Not Mine, Not Yet
“And coming soon, a detailed biography of Jacob Valmont, the beloved businessman known for his humility, kindness, and unwavering integrity. A man who not only found great success in business but was a devoted husband and father to be, tragically lost far too soon in a plane crash...”
The dining room at Seaborn Summit was quiet, the only sound the soft clink of silverware now and then. But now, the words fell like glass marbles onto tile, scattered and impossible to gather without breaking something. On the TV screen, old photographs of Jacob appeared, his confident smile, his arm around his wife, Elysia, back when life was simple and happy. The biography, they said, would focus on the man behind the business success, the kind-hearted husband, the humble leader, the life cut short before he could meet his twin daughters.
Later That Night
“You were staring at the TV like... like you wished you could be with him again,” Rafael began, his voice low, controlled, but vibrating with the pain he was trying to suppress.
“That biography, everything they said about him... it’s just another reminder that I’ll never measure up. That I’m nothing compared to him.”
Elysia’s hand stilled mid-brush, fingers curling tightly around the handle. Slowly, she turned to face him, her posture poised but no longer composed. Her almond-shaped, stormy blue eyes, downturned at the edges, touched with that quiet, lingering melancholy of a woman who had loved deeply and survived it, met his with a sudden intensity. They widened, not in fear, but in a flash of raw vulnerability sharpened by instinct.
“Rafael, that’s not what this is about,” she said, her voice rising slightly, as if trying to control the brewing storm. But the hurt in his eyes, the accusation in his words, stirred something sharp inside her.
“You’re trying to erase him,” she shot back, standing now, the brush forgotten on the vanity.
“You can’t stand that I still love him. You think that by building this perfect life for me, you can make me forget that he ever existed? Jacob was a good man, better than you’ll ever be!”
The words came out before she could stop them, and as soon as they did, she regretted them. She saw the flash of pain cross Rafael’s face, but it was too late to take it back.
Rafael’s anger flared in an instant, his chest tightening as he struggled to keep control. But it wasn’t just rage he was feeling. It was deeper than that.
“I’m not asking you to forget him,” Rafael snapped, his voice rising.
“I know he was important to you, but where is there space for me, Elysia? Where do I fit into your life?”
His voice cracked slightly, revealing the vulnerability behind his anger.
“You can love him all you want, but you don’t love me. You never have.”
The rawness of his words struck Elysia like a physical blow. She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out.
As the tension thickened, the soft creak of a door down the hall went unnoticed by them. The girls stood in the shadow of the hallway, just out of sight, listening to the strained voices of their parents.
Faye’s heart sank as she heard Rafael’s words. She understood, maybe even better than her mother did, why he was so upset. She had seen it in small moments over the years: the way Rafael’s face would fall whenever Elysia talked about Jacob, how hard he tried to make their mother happy, only to be met with the quiet distance she never seemed to overcome.
The girls knew their father, Jacob, through stories and pictures. They loved him and respected him, as they had been taught to do. But in their hearts, Rafael was the one who had filled that space. He had been there from the moment they were born, providing the love and care they needed. To them, Rafael wasn’t just a stepfather, he was their dad, the only one they’d ever really known. And now, listening to the pain in his voice, Faye felt a sadness she couldn’t quite explain. She wanted to fix it, to help him somehow, but she didn’t know how.
Back in the bedroom, Rafael turned away, his shoulders sagging as if the fight had drained the last of his energy.
“Do you even realize how hard it is to stand here, day after day, knowing I’ll never be more than second place in your heart?” he asked, his voice quieter now, raw with emotion.
“I’ve done everything I can for you, for the girls… but you won’t let me in. You won’t let yourself love me.”
Elysia blinked quickly, trying to keep the tears from falling. Her eyes glistened—stormy not just in colour but like shipwrecked oceans, hiding the debris of things left unsaid. Her chest tightened with guilt.
The silence stretched on, thick and heavy. Finally, Rafael shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep doing this.”
With that, he turned and left the room, the door closing softly behind him. Elysia stood there, staring at the space where he had been, her heart pounding in her chest
Down the hall, Faye and Grace quietly retreated to their room.
Faye lay down beside her five minutes younger sister Grace, pulling the covers up to her chin. She didn’t fully understand the complexity of adult emotions, but she wished her mother could see what she and Grace saw, how much their daddy loved them, and how much he deserved to be loved back.
