he walks towards the cabinet.
"Is it not too early?" Flora questions her son who smiles nodding his head and Alana clears her throat trying not to laugh at the way all her sons were so out of place.
"So, how's Richie? It has been a while I talked with him" Flora starts.
"It has been a while for me as well" Alana smiles and Flora laughs aloud.
"You did not know all of this, did you?" Flora asks.
"Not until I was in that plane that I got the news of my daughter" Alana confesses.
"Aww, I am so very sorry, all these years" Flora sighs holding Alana's hand.
"I do not want to talk on about it"
"I understand, if Luc had kept something as that hidden from me, I would have chopped him" she sighs before giggling.
"Though I would love to see you put Richie in place, just hilarious"
"Nothing about this is" Alana sighs and Flora loses her smile.
"I have eleven kids so I understand the pain and I would go any length to protect them" she states but Alana says nothing.
"I know you must hate me right now, for what happened, and I won't explain it just know, Lilac was not treated differently...
Maybe when you get to see and know her, you will know" Flora smiles as she turns to look at Liam who was having a staring match with Ricardo.
"Why don't we move into the study room and then you can meet Lilac there. I am sure my boys have things to do" she smiles as she glances around the room as different stages and state of her sons.
"We have a paper to finish" her youngest sons get up as they say their goodbye.
"Meeting" few of her son mumbles as they get up and walks out leaving Leon, Liam, Lorenzo and Lance in the room.
*******
"Oh my" Alana gasps as she cannot believe the girl walking towards her, covering her mouth Alana does not know what to say.
For more than twenty years she had believed that her daughter died in child birth but as she stares at the girl, she can see the resemblance.
Lilac slowly makes her way towards the room scared having no idea why she was summoned, she looks around the room to search a familiar face or anyone who would tell her what was going on and she pauses when her eyes lands on Liam, her master.
So, she searches his face to see anything any sign so she can know why she was called but he gives nothing like always and her eyes drop down to stare at the floor.
"Please come forward, Lilac" a man speaks making her shuffle on her feet, so she glances back at Liam who stays like a statue staring at her blankly.
"It's okay dear, they just want to see and make sure you are real" Flora Lucero's voice makes her calm and she nods trusting the woman as she walks towards the man who was standing.
"Don't be afraid, no one will hurt you" Ricardo smiles as the girl moves towards him before he holds her hand and before anyone can react Liam is out of his seat pushing Ricardo away from her.
"No touching" he growls glaring at Ricardo as he pulls Lilac in his arms.
"Liam" his father's voice makes his look away from Ricardo to glare his father.
"No touching" he repeats once again to his father who sighs.
"What's going on?" Lilac whispers to Liam who stares at her for a while before looking away.
"You wanted a family so here they are" he grumbles, and her eyes widens as she stares at the woman who was crying before she stares at Liam to check if he was joking.
"Years ago, I had to take you away from your parents, from your home and promised your father to keep you safe but even when the threat was gone, I could not return you to him"
"No" Liam snaps at his mother.
"Liam calm down" his father shouts at the disrespect towards his mother.
"It's okay, we all know how he is about Lilac" Flora grins as she walks to where they were and holds Lilac's hand in hers.
"You are a Russo and they are your family. Alana" Flora calls the woman who nods as she gets up with shaky legs before she stares at Liam who looks away before letting go of Lilac and Alana engulfs her daughter in her arms.
"Oh" Alana sobs as she hugs her daughter before she pulls away and drops kisses all over her face.
"My family?" Lilac asks in disbelief.
"I am your mother" Alana cries as she holds her daughter's face in her hands.
*******
"If it's not too much can we take her out tomorrow?" Ricardo asks for the permission.
"I would definitely say yes but Liam will be the one speaking for Lilac"
"We agreed on one meeting only, you saw your daughter she is safe and well, so get out" Liam grumbles as he shifts on his seat.
"Yes, but I am sure Lilac would love to know her family, sweet-tooth" Flora smiles at his son.
"No, she does not" he argues.
"Why don't we ask her?" Ricardo speaks and Liam eyes roams at the man from head to toe.
"You may be her brother by blood, but you are a stranger to her, and I don't trust you"
"Liam" Lilac whispers his name making him narrow his eyes at the girl.
"If you want to see her, you can come see her here, but she is not leaving this house or the premises" he finalizes making her sigh.
"What if you join us? Will she be able to come have breakfast with us if you are with her?" Ricardo asks and Liam grits his teeth.
"Liam honey they are her family and please, I would not have invited them to meet Lilac if I did not trust them" Flora tries to make him see the point.
"I cannot join you for breakfast, but I can drop her for lunch, two hours, that is all I will give"
"At least let her stay for dinner, they have lots to catch up" Flora touches his arm and he jerk away from her.
"Then all of them can meet her once they had lunch, that way all they can do is catch up without food disturbing them" he states as he goes to walk out but stop near Lilac who sighs before she gets up as well.
"I will see you tomorrow" Lilac smiles as she once again hugs her mother and turns to smile at her brother before eyeing Liam and the smile on her face disappears as his narrowed eyes meets her.
*******
"Liam is very...umm...protective of her" Flora smiles as her son and Lilac walks out of the room.
"When mother brought her in, she was the only one he would open up to" surprisingly Leon voices out.
"He would stay by her side and watch out for her. Let's just say, they have been inseparable ever since. So, you must understand what he is going through" the finishes.
"We do" Ricardo nods his head in understanding.
"You and Gabby are like that" Leah smiles before looking at her feet as her eyes meets Leon.
"Kind of" Ricardo smiles as he holds his mother hand.
"We shall leave now" Alana clears her throat as they get up.
"Oh, stay for lunch, we have..."
"I...maybe next time"
"Oh, okay, well I will try to talk with Liam, he is a bit" Flora smiles as she hugs Alana.
"I am so very sorry" she whispers before walking them out.
"Are you close with his family?" Leon questions his wife.
"I just know him through Gabby, they are crazy for each other" Leah replies as she excuses herself.
"Someone will have to talk with Liam" Lucero sighs as he pats on the arm of the chair.
"It isn't me" Lorenzo raises his hands up.
"He will beat me if I even say her name" Lance shrugs his shoulders.
"I promised him I will not let anyone take her away so" Leon adds making Lucero groans.
"God damn Flora, this woman" he curses not knowing what they can do to make things better.
*******
"Ugh, how could you all do that" Flora shouts as she walks up to the room and glares at the men.
"What?" Lucero asks.
"Could you all not at least be friendly, what must they be thinking that I raised not men but...but animals" she fires up.
"We did not even make a sound mother" Lance groans.
"Exactly, would you have been dead if you smiled or perhaps asked how they were. Thank goodness, I married you with Leah...
See, at least she had enough manners to greet our guests" she sighs before taking a seat pouting,
"Dearie, it was fine" Lucero sighs as he walks up to her.
"But I wanted it to be good, we are going to be in-laws soon and I already look so bad in front of them for taking Lilac away" she sniffs before burying her head on Lucero's chest.
"Oh, my little flower, no one can think bad about you" Lucero sighs trying to console.
"What if they say no to the marriage proposal, we can never find a better family for our Laura"
"Let's take a step at a time" he smiles wiping her tears.
"You need to talk to Liam, he cannot just behave in such a way" she sniffs hugging him.
"It's okay, I am going to make everything good for you" he promises before hearing chuckles from his sons.
"And you all say we are the one spoiling her" Lorenzo laughs as he gets up from his chair.
"Dad just makes it bad" Leon smiles as he walks up to his mother and kisses on the back of her head before walking out.
"You better learn something from your wife" Flora calls out for Leon.
*******
"What is the relation between that man and Lilac?" Alana asks as soon as they get in the car.
"Mom"
"They have slaves, is she one for him? Oh my, what if a sex slave?" Alana groans as she pinches her forehead.
"You are over thinking"
"Overthinking, did you not see how forceful he was, that was not protectiveness" she states making Ricardo smile.
"Do not smile Rick, just let me get my hands on your father" she breaths heavily.
"We have finally got her mom, lets focus on that for now"
"Two hours in not enough"
"Mom"
"I do not care, get Lilac out of that man's hand and I don't care what you have to do. If needed, we can marry off Ryman to this house in exchange of Lilac"
"What?" Ricardo laughs hearing his mother before she too joins him.
"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Alana sighs as the laughter dies down.
"Just like you" he whispers as he holds his mother's hand and kiss the back of it.
"You boys always wanted a sister because there was four of you and all of you wanted the same car" she smiles.
"And we were tired of hearing the princess stories" he adds making her laugh.
"If only I had not gone to that party and stayed out" Alana shakes her head as regret fills her in.
"Please don't regret the happenstance of Richard" Ricardo speaks.
"You boys were the only reason how I have stayed so strong" she smiles as she touches his cheek.
"We will bring Lilac back" he assures her as they drive back to their hotel.