Chapter Four

Aurora

The betrayal I woke up scared. My mother is sitting up in bed, her eyes closed, moaning softly in pain. I jump to my feet, and I know my eyes are wide. I'm worried, visibly lost, not knowing what to do.

— Mom, is everything okay?

— I'm in a lot of pain, Aurora –  I can see that she's crying –  it's almost unbearable.

—  What do I do? —  I look away, lost in the room. I look at the clock, and it's almost six – wait just a minute, Mom, I'm going to call for help.

I hurried down the hall, not knowing exactly where to look. Furthermore, I remember how well she was yesterday, smiling, happy. She didn't even look sick, and now, she's lying there crying in pain. I spot a nurse a few feet away and run towards her.

— My mother is in a lot of pain – I can hardly pronounce these words – please help her.

— Calm down – she's kind, drops what she's doing to talk to me – what's your mother's name and what room is she in?

— Desiree, room 08,–  I try to calm down, but I can't.

The nurse goes there and I follow her. It is inevitable not to feel this way. My heart pounds in my chest so hard, my breathing gets heavy. I wonder if it's possible for gallstones to turn into a more serious condition. I watch as the nurse administers morphine to her and asks her to lie down and try to relax, promising that the pains will soon stop. My heart ached to see my mother like this.

— She's going to be fine, –  the nurse says, smiling at me, but that doesn't reassure me.

I stayed for several minutes sitting and motionless watching my mother. The expression on her face gradually relaxed, and a few minutes later the moans ceased, turning into sighs of relief.

— Are you all right now? –  I get up, approaching the bed.

— It was like taking it with the hand – she smiles, and now I know she's fine – go home and rest a little and when it's time to change you'll come back.

—  I don't want to leave you here alone, –  I balk at the idea.

— I'm not alone, Aurora – she holds one of my hands – anything, I'll call you.

I gave some thought to the idea of ​​leaving her for a few hours, but the headache I'm feeling right now makes me accept the idea.

—Okay – I turn around, pick up my bag and look back at her – maybe I can convince my father to come see you.

—Do it – she agrees – but avoid unnecessary discussions with him.

— Don't worry.

I kiss her forehead and leave the hospital. The sun had barely risen, the morning was cold, and my stomach was groaning with hunger. I walk home, because I don't think the distance between the two places is too far. When I arrived it was after eight o'clock, I opened the gate and found the women's shoes at the entrance to the house strange.

“These aren't my mother's shoes” I

whisper, as I lean over, pick up one foot and realize that in addition to a terrible taste in shoes, their owner has a pretty big shape. I make a face of disgust at the same time that the little warning light goes on inside me.

There's something wrong.

The door is unlocked, which is strange at first. My father left very early to work, he wouldn't be home at that time. Then I think about the possibility of being an invader, a thief, a stranger in my house. I open the door cautiously and survey the room. Nothing out of place. Absolute silence. I entered slowly to make as little noise as possible, and I immediately remembered the female voice on the other end of the line as she spoke to my father. My heart races, I try to think that this is crazy in my head. But the shoes on the front door, the unlocked door, make me pretty sure maybe I'm not that crazy. I don't realize the minutes pass, because I'm too focused trying to unravel this mystery, when I hear voices and footsteps coming towards me. It was Claudio and a woman. They were hugging each other and smiling, but that same smile disappeared like smoke as soon as they both laid eyes on mine. The woman was in her nightgown and barefoot. I wasn't that crazy.

—  What are you doing here? –  Claudio widens his eyes in fright, as he walks away from the woman.

— Who is this woman, Father? –  I'm amazed, incredulous.

— You didn't answer what I asked you, Aurora.

— Stop running away from things – I shout – who is this woman and what is she doing in my mother's house?

— This house isn't just your mother's.

— Enough, father – I shout again and a tear runs down my face – at least once in your life be a man, and answer what I asked you.

— I demand that you respect me, Aurora.–  He points his finger at me.

— Respect you? - I face him without fear – you bring your lover inside my mother's house, while she is in the hospital, and you want me to respect you?

— You're confusing things – he justifies, he's more nervous now than before – don't you dare tell your mother that.

—  Or what? –  I get very close to him, looking right into his eyes – I'm not afraid of you anymore, dad.

— Should have – he's furious now.

— Take your mistress out of my mother's house now.

I watch the woman, who doesn't seem scared or regretful about being caught in the act. Then I look at my father, who has apparently let his guard down.

— Get ready, so we can go, Rebeca – he orders the woman, who turns her back and goes back to the room.

— And you cheated on my mother, in her bed? –  I continued the conversation – couldn't you at least wait for her to leave the hospital?

— You have to swear to me, Aurora, that you won't tell your mother anything.

— Just out of consideration for her, father – I felt disgusted with him – if she weren't so sick, I wouldn't think twice about telling you everything I saw here.

He is silent for a few moments. He turns his back and seems to think it over, but I can't see any trace of remorse or regret in his expression.

—You could at least confess what you did,–  I mean, with a revolt stuck in your throat.

— How is she? –  you mean my mother, but I know you're only asking that to change the course of the conversation.

— Don't pretend to care about her.

— Just answer what I asked you.

— If you're really interested in knowing, – I grab my bag again, ready to leave him talking to himself – go to the hospital and ask yourself. If you have time to cheat on her, you should make time to see her, too.

I turned my back and walked towards my room. I push the door behind me so hard that the noise it makes reflects the scream lodged in my throat. He sat on the bed and let the cry that, minutes ago I held, flow. I wonder how long Claudio has been doing this. How long has he been cheating on my mom. I remembered her, moaning in pain, while he moaned with pleasure inside her house. It was absurd. Inadmissible, unforgivable. The revolt was increasing every second I thought about it. My mother deserved to know this, but I couldn't count on it now, not with her in a hospital. I had no right to divert her focus from just taking care of her own health and recovering. And only later, who knows, reveal the whole truth to her. My head now aches uncontrollably when my cell phone rings again. It's Gene.

“You come back and not even text me?”

I let out a smile as I wiped away the tears.

"I missed you too".

“Is Aunt Desiree okay?”

She always referred to my mother that way.

“You have a crying voice, Aurora. Did something happen?"

"My mother is fine."

I answer, but I don't tell the rest.

“Are you sure everything is okay?”

I try to control the emotion. I swallow hard, take a deep breath before I continue talking.

“We can meet today. Before I have to go back to the hospital.

"We must. I have a lot of news to tell you, people to introduce.”

I find her excitement amusing.

“At two o'clock, in the same square as always”

"Combined."

“I really need to talk to someone, but now I have a horrible migraine.”

“We'll talk later, then. Rest up and see you later.

The call ends. Geane has always been understanding, perhaps this is her most outstanding quality. If I said I wasn't fine, she didn't question it. Glad to know I'd see you in a few hours. I feel relieved to be able to get out of the chaos my life has become in the last twenty-four hours. I take an aspirin and lie down, trying to sleep. Not only that, but I don't dare go outside, so I don't have to find those two together again. I try to push those thoughts back, somewhere they can't disturb me. My father's time to pay for everything he's doing to my mother will come, but that time is not now, and I myself will make sure that happens.