Three days had passed since his burial, Robert remained lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room. Absolutely nothing was funny. He hadn't slept for a day since he had seen her in that coffin. He had been through grief before, but this was much stronger than himself. The love he felt for her was not able to show even half as much as the illness took her away.At the funeral Robert sat beside her, in the white plastic chair that was not at all comfortable, every second from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon he stayed there. Without eating, without drinking. He stroked her loose curls down the side of her face, would it be too much to say that she looked beautiful? He loved her natural shape, no make-up, pink lips and messy hair. This is how she looked. Linna didn't have pale skin, her melanin glowed. Her outfit had been a flowered dress, she liked joy, she never had this kind of conversation with Robert but he felt she deserved the best. So she asked to be dr
- What do you say we take a trip this weekend Matt?Robert went to pick up his son from school after feeling guilty for not getting up early enough to take him. Matt was happy that his father had gone and recognized that he was also doing his best to do what his mother was doing on such short notice.- Where to? - Going to places away from home encouraged the pre-teen, fortunately. It was hard to get used to a routine without his mother around.- I thought we might go to Orlando, have you been to Disney?Robert didn't have any trips planned, but he knew that he needed to cool off and his son needed that too. When he thought of a trip to take with Matthew the first place that came to mind was Disney, because it was a totally childish place he wanted to make sure that both of them didn't stop to think about it that way.- Really Dad? I've never been there, Mom always said she would save up money for us to go, but we always ended up taking other trips. She seemed to want to go there more
- Hurry up with the make-up, please. - The stylist who was still working on the mere details of the dress was even more excited than the bride. Linna was already exhausted from sitting in that chair, even though it was padded, after so long even she was not comfortable.Her neck hurt as well as her lower back, and the worst part was that she had no idea when she would get out of there. Even though it was a fake wedding, she was anxious, her stomach hurt, and her feet were so sweaty that she felt like her feet were going to be sweaty soon.That man, her fiancé, known as Robert Nathan Scully or simply CEO Nathan, is weird. He is handsome. Very handsome. Even more than she would have liked. His body is well defined, nothing too big or too tight, just shapely enough for his muscles to show through his dress shirts and his thighs to show through his tight jeans. His Asian features are what makes him the most handsome, his family is Thai with American descent, so even though he is weak, he
- Who are you to tell me what to do? You thieving piece of shit. Your company is bankrupt and you still manage to push your little daughter on me, trying to get money. - Robert took a step forward and was stopped by his father, who gave him a big shove.- Baby, let's go. - Lola pulled his hand away, trying to get his attention so that it would be over soon, maybe he had gone too far.- This weekend I'm leaving this place, away from all of you. I'm not taking over this shitty company and much less accepting another kind of marriage. - Robert practically spat in the face of his father, who controlled himself not to hit him anymore in front of all those guests. It was a great shame, there were friends there, partners. A situation like this would become a scandal in the San Francisco media, enough to end years of struggle for recognition for his company.- Your cards will be canceled, all the money in your account will be withdrawn, and you won't get a penny of my money, much less your mo
Ready to go to work Linna looked at herself in the mirror, wearing a feminine tuxedo and a red scarpin. But it is one of the few clothes that give her a more empowered view of herself. The best part is waking up early, reading a little novel, doing some treadmill and taking a cold shower. However, when you get ready to go to your company, it makes you feel much happier. I mean, to look in the mirror after all this time and find a woman who owns herself is something insignificant.She put her hand in her pocket and took a picture, then updated her social networks. She is not the kind of person who posts her entire routine there, but she does like to post pictures of herself and her clothes. At twenty-two she had a totally cliché style and liked it until she was judged in her wedding dress. With the most beautiful wedding dress in the world. Now her style was totally formal, most of her clothes were ensembles, slacks and dress shirts, skirts and shorter blouses, all with the same patter
As soon as Robert left the room Linna faced her son, holding his chin. The little boy looked at her dying to ask who it was, but he didn't dare to do that because he was used to meeting his mother at work. Matthew loved getting to know the company, he was very keen to be there, and has even dared to call friends from school to visit the place where his mother works. Even though he was so small and without any knowledge about the adult world and its achievements, he knew that this was a huge accomplishment for her.- What do you say we go to Grandma's house? Matthew jumped for joy, his grandparents spoil him and of course he loves going there. But in Linna's case, she only decided to go at the last minute because she needed to talk to her mother urgently. As her confidant, she was the one she ran to when she needed to talk.- Come on, Mom. Let's go! - Matthew pulled her hand away, as she ran to get her purse and keys. She held her son's hand back, smiling; just his presence brought her
The answer was yes. To both emails. Linna deep down wanted it to be no and so she wasn't going to well on the matter and would tell her parents that she did what she could in passivity however it didn't seem enough. But there was no going back. Not anymore. Now she was sitting at a table for four, in a corner of the most famous Italian restaurant in town, with classical music playing in the background and people whispering and sipping wine. She wished she could be there if she were in good company.Robert was the first to arrive and didn't know that his parents had been summoned for that conversation. Linna stayed on her cell phone even though it seemed rude, she would do anything not to have to face the man in front of her. He was drumming his fingers on the table, staring at his watch and pretending to be in a hurry, because in truth his evening was completely over.His night had been free for six years.He was surprised by the girl's change. He remembers all his past very well, jus
A week had passed since Linna had met with the Scully family, and no one had contacted you, which was already making her create her own conclusions about it. For herself it was too long to have a breakdown. She felt that she had done the right thing but had done it the wrong way or that maybe she shouldn't have done the right thing.She was insecure. Too insecure. More than I would have liked. Robert's parents apparently loved the idea of having a grandchild, their eyes even sparkled, they both promised to talk to their son and bring answers to this desperate mother. But where are they? Where are they with this so-called answer?Linna was already getting a headache, it was late afternoon and she was finishing updating some price sheets before picking her son up from school. Her company is called Fizz, a marketing company. Most things happen on the app, which is where people have access to various courses from his partners and the company's vice presidents, and learn how to make money
- What do you say we take a trip this weekend Matt?Robert went to pick up his son from school after feeling guilty for not getting up early enough to take him. Matt was happy that his father had gone and recognized that he was also doing his best to do what his mother was doing on such short notice.- Where to? - Going to places away from home encouraged the pre-teen, fortunately. It was hard to get used to a routine without his mother around.- I thought we might go to Orlando, have you been to Disney?Robert didn't have any trips planned, but he knew that he needed to cool off and his son needed that too. When he thought of a trip to take with Matthew the first place that came to mind was Disney, because it was a totally childish place he wanted to make sure that both of them didn't stop to think about it that way.- Really Dad? I've never been there, Mom always said she would save up money for us to go, but we always ended up taking other trips. She seemed to want to go there more
Three days had passed since his burial, Robert remained lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling of his room. Absolutely nothing was funny. He hadn't slept for a day since he had seen her in that coffin. He had been through grief before, but this was much stronger than himself. The love he felt for her was not able to show even half as much as the illness took her away.At the funeral Robert sat beside her, in the white plastic chair that was not at all comfortable, every second from seven in the morning until three in the afternoon he stayed there. Without eating, without drinking. He stroked her loose curls down the side of her face, would it be too much to say that she looked beautiful? He loved her natural shape, no make-up, pink lips and messy hair. This is how she looked. Linna didn't have pale skin, her melanin glowed. Her outfit had been a flowered dress, she liked joy, she never had this kind of conversation with Robert but he felt she deserved the best. So she asked to be dr
- The methodology we use is the fastest, which has a four-day deadline. - he agreed, he was not interested in what it was but how long it would take. - The cross math is basically when we put together her serum samples with her cells, which would serve as a kind of simulation, what would occur in an organ transplant. If Linna has in her blood composition the antibodies against HLA antigens from the donor's cell membranes, she can almost totally reject the organ received through transplantation, which in this case would be hers. Already in this case, the compatibility test is considered positive, and the transplant is contraindicated. The crossmatch test can use only total lymphocytes, without separation of subtypes, and is called an Initial crossmatch test. So basically people who have the same blood type, for example, are not indicated to do it, because it would certainly snow the organ.- That's fine. - She understood almost nothing of what was said by the short, thin nurse. - In fo
- What are the chances that you are a match? Of any of them being a match? I don't have any hope left. - Robert looked at her like a newborn baby that needed a lot of care. That was how he saw her at that moment. If he could take her into a glass bubble and keep her there until she recovered, he would do it. It would protect her from the world, from everything. Including his own body.- Baby, it's going to be all right! - He knew that this was his last hope. The compatibility test. If they all came back negative there was really nothing to be done, and Linna would just be waiting for the time to go out of their lives. Because she was weak, mellow, pale. When you meet someone radiant and see them like this your will is to give all your strength to that person.- Will you lie here with me? - she asked brazenly.- No. You're in pain and you can't move, not even think. If you want I can lower the arm of the bed and you can lie on my chest. - She rolled her eyes and agreed, in fact she at
Linna opened her eyes slowly, blinking countless times in a second feeling a huge pain in her back. Until her eyes got used to the dim lighting of the place and she could finally see everything around her, including the doctor who was waiting for her to wake up, slouched over the arm of the hospital bed. Her mouth was extremely dry, which made her cough before she could say anything.- My back... - Her voice was very low and hoarse, she tried to move, but Talia denied it with her head, touching her arm lightly. - They hurt a lot.- Don't move. - The doctor came a little closer.- How long have I been here? - The rain was falling hard outside, she was still unable to turn her head to look through the glass window.- Today is the fifth day. - Linna would be able to widen her eyes if her head didn't hurt so much. - You've had another alveolar hemorrhage, Linna. - she sighed. - This time much more intense. We had to put a blood bag of a few millimeters for you. Your body is being attacked
She touched her mother's face, it was impossible not to smile with all that innocence. As if it were easy.- Oh my son, I'd love to but you're a child, you can't. - Matthew hugged his mother's body, Linna hugged him back tightly, smelling the baby soap he has been using since birth because he has allergies to some kinds of soap.- Mom, I don't want to introduce you anymore. You can tell the school and then they'll write another paper! - I said, whispering in his ear, afraid that his father was going to make him go to the presentation because of his grade.- It's okay, Matt. If you don't want to, we won't force you to. - He pulled away and touched his even smaller hands. - See, your dad will call the school and explain what happened, and you'll stay here with me.- Are you sure? - Robert walked over and watched Matt's hair flip up and down like it had after the nasty thing he said. His son just nodded. - Matt, I'm sorry I talked like that, but you have to understand that sometimes it's
- I have a headache. This damn headache again! - He put his hand on his temple and snorted loudly.- Hey. It's okay, if you want you can stay home and I'll take Matt to the presentation, or I can ask my mom to take him.- No, we'll go. - Linna forced her eyes to turn to him and tried to look at him, but Robert noticed her distant eyes and held her fat face in his hands.- No. You're in no condition to go. I'm going to stay here with you and call my mother! - He said, already seeing Linna frown several times in a row, which indicated that she was going to cry very soon.- Go with Matthew, he wants his parents to watch him together at least once. - she whimpered in supplication.- I'm not leaving you alone, Linna. Don't be stubborn. What if something happens and you're here alone? That's no idea. - Matt entered the room and his smile vanished when he saw his mother with her head down and apparently sad.- Mom, is everything okay? - They both looked at him in a rush, she in particular sw
On the evening of that day Matthew had a presentation at school, a theater performance of The Wizard of Oz, where he would be the scarecrow. During the day there were preparations inside the school, he didn't even imagine that his parents were dressed as a bride and groom almost lost on a rented farm in the middle of nowhere. The two looked at each other like never before, if before their love could be exhaled, now it was able to shine like an angel. They got back to each other before nightfall, after they had played catch-up and finished with the bottle of wine.Matt was in the shower while Robert and Linna finished dinner, it wasn't even seven o'clock yet and the presentations would start at eight. There was silence, no cell phones, with a few glances exchanged in shy and sincere smiles. The cutlery banging against the plate, apart from all the cicadas, was the only noise.- How could she sleep for so long with those cicadas? - Linna cleaned her plate after the last bite, the cicada
- I love you, Robert. I've never known love before, I've had other boyfriends but they all become insignificant next to you. I've never felt anything like it. My heart is racing now, and it's racing every moment I think of you, think of being with you. - Linna took his hand and placed it on her chest, Robert felt the palpitations as if her heart were in his hands. - With you I've learned what real love is. I've accepted some things that I considered to be love and you were never even a hint of it. We started living together and even exchanging basic words I felt your concern for me, I felt that in the smallest gestures you cared and did things that showed this like leaving the coffee ready. Even if you dared to say it was for Matthew too. - She laughed weakly through her tears. - When we started to talk, to live closer to each other, I understood that there was already love there. There was already admiration, respect, regret. Repentance was crucial for both of us. We both did horribl