Hello! Had a good week?

I am very happy to see some of you like my story. Sian, I feel very grateful for your tender review. It means a lot to me.

So, in order not to dissapoint myself, you and Eli... here is chapter two! Enjoy and review!

- L.T.


Chapter 2: Miracle

I feel tired and weak. The doctor just left, after bleeding me and making me drink 2 spoonfullls of his horrid syrup. Everytime he does it, I feel worse. Edward is never at home; he cannot protect me. I would probably be dead if it wasn´t for Annie.

Annie is the only one who cares about me. She checks on me troughout the day, even if she has a lot of work to do. She makes me tea, milk with honey, some weird infusions that look like modern versions of magical potions, and abundant, very rich and heavy food. Not a meal without meat, potato, and greens. She makes me eat like if I was a soldier, and I cannot refuse because she does it with care and sacrifice, and also because she can be really intimidating when I try to leave a meal unfinished. Even if we cannot understand all of each other's words, she is the closest person I have to a mother, since mine died when I was twelve. And I know having Annie by my side is a treasure: she is a special person with a pure heart who has endured many difficulties, fought and survived. She knows the true value of food, and of a caring person by one's side. And I'm starting to learn it.

- Frau Elizabeth!- she calls.

- Yes, Annie. You can come.- my voice is weak and fragile, just like me.

Annie enters the room with a hot mug.

- Mein Gott!- she exclaims.

- What's wrong?- I ask, seeing her so worried.

- You are white...

I must be pale.

- Yes.

- Ach, der böse Ärtz!

She comes quiclky by my side, and touches my cheeks and my head with her palm to check my temperature. It seems to be normal. But my paleness alarms her.

- You must- she commands as she handle me the mug.

It's another of her infusions. I start sipping obediently.

- Gut.- she approves.

She leaves, and I know she will be back with a tray in some minutes. I drink the infusion carefully, tasting a sweet roughness, very dense, that calms the pain in my throat. I wonder what is it made of. Suddenly, I start feeling dizzy. I stop drinking, and breathe deeply, and take the mug with both hands, for safety... But my eyes close...

- Frau Elizabeth!

Two hands hold me. I let myself go.

...

The beautiful wrinkled face of Annie is just above me, looking relieved.

- Frau Elizabeth! Oh, Danke, Danke, Danke!- I hear her exclaim.

- Annie? What happened?

- You wärst... - as she is incapable of finding the word, she plays it. I see her falling and closing her eyes, so I deduce I fainted.

- Fainted.- I tell her.

- Fainted- she repeats.

She helps me sit and puts the tray in front of me. Meat balls with sauce and potato salad. A mountain of each. I gulp.

- You must.- she says simply, but with concern.

- I will.

I eat slowly, bravely. This will help me, it has to, because if I keep fainting like that, I will soon need a preacher man more than a doctor.

That pessimistic thought gives me a crazy idea.

- Annie?

- Yes?

- Do you believe in saints? Like Saint Peter or Saint Anthony?

- Why?- she asks, after a moment of reflection.

I wait too, until I cannot do it anymore.

- I need a favor, Annie. I need a miracle from Saint Anthony: I know he will make me feel better.

She looks at me, focusing on my lips, trying to understand. I articulate each word, speaking clear and slow.

- I need you to go to Saint Anthony's Church and say out loud: Please help Elizabeth. So he will hear me and help me.

- Und dann feel you besser?

- Yes, I would feel better. Please. Please, Annie.

Her face is dubitative, her stare severe. Please, Annie...

- I do it for you.- she concludes.

- Thank you, Thank you!- I sing, grateful.

She comes closer, and points at my almost full plate.

- Aber eat!

...

With full stomach, my strenght and my skin color return. But I feel exhausted, somehow. I tell Annie I want to sleep a nap, and she leaves for the church where I sent her.

Guilty as I feel, it is still an amazing perspective: seeing Anthony again... if he wasn´t a dream, of course. No, he musn't be! I close my eyes and try to picture myself with him by my side... and dive into sleep.

...

Night comes and my husband comes back home. He smells a little of alcohol, but I can see he is still coherent. If he only respects me when I'm sick, what kind of relationship do we have?

- Hello, my sweetie. Are you better?

I stare in response, with my wide open bored and tired eyes that silent him.

Soon the situation becomes awkward.

- How are you?- I ask, to break the silence.

- Mmm. Fine. Very fine, thank you. - he looks for something to say.-The bussiness is growing.

- That's... hm,hm...wonderful.- I comment.

He smiles, but sees me absently. He is thinking about something far away.

- Edward?- I ask.- Are you with me?

- I was just thinking... we need a kid. - He looks at me in the eyes.- He will not lack of anything in this family, and you will take good care of him, you know.

His hand goes to my flat abdomen and stays there. It feels umcomfortable.

- I don´t know.- I say.- I don´t feel... good currently.- I say, as an excuse.

But I am angry inside. Can´t I live for myself? Should I always have to be someone else's servant?

- Oh, that's true.- my husband suddenly remembers I am very sick.- Get better fast, then.

He kisses me on my forehead, then leaves.

And I start noticing he only wanted me to be his wife for giving him kids. He doesn´t, he never wanted me.

My tears start falling.


Thank you for reading.

Annie´s words are:

Frau= Mrs.

Mein Gott= My God

Ach, der böse Ärtz! = Oh, the evil doctor

Danke! Danke! Danke! = Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Du wärst= you were

und dann= and so

besser=better

Aber= but

I hope you enjoyed. Have a nice week!

- Liv T.