SophiaI had trouble sleeping that night. Or it would be more accurate to say I didn’t get a minute of sleep. I tossed and turned and woke Kieran a few times, but he would pull me closer to himself before he drifted away.Ever since Kieran and I started sharing the bed, my nightmares were gone and my dreams were blissful. Something about his embrace gave me a sense of security and belonging, but not this time. My mind was overwhelmed by the constant rush of thoughts, and I could do nothing to turn off the reruns of yesterday’s events.Bill Marlow wasn’t dead. I didn’t kill him.That changed everything!The last six years of my life were based on the fact that I was a murderer. It painted the background of each and every day of my existence; it influenced my decisions and basically determined who I came to be.This made me ask myself the same question over and over again: Would I be who I was today if things hadn’t played out the way they have? Would I be where I am if my life wasn’t d
Sophia “Where is she?” I woke up with one thing in mind – I wanted to wrap my hands around Moira’s neck and look her in the eyes as I squeezed the life out of her. I was lying on the sofa, the comforter covering me lightly. Kieran was sitting beside my feet, and I moved them to make more space for him. “Police took her away half an hour ago.” He said quietly, confirming my unspoken questions. It was true. I didn’t dream it; I didn’t imagine it. Once again, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I let them fall freely for all the years I spent grieving the loss of my parents, thinking it was some higher power that decided Ellie and I should suffer the greatest pain children could live through. At one moment, I felt Kieran shift in his place, moving closer to me and pulling me into his embrace, offering me what I needed the most – a shoulder to cry on. “Do you know why?” The voice sounded strange and distant, perfectly reflecting how I felt. A part of my soul detached, numbing me. “You
Sophia“Oh, he’s absolutely gorgeous!” I gushed as my eyes soaked up the little bundle of perfection in Philip’s arms.He was standing with his son securely wrapped in his fatherly embrace while Ellie was shooting a beaming smile towards them from the bed she was resting on.“Yes, he is.” Philip proudly whispered so that he wouldn’t disturb the baby’s precious sleep.The baby had perfectly plump skin and a smidgeon of sandy blond hair, a cross between his parents’. His eyes were tightly shut, and I couldn’t see their color, but something told me it would be a mix of blue and gray.“Have you decided on the name yet?” I whispered.“Christopher.” Ellie proclaimed, and I yelped in helplessness.“Oh, Ellie.” I stepped closer to the bed and pulled my sister in a hug. “You named him after our father?”Instead of answering, Ellie nodded, her eyes welled up with tears. But I couldn’t allow the happiest moment of her life to be destroyed by the sad memories we shared.As if he could sense the s
SophiaMy back was resting against Kieran’s front as the bubbles emerging from the water gently massaged us. The lights were dimmed, and the surrounding silence only added to the atmosphere. Who would have guessed my husband had this romantic note in him?His hands softly pressed the tense neck muscles, following the invisible trail down to my shoulders. The little game he was playing brought exactly what I needed – relaxation. My hands caressed his bent legs, and occasional grunts of pleasure told me how much he enjoyed my touch.“What’s bothering you?” I hated to ask, but I didn’t like seeing him weighted by unspoken thoughts.“When did you get to know me so well?”“When I married you?” I tilted my head to see his face, to ensure he was OK, but he planted a kiss on my cheek instead. I leaned back on him and took a few deep breaths, not pressing any further, giving him time and space to tell me when he was comfortable to do so. “I missed this. Just you and me, alone... These past few
SophiaTouch as light as the butterfly’s wings followed the invisible trail across my bare back, tickling me, lighting every cell in my body like a Christmas tree. I moaned and wiggled, wanting more of that touch, but it stopped and a soft laugh filled my ears.“Wake up, sleepyhead,” Kieran whispered into my ear, chasing away the last traces of somnolence.Fingers were replaced by lips for a moment before I was deprived of them, too. Irritated at my torturer, I turned around lazily to see Kieran standing by the bed, fully dressed.“What time is it?”“Almost nine,” Kieran said as his hands fixed the indigo tie I bought for him last month, confident it would accentuate his eye color. And I was right. “You want me to drop you off at the hospital?”“You have a meeting with Finances before Tanya.” I shook my head. “Don’t worry. I’ll get a taxi.”“That’s it. I’ll be hiring a driver for you today.” Kieran understood my lack of enthusiasm for driving and stopped pressing me about it long ago.
Sophia “What are you doing here?” I blurted out, absolutely shocked by Nora’s appearance in Ellie’s hospital room. “Don’t be like that!” Nora remarked in her characteristic sickly-sweet tone. Oh, how I despised her voice! “I had to congratulate the young mother here. And you, of course. You’re an aunt now! You’ll do anything for your little nephew?” My heart grew cold from her words; I knew this couldn’t end well. She was here for some wicked reason other than what she stated, I could swear. I just failed to understand it. “Who’s this woman, Sophia?” I heard Ellie’s inquiry, but I kept my stance straight. I couldn’t take my eyes off Nora, not even for a second. “She’s leaving.” I gave my best to sound stern and confident, but there was no help for the slight tremble my voice carried. Nora ignored me entirely and stepped further into the room, closer to Ellie’s bed. Driven by the pure instinct to protect my sister and her child from the cloud of evilness that came in with Nora, I
SophiaIn and out. In and out. In through the nose and out through the mouth.It was a well-practiced way of calming down and collecting my thoughts. Since my parents died, I have used the same technique to hold myself together for Ellie. This time, though, Ellie was safe, and I could focus on my survival.Because that’s who I was. I was a survivor.Maybe for a moment there, I lost all hope that I would get out of this alive. Maybe the fear for an innocent baby’s life blinded me so much that I couldn’t think rationally, but now I was back to my old self. And I had every intention of seeing Kieran again and telling him I loved him.The only problem? Nora was all in, and she was not letting me off the hook easily. She came for me at the perfect moment, when I was the most vulnerable, and now that she had me…I stared in front of me, remembering the sweetest moments of my old life — when my father taught me how to drive. A sad smile adorned my face as I buckled up the seat belt and set t
KieranThe meeting with the financial director took place at 10 a.m. sharp. Mr. Perkins expounded on his latest plan for the expenses and how it would affect the goals I set for the end of the trimester. With a few adjustments and constructive arguments, we were done by 11 a.m., and all I had on the schedule for the day was Tanya.Even the thought of Nora’s best friend was like a disease; it infected my good mood, threatening to destroy it, and I couldn’t let that happen.A smile crept up on my face as I invoked the memories of my sweet wife. Sophia. I couldn’t stop the rush of emotions that would overtake my heart and mind every time I said her name. She was mine, only mine, and what a pleasure that knowledge brought!If a year ago, anyone had told me that today I’d be whipped for the woman I married, I would have laughed. No, I would have punched them in the face because who could ever predict Sophia coming into my life? Who could ever predict Sophia becoming the center of my univer