Someone knocks on my door. If it’s uncle Gus I’m going to start shouting until someone calls the police. Luckily, when I open the door, it’s Stefan who is standing under the doorframe.
“Hi, doll, am I interrupting?” He asks as he lets himself in. “Are you ok? You look really upset.”
I shake my head energetically. “No, not at all.” I don’t w
Luck is on our side. My family has no idea I spent the night out. When I come back home, my parents are so busy saying farewell to our relatives that they barely notice my presence. I stand next to them on our front porch while we hug and kiss an endless line of relatives. Short afternoon the house is empty again. My parents, Stefan and I are the only ones left, and the time to tell them what’s going on arrives.I ask my parents to come to the dining room to talk, but instead of coming right away, they take their time. I wait for them as I nervously bite my nails, Stefan gently grabs my hand to
Monday morning. I go back to the office a different person that left on Friday. I’m a mother-to-be and an engaged woman. It’s funny how much a life can change in just one weekend. I hide the engagement ring in my purse, this past weekend was exhausting and the last thing I want is to answer a bunch of questions from my nosy coworkers. David Gleason calls me to his office, I get instantly on the defensive. Did I forget to do something last Friday? I try to remember if I completed all of my chores before leaving, but last Friday seems like an entirely different life from my present. Ugh, I
I explain to David the reason I can’t accept his generous offer. He’s disappointed, but he gets it, Miranda’s mom is a stay-home-wife so he can relate to my case. Unfortunately, this means this will be my last week here. Judith, the original assistant, comes back next Monday.The following days have a strange sentiment, I feel nostalgic about leaving my first job, but also excited for what’s coming. On my last day of work, I get a little more emotional than I expected, I even shed a few tears, but I assume pregnancy hormones had something to do with it.
I barely make it to my room, once I get there I slide down against my door. I’m shaking, it’s not just the possibility of my dad being a criminal, but Stefan too... I just can’t take it. My uncle Gus said my brother was murdered so my dad would hand over his business, florists don’t murder their son’s competitors for gain, mobsters do. I cover my ears as if that could prevent me from thinking. I hear a loud noise on the other side of the wall, my mom must have dropped something in her room. Suddenly, I know what I have to do. I stumble up and walk to my mom’s bedroom. I don’t even knock, I just let myself in. She’s sitting on her favorite armchair knitting. She looks at me annoyed as if my presence bothered her.
I don’t know what time it is when I wake up. By instinct, I reach for my phone to check the time, but then I recall I don’t have it with me, I left my home in such a rush I didn’t even grab it on my way out. I get out of bed and look for Miranda, but she’s nowhere to be found. I must have overslept because my clothes are clean and dry, neatly folded on the nightstand. Miranda probably went out to get the money from the ATM.I jump into the shower, as I wash my hair I think of the day ahead of me and the important decisions I need to take in the next few hours, I have to be ver
Stefan is waiting for us in the dining room, he’s casually chatting with the officiant. When they see us coming they both get up their seats.“Are you all ready? Let’s begin,” the officiant says, ignoring the distress in my face or how anxious my parents are. He takes out a document, probably our marriage license.I slowly walk to place myself in front of the officiant and ne
It’s been two weeks since I was forced to get married, I haven’t left Stefan’s apartment since I got here. I spend my days lying in bed or sleeping. I have barely eaten anything, I don’t feel hungry, the only thing I feel is loneliness and the weight of my disillusion. Stefan tried to talk with me the first few days, he tried to mend things between us and explain his version of the events to me hoping I would see his side, but because all he got from me were hostile stares, he gave up; now he’s giving me my space, letting me ‘process’ the situation on my own, according to his own words. He thinks that with time I will get a new pers
I open my eyes and the first thing I feel is an acute pain in my forehead. My vision is blurry and it takes me a few seconds to adjust it, I feel a little dizzy, once I can see clearly, I look around and I realize I’m no longer in the bathroom. This looks like a hospital room, I’m surrounded by white walls and medical instruments, there’s an IV attached to my hand. I look around and find Stefan in the corner of the room talking to a doctor. He looks upset. What happened to me?I try to get up, but the pain in my head worsens as I move. I let a weak groan out and both men turn their at