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29 The smartest thing you ever did
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2020-11-09 22:23:00Luck 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
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Flowers for Olivia 30 It’s never too late for anything
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
Last Updated : 2020-11-11Flowers for Olivia 31: Open your Eyes
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.
Last Updated : 2020-11-14Flowers for Olivia 32 The Cat is Out of the Bag.
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.
Last Updated : 2020-11-17Flowers for Olivia 33 Do as you are told.
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
Last Updated : 2020-11-20Flowers for Olivia 34 I do
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
Last Updated : 2020-11-23Flowers for Olivia 35 Nothing like her
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
Last Updated : 2020-11-25Flowers for Olivia 36 Just like her
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
Last Updated : 2020-11-26Flowers for Olivia 37: The worst thing that ever happened to me.
The doctor was right, the bruise on my forehead goes away in just a few days. It’s been a week since the accident and I feel good as new. Now that I’m healed, I’m finally ready to stop being this sad defeated woman and the first step to do so is to take better care of myself. I’ve been eating much better this past week, but I also need to exercise and get out of the apartment once in a while. The self-imposed confinement is clearly not good for my mental and physical health. I find online a prenatal yoga class I want to check out, working out and seeing new faces is just what I need. I ask Ivan to take me to the class, he looks relieved to finally be able to get out of the apartment, watching over me must be really boring since I do nothing all day.
Last Updated : 2020-11-27
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Flowers for Olivia Epilogue
I light the big Buzz Lightyear shaped candle on top of the carrot cake Agatha made. Alex loves Buzz Lightyear, so our house is full of toys and stuff from that cartoon character. He likes it so much we were afraid his first word would be Buzz, luckily it wasn’t, it was “dad”. He is even wearing a Buzz t-shirt that I bought especially for him to wear today on his 1st birthday. I step out of the kitchen and into the dining room, Alex gasp excited as he sees the candle, he is sitting on his dad’s lap. Agatha starts to sing happy birthday at the top of her lungs. Rebecca and Stefan share a mocking smile discreetly and then start to sing along. It has been hard for Rebecca to reconnect with her brother, but she wanted to be part of ba
Flowers for Olivia 54 The kidnap
At dawn, we hear a loud bang followed by multiple shots and a lot of shouting from Romano’s men. We are being attacked. Rebecca and I immediately get to the floor, I cover my baby with my trembling body. A tall man with dark hair comes into the room agitated.“They found us! We have to get out of here, come with me.” He yells at us. “Hurry!”
Flowers for Olivia 53 No limits
On June 21st, I gave birth to a healthy beautiful boy with big blue eyes. Rebecca helped me delivered it, she is an important Gynecologist with her own private practice and she took great care of us. She also hired me as her receptionist and she helps me take care of little Alex whenever I need it.I have to admit, I get sad sometimes that my baby boy is never going to meet his dad, but Rebecca always makes me look on the bright side: we are safe, safe from Romano, saf
Flowers for Olivia 52 The Escape
Luckily, Romano’s men don’t come with us to Rio, only Diogo, Agatha’s driver, and bodyguard, accompanies us to the city. We go to a big mall, buy an iced coffee and start going through the different shops. I keep on the defense, in case Agatha starts trying to persuade me to give Romano the information he needs, but she doesn’t even mention the subject, instead, she seems nervous. She constantly looks over her shoulder to check if Diogo is near us, I guess she is scared someone might attack us as they did to Stefan.
Flowers for Olivia 51 Whose side are you on?
I stay in bed until morning comes, I’m overwhelmed by emotions: the loss of my parents, the fear of losing Stefan, and the concern for my own safety. Romano’s men are still standing outside the bedroom door, they haven’t moved an inch. I don't feel safe, they can come in any second and shoot me or do whatever Romano tells them to. I’m completely vulnerable. I can’t be alone, I have to be near Agatha or the grandparents so they can intervene if Romano tries to harm me. I ask the guards to let me go see nonna Julia. They seem reluctant, but finally they agree. They walk next to me to nonna’s bedroom and stay outside the door in case I try to go out. I don’t, I stay with her the entire day. We eat
Flowers for Olivia 50 The Proposal
A week goes by and Stefan's condition has not improved one bit. I resent Romano for not letting me go to the hospital, but at least he hasn’t come near me since the day he ordered his men to go through my belongings, he spends most of his days out of the mansion, probably in the hospital or searching for the people who did this to his son.I’m waiting for Agatha to come back from her daily visit to Stefan when I hear a loud bang on my door.
Flowers for Olivia 49 The Main Suspect
The firsts rays of sunshine slip through the beige curtains, I haven’t slept at all, I feel exhausted, but I can’t stay in bed any longer. My head is going to explode with all the fears and thoughts I’m having. I jump in the shower, wishing that refreshing my body will help me clear my head too, but it doesn’t. My whole body is trembling, I can’t control my nerves. I step out of the shower and hear a lot of noise in the bedroom, I wrap my body in a towel and I peek out the bathroom door to see what’s going on.
Flowers for Olivia 48 The Attack
I still feel full from all the food that we ate last night, but that doesn’t stop nonna from serving me a big portion of scrambled eggs and potatoes. Romano is not having breakfast with us, so at least we get to have a harmonious morning. Unfortunately, my joy doesn’t last long. “Lucas is going to the docks to see the shipment off. I suggest you go with him, you know what to do.” Romano says as he walks in the room followed by a
Flowers for Olivia 47 A brother just like mine
We go downstairs to the dining room, but dinner is still not ready, for some reason, Agatha wants us to wait until midnight to eat. Instead, she takes us to the library, where the rest of the family is gathered, including Romano who is once again drinking scotch. He makes a grimace when he sees me come in and then looks the other way, ignoring my presence. Nonna Julia waves at me so I get close to her, I walk pass Romano ignoring him just as he is ignoring me.“I know we are supposed to wait until tomorrow to exchange gifts, but I’m old and I don’t like to wait. I knitted this for your baby,”
