Welcome to Gaia! ::

It had been a long while since Amelia stood on this doorstep. Truth be told, when she had pulled up in her Mercedes, she hadn’t recognized the manor as much. With all the trees and well-kept plants, she was half certain that the manor had been sold to someone else or that Melody had decided to hire a new gardener herself.

Standing there for a moment more as she took in the manor, her lips stayed in a flat and unreadable expression. This could have been her home if it hadn’t been for the series of unfair and delusional requests left by her ex-husband’s father. That and the son who had followed in the drunkard’s footsteps, apparently, until recently. Something had changed, according to Melody, but she didn’t buy that for one moment. There had always been something wrong with Aloysius, in her opinion.

Finally, she knocked, a quick and sharp rap against the old wood of the door. It was all she needed to do to announce her arrival. A letter that had been sent by someone named Liam in regard to a wedding brought her here. Better to warn whoever the poor sap was that the son who tore the whole home and family apart was toxic. Then she could wait until they dropped dead and get what should have been hers or her ex-husbands over a decade ago.

With a slight smile that seemed warm and welcoming, Amelia nodded just slightly to their question. “Oh yes, of course. I was nearby and thought I might visit my son.” Leaving out the fact that she knew all too well that Aloysius was not going to be home today, she followed the blonde inside and took stock of all the changes.

The fact that the centennial carpet was gone had the corner of her lips turning down into a scowl behind the other’s back before she caught herself and refreshed the pleasant and welcoming smile she wore at outings.

“Tea, something light with no sugar, please.” Not that she needed to mention it was because she needed to watch her figure in case a better opportunity for remarriage ever came her way. Eyeing the new furniture and all the changes to the manor, she saw a few that she actually approved of. Taking count of all the contractors and changes that would need to happen when this home was rightfully hers again.

“And who might you be, dearie? I thought my son might be home, but I must have come at a bad time.” Feigning sadness at missing a meeting with her child, one she hadn’t seen for almost half their life now, she dabbed at the corner of her eye with the silk monogrammed handkerchief from her small clutch purse.

Following the blonde, apparently named Liam, and also her son’s fiance, Amelia gave them a closer look over. They looked young, very young, and not like someone of high society. They didn’t have that air to them and she could tell they were cautious as she looked over the opened tea cabinet.

“This one would be perfect.” Pointing towards one of the loose leaf tins that was of Lady Earl Grey, she could tell they were taller than Melody and herself, but given how long it had been since she’d seen Aloysius, she couldn’t be sure of how they compared. But it wouldn’t matter, considering kids wouldn’t be possible without extra steps, so genetics might not play a part in things.

“Amelia, DiMarto, and it is nice to meet my son’s fiance.” Looking at the kitchen table, she took a seat carefully before dabbing at her eye again. “Oh no dear, if he’s busy I wouldn’t want to bother him. I know it’s been awhile since he’s reached out to me.”

It was quiet here, not that it hadn’t always been that way, but it felt different than it had years back. With the changes to the interior as well as this blonde who was busying themself with getting tea prepared, she wondered what other work had been done on the manor.

While it wasn’t surprising that Aloysius hadn’t brought her up, she wasn’t sure what Melody might say. Her daughter was good about keeping things quiet, at least when it came to personal information and matters. But it didn’t matter much, she could offer some sparse information to them.

“I was a singer for many years, mostly in opera and some theatre productions. Music does run in the family, of course. Do you play an instrument?” Directing back to Liam, she noticed the mention of knowing Melody at least enough to talk with them. It was surprising to find that she was interacting with her brother now. It was something she’d played a part in making sure wouldn’t happen. Nothing good could come from that boy, not if he took after Victor. Wherever her ex-husband had vanished to, she hoped he was suffering.

The smile that came to her face was genuine, at least in part, as they mentioned having perfect pitch. If her daughter had come to that assumption, then she knew it was probably right. If anything, her daughter had taken after her when it came to singing, even if the range was different.

“She really is a dear when it comes to things like that. My darling daughter always had an ear for talent. She does take more after me anyway.” There were some things she wished hadn’t come from Victor in both of her children, but with him out of the picture for most of Melody’s upbringing, the damage had been minimal enough.

“So how did you meet my son? Was it at one of his shows?” They looked younger, though she couldn’t quite place his age. They could have a whole life ahead of themselves if she could find a way to eke out something to make them realise who her son really was beneath it all.

Hearing that they spent time with Melody was a double-edged sword. While it meant that her daughter was finding talent to work with, in this situation, it led to her children being far too close for comfort. It might ruin the years she’d spent letting her daughter know exactly what Aloysius was like. She didn’t need to be around the boy to know he’d take after his father.

Watching as the blonde seemed to be recalling things, she was a bit surprised they’d met at school, even more so by the phrasing they’d used when regarding children. It wasn’t the way you’d mention siblings, and she found it odd, leaning forward a bit as she nodded. “What was your last name again? I forget if you mentioned it, dearie.” If it was one she recognised, or at least even remotely could, then it would answer a few more questions without them knowing.

“You wouldn’t be the first one he met through school, though I am surprised to see that he’s settled down. Eliza, I believe her name was, poor thing. I do wonder where she is now.” As if she didn’t know and held onto that for the future. Just one loose thread to pull when she could to try to tear things apart.

It wasn’t a name she recognized, which meant he wasn’t from a well off family or a black sheep of some sort, which meant minimially the man wasn’t a fame chaser most likely. She filed it away to look into later, when she would look into whatever else she could about the change in things for the family business. Some of the adjustments she’d heard first hand from Melody, adjustments she was delighted to hear about.

Waving her hand vaguely she shook the comment away. “Decades almost.” Though she hadn’t been sure of the exact time frame aside from it being before Victor disappeared. Something that still bothered her but she hadn’t had any luck even with private investigators looking into things.

Picking up her cup of tea, she sipped at it lightly as she pondered things, the man wasn’t one who seemed to lie or at least their face showed a lot more than most of the people she dealt with did. It wasn’t surprising that they’d be nervous, meeting a soon to be inlaw had that effect on people. More so because of the fact she hadn’t exactly been around before so there hadn’t been warning either which was what she’d wanted.

“But that’s in the past I suppose. I am glad to hear he’s settling down, not something I expected but delightful nonetheless.” Putting on that fake and well practiced smile, she took another sip of her tea as she watched the man. “You do have a talent for making tea by the way, a perfect steep and flavour.”