Morning came slower than a wounded snail.But it was no surprise as Sofia barely even closed her eyes to sleep. The whole night she’d spent lying on her back with her eyes fixated to the ceiling. She’d cried until no more tears departed from her eyes and now, she laid on her side, watching the sun rise from the windows.She knew when Oscar had gotten up and now, she could hear the whish-whoosh sounds from the shower, which made her heart sink. How could he feel so comfortable going back to work so soon when their worlds only just recently imploded on them.“It’s bad” His words kept echoing back to her over the course of the night. “The doctor said it’s bad.” But how bad? Of course she comforted him but a million thoughts and questions still roamed freely in her head.How bad?How long—two of the most terrifying ones. After everything, Sofia had been cautious to ask the questions, partly for Oscar and also because her heart could only take so much. Lying there, her arms folded across h
“Oscar.” Let it be known that hours had passed now since Sofia had heard the words she feared the most. The thing was she didn’t even realize she feared them until it came like a slap in her face. And on top of the many questions she already had were more.“I declined the clinical trial” Oscar had informed her and her lips uncontrollably fell apart as she stared at him. His mind was made up and she could see the firmness in his eyes, in this decision he had come to by himself—without even telling her after agreeing to go through this together. She was mute, stung by both betrayal and shock, and anger. “Oscar!” It just didn’t make any sense. She was aware of a clinical trial that his father, Ronald did and he confessed to how the medicine was a lot helpful to him even though he already had a prognosis. The thing was with the damage of the condition and Ronald’s age, surgery was never an option.His best bet was the clinical trial but it could only do so much. Being in its early expe
The winds rustled through the trees, tricking up Sofia’s nose as she held her hands a cup of coffee. Her eyes were bright and there was a smile across her face, he was there.Theodore.And in that moment, she recalled the very first day they spent here, that she was battling with the first chapter of her book and he told her the story of the Salem witches while at it. By now, she wasn’t still sure she believed that story but it had truly been a long time since then.And a lot had happened, if only she knew then half the things that were going to go down, including kissing Theo and the excruciating love triangle but most of all, that she would marry the man of her dreams, Oscar. And Theo and herself would be back as the best of friends. Then in about two years, they’d be sitting on these very chairs, recounting almost everything they whilst sharing laughs. It would be a normal day but it wasn’t. No matter how much she wished it was, there was always that dawning thought of Oscar and
As Sofia sat across from Doctor Barry, she found her hands slowly and unconsciously reach for Oscar’s. Smiling at him, she knew that was all it would take for his anxieties to calm. She wouldn’t be his wife if she didn’t notice the slightest changes in his mood and countenance each time.But Sofia knew that Oscar was one of the strongest people she’d met in her whole life and times that she had to reassure herself with those words, she was convinced that her make it out of this. But in that moment however that the doctor walked into the room, it was okay that both their hearts skipped a beat. Because alas, it was in the now they lived in but luckily, Doctor Barry was just as calming as he was reassuring. He took a seat, but placing to the side about a gazillion files and documents.“Oh don’t look at these” Were the first words he said as both Sofia and Oscar’s eyes fell to the table and they chuckled a little. “It’s just formality, I’d tell you everything that you need to know” He co
There was a piercing sound that rang in Sofia’s ears, coupled with an outer worldly experience, one inexplicable and harrowing that could only come from seeing someone you thought you would never see in your life.At least, again.You all know Freya, Sofia’s sister who had disappeared when she was eight and who she only realized had left to flee from Mr Henderson, a fate bestowed on Sofia as well but one she escaped by a hair’s breadth. Though his trial was still months away, it was safe to say to Mr Henderson was behind bars. He really was, the only threat now was Dimitri who didn’t dare show his face after everything that happened and everyone was sure it was going to remain that way.But that was something different.Because now, Sofia could swear her heart skipped a beat, a stomp so loud that she felt it reverberate her entire body and the two faced each other, after years of being apart. Sofia wanted nothing more than to see her sister but right now that she did, she didn’t even
“Sandra, is it?”“It’s Sofia” She corrected as she took a seat next to Victoria. And Sofia was quick to lean in. “What’s really going on, Freya?” On the edge of her seat, she asked with an arch between her brows.“I’m sorry” Freya whispered and at some point, there was almost tears in her eyes, which she batted her lashes to hold back and they faced each other again, somewhat alone because Theo was a far distance from them, casually leaning against the wall.“I want to tell you truth” It was Vikky’s voice that drifted Sofia’s attention and now, there was a brisk silence in the room before she said.“I might be Freya, and you might be right” She started. “I know you are, I know I am” Sofia didn’t waste a second to reassure her but it was then Victoria grasped her hands. “The truth is ten years ago, I was in a car accident,” Her voice cracked a bit and Sofia was taken aback.“A car accident?”“Yes, one that almost claimed my life. And because of that, I spent nine months in a coma due t
As Sofia’s eyes looked about the room, there was a sudden sound that drew her attention. Thinking it was the door, she changed route and somehow landed herself in the kitchen.There her lips fell slightly as she met her mother.“What…what are you doing back this early?” She asked, scoffing a little and Theresa lifted her gaze to show she was a little taken aback. “It’s evening, how long do you want us to spend at the farmer’s market?” She asked and as Sofia looked at the clock, confirming it really was that late, the next time she looked at her mum, she was almost squealing.With eyes as hollow and dilated as it could, she pushed herself closer to where her mother was. “It’s actually six pm” She replied but everyone was aware that wasn’t the reason she was even so excited.“Why are you so excited?” Theresa asked the obvious question, looking about the fresh bags of groceries. “You wouldn’t believe what happened, ma. Who I just saw—“ Rip the bandaid…Freya, Victoria or how would she te
Sofia sprinted across the sidewalk that led to the coffeeshop. It was especially hard not to think about the first day that she was here. Look how far she had come and she wasn’t alone—Victoria tagged along.You know ever since showing up, they wanted to use every single they had to catch up because even though neither of them had talked about it, Victoria didn’t intend to stay in Salem, of course she was still going to leave and so was Theodore.“I like this part of town.” She however stated in that moment and Sofia threw a look over her shoulders. “You’ll like the shop even more” Reaching to the door, they finally came to a halt and the exhaustion was evident across Victoria’s face. However it was Sofia’s that was beaming.Today was her first day as CEO or whatever title Benedict had bestowed upon her. It meant change, one of the many in the past couple of days. As she unlocked the door, she was hit with the soft moist smell of coffee as well as an echoing silence.Victoria made her
FIVE YEARS LATER.“Aunt Annie!” A child’s scream reverberated through the halls before a little girl of about five years scurried into the room in a bright yellow dress and the first thing she did was embrace Ann who was waiting with her usual open arms.“How are you, Mia?!” She lifted the girl into her arms, adorning her flustered face with kisses. “Where is your mommy?” And just as she asked that question, Sofia scurried right after, Oscar by her right hand. “Have you got the keys?” She asked, panting from her lips and looking around the room perhaps for anything they might’ve been forgetting. But just for a brisk moment, Oscar reached out to her hands.“You look beautiful.” He didn’t fail to compliment her whenever she did, in the last five years at that. Oh how time flies, truly. And to say a lot had changed would be a massive understatement but then again, not so much, I mean Oscar and Sofia were still so madly in love with each other.“Mommy, aren’t we running late?” Mia called
SIX MONTHS LATER.The sun was out on this chill Saturday evening and the winds filled the trees around the magnificent canopies. There were flowers of every kind and colors and balloons scattered across the garden fields. Everyone was seated with their eyes turned to the couple, the main reason they were here in the first place.“Theodore Baron and Victoria Freya Winters” The officiator called both their names and it was hard for a tear not to well in Sofia’s eyes in that moment. Her sister looked beautiful in that flowing white dress and it was exactly how they’d both envisioned everything since they were kids.Including her as her maid of honor and the same could be said about Theo who by his right hand side had Oscar beside him as well. In that moment, his eyes met Sofia ever beaming with a smile. Six months had passed since his very first surgery and all the events that came after. So did the second and the third, and now that the trial was over, there was only one final test left
Sofia was the never one to believe in miracles.Well that was until today. Three hours had passed since everything that happened, Dimitri’s arrest as the everything in context. And as she sat there, she kept replaying it all behind her eyes. She was wrapped with a blanket and Theo and Damien were right beside her.Of course they knew now of what had happened to Oscar and how Annie had dived in front of a bullet to save Sofia, falling off the building in the process. They were just as shocked as the person who unfortunately had to witness it all. It was no wonder she stayed quiet for those three hours, reeling in the aftershock and post trauma. However, the silence had to come to an end as the doctor came out of the room just then. She stood with aching feet, feeling like she’d always spent weeks in these particular hallway. Her lips parted but her eyes said the most words as the doctor heaved a sigh.“It was a success. You can go in now” The doctor broke the news and in that moment,
“We can’t let her leave” Dimitri muttered to David, whose name Sofia had only just come to know. The two of them were at a safe distance but she could hear the murmurs from their lips. They stood at the foot of the door so her only likely escape was jumping down down the five foot building and she couldn’t dare to scream because Dimitri had already assured her his non reluctance to shoot if she tried anything funny.And so she stood there, with her fingers intertwined with each other, playing it off as though she wasn’t genuinely scared for her life. Her skin was pale and her face was flushed off every color. A million thoughts ravaged her head, most especially the ones about how she could escape.She wondered how unfortunate it was that she’d walked into yet another predicament but in that moment, half the thoughts that roamed behind her eyes were about Oscar. And each time she stared at Dimitri, she was so full of vengeance that she wanted to pay him back for what he’d done.Howeve
As Sofia stood there, she couldn’t even utter a single word. Her whole mind raced with a thousand thoughts as the chaos behind the curtains echoed back to her. Her eyes were flooded with tears and there was a shooting pain that pierced up her spine.In a moment, her eyes fell to her open hands and he was all she saw. It was as though she had drifted back to the moment that she held unto him, begging him to open his eyes…to wake up. But the hardest part was she wasn’t even certain that he could hear her. She wasn’t certain that he would ever actually open those eyes again. And hers, well they darted to the piece of sandwich that laid capriciously on the hospital floor and before she could even start blaming herself for leaving, something she would have never done if she knew things would turn out this way. And for what, for food.Before she could blame herself or further immense herself into the guilt, an arm drew her back. “Hey hey” That shrill rang into her ears and Sofia had to ac
There was always something so terrifying about nightmares. Especially for Oscar and so that was why when he plunged his eyes open, only to find out that he was surrounded by an impaling darkness, the first thing he did was scream at the top of his lungs.The atmosphere was cold, sending a chill up his spine so much that he shivered. The hollow halls returned an echo of his voice as well and he was too afraid to move even an inch forward. He hated the darkness, he wasn’t scared or, although there was something quite eerie in the air.He just hated being lost and in that moment, he was.But that was until a shrill whisper crept up behind him and Oscar sharply turned around. He could swear that someone was here, was close to him but alas, when he threw his head over his shoulders, there was no one. Maybe now was the right time to get scared.His hands fell to his side, feeling the crisp texture of his scrubs and as he moved forward, the noises were all he heard. It was hard to move with
“It’s been four hours” A voice echoed from behind Sofia and it wasn’t until she turned around that her eyes fell upon Damien. His hands slipped into his pocket with an elongated gaze right next to her. She threw a look over her shoulders though she still clung to the stairwell.“It’s you” She happened to mutter plainly before he raised his hands into the air. “Well I’m no doctor,” Damien teased. “But I brought you a sandwich and a cup of coffee” He stretched out his hands and while her eyes to it, there was the ghost of a smile that made it across her lips.“I’m not hungry” Sofia heaved but by the look in Damien’s eyes, she didn’t have much of an option but to cave in, taking the food from his hands. Though she sipped the coffee, she kept the sandwich aside and for a brief moment, there were comforted by the shrouded silence between them. That was before Sofia suddenly piped up after a few minutes.“Thank you by the way” She said.Damien folded his arms with a shrill nod. “For this as
For the longest time, Ferdinand wanted to say those words to Theresa. It had even a really long time since we last saw him, rock bottom and fresh out of jail all while being handed divorce papers from his long term partner but just like everyone else, a lot had changed for him.And even more had come into perspective, like realizing how bad he’d been through the years, to Theresa, to Freya and then to Sofia. And now that he was all alone, he wanted nothing more than to finally tender his apology to those who he had hurt.But the fear that it might have been too late plagued Ferdinand, causing a few sleepless nights. There was no way he would have survived without Damien, who had come to the house to pick up some things and Ferdinand had told him everything that had happened.Damien didn’t have to do all of that including showing up at least twice a week but he did. He did because for him as well, everything had changed. Luckily, even as things weren’t as bad as they once was, he didn
The chilly rush of air breezed into Sofia’s face and through her hair, swaying it left and right across her shoulders. In case she drifted so far, the distinct scent of pharmaceuticals and the rapid beeping of the heart monitors both far and near were enough to remind her of where she was.She stood with her arms crossed in front of her, reminding herself by taking deep heavy breaths to calm down. Today was the day of Oscar’s first surgery which was a bypass graft procedure undoubtedly the most important and complex of the three he was recommended.The doctor might’ve said a million words to Sofia about how this was to repair the damaged blood vessels around his heart, both narrowed and clogged to improve his blood flow so it betters the chances of the trial working but it didn’t stomp her anxiety. It could be good but then again, she was well aware of the risks to know that it could also be terrible.So she stood still and even her deep breaths didn’t work so much. No one knew the am