The Parent Trap

chapter eleven

Luna paced outside of Carina's room as her mother was on a phone call. Amelia and Gabriella stood behind her, encouraging her to come forward and tell Carina the truth. She took a deep breath and pushed the door open slightly, desperately looking at Carina.

"Just do it, piccolina." Gabriella encouraged her.

Luna nodded and completely opened the door, slowly walking towards her mother as she put down the phone. "Hi, bambina. Come here." Carina pat the space next to her on the bed and Luna jumped in, cuddling her. "I just got these scans back and I needed to add some notes to it, once I'm done, why don't you and I go and get lost in Harrods?"

Luna shook her head and sadly looked at Carina. "I can't, Mamma. I have to go out of town today." She said and ducked under the covers, throwing the duvet on her head.

Carina laughed. "And may I ask where are you going, bambina?" She tried tickling Luna. "Cat. Cat!"

"That's where I have to go. I have to go see Cat." Luna's voice was muffled, her accent back to normal.

Carina smiled at her, still not aware it wasn't a joke, as Amelia and Gabriella watched from the doorway. "I see. And where is Cat, then?"

"In Napa with her mother, Maya Bishop."

Carina's eyes widened in shock, her mouth was slightly open. She snapped her head towards Amelia and Gabriella, both nodding and giving her small smiles.

Carina took the covers off Luna's face. "You're not Caterina?"

Luna stared at Carina with fear in her eyes. "That would be correct."

Carina gasped and smiled, tears rolling down her face. "You're Luna?"

"I am." Carina put her hand over her mouth and stared at Luna. "Cat and I met up at camp and we decided to switch places. I'm sorry, but I'd never seen you and I dreamt of meeting you my whole life. All I had was just one crinkled up picture. And Cat felt the exact same way about Mom, so we sort of just switched lives." Carina stared at her with adoration, tears still flowing from her eyes. "I hope you're not mad, because I love you so much and I just hope that one day you can love me as me, and not as Cat."

Carina opened her arms and Luna threw herself into them, tightly hugging each other. "Oh, bambina. I've loved you your whole life." Carina kissed the top of her head.

Outside the door, Gabriella bawled hysterically and wiped her eyes, hugging Amelia for comfort. "I've never been happier my whole life." She cried out. Amelia patted her shoulder and leaned forward to close the door, giving Carina a small smile.

Carina turned back towards Luna and sweetly smiled at her. "I guess you have to switch us back now." Luna sadly said.

Carina took a deep breath and looked down. "Well, technically, you belong to your mother and Caterina belongs to me."

Luna sighed. "No offense, Mamma, but this arrangement totally sucks."

Carina giggled with teary eyes. "I agree. It totally sucks. God, you've gotten so big!" She hugged Luna. "Wait, that's why you suddenly stopped speaking Italian!"

Luna hid her face in her hands and nodded. "Yes. Cat tried teaching me a couple sentences but I sucked at it."

Carina laughed. "Well, first thing I'm telling your mother is to put you in an Italian class!" She joked. "We'll fly to Napa, see Cat and your mother and we'll figure this whole thing out, alright? Don't worry, bella. I've got this." Luna nodded and threw herself in Carina's arms.

⭒

Carina was tempted to drink an entire bottle of wine at that point. She had velcro rollers in her hair as she frantically paced around her room.

"I'm sorry. I can't handle this." She cried out as she walked out of her closet. "I mean, I haven't seen or heard from Maya Bishop in over eleven years, and suddenly I'm flying halfway across the world to.." She groaned. "I'm not mature enough for this. If the woman didn't make me so nuts, I'd still be married to her!"

Gabriella and Amelia listened quietly as they helped Carina with her suitcase, knowing that she needed to be left alone to deal with her feelings.

"We came up with this arrangement so that we didn't have to see each other ever again!" She cried out. "Look at me, have you seen me like this?"

"Well.." Amelia said and Carina shot her a glare.

"Don't answer that." She began pacing once again, "What if she doesn't recognize me? I look old, don't I? Wait, don't answer that either." She groaned as she pulled the velcro rollers out of her hair. Luna giggled from the doorway, overhearing and making sure that Carina didn't see her there.

"Luna says that she's gorgeous." Amelia said.

Carina groaned once again. "She's always been gorgeous. She had a smile that made me go weak at the knees, if you can imagine that. Wait, what else did Luna say?"

Amelia tried to contain her giggle. "That she's never remarried either and she's really playful, a bit of a dork."

"So the exact same Maya Bishop from over a decade ago?" She whined. "Tutto questo è così frustante! E adesso?"

"I'm all set, Mamma." Luna said as she walked in.

Carina quickly recomposed herself and smiled at Luna. "Yes, me too. Almost."

Luna frowned. "Mamma, your suitcase is half empty."

Carina sighed. "Oh, right. Sorry. Luna, bambina, did you speak to your mother?"

Luna looked at Gabriella and the two locked eyes for a second, before Luna smiled at Carina. "Yeah, I just hung up with her, actually. She said she's really anxious to see you." Gabriella glared at Luna.

Carina smiled. "Anxious nervous like she's totally dreading having to see me, or anxious excited, like she's looking forward to it?"

"Anxious excited." Luna smiled at her, "Anxious excited, a hundred percent." Carina let out a breath of relief. "She said she'll meet us tomorrow at noon at the Stafford Hotel in San Francisco."

Carina nervously laughed and ran her fingers through her hair. "Tomorrow? Well, oh my, that's so incredibly soon. Well, why don't you run downstairs and gather up our tickets in my office while I finish up here?" 

Amelia left the room first, followed by Luna and then Gabriella. Gabriella placed her hands on Luna's shoulder and whispered, "Liar, liar, pants on fire." Luna glared at her and raised her finger to her lips, begging the older woman to be quiet.

"Gabri, Amelia, can I talk to you two for a second?" Carina called out from inside the room. "Can I use my best friend privileges and make a ridiculous and childish request?" Amelia laughed and Gabriella arched an eyebrow.

"You want us to go with you, right?" Amelia asked, making Carina shyly nod. "I already bought both our tickets. We wouldn't let you go by yourself." Carina's eyes widened and she threw herself at both of them, giving them a tight hug.

"Va bene," Gabriella said as she pulled away and walked into Carina's closet, "Now, if I were seeing my ex after eleven years, I'd wear this little baby. You'll kill in it!"

"Oooh, Gabri's got a point. Definitely wear that, Car. If you still have Maya wrapped around your finger just like you used to, she'll definitely pass out once she sees you wearing that." Amelia said.

Carina looked taken aback. "I don't want her to pass out!"

"Why not? Then you can play doctor with her." Amelia said and Carina's mouth opened in shock, before groaning and throwing a pillow at her.