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Chapter IV: It is about what comes after.
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Oh… God… I haven´t updated in ages! Sorry! There have been a lot of things around here! You have a lawyer now at the other end of the line ;D I´ll make it up to you with a very, very long chapter!
Merry Christmas to you all and all the best wishes for 2010! Belated, but anyway ^^
I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Dedicated to Liv (SO awesome to have you back! Welcome!), to my little sister Charlie (lol, I swear I didn´t stole anything!), Gemma (Thanks for your presents, I LOVED them!).
And at last but not least, Shanice and Kel! You rock girls!
Thanks for the reviews, they do mean so much to me, and for those who has asked me to carry on! You are the best! :)
SO here it is… enjoy! (M alert for you Shanice! Thanks so much for your dedication :D:D:D)
*
"I asked Ayelena, the housekeeper, to take care of her during the morning so I could spend some peaceful time with your mother… She´s so impressed with Greece"
"I can image. So was I when I was a little girl and my mother took me here. This is such a wonderful place to grow"
"I hope so… for both kids"
"Ok, I´ll bring her here…"
"Thank you. Take care darling" he mumbled as she walked away.
Looking at his son, and now waiting for Azaria to join him soon, Sam couldn´t help his mind to wander through the memories and remember each of those moments he and Donna treasured together.
Sam caressed her cheek, smiling lovingly at his beautiful wife, lying underneath his body. After making love to her for the third time since their wedding, he knew he belonged to her, body and soul, and nothing would change that. A hurtful knot was stuck on his throat, when he thought about something he had to say yet and she may not like at all. Trying to get himself ready and find the right words, he softened the punch placing a delicate kiss on her lips.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Donna asked, sensing the tension and pulling to sheets to cover her further, when he rolled to lie by her side.
"Darling… I have something to tell you…"
Unresponsive, she felt her heart stop beating and swallowed hard. Those were the very same words he used 21 years before. And she doubted she wanted to hear the rest.
"I have to go back to New York…"
Her heart sank in her chest with an anchor´s speed and she slapped her hand across his face, shaking her head.
This can´t be happening. This can´t be happening… again! Oh, God, I let him back into my bed, into my heart, into my life… for this?
"You bastard! How do you dare…" bursting in tears, she turned to leave the bed when he grabbed her arm gently.
"Honey, calm down… is… only for a couple of days, and… I want you to come with me"
Slowly, Donna turned to look back at her husband and wiped her tears, then wrapping her arms around him to hide her face on the crease of his neck.
"Don´t ever scare me like that again"
"I´m sorry" he said, kissing her head ad wrapping his arms around her.
"I´m sorry too" she replied, kissing his cheek where she had hit him.
"I think I deserved that, for what I did 21 years before…"
Smiling, she shook her head again.
"Why do we have to go back there?"
"I have things to settle down before moving here babe, and there´s Azaria…"
"Azaria? Who´s Azaria?" the woman asked, half suspicious, half confused and unsure if she wanted an answer.
"Jasmine´s daughter" he replied, nearly in tears and looking away.
Tears washing the light of her eyes, she gave him a hurt confused look: dressed in her silence, piercing as a drill.
"She is…" he mumbled with a faltering voice "She was my sister. She died six months ago and I´m taking care of her little daughter"
"Oh, a little girl" Donna smiled wiping her tears, her motherly instincts instantly kicking in "It will be lovely to have her with us"
Sam gave a deep sigh of relief. He was dreading bringing up the subject, not knowing how would she take it. He leaned to place a grateful kiss on her lips, but she wrapped her arms around him, making it much more intense and pleasant, until they ended up lying under the covers again.
Donna smiled sincerely, deeply enjoying the feeling of her husband so close to her.
"And when are we leaving baby? I will love to go with you"
"Tomorrow, if that´s fine with you"
"Is perfect. Whenever, wherever you take me, is perfect. I love you" finishing her words, she pushed him close for a forceful kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck to make her intention clears.
But when a sudden thought invaded her mind, she broke apart delicately and softly trailed her hand down his chest, in a loving caress to soften her next words. Staring into his eyes, she bit her lower lip before saying.
"I would really love to have Azaria with us sweetheart. I´ll take care of her as my own daughter…"
"That´s really nice of you babe" he replied smiling, stroking her cheek gently "You are… so perfect"
Swallowing hard, she closed her eyes before going on.
"But I don´t think I can cope with two kids. I can´t have another baby then…"
And she hid her face on the crease of his neck, just so she wouldn´t have to see the disappointment in his eyes.
*
Donna had most lovingly taken Azaria into her arms since the very first moment they met on New York, she had talk her wonders about Kalokairy and showed the most beautiful places when they got there. But the black-haired little girl was too young, unstable and hard to handle.
She was sweet and adorable most of the time, smiling lovingly with the hole of the tooth she had recently lost and introducing her puppet to everyone who agreed to met her; Donna instantly fell in love with her, but being her mother´s dead so recent she constantly had going offs on the one now meant to play that roll and ended up yelling and crying. Donna knew it was only a stage, that Azaria would be over her mother´s dead eventually, but she felt too old to deal with it in the mean time.
She loved their little princess as her own child and she loved her husband beyond words. He had been loving and thoughtful most of the time and his support had been priceless. But Donna was exhausted, and she was about to crash. First, Sam insisted on having their own baby, but she refused at any price, even when he ended up going mad at her and she had to go to bed alone. She didn´t really dare to deal with two kids at her age and managing the Villa on her own, and wasn´t quitting the contraceptive pills. Once and again he repeated how deeply and truly sorry he was for not being there the first time for her, but promised to be there every step of the way now. And Donna believed it, but every time she was about to fall, something prevented it. She finally got him dropping the subject aside and settling to the idea she wouldn´t give in.
But it wasn´t any relief at all. Once he said he wouldn´t force her and that he loved her the way she was, he started noticing her tiredness, her swollen eyes from lack of sleep and the ungodly hours she crawled into bed at night. And he asked her to stop. He asked her to hire help. And every time it resulted in her storming out of the room and depriving him from company and sex. It was hard for him to stand those lonely nights, but he was determined to drill some sense into her head. She couldn´t keep going on like that and one night early December, he took upon him the task to make her change her mind. And he wasn´t taking no for an answer.
Hugging and kissing, he forced her out of the office for once at a normal hour, took her for a nice meal on her favorite restaurant at the mainland, and to bed later. The night wasn´t long, but it was the quality time they had been missing and it just pushed deeper into Sam´s heart the thought of how his wife was killing herself and how he really missed her. Lying in bed after a sweet long love making, he held her against him, stroking her back gently and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Have you thought about what I said, baby?"
Donna sat straight in bed, swallowing hard at the knowledge of what was coming next. She didn´t want to end up fighting with her husband again. She needed him, in every level and she needed him to understand. Why does he have to ruin this perfect evening doing this?
"About what?"
"About hiring the help, Donna, you need it…"
"Sam" she groaned "Why are you doing this? I´ve told you a million thousand times I don´t need help here! I am the boss and I´m perfectly capable of handling everything, as I´ve been doing the last 15 years… on my own"
"Donna, your life has changed, you´re falling into pieces. I need you, Azaria needs you"
"So now I´m not enough a good mother for Azaria? I managed perfectly with Sophie. Alone. I can manage with Azaria"
"You´re a wonderful mother Donna, that´s why I trusted you with Azaria, that´s why I still want another child with you. You were 20 years younger back then. And Sophie had her mother"
"Well, she didn´t had her father" Donna said icily "You´re doing this because you´re a selfish bastard"
"I´m doing this because I love you"
"I´m not going to change Sam. Not for you, not for anyone"
"I quitted everything for you Donna, you should think about that"
Pulling his robe on, he stormed out of the room and not even the whole night of sleeping on it changed his mind about leaving Kalokairy the next morning. He dressed the five years old kid and slowly headed away. He was angered at her for being so stubborn, but mostly, he was hurt by the way she reacted and the things she icily hissed at him, when he was only and most lovingly taking care of her.
"Why are we going back to New York, Uncle Sam? I love Kalokairy. I want to stay here"
"No baby, we are not staying"
"She can stay with me if she wants" Donna said, stepping in from of them and taking Azaria into her arms.
"Donna, she´s my baby and she´s going with me"
"She´s our baby Sam, why are you leaving?" She asked, tears welled up in her eyes.
"I don´t want to have just what´s left of you at the end of the day Donna, and I don´t want to be just the last burden you have to get rid of every night. I want a wife. Give me Azaria back or I´m calling the police"
For a moment, she stared at him open-mouthed, angered and confused by his words. She showed there to ask for his forgiveness and beg him to stay, but his last words prevented her of doing so. Placing the kid on the floor, she hissed.
"You´re calling the police on your own wife? You bastard…"
Holding a scream of frustration, she raised her arm to slap her hand across his face, insulted, but instead, she looked away in despair and locked herself into the bathroom. Flooding in silent tears, Sam then made his way to the airport and left. She haven´t said a single word to ask him to stay.
Behind the door, Donna burst out crying for a long while. I can´t mess it up like this. Not again. Why is he leaving me? Why? Where did I go so wrong? He hates me, and there´s no reason… Suddenly feeling sick, she bended over the toilet to throw out twice, her body still shaking, until she blacked out and fainted. It happened again the day after, and the day after that once more. Ten days went by and she kept feeling constantly ill. Not wanting to disturb Sophie, she called her best friends for advice and a shoulder to cry on; they tried to comfort her the best way they could and advised Donna to go and see a doctor in the first place. They offered to stick around, and to go and talk some sense into Sam´s head. But Donna refused: of them three, she was the only one who really knew…
Walking out of the Hospital the next day, after she had diligently listened to her friends, Donna stopped to sigh and look upwards. This is the last time I ask for a sign. Or is you playing up on me, mom?
Walking to sit on a bench, she sighed again and buried her head in her hands. It was time to think straight, damned it, it was.
He didn´t come back or sent anyone to get the things he and Azaria left behind, even if we haven´t spoke this eleven days. He haven´t sent any divorce papers. Can it be he could find someone else so soon? I know his charms are irresistible – she thought giggling to herself- but I trust him when he said he loves me. He was right, he left everything for me, he can´t forget so soon… I miss him so much. God, I don´t think I´ll be able to see him again without jumping on him. Does he feel the same way about me? Does he miss me too? Is our love strong enough… after all? I don´t want to crawl back to him but what else can I do?
Silent tears rolled down her face while she thought of how happy they have been together, and every gesture that had made her feel a queen, better of all, his queen. When she walked back into the Villa two hours after, she had made up her mind. I´m going to get my husband back.
By next day´s early afternoon, Donna landed on JFK airport, all alone and feeling empty. Still crying silently, she boarded a cab to his apartment and rang the bell, second by second dreading what his reaction would be. They were a week away from Christmas, and her heart was as cold as the snow gently hitting the windows. She had been miserable away from him and she needed to let him know. What she didn´t know was the fact he had suffered as much.
Donna gasped, speechless, when he opened the door smiling. Just that handsome curving of his lips, melted her again, the same way it did when she was a crazy teenager back when they met. Some things never change…
"Hey, you´re early" But his face instantly transformed when he saw her, he was deeply surprised, even if beyond pleased to see her after so long "Donna, come in, love" he said, moving aside so she could walk in and smiling again.
She smiled stepping in, instantly looking away to hide her tears and the knot on her throat. She walked to the sofa before her legs break on her, and removed her shoes and jacket to sit crossing her legs. You´re too late, you idiot, he already haves someone else. How can you forget me so soon? Didn´t I love you enough? Didn´t you love me enough to fight for us?
"Who are you waiting for?" She asked, forcing a smile and trying her best to keep her voice from betraying the pain and jealousy killing her inside.
Walking to the bar, he offered her a drink, which she refused, and walked to sit next to her, craving to extend his hand and touch her, but equally afraid of doing so, as if her spotless beauty could crash and break.
"Fred and George" (N/A: Dedicated to those who will recognize the names! xD) He looked into her eyes to keep going "They took Azaria to the park, but I wasn´t expecting them for the next two hours"
"Oh, is them" she sighed, relieved "How´s my little sunshine? I miss her"
"She misses you too" he answered, allowing his gaze to fall on her inviting lips and the smiled captured in there. He was longing to hold her, to kiss her…
Cuddling close against him, she locked her tear filled eyes with his, their lips inches apart.
"And you didn´t miss me, baby?"
Silently, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer and placing a row of loving kisses on her lips.
"Horribly. This days without you have been a nightmare and there have not been a second I didn´t wish I haven´t left"
Giggling out the bursting relief inside of her, she removed her sweater and sat on his lap in a straddling position, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"And why didn´t you come back? Why didn´t you call me? The last time you didn´t, we missed 21 years together"
He laughed at the reference, and looked back into her eyes.
"I thought you would be too angry to even talk to me sweetheart, but despite that I missed you so much it was well worth a try. I had plane tickets booked to be back there with the kids for Christmas"
"That would have been lovely" she smiled, trailing her hands down his chest and leaning against him; knowing he had not given up on her was much more wonderful than she imagined "I wasn´t angry because… you were right. You left everything for me and I didn´t appreciate it. I cried myself to sleep every night, missing you so bad…"
"I did it because I love you darling, and I shouldn´t have try to force you to do anything… I´m really sorry…"
"Shhh" she mumbled, starting to undo the buttons of his shirt and kissing him again "I love you"
Responding forcefully, he took her to the bedroom and closed the door with his bare foot behind them. She laughed again when they crashed together into bed, drunk of happiness to be there with him where she dreaded she wouldn't be never again.
Smiling, Sam trailed hungry kisses down her neck and jaw line, taking in the delightful flower essence and the priceless taste of rainbow on her sun kissed skin.
Moaning, she unbuckled his belt and pushed the pants and underwear quickly down with her legs, with a desperate move that was more reflex than intention. He was going slow and teasing her, just where he knew she was more sensible and awoke her most deep desires, but after all those years apart, the joys on their life together had sunk deep into Donna´s body and heart: she was eager, she was lost, she was craving for him like never before and she couldn´t stand the teasing.
He removed her trousers and then tangled his finger into the black lacy slip, looking at her with his most seductive smile, sliding it downwards with a tortuous slow place and placing butterfly kisses all the way down her leg. Under the pressure of her burning body, Donna felt about to explode when the shivering sensation travelled through her skin. She grabbed onto the sheets with a loud groan. She couldn´t control her flinching body. She couldn´t control the fire.
"Please, Sam" she moaned, taking a deep breath "Oh, please"
Smiling at her flustered expression and quick responding body, he leaned to place a teasing kiss on her still half-covered breast. He had missed the beautiful woman lying with him so much that he wanted to make the best of the moment and be sure she would never forget it. He wanted to please her, delighted to know he could still make her yearn for him like that. She had gotten into his skin and there was no way out.
Groaning at the light alluring pressure of his lips on her flesh, Donna raised turning Sam to lay on his back and sit on a straddling position over him. She looked into his eyes, smiling and he smiled back at her. A total lustful desire for each other flooded both of them, but at the same time, they wanted it to last forever. They didn´t want to split again. They were caught to the bottom on a bad romance and there was indeed no way out.
He slowly trailed his hands up her thighs, drawing circles on her skin until he rested them on her slender waist, smiling wider at her quivering body and her changing facial expressions.
"What was wrong sweetheart?"
"Nothing" she giggled, when his hands followed the way up her back to unclasp her bra. Gasping, she pulled them aside and trailed her hands down his chest, grinning.
"I can´t wait anymore… You´re killing me…" she muttered, moving her hips so with a clean move, he was fully into her.
He groaned with her, grabbing a tight hold of the sheets beside his head. She grabbed his thighs tightly, burying her nails on his skin as she moved at a quick pace, her moans growing louder and most constant every second.
"You like that, honey?" she groaned, feeling herself dangerously close and hardly breathing.
"My goodness, Donna" he moaned, tilting his head back in a loud groan before raising to roll her onto her back again, slowing the pace a little.
"Take it easy sweetheart, or I´ll come too soon"
"Mmm" she moaned out of breath.
"I love you" he whispered, crashing his lips onto hers passionately.
"I love you too, Oh My God, I love you" she screamed, wrapping her arms and legs around him tightly, as her back arched and the tingling sensation growing inside of her exploded abruptly, hitting her fully in a mind blowing ecstasy, while she kept screaming her last words. He followed shortly after, calling her name and plunging into her welcoming lips once again, until he reached his most wanted warm relief into her.
He withdrew and collapsed next to her, waiting for the silent minutes going by to take their breathing back. Finally, he looked at her and placed a soft kiss on her lips
"I mean it baby… I love you"
"I love you too… for real" she whispered, kissing him back and cuddling up against his mainly frame. She smiled, inhaling his particular essence and realizing how much she had really missed her husband, how much she really needed him and unconsciously she started placing sweet kisses on his chest.
Looking at her, so shinny, so perfect, he gasped knowing he couldn´t spend another day, another hour without her. They already had too many lost years to make up for. But he felt he had been unfair, he had been a bastard as she said when she was only the most wonderful wife. He wanted to know if she could really forgive him again. Gently, he placed his finger under her chin, to meet her gaze.
"Baby, please tell me this is not just about sex, please, tell me we are not over…"
Closing her eyes, she smiled, knowing what she was about to reveal, and a million butterflies tickled inside her stomach as she haven´t felt since the day they got married. She tried to anticipate his reaction: Surprise? Happiness? Joy? Nervousness? Shock? But she couldn´t. Giggling, she raised herself on her elbow and stared at him, intertwining her fingers with his.
"No, this is not about sex… is about what comes after"
"After? What?" he asked scared, not knowing if to be happy or devastated by her words.
"I´m pregnant silly" she replied, biting her lower lip in anticipation.
"What?!" he screamed, sitting straight up in shock "What?"
"Well… we´re having a baby" she replied, her smile fading as her golden butterflies crystal crashed.
"T-that´s generally the definition…"
"I thought you wanted this" she whispered, a lonely tear trailing down her face.
Smiling, he rolled on top of her and placed a long, passionate kiss on her lips.
"And I do. I´m so happy I have no words. But I´m more interested in knowing if you are" he said, breaking for air and staring into her eyes.
"Oh God, I could just go to bed with you right again now" she giggled, stroking his cheek "I´m so happy… more than I thought I would. More than… never before in my life"
"Are you sure?" he asked, placing his hand on her stomach "How did this happen? I thought you were on the pill. When did you find out?"
She smiled, intertwining their fingers over her belly and placing another soft kiss on his lips. She was truly bursting of joy, and seeing the happiness in his eyes was enough for whatever she would have to go through.
"Well… it is due to all the time you spend inside of me, honey. I was on the pill, but I quitted three months ago. I found out yesterday, when I went to the hospital. Strong steady heartbeat"
"What made you change your mind? Why didn´t u tell me when you quitted? You would have saved me three months of thinking you didn´t want a child with me"
"Of course I do, more than anything. I want to have your child, our child. I was full of doubts, yes. I wanted the baby but I didn´t know if I could handle it, I didn´t know if you would leave me. And Azaria is still so vulnerable, poor baby. But then I saw the way you treated her, the way you treated me, how you so madly wanted this. But it wasn´t until we stopped arguing about it, I gave it a second thought. And then, I knew there was nothing to fear. Because you´ll be there with me, right?"
"Of course I will, forever. Thank you"
"And thank you. We made it together, remember?"
"Right" he smiled, kissing her forehead, and she slowly drifted away in a contented sleep.
"Wake up sweetheart" Sam smiled, placing loving kisses on Donna´s neck and earlobe, until she smiled, moaning slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a seductive kiss on his lips herself "The boys will be here soon" he finished, breaking apart and smiling at her.
Giggling, she looked at him up and down and once again his charm made her heart skip a beat. She raised onto her knees, next to him and threw her arms around him again, locking their lips with renewed passion.
"I can´t help myself, gorgeous" she laughed with a wink.
He placed a last loving kiss on her lips and walked to the door.
"I better wait on the living room sweetheart or they will probably find us still in here and not dressed at all"
"Oh, you´re a bad influence Carmichael" she laughed, shaking her head and throwing a pillow at him.
"And you love it" he smiled, closing the door.
"God knows I do" she whispered, gingerly putting her clothes back on so she could run to kiss her husband again.
Smiling, she walked to cuddle against him on the coach, wrapping her arms around his waist. He looked at her and they plunged into a slow and never-ending loving kiss, until the door suddenly opened and they broke apart.
"Aunt Donna!" Azaria screamed excitedly, running to jump and hug her. Donna lifted her in her arms, spinning around.
"I missed you baby"
"I missed you too"
"Are we going back to Kalokairy, are we?"
"Yes, we are honey" she smiled, tightening the hug "We are"
"Right after Christmas princess, if that´s okay with you, honey"
"Christmas here? Sounds perfect" she answered, holding the little girl tighter.
When she placed her back on the floor, Sam took her hand.
"Darling, those are my kids Fred and George. Boys, this my wife Donna"
Sam smiled then, remembering how well she went along with his sons, taking them as her own, just as she did with Azaria, and how they saw the morning come playing scrabble that night.
You´re a musketeer my lovely, please fight…
*
Looking at her image on the bathroom mirror once again, Sophie sighed. She had just splashed water over her face for the thousandth time, but her eyes were still red and swollen, her hair was messy and there was a shadow in the way she stared at herself. Biting her lower lip, she took the pink brush she always carried in her bag, and her gaze immediately fixed on it, as the memories came back to her mind.
"Look, mom" a thirteen year old Sophie shouted, as she ran to one of the shop windows through the busy street.
Donna lost sight of her for a moment, and worriedly grabbed her arm when she finally reached her.
"Don´t do that again Soph, you scared me"
"I´m sorry mom. Look"
Sophie´s gaze fell over the black heels exposed between a pair of golden sandals and some fancy white flip flops. The shoes where obviously her size and the heels were not too high. Donna immediately fell in love with them to be her daughter´s first heels. But her mouth fell open when she saw the card with the prize.
Not again, good lord! How am I going to tell her I can´t afford it? Where are you now, Sam? Why aren´t you here to face all this with me? What terrible thing did I do that I wasn´t enough for you? I just want to know why do I still love you like this. Do you ever… think of me?
Blinking to fight the tears, Donna sighed and placed her hand on Sophie´s shoulder. She bitted her lower lip, trying to find the words to tell her daughter that once again she wouldn´t get her wish.
"Honey…"
"Don´t say it. We don´t have the money. What do we have money for, mom? Why did you ever let my dad go away? I hate you!"
Holding her breath, Donna tensed and raised her hand to slap her daughter but she bitted her lower lip and sighed, closing her eyes to stop herself.
"Sophie, why in this world did you say that?" She muttered in a low voice, unable to hold the tear that burned the way down her face.
"I´m sorry, mom" the girl said, looking at her mother with watery eyes and hugging her tight "I didn´t mean it. I love you. I just don´t understand why…"
"Neither do I, baby" she replied, wrapping her arms around her daughter and placing a soft kiss on her head, before tightening their embrace "Neither do I"
And then, once again, Donna cursed the day she let Sam Carmichael into her life. Not because of her baby girl, who she dearly loved, but because of the pain he caused them both.
Smiling, Donna placed her hand under Sophie´s cheek and kissed her forehead.
"I love you baby, let´s go moving"
"Let´s go"
They turned into the next street, walking skillfully across the midday busy market.
"Look at this Soph" Donna exclaimed excitedly, taking something in her hand of some of the salesmen and grabbing Sophie´s arm to stop her and hand her the object.
Sophie smiled, taking in her hand the shinny pink nacre hairbrush.
"Is beautiful"
"But there´s a condition" the woman added stroking lovingly the girl´s hair to place it behind her ear, while she looked at her with her eyes wide open "You must promise you´ll always have it with you"
"Of course I will mom" Sophie smiled, first holding it and then placing it immediately on her bag "But look!" she added, running away again "This will totally fit you"
The girl grabbed a straw cowboy hat exposed on one of the tables and placed it on her mother´s head.
"You see? Now you look wild"
Laughing, Donna shook her head at her daughter and paid before they walked away.
"It is so hot here, God… Do you fancy an ice cream, Soph?"
"Absolutely" she replied, fanning her face with her hand.
"Chocolate and Vanilla?"
"As usual" the girl smiled.
Sitting under a flowered umbrella that was half-protecting them from the burning greek sun, Donna looked distractedly the sunflowers on the garden across the street, while Sophie kept twirling her spoon inside her empty cup, lost in thought.
"What are you thinking, Soph?" the woman asked, suddenly noticing her usual gleeful daughter was silent.
"Not much mom" she replied, looking up at Donna "I want to thank you for giving me the best day ever"
"Let´s go back home" she said, pulling Sophie up and hugging her tight.
Shaking her head, she stepped out of the bathroom and hurried out of the Hospital building.
*
Blinking to adjust her eyes to the light, Sophie stood at the top of the stairs looking at the old building that was her mother´s Villa, that had been her home for so many years. So long had she been absent and the emotion made her heart race. Her footsteps were slow and heavy as she made her way across the courtyard and to Donna´s room. Running her hand through her hair, she stood silently in front of the door before pulling it open. The room was dimly lit, but she could see it was a total mess. Sophie smiled faintly remembering how her mother will never allow someone else to tidy her own room.
She walked across the room to open the balcony doors and turned to face the job to be done. She removed the sheets and arranged clean ones, putting all back into place, working slowly and moving automatically, not giving her actions a second thought, as her mind was cast away.
Noticing the flowers on the floor, Sophie picked up the bucket and filled a recipient with water, leaving it over Donna´s dresser and stopping to give a second look to the pictures her mother had on the mirror.
"She always loved pictures" Sophie whispered, taking them one by one.
There was one of her, smiling and showing a basket of food to the camera. It was Sunday and they have been both out for a picnic. It was the day Sophie told her mother about her engagement.
The next one made her hold a sob. It showed her and Sky at the wedding reception… she was glad it had been her mother´s wedding because Donna had been happy since then. She didn´t want and she didn´t need to think about him right then, so she quickly put it aside.
Then, Sophie couldn´t help a smile at the sweetness of the next image. Sam had his arms wrapped around Donna and she was placing a kiss on his cheek. They looked so in love…
"I hope you´ll be happy… Please don´t ever divorce" Sophie whispered, sighing.
Another one showed Sam holding a little girl with shiny black curls and bright blue eyes. She was beautiful, but Sophie had never seen her before.
The last one, showed the same girl sat on the beach and making a sand castle. She gave it for sure it must be Azaria.
"Be a good daughter, you have the best mother you could ever get"
Leaving the pictures next to the flowers, Sophie shook her head and placed it between her hands once she noticed she´ve been talking to the photographs.
"I better keep going, this is driving me insane"
Walking around again, she picked up all the laundry and dropped into the basket for it to be done.
Grabbing a big bag, she approached the wardrobe to pack some clothes. She took a pair of his jeans, a dark blue polo shirt, some clean underwear and socks, and his new brown leather smart shoes, inside a plastic bag. You must look great when she wakes, she finally thought, placing also on the bag his bottle of partum and shaving utensils.
She moved to Donna´s wardrobe to grab another pair of jeans, an ample white blouse, a black belt and Donna´s precious stilettos. Sophie knew her mother only wear them on really special occasions. But I´m sure she would like to look stunning when she leaves that Hospital.
Finally, she took a bottle of Donna´s favorite Donna Karan partum and headed to close the balcony again. But then, she glanced again at the dresser and the flowers, approaching slowly and taking a seat again. She blessed her mother´s bad memory and her old habit of always having pencil and paper at hand. She let down her bitter silent tears to flood her face as they haven´t before and started to write.
Once it was done, she walked to the shelve where Donna kept her books and grabbed "The Three Musketeers", placing the note in the first page and removing the pink brush from her bag to place them together. With a sigh, she placed the book back into place and walked to the wardrobe, taking Donna´s straw cowboy hat and placing it over her pillow. At last, she took a bottle of pills from her mother´s drawer and finally closed the balcony to walk away, taking the bags she has packed with her.
*
SO... what is this girl up to? Review please and I´ll let you know! Loves. Mel.