Getting imaptient, Regina?
After her class, Regina headed to the market to get ingredients for a pasta recipe she was cooking. Her schoolmates invited her to have dinner, but after the incident back home, she seldom spent time out after dark, afraid that in this new city, something bad might happen to her again. At her new apartment, she opened the windows to the cool dry summer breeze and played the album she brought from an outdoor stall. She had purchased the record player earlier during the week and was happy it worked. Regina had the AC turned on during the hottest part of the day, but she wanted to hear the sounds of Paris at night. Under the moonlight, she began writing the letters she would send home. She would send each of her family members a letter for them to understand why she was in France. It was a tedious task, repeating the same reason four times and writing them by hand. It made Regina wish there was a way to write it faster, but using the computer felt impersonal. She owed her family a hear
“What makes you happy, Regina?” It was the fourth session with Dr. Cervello, and Regina was getting annoyed that she kept asking her the same question. ‘It will make me happy if you start with the hypnotherapy so I can forget the stupid shit I want to forget about and get on with my life.’“You’re just staring at me again, Regina. Give me those words you have in your head. Tell me what you feel.”“Going to class makes me happy. Sunday market, pasta, buttery croissants, latte, creamy cheesecake.”The doctor smirked. “You’re just mouthing off food again.”“I love food. It makes me happy,” she said with a smug look.“Tell me about your art. What have you been doing?” Regina tried asking the doctor why they never got started on the hypnotherapy nicely, and she countered by asking Regina about her romantic relationships. She did not want to talk about her love life, but something about the doctor’s kind, grandmotherly eyes made her spill everything.Then, Regina tried bullying the doctor,
It’s been two months since Regina left, and Owen had never felt more lost in his life. “Mom, are you there? Can you hear me?” He said as he sat on the chair beside his mother's bed. The TV was on, but he didn’t know if she was watching or not. “Sometimes I just wish you wouldn’t disappear all the time.” He kneeled at her bedside and laid his head near her hand. “I need you right now, Mom. I wish you could hear me.” Before his mother got sick, they would often have heart-to-heart talks, where he told her how he felt and what bothered him while she imparted knowledge and love. Owen sighed heavily. ‘What’s the use of being here when I can’t talk to you? I should leave before I wake you up.’ He wiped his tears with the back of his hand and was about to stand up when his mom’s hand shot out to grab his arm. “Owie, what is wrong? Who made you cry?” It was the nickname they used when Myles and Yvan were born. None of them could say Owen, calling him Owie instead. “Oh, Mom,” Owen brok
“Good morning, Regina.” “Good morning, Doctor.” “How are you doing today?” “Fine, I guess.” “You seem bothered. What’s going on?” “Well, today is our last session, but I still haven’t experienced what I came here for. It seems like I’ve wasted my time answering all your questions about my family, work, and life here in France, but nothing else.” “What did you come here for?” “Well, I came here so you can help me forget.” The doctor raised her brow. “Tell me, what do you want to forget?” “I wanted to forget about the accident.” “What accident are you talking about?” “Doctor, are we going to do this again?” Regina asked with an irritated tone in her voice. “Well, I am your psychiatrist, and it is my job to ask questions. So, what accident did you want to forget?” “I keep on telling you, it’s the…” Regina knitted her brows. “At the hospital, there was a shooting…” she looked at the doctor. The doctor raised both brows, urging her to continue. “But… I’m not afraid of that a
That night, our family headed home only after the other guests had all gone home. My parents wanted to show our support to Mrs. Bennet and their family, and though my two older brothers left earlier, Raffy and I stayed with our parents. I wanted to show Owen I was there for him, even though he did not know I was alive. In my haste to leave, I forgot the black elbow-length gloves I wore as part of my outfit. I had a black conservative knee-length short-sleeve dress with a funeral hat and veil to appear sophisticated. At sixteen, I wanted to be viewed as a young woman and not as a kid anymore, but being an adult was such hard work. I took the gloves off as it was getting hot, and my hands were getting clammy since I was not used to wearing such things. I found them on the seat where I left them, and I was thankful because my mother would have scolded me for losing something she lent me. Just when I was about to head out, I heard someone moaning. I froze, scared it was Uncle Richard
Every Wednesday and Sunday was market day in the city of Carbon, the pasta capital of France. During market day, farmers near the city, with artisans, bakers, and artists, bring their produce and wares to the market square to sell.Tourists flock around the stalls snapping pictures and buying souvenirs, but to the locals, it was a way of life. It is where they get their fresh and organic groceries.Until recently, Regina had only passed by the market. She was living alone, and buying produce usually meant they were spoiled even before she could consume them.Regina was not an excellent cook, so thinking of a recipe took forever. If she dropped by the market, she bought bread, cheese, and pastries, things that were ready to eat and easy to prepare.But today would be different, as she was shopping with the ladies from the nursing home. A few able-bodied individuals would come to the market so they could plan their meals, and the excitement of the people around the square rubbed off on
Dear Owen, I’m sending this letter to you three months after the first time I received the treatment to erase my unhappy memories. By this time, the letters I’ve sent to your mother might have lessened or stopped completely because I predict I won’t be able to recall any of the events that happened during the time I’ve worked for your family. I’m doing this because I want to forget all the bad things that happened last year. I know it is but a fraction of what we shared, but it made a big impact in my life and I want to forget it ever happened. I’m not talking about my abduction because I remember none of it, but I’m speaking about my lost baby. Yes, I was pregnant, and the appendectomy I had was for another type of surgery. It’s another discussion for later if I ever remember about it. When I learned I was pregnant, I wished it was our baby, but I could not face the fact that something happened during the days I was missing, and it might not be yours. I wanted us to have a futu
Jason told the ladies he was in town to join his best friend in learning more about handmade pasta and preparing authentic sauces from the different regions in France. He was thinking of opening an Italian restaurant or adding some pasta dishes to the cafe menu so they could serve lunch. But, of course, since Jason learned Regina was on vacation, he thought it would be the perfect opportunity for them to get together. He did not expect to see Regina the first week he arrived, and it was pure coincidence, but he was happy about the outcome. Now that they were alone, Regina felt awkward being with Jason. She knew nothing about the man in her current state and was apprehensive that she was leading him to her apartment. “I’m sorry if I was too forward by inserting myself into your schedule with the women from the home care,” Jason said when he noticed Regina grew quiet on their walk home. “I didn’t think we’d have another chance to see each other if I let this opportunity pass.” “It’
“Regina, are you okay?” Arthur’s softer voice asked from the other side, and she looked up as she wiped her tears away. “I need to tell you something before he comes back. I drugged you the entire time you were with Jacob because he wanted you to cry and scream when he raped you, but he wouldn’t touch a sleeping body. He said it felt like he was fucking the dead. So I made you sleep.” “You what?” “I drugged you, so he couldn’t do anything to you. All the things he told you were lies. None of them happened.” “You did that for me?” she asked, confused about whom to believe. Was this version of Arthur telling the truth, or was it also another lie? “I couldn’t bear the thought that I stood by and watched while he harmed you.” “Why?” “I always loved you, Regina. I always will,” Arthur said before his face changed again. “That stupid shit. What did he tell you?” Armed with the knowledge that nothing happened between them, Regina stood to taunt Jacob. She wanted to get to the bottom o
“I wanted to see.”“And there’s a reason I told you no.”“Babe…”“That guy left me for dead, Regina. Would you like to see a picture of that?”“Yes. I want to understand why a man with a face so kind could be so horrible.”“I will show you the footage from the precinct and how they found out Arthur’s mental illness.” Owen sighed, knowing that keeping the truth from Regina would just give her more reason to sneak around. “Then will you come to bed and forget about this?” She nodded as Owen retrieved a file from his computer and showed her a video of Arthur arguing with himself at the precinct. He was fighting with himself as if there were two people instead of one, and Regina felt unnerved. “The doctors said Jacob was too traumatized by Arthur’s loss that he erased the fact that he was dead. In his grief, he developed the Arthur persona, who was kind and smart, just like the actual person. It was a form of coping mechanism.”“Where is he now?”“In the psychiatric hospital inside the
“YOU KILLED ARTHUR! YOU DON’T DESERVE TO BE HAPPY!” It said before images began appearing on the screen. Regina was frozen and horrified because of the text, she was trying to figure out what the images were but Owen closed the lid before she did.“Don’t touch the computer. It was just a virus. I have a friend who can clean this for you.“Who would send such a horrific message? And what is that message about Arthur? Is he dead?”“Yes, no. It’s a long story. Don’t worry about it.” He said as he moved the laptop to his desk.“Don’t lie to me, Owen.” Regina stood up to face him. “We said no secrets. What was that about? And why is there a naked woman on my screen?”“Did you have an affair and not tell me, because gods help me, I am not taking this crap from you.”“No babe, I wouldn’t do that to you. You have to sit while I tell you what that was about.”“I can’t sit. My blood is boiling right now.”“Okay, let’s go to the kitchen, get a glass of water for both of us while I collect my tho
“Dad, thank you for giving me the extended leave. France has inspired me a lot with my artistic side. Did you see my paintings?”“Yeah, I have a few of them put up in the hospital and around the house already. Is that what you want to do now? Paint?”“Oh no, that’s just my side hobby. I was inspired by the nursing home in France and wanted to build a non-profit nursing home as a branch of our hospital.”“That sounds like a good idea. I think someone suggested that before and we just didn’t have time to look into it. Talk to the project manager so we can get this started. Which wing do you want it in?”“Well, that’s the thing. I want it to be separate from the hospital, in a more scenic setting so we can usher the old people to rest peacefully. I don’t want them to feel like they’re in the hospital all the time.”“Are you willing to put in work for this project? This will be a lot of work, starting with finding available properties. You can’t just quit mid-way because it’s too hard.”R
“What are you telling them?”“Don’t worry about it, sweetie. I have everything in control.” He said confidently as they walked to his mother’s room.“Mom? Are you awake?” Owen asked. Myles was reading her a book Regina sent from France, and the scenes were getting steamy, so he was glad that his mother’s attention got diverted to the guests. “Look who’s here?”He stepped aside, and Regina softly exclaimed, “Surprise!”Mrs. Bennet stared at Regina, wondering who she was, and then it clicked. “Mandy? Oh, I’m glad you’ve come. I’ve missed you so.” She grew emotional as Regina sat on the bed and hugged her.“So did I Mrs. Bennet. I am glad to see that you are better.” Regina touched her forehead to get the temperature and her wrist to check how fast her pulse rate was.“Oh, it was nothing. They just worry too much. Now I’m in the hospital when all I want to do is see that dog.” Bella had been constant in her life, and like Regina, not having seen her for a few days, threw everything out o
News of Owen’s mystery woman spread throughout the nation as pictures of the couple were shared across every website on the internet. “Owen, what are we going to do? Can we hire someone to delete the pictures?” Regina asked as the car sped away. He smirked, “No.” “No? But your reputation?” “I’m a single man in a relationship with a beautiful woman, so I don’t care about the pictures.” “But the paparazzi, they’ll know.” “We’re not hiding our relationship, my love. Unless you want to.” “I don’t.” “I know you don’t want your face in the media, so we won’t tell them who you are. Let them find out on their own.” “I don’t care if they find out. I’m through hiding. It didn’t do me any good, anyway. I kept lying to people I really liked. I just hope they could forgive me,” she said, leaning back into the seat, more relaxed. “Well then, that’s settled,” Owen smiled and leaned over to nuzzle her ear. “You know they’ll be at my apartment waiting. What do you say we go to yours and lock
Regina asked how they all knew each other, and the three men regaled her with stories of when they met while re-constructing the apartment she was staying in.“So I have a question. If Owen owns the complex, then why do I have a small apartment?”Caelan and François both laughed and teased Owen.“Well, I didn’t want you to get suspicious about paying such a small price for an enormous apartment, so we gave you the smallest unit. It was Caelan’s place.”“Aww…” Regina looked at Caelan, “You gave it up for me? I’m sorry if I brought in mismatched furniture in there.”“Don’t feel sorry for him. He got a bigger apartment out of the deal, so he’s happy about that.” Owen butted in, and Regina laughed.“I don’t mind how you decorated the place. I like it and will keep most of the furniture,” Caelan replied.“So I heard Owen hired you to follow me around and disrupt my dates with Jason. Is that true?”“Well—I—He—Yes, it’s true,” Caelan could not defend himself, so he admitted the truth.“So th
The sun was peeking through the horizon by the time the couple fell asleep, satiated and full of love. Neither wanted to sleep lest everything was just a dream. Regina woke up first, staring at the sleeping man beside her, waiting for him to awaken. “What are you doing?” Owen asked, his voice husky from sleep.She blushed that she got caught running her finger down his chest, tracing the lines of his abdomen. “Waking you. Did it work?”“It did.” He grabbed her waist, pulling her toward him. He hooked his legs around hers and kissed her neck. “I missed you so much that when you stopped sending me messages, it made me go crazy.”“I’m sorry. I was so ashamed about what happened that I did not know how to handle the situation. How could I not know anything about my body?”“There were a lot of things happening during that time. Stop blaming yourself. We’re here now, where we should be. Just don’t shut me out again.”“I promise I won’t.” Owen nibbled her neck, and her body came alive. “W
“I had a baby—”“I know.”Regina scrunched her brows in shock. “But I never told you. The diary said you didn’t know.”“The baby was ours,” he said, holding her gaze. If her mouth wasn’t hanging open before, it was now.“How—”“How did I know? I have the same tracker app you do, and they were synched together so I could watch your cycle. I wanted to know when it would be safe because we were having unprotected sex. We needed to take extra precautions to prevent having an accident.”“But we still did.”“It doesn’t make a difference. I still love you.” “You knew, and you didn’t tell me?”“I was waiting for you to share your troubles, so I gave you the space you needed, but you just distanced yourself from me. I didn’t want to nag you because you’ve been through so much already. So I waited.”“The diary said I couldn’t tell you because I felt guilty.”“I know.”“But I didn’t tell you…”“You said it in the letter that you sent me.”“The letter that you keep talking about?”“Yes, do you w