Chapter 21- Rachel

I woke up at five minutes to midnight.

That was the bad part of living in a house where half of its inhabitants work almost 20 hours a day. The house is silence and you wake up with every little creak when they arrive. I figured that my father or mother had arrived from a very late party or meeting, so I laid back again to go sleep. Or that I tried.

At the stroke of midnight, the clock my mother had bought in a auction (which means its old, made of wood and really, really noisy) started to sound louder than normal. Groaning, I got up and headed to the kitchen to drink some water or something to go back to sleep.

Never in my life I was so wrong.

I didn't make two steps out of my room, that I was pulled back inside by my elbow. Ready to scream, as the British would say, 'bloody murder', a hand covered my mouth and, even in the darkness of my room, I saw two blue eyes staring back at me.

No way! He... They told me he was dead...!

The shock was enough to keep me silence, which my companion took as a good sign. But, since my reason was disconnected from my brain, I started to do some things that were either driven by anger of fear.

Step one, slapping him straight on the face, making all the noise that I could possible do.

"I guess I deserved that one..." he mumbled, rubbing his cheek and jaw. I, on the other hand, was still speechless and moving my mouth like a fish without water. Apparently, he caught was I was trying to express (or what he assumed I was thinking), because he stroked my cheek with his free hand wiping the tears I didn't know I was releasing "Shhh..."

"You- you left me..." I managed to mumble out. His eyes were always on me, never wavering away "I- I thought I was crazy..."

"I didn't want to..." he argued with me "But, after the dragged you away, I thought you'd be better without me... So, I gave myself to death and made everyone forget me"

Step two, smacking him with all my forces until the point I can't because of tiredness or emotional state.

"You. Just. Can't. Pretend. I. Was. Gonna. Be. Better. Without. You" For emphasis on my speech, I smacked him with every words. But he stopped me after that first sentence.

"Love, you can hate me all you want in eternity, I promise..." he grabbed my wrists and made me stare at him "But I only have 24 hours with you and I don't want them to be fighting, alright?" 24 hours...?

"We- we have a lot to do in that case..." I set my wrists free and did a thing step three.

I grabbed his face and kissed him hard.

~oOo~

Five years later...

I looked up to the wall clock from my cup of coffee and I saw it was late. I quickly left my cup and rushed around the house.

"Ian?" I started calling around the flat, grabbing stuff from the floor "Ian, you better be ready, because we're gonna be late!" I announced, before walking into the bedroom. I almost scared myself when I heard voices inside.

"Is this on? How does it work?" I heard a male voice, more older than Ian's. Sighing, I shook my head thinking why I allowed Ian to keep the tape.

"Of course it's on!" Ian's voice came, followed by his giggle before he noticed I was there "Mommy!" he raised his arms for me to pick him up. I smiled and did so, cradling him in my arms.

"Ian, what are you doing?" I asked him, pausing the tape "You're gonna be late for kinder..." Ian shook his head and hid it in my neck.

"I wanna stay here with you and Daddy..." I sighed, knowing fully why Ian was acting the way he was. Today was Father's Day at the kinder and all the kids were gonna be doing activities with their dads. I offered to go with him, even Will offered to go as 'Uncle' Will, but Ian had his doubts. Now, I know why.

"Alright, young man..." I agreed, making him smile "But, just for today, alright?" He nodded, enthusiastically, and we sat down, watching the tape together.

"Of course, it's on, silly..." I could hear myself five years ago "See the red light?" He gasped and nodded to the camera, before waving at it. Ian started to wave back, making my throat and heart constrict in pain and love "Who are you waving at?"

"Well, since this, um..."

"Tape, Octavian" my younger self sighed, making me chuckle.

"Right, the tape will only be seen by you, I guess I'm waving at you... You from tomorrow on" I tried to control my tears, but I couldn't. I missed him so much and the fact that Ian looks like him doesn't help me somedays "Anyway, this message is mostly to remember about all the incredible things we did today... But, you wanna know which one was the best one?" Right then, he started to play with his (in that moment, and that I have now around my neck) new ring "Yeah, this one... Though, what happened latter can be in dispute-"

"Octavian!" I remembered how red I was after that declaration.

"What?! It is!" he was also blushing but, smirking "Back on track, I just wanted to remind you how much I love you and that, even when I suffer for eternity, that I'm gonna face it with a smile on me, because I know you'll be alright... I love you, Rachel and please, never forget it..."

"I love you too, Octavian..." I whispered, watching the tape go black. Ian, however, was still sitting on my lap, as if waiting for something else "What, Ian?"

"Daddy left me something!" he announced, leaving me shock. Soon enough, the tape was back in colors. It was clear shot of me, sleeping and Octavian talking to the camera, from behind me. He was holding my waist, his hand on my stomach. He always knew...

"Hey, kiddo... I know you're in here... I- I just know it..." he gently rubbed my stomach, with the most gentle smile I've seen "Can't say how sorry I am I won't be helping you Mommy to raise you, but that was the deal..." he wiped some tears of his eyes "Just- just be good for her, OK? It's gonna be difficult at times, but she needs you... I love you so much, kiddo... Even when I'll never meet you. But, I do, just like I love you Mommy..." Octavian raised his arm and stopped the video, his face in the last frame.

"Happy Father's Day, Daddy..." Ian crawled off my lap and kissed the screen.

"Happy Father's Day..." I choked out, smiling at the scene.

Life never was the same... And, to think it all start with two masked hearts...

I didn't cry but she did, did you?