Chapter 10: Plastic Surgery and Norwegian Royalty
Suggested track: Elastic Heart-Sia (music video version)
"How old is she?"
"About your age. Older than you, though."
Valentina fiddled with the paper in her hands, excitement flowing through her young body as Valentine answered every question she asked.
"Does she like to draw?" Valentina inquired, looking back down at the drawing she'd made of Cherry, her pet hamster.
"I don't know, darling. I didn't ask." Valentine turned around in his seat, smiling at his daughter fondly.
Valentina smiled back, but her smile faded and she soon looked somewhat worried. "Will she like me?"
"Valentina," This time, Vampira, who was in the passenger seat answered. "She'll love you. I'm sure your sister will be delighted to see you."
They pulled into the hospital parking lot, and soon after, they entered the building.
In the waiting room, Vampira amused Valentina with some coloring books and a few puzzles while Valentine watched.
It wasn't long before someone else in the waiting room caught Valentine's eye, and he turned around immediately. Sitting a few chairs away from him was Alex, Carlotta's son. He was flipping through a pamphlet that was titled, "Changing You: A Plastic Surgery Guide" while occasionally glancing up at the TV hanging on the wall. Valentine, at first, did not want to confront him, but Alex noticed the vampire and waved at him somewhat awkwardly. There was a silence, and Valentine got up to talk to him.
"How's the town after the zompire attack?" Valentine asked, sitting beside the young man.
Alex sighed, setting his pamphlet down. "Not good. I'm trying to get more money to help those in need, like our neighbor, Greta. But I'm coming up short."
Hearing this made Valentine a little suspicious. "You don't have enough?" He eyed the pamphlet, and Alex saw him do it. Quickly, he picked the paper up and held it to his chest defensively.
"I've been saving up money for a long time for this," Alex explained quietly, looking away. "I really need this, and I've waited too long."
"Are you getting the surgery today?" Valentine inquired.
"Yes."
"You're gonna do it all by yourself?"
"Well…" Alex chewed on his lip nervously. "See- my mom can't know that I'm here. She wouldn't understand why I'm doing this. I tried to tell my aunt, Ramona, but she couldn't really grasp what I was trying to say."
Valentine simply nodded. "I see," he didn't ask why Alex was getting the surgery, though he had a good idea of what the reason might be. His painted nails and slightly filled out chest suggested what this procedure might be for.
After an uncomfortable hush, Valentine felt compelled to ask, "What is it your mother does for a living?"
Alex quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"She can't be making money off of her day care business. Is there something else she does?"
Valentine's theory was then confirmed when Alex could not meet his eyes. "T-there's…something else, but I can't tell you. I'm sworn to secrecy, sorry."
Valentine simply nodded. "All right," he said in a hushed voice. Alex looked back up, his eyes full of concern.
"But do yourself and your daughter a favor: don't send her to The Lovely Gutter. I'm not even supposed to be making you avoid our home, so if you see my mom, don't tell her you talked to me!"
"Kieran Valentine?" a sing-song voice asked, and Valentine stood up.
"Thank you for speaking me, Alex," Valentine said in a low voice, walking away.
"Please," the young boy said suddenly, making Valentine stop in his tracks. "Call me Alexandra."
Valentine turned back and forced a smile, then turned away again and followed the nurse.
Valentina bounced excitedly as Valentine led her and Vampira down the hallway to Anne Marie's room and stopped in front of the door. He reached forward, turning the handle and opening with a click.
"Hey, Annie," Valentine called out as they walked in, and Anne Marie sprung up right away and threw her little arms around Valentine.
"Hi, Papa!" she grinned, showing off her pearly fangs. She pulled away, and then she noticed the other visitors. She clung to Valentine shyly, and he ruffled her hair gently.
"It's okay, Anne," he assured tenderly. "This is your grandmother, Vampira, and this is your sister, Valentina."
Vampira went to Anne Marie, resting a finger beneath the girl's chin and tipping her face towards her to really look her over. "Oh, you're so beautiful!" Vampira crooned, her eyes welling with tears. It seemed so long since she had first seen Anne Marie as a tiny, sickly baby with a small chance of survival. Now, here she was: a smiling, wide eyed little girl.
Vampira kissed her forehead and hugged her close. "The last time I saw you, you were just a little baby."
Anne Marie just hugged her back, resting her cheek on her shoulder. Vampira soon pulled away, rubbing the girl's arm lovingly.
Valentina took this moment to approach, holding out the drawing of the hamster to her sister.
"This is a picture I drew," Valentina said timidly. Now that she was face to face with her sister, she felt nervous. "It's of Cherry, my hamster. I got her for Christmas last year."
Anne Marie examined the picture, and asked, "Does she bite?"
"No, she nips," Valentina held up her finger, showing a little cut. "See?"
As the two sisters discussed Cherry, Valentine watched with a warm smile. Vamipra put an arm around her son and whispered, "See? I told you everything would be just fine."
It was currently 11:56.
Heath's eyes fluttered open sleepily, groaning a little as he awoke to an unpleasant feeling of nausea. He sat up, trying to settle his upset stomach by pressing his eyes shut and taking several deep breaths. It didn't help, and he shuffled away quickly to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
After vomiting for a solid two minutes, Heath wiped his mouth with a shaky hand and leaned against the wall, composing himself. Opening his eyes again, he took this moment to take in the surroundings.
He was still at the hotel, judging by the white towels and little packages of soap covering the sink. Heath thought back on the previous events of the night before, realizing that he remembered very little. The last thing he remembered was speaking with Jessica, but then nothing else.
Feeling numb, he discarded the clothing he was wearing (which was just his boxers and his socks)and turned on the shower. Panic flashed through him when he looked down at his boxers and noticed a suspicious stain.
"Jesus Christ, what did I do last night!?" Heath wondered aloud, and then he looked down and noticed a hickey on the inner part of his thigh. Without hesitation, he leapt in the shower, snatching up a bar of soap and cleaning himself furiously, trying to wash away the sin. Anxious thoughts flashed through his mind as he washed the soap over his skin, the heat of his flesh wearing the soap to basically nothing.
"Oh, my God…oh, my God!" he sobbed, dropping to his knees and letting what was left of the soap fall to the ground. "Oh, what have I done!?" Abbey would never forgive him if she knew what had happened, though Heath himself didn't know what happened. All he knew was that he'd betrayed his family.
About an hour later, Heath sat in the dining area of the hotel, sipping on a cup of coffee. He wished this was all a dream, that he'd wake up beside Abbey like nothing had ever happened and go about his life. Alas, here he was, wearing a shirt that smelled like sweat and drinking cheap coffee. He felt as though it couldn't get any worse.
Just then, a woman walked by, and she caught Heath's attention. She looked very familiar, but Heath just couldn't think of who she might be. It wasn't until she swept a magnificent braid of bright, blonde hair that Heath realized she was Invisibilly's wife.
A red haired woman approached her, and the two began to chat. Heath watched for a moment, then called over a maid that was sweeping the floor nearby.
"Excuse me, could you please tell me who that woman is?" Heath asked politely, gesturing to the two women. The maid raised an eyebrow.
"Which one?"
"The blonde one."
"Oh, her? That's Elsa Jalonskya. She's Norwegian royalty, and she's very rich. Though, she got married a few years back, and I think she has a different last name," the maid began sweeping the floor again. "She lives up at the East manor with her husband and kid."
Heath watched as Elsa turned away and went to the elevator. He knew where East Manor was- it was where Jared and Harmony had originally been planning to live after they'd married. Though that plan never came to be, Heath had visited the house a few times and knew where it was.
And now, he knew where Invisibilly lived.