Chapter 44

The heavy silence that settled over the dining room table was suffocating, thick with the lingering echo of a truth finally brought to light. Sienna sat with her shoulders tense, her breathing shallow, having just laid bare the raw, jagged pieces of her heartbreak from her ex-boyfriend.

She had told her parents everything. The betrayal. The exact, devastating moment she had walked in and caught Joseph-the man she thought she loved-on his knees with his male assistant.

She shared the excruciating aftermath: the blur of tears, the suffocating weight in her chest, and the saving grace of Caitlin arriving to pick her up from the wreckage. She described how crushed and utterly discarded she had felt, but more importantly, she shared how Caitlin had wrapped her in an immediate, unwavering sense of safety when her entire world was tilting on its axis.

As the story unfolded, the reactions around the table were visceral. Jake sat rigid, his jaw clenched so tightly the muscle ticked, a furious, dark expression overtaking his features as he burned with a father’s protective rage toward his daughter’s ex-boyfriend. Beside him, Tia’s face was soft with a profound, aching sadness. Her heart broke for the girl she had raised, devastated that Sienna had to endure the cruel humiliation of being cheated on by her own boyfriend, let alone discovering his hidden life in such a shocking way.

When the final words left Sienna’s lips, the silence was abruptly broken.

“I knew that boy was freaking gay!” Jake barked angrily, slamming a hand lightly on the table, his eyes flashing. He turned sharply to his wife, seeking immediate validation for his long-held suspicions. “I told you, didn’t I, Tia?”

Tia let out a long, weary sigh, slowly shaking her head as she looked at her husband. “Yes, you did, Jake.”

Turning her attention back to her stepdaughter, Tia’s expression melted into pure, maternal empathy. She reached out across the table.

“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry that Joseph cheated on you with another man, and that too being his assistant. You didn’t deserve that. Not at all.” A sad, comforting smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Sienna offered a smile in return, but it was hollow, failing to reach her eyes. The phantom sting of Joseph’s actions still caused a hot flash of fury to burn in her veins. But as her gaze drifted sideways, the anger began to dissipate.

“It’s okay, Mom,” Sienna said, her voice softening as she looked at the woman sitting next to her. “If Joseph hadn’t done what he did, I wouldn’t be here with Caitlin right now. Caitlin made everything feel better. She still does.”

As she finished speaking, Sienna looked directly at Caitlin, a bright, genuine smile illuminating her face. The heavy shadows of the past seemed to vanish in Caitlin’s presence. Feeling the warmth of the gaze, Caitlin gently squeezed Sienna’s hand beneath the table, leaning in slightly. She smiled back with the exact same intensity, an unspoken, electric chemistry crackling between them-a silent vow of mutual adoration and support.

The tender moment was gently interrupted when Jake spoke again, his voice uncharacteristically soft, laced with a sudden, reflective nostalgia. “I feel like I’ve lived this story before… but with your mother, Sienna.”

The statement hung in the air, instantly drawing the attention of both young women. Caitlin and Sienna paused, their eyes locking onto the family patriarch.

Sienna’s curiosity was piqued, her voice dropping to a gentle, questioning tone. “What story have you lived before, Dad? And which mother… Tia, or my biological mom, Lois?”

Jake looked at his daughter, his eyes misting over slightly as decades of memories rushed back to him. “The story I lived with your mom, Lois,” he murmured. “It’s the exact same one you and Caitlin are living now. A basketball player and a sports journalist falling in love courtside. It was the exact same with Lois and I.” A bittersweet, tender smile tugged at his lips as he thought of his late wife, the first love of his life and the woman who had given him his daughter.

Without a trace of hesitation or resentment, Tia reached over and gently squeezed her husband’s hand, offering him a quiet, comforting anchor. Sienna watched the exchange with a swell of gratitude. She knew her stepmother didn’t possess a single jealous bone in her body; Tia loved Jake completely, which meant she embraced his past and would never dream of stopping him from honoring Lois’s memory. The room filled with a profound, layered warmth-a testament to a family built on deep, mature love.

But Jake’s nostalgic softness quickly shifted back into the fierce protectiveness of a father. His eyes locked onto the WNBA star sitting at his table.

“Thank you for choosing to fall in love with my daughter, Caitlin Clark,” Jake said, his voice dropping into a stern, unyielding register. “I am trusting you to not break her heart. And if you do… I will hunt you down myself, Clark.”

“DAD!” Sienna gasped, her face flushing crimson.
“JAKE!” Tia shouted at the exact same time, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Jake simply shrugged, completely unbothered by their outbursts, though a faint glint of amusement danced in his eyes. “What? I’m just telling Caitlin how much I appreciate her caring for our daughter, Tia.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to make the poor girl nervous!” Tia scolded her husband, giving his arm a playful swat.

Underneath the table, Caitlin’s posture stiffened slightly. Despite her confident, dominant presence on the hardwood, the fierce declaration of a protective father had sent a wave of genuine nervousness fluttering through her stomach. Taking a quiet breath to steady her racing pulse, she squared her shoulders and looked Jake dead in the eye. Her voice was firm, carrying the absolute weight of her conviction.

“I understand, sir,” Caitlin spoke up, her steady tone masking the butterflies within. “I’d never break Sienna’s heart. And that’s a promise.”

Jake stared at her for a long, calculating moment, measuring the honesty in her eyes. Satisfied with the steel he found there, he nodded once. “Good!” he said firmly, the tension instantly evaporating from his frame as he picked up his fork and continued eating his dinner.

With the heavy air cleared and permissions tacitly granted, the rest of the evening flowed with a beautiful, smooth rhythm. The dining room filled with the comforting sounds of silverware clinking, soft laughter, and easy conversation. Sienna practically glowed as she caught her parents up on her career, sharing the latest updates and victories from her job, her parents listening with rapt attention and pride.

Meanwhile, Caitlin found herself thoroughly engrossed in a passionate sports debate with Jake. The two of them parsed through statistics, team dynamics, and strategy, passionately arguing over who currently held the title of the best team in both the WNBA and the NBA. Watching Caitlin easily hold her own against her father, a bright spark of competitive spirit in her eyes, only made Sienna’s heart swell further.

Sitting there, enveloped in the ambient warmth of the room, Sienna was overcome by a deep, profound sense of contentment and peace.

The pain of the past felt incredibly distant, thoroughly eclipsed by the love surrounding her. With her family’s unconditional support on one side and Caitlin’s steady, loving presence on the other, Sienna felt entirely invincible. Like she could conquer the world.

Authors Note:

Hello my lovessss, it’s been so longggg and I’m so sorry for that, I really shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep. Damn this book would’ve finished by now but College had me in a lumber and with my mental state not being good rn the updates took longer than expected. It makes me happy to see that people are still reading this book even if updates are lacking so Thank you Ghost readers I really appreciate the support. Also sorry for this confusing asf chapter I don’t know what I’m writing anymore FR but I hope y’all enjoy it, it’s just a filler chapter until I write something worth it next chapter. Anyways until next time lovelies <3.

XoXo V 💜💜💜

P.S. WHY IS THIS PICTURE OF CC SOOO HOTTTT!!! 😩😮‍💨🫠