Chapter 18

After A Moment Of Silence, Luka Couldn't Concentrate On What He Was Reading Again After The Story He Told Diana. He Asked Her About Her Past, About The Foster Homes She Had Once Lived In, And Diana Knew It Was Time To Share The Painful Chapters Of Her Life.

"I Heard Your Parents Passed Away," Luka Faced Diana To Ask.

Diana Took A Deep Breath, She Began, Her Voice Trembled A Little.

"When My Parents Died In That Car Accident, I Was Just Seven Years Old. I Didn't Understand What Was Happening, And Unexpectedly, I Found Myself In A World Where Everything Had Changed."

Luka Leaned Forward Attentively, And Encouraged Her To Continue.

"The First Foster Home I Was Placed In Was The Jifllers'. They Were An Older Couple, But It Was Not Long Before I Realized That Their Age Didn't Mean They Were Kind." She First Said.

"Their House Wasn't Spacious, And It Always Smelled Like Stale Cigarette Smoke." Diana's Voice Became Unsteady As She Recalled Those Early Memories.

She Continued,

"The Jifllers,... They Never Acted Like Parents At All, I Always Felt Like A Stranger In Their Home. They Hardly Spoke To Me, And When They Did, It Was Often Harsh Words……

"There Was A Time I Overheard Them Saying That They Were Just Doing It For The Extra Money They Got From Taking Care Of Me." Tears Lurking Around The Corridors Of Her Eyes.

Luka's Expression Was Filled With Empathy, His Hand Reached Out To Gently Squeeze Diana's Hand.

Diana Continued, "One Night, I Accidently Spilled Juice On The Living Room Carpet. Mrs. Jifller... She Was Mad. She Grabbed My Arm And Dragged Me Into A Small, Dark Closet As Punishment. I Was So Scared, I Cried Myself To Sleep Among Old Coats And Forgotten Belongings."

Luka's Grip On Diana's Shoulder Tightened, And His Anger Enraged.

"After Two Years With The Jifllers, I Was Moved To The Carters'. Their House Was Bigger, But It Didn't Mean It Was Better. Mr. And Mrs. Carter We're So Mesmerized With Their Own Lives That They Rarely Noticed Me." Diana's Voice Quivered, She Felt Sadness And Frustration.

"They Gave Me A Small Room At The Far End Of The House, As If They Wanted To Keep Me Hidden Away From Their Affairs. I'd Lie In Bed At Night, Looking Out The Window At The Moon, Wishing My Parents Were Still Alive." She Wiped Away Tears That Had Escaped Her Eye And Continued.

"The Worst Part Was When I Overheard Them Talking One Night. They Were Discussing How Having A Foster Child Brought Them Extra Income. I Realized Then That They Didn't Care About Me, That I Was Just A Source Of Money To Them."

Luka's Eyes Bore Into Diana's With Understanding And Anger At The Injustice She Had Faced.

"Who Was Responsible For The Money They Received?" Luka Inquired.

"It Was Mr. Varane. I Never Knew Until He Told Me That He Was Also My Lawyer." She Said And Continued Sharing Her Story.

Luka Was Stunned To Hear That, No Wonder She Did Everything Possible To Reduce Him From Steffan's Men. He Thought Within Himself.

"I Left The Carters' As Soon As I Turned Sixteen. And I Couldn't Endure It Any Longer. I Was Determined To Make My Own Way In The World, To Defect From The Pain Of Those Foster Homes. But Those Memories, Luka, They've Haunted Me For Years."

Luka Quickly Brushed A Tear From Diana's Cheek When He Saw It. "You've Been Exceptionally Strong, Diana, To Have Survived All Of That." He Added.

Diana Nodded, She Was Relieved And Delighted A Bit.

"It Was The Conviction Of Finding My Own Path, And Purpose That Kept Me Going. And Maybe, Just Maybe, I Discover A Place Where I Truly Belong." She Enunciated.

"You've Found That Place, Diana, Right Here With Me." Luka's Eyes Held A Promise Of Resolute Support. This Almost Made Diana Wet Her Pants.

Their Shared Understanding And The Unspoken Connection Between Them Deepened As They Shared The Scars Of Their Pasts, Together.

Diana's Hands Were On Her Lap, And She Took A Deep Breath Before Continuing Her Story. The Weight Of Her Past Was Not Easily Shared, But With Luka's Presence, It Gave Her The Strength To Open Up And Continue.

"After I Left The Carters', I Thought I Could Make It On My Own," Diana Began, Her Voice Steady.

"I Found Odd Jobs, Worked Late Hours, And Saved Every Penny To Afford An Apartment." She Stood Up And Gestured Around The Table.

"You've Come A Long Way, Diana." Luka's Expression Was That Of Firm Support.

She Offered Him A Faint Smile Before Continuing,

"But There Was A Time When I Couldn't Find Work, And I Couldn't Pay The Rent. I Was Evicted From The Apartment, And I Had No Choice But To Go To The Only Place That Would Likely Take Me In—A Local Orphanage."

Luka's Brow Furrowed With Concern As He Listened Intently.

"Luka, The Orphanage Was More Like A Prison," Diana Recalled, Her Eyes Distant.

"The Building Was Old And Crushing, And Their Staff, They Were Indifferent At Best, And Cruel At Worst. I Shared The Same Room With Several Other Girls, Each Of Us With Our Own Painful Stories."

She Paused For A While, Her Memories Began To Pull Her Back To That Bleak Time.

"The Matron Then, Mrs. Granger Was A Strict Woman Who Liked To Take Pleasure In Enforcing Difficult Rules. There Was No Warmth Or Care, Only Discipline."

Luka Tightened His Grip On Her Hand As If Offering Silent Comfort.

"I Remember The Nights," Diana Whispered, Her Voice Filled With Distress.

"The Other Girls And I Would Huddle Together In Our Beds For Comfort. We'd Share Stories Of Our Pasts, Our Dreams For The Future, And The Families We'd Lost." She Added.

"The Orphanage Wasn't Just A Place To Live, It Was A Place To Survive," Diana Continued.

"And Some Of The Older Kids... They Didn't Survive It. Some Of Them Ran Away, Desperate For A Better Life. I Often Felt Like Doing The Same, But I Was Afraid To."

Luka's Eyes Were Filled With Empathy, And His Heart Ached For The Young Diana Who Had Endured So Much Hardship.

"There Was A Day I Met Sarah," Diana Recounted, "A Girl Older Than Me, She Was Determined And Convinced Me That We Could Escape Together. I Trusted Her, Luka. I Believed That We Could Make It Out On Our Own, But…"

"What Happened, Diana?" Luka Leaned In, His Gaze Fixed.