Silent

Alessia’s POV

I fidget my fingers as I sit across my mom’s bed, staring at the wooden floor.

“So what do you think?” mom asks. “He sounds like a really good match for you.”

I shrug. “I don’t know.”

Getting married to begin a new chapter in my life while my mom is struggling doesn’t feel right to me. I’m the only one looking after her, and I can’t rely on my alcoholic father, given everything he has put us through. My brother is currently focused on finding a better job, so he can’t help with the house. Right now, he’s working at a clothing factory and doesn’t make much money.

I assume he might have left for his shift already.

“Alessia, you know your mom wants the best for you,” Mrs Salvatore interrupts my thoughts and I glance at her.

Her face looks calm.

She takes a sip of tea from her cup and puts it on the saucer she’s holding with her other hand.

“But I can’t leave mom like this,” I mutter, my voice barely audible.

“Not even for my sake?” mom says as I make eye contact with her. “If you would ask me what my last wish is I would say watching you live the life you ever wanted.”

I remain silent, glancing down again and tucking a strand of my light caramel-brown hair behind my ear.

“I have always considered you my own daughter, Alessia. So can’t I be a mother figure to you?” Mrs Salvatore says softly.

I don’t say anything.

I swallow hard.

“Alright.”

“If it makes you two happy then I’m ready,” I say, glancing at both of them.

A wide smile appears on Mrs Salvatore’s face as she puts the empty cup on the tray and rises from the chair, approaching me.

She grabs my face and leans to kiss my forehead.

“I’ll not disappoint you, my darling.”

I glance at mom and there is a smile on her face. A real one.

“But is your son- I promise you that you won’t see even a glimpse of your father in him,” she assures me.

“umm… okay, I trust you.”

“I won’t let you down, sweetheart.”

I blink slowly, taking in her words.

“Alright then, I have to go,” she says, lifting her black purse from the bed. She gives one last hug to mom and then heads toward the door.

I follow her.

“You know my son is the same age as you,” Mrs Salvatore says, glancing back at me as we both reach the stairs together.

“Yeah?” I keep my face calm.

“You are twenty-four right?” she asks as if to confirm her guess is right.

I nod.

“Oh, so is Eric,” she grins.

As we walk down the stairs the wood wood beneath us creaks. And it sometimes freaks me out.

“But what if he already- Not at all dear,” she turns to me as soon as we reach the ground floor.

“He’s very picky when it comes to choosing a partner. But don’t you worry because I know for sure that he will like you too,” she assures me.

Then we reach the door and I hold it open for Mrs Salvatore as she kisses my cheek.

“I’ll come again to discuss this further,” she cups my face and walks out of the house.

I close the door behind her and lean my back against it.

I’m still not sure if saying yes was the right decision for me. Choosing a life partner is really difficult; it’s one of the hardest choices anyone has to make. The person you choose can bring a lot of happiness and joy into your life, making every day better. On the other hand, if you choose the wrong person, it can lead to a lot of problems and heartache. It’s important to think carefully and consider how this choice will affect your life in the long run.

And now when I think about Mrs Salvatore’s son, I realise I don’t really know what he’s like. Even though Mrs Salvatore has told me that he would be a good match for me, I can’t help but wonder if he shares any of his mother’s qualities. Still, I’m willing to give it a try for my mom’s sake, and I have faith in Mrs Salvatore. I believe she wouldn’t steer me wrong.

I sigh and head towards the kitchen. But as soon as I enter I get a heavy blow from the side of my head, making me stumble and fall to the floor.

My head starts to pound as I place my hand on it.

“You lunatic creature!”

Dad.

Before I can even glance at him he kicks me in the stomach causing me to grunt. I get blow after blow until I spit out blood and he stops.

I cough as my eyes fill with tears.

“You made your brother spend all the money on the groceries!” he yells.

“I didn’t,” I cough again, trying to catch my breath.

“Liar!” he yells again, his face twisted into a scowl.

“I’m not lying!” I argue, trying to stand up for myself.

But I wish I hadn’t.

He smashes his foot on one of my wrists making me scream my lungs out.

“Don’t raise your voice at me!” he bends down, grabbing me by my hair and forcing me to an eye contact

“Do you understand?” he asks, gritting his teeth at me.

I nod quickly as tears stream down my cheeks.

And then he releases me from his grip.

He walks away while cursing me under his breath and here I am lying on the floor.

I close my eyes only for more tears to roll down.

My wrist hurts a lot, and I think it might be fractured.

---

I have been struggling with household chores since— my dad fractured my wrist, which has turned black and blue. However, Samuel came by later and took me to a doctor. They fitted me with a splint and instructed me not to remove it for at least five weeks.

But when I brought mom her dinner in her room, she noticed it and, as usual, burst into tears, blaming herself for everything I was going through.

And all this… It’s all dad’s fault. He is to be blamed.

But some part of me thinks I’m to be blamed, too.

I mean what if I was never born in the first place? I wouldn’t have to go through this.

But then I remember Mrs Salvatore. Her Son. Eric.

I wonder what he will be like. Will he be the reason I won't regret my existence?

Or will he himself become my greatest regret?

I’m scared.

Mrs Salvatore mentioned that he owns one of his father's biggest multinational companies, which means he has a lot of money and is financially secure. While that’s impressive, it’s not what truly excites me. To be completely honest, I don’t care about his wealth; what matters to me is the person he is. I want Eric to love me sincerely, spend quality time with me, and make me laugh and smile.

Sometimes, I find myself wondering if he will be as wonderful as I imagine him to be. All I can do is hope that he really is the person I wish him to be.

Anyway, I turn away from the window and I’m about to approach my bed when Samuel bursts through the door making me flinch so bad that I gasp loudly.

“What the hell, Alessia?” he screams.

“What is wrong with you?” I frown as I slowly approach my bed and sit on it.

“You are going to marry Mrs Salvatore’s chick?” he walks in, closing the door behind him.

I scrunch my nose in disgust. “Her son you mean?”

“You know what? You could have told me that and I would have found a better man for you,” he says, rolling his eyes as he leans against the wall near my study table.

I rub my forehead frustratingly.

“Or… Did she blackmailed you or something?” he raises a brow.

“Shut up!”

“No! Ain’t no way you are marrying that her chick!”

“You don’t tell me what to do!” I glare at him.

“Yes, I do! I’m your brother,” he argues.

“Younger,” I add to his sentence.

“This is ridiculous, Alessia! You have never met that guy in your entire life, yet you agreed to marry him without a second thought,” he says, his tone sharp with disbelief.

I sigh. “But at that moment, all I could think about was how much my mother’s happiness meant to me.”

“So mom pressurized you?” he asks, his voice calmer than before.

I shake my head. “She did it for me.”

“And in what way does it benefit you? According to mom?” he blinks, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“She…” I trail off. “She can’t see me suffer at my father’s hands anymore.”

Samuel remains quiet for a while but then finally breaks the silence. “And what if he turns out to be just like dad?”

“No, Mrs Salvatore promised-” Samuel interrupts me by wheezing. “Mrs Salvatore and her promises.”

I throw a deadly glare in his direction. He coughs dramatically and then clears his throat.

“Oh, Alessia… I just want the best for you.”

“So does mom.”

He nods. “Alright.”

Then, he walks toward the door but before opening it, he turns toward me again.

“But Alessia, deep down I want you to be happy too. I don’t want you to go through the same as mom.”

And with that, he leaves. While I sit there, staring at the door.