After a long, dreamless slumber in the paradiese like luxury bedroom, Antonia’s eyes slowly fluttered open. As she gently became receptive to her surroundings, she sat on her back and rubbed the blurry off her eyes with the back of her hand.
“5:27 PM,”she muttered to herself, yawning deeply, but when she looked to her side, she saw that she was alone. She was about to pull the curtains aside and peep outside when a sharp headache shot through the left side of her head.”Ouch!”She whispered, grimacing and shutting her eyes, “I had too much to drink last night, oh damn”
She remained on the bed, with her palm over her eyes until the headache subsided enough for her to stand up and go to bathroom. A sharp streak of cold shot through her as her legs came in contact with the bathroom tiles, spending shivers through her gelid veins. She rested her back on the door as she closed it behind her, shutting her eyes once again.
There was a pain in her heart and as much as she tried to, she couldn’t herself from bursting into tiny choking sobs that twisted her stomach into knots. He apparently didn’t spend the night with her, he would never love nor accept her.
These harrowing thoughts weighed heavily on Antonia’s mind even as she soaked herself into the warm water and started washing the stickiness off her hair. If she continued drinking alcohol, she would become an addicted but what she to do in this case? When alcohol seemed to be the only thing that can heal her emotional strains.
After she finished taking a bath, Antonia dressed up in a soft, blue nightgown and was preparing to sleep away the rest of the hangover when she suddenly heard children chattering playfully outside.
In a flash, she gulped down the glass of water to swallow the Tylenol pills in her mouth and hurried to the window, leaning on it. Just as she was expecting, the children were playing baseball in the mini court Christian had designed for them. The two children frolicked about energetically, throwing and catching balls , while Christian cheered them on with applauses and whistles sounds made with his lips.
“Welldone Alex,”he declared with admiration, putting the little boy on his shoulders, “you’re going to become a famous baseball player someday”
“Me too daddy”Miles whined, opening his arms so that Christian would also carry him, “I did well too or didn’t I?”
“Of course my prince,”he placed the first boy down and lifted Miles into the air, “you’re a superstar!”
“Yes daddy!”The boy giggle as his father continued to throw him in the air but when Christian’s eyes suddenly caught Antonia in the window, he instantly put the boy down. Something in her ocean blue eyes went out to him.
“Why are you stopping daddy,”Miles objected, raising his hands again, “daddy carry me again, it was fun”
He ignored the little boy’s whining and beamed softly at Antonia but she only closed the window and drew the blinds over it. This reaction sent darts of different emotions through Christian and as he was preparing the next action to take, Laura sauntered into the court yard, bearing a tray of homemade orange juice and biscuits in her hand.
“Mommy!,”the boys chanted, running towards her,”mommy I played well,”Alex said, “daddy carried me into the air,”Miles added, grabbing a glass of the tray.
“Drink up quickly and come into the house boys,”she announced softly, “it’s time to get a shower and observe your daily siesta”
“But mommy,”the children whined, “we’re still playing we don’t want to take a nap”
“Listen to your mother children and go inside now,”Christian scolded, walking past them towards the stairs that led to the house, that led to Antonia’s room.
“Are you alright honey,”Laura noticed the disconcerted look on his face and his change in demeanor, “is something wrong?”
“Take the children inside Laurie,”he said dissmisively as he began to climb the stairs, “I’m fine”
“Do you want some food?”
She asked again but Christian was already out of sight, walking briskly up the stairs that led to Antonia’s secluded bedroom. He knew she wouldn’t open the door if he knocked and so he was elated when he pushed the door and saw that it was open. She was tying her hair with a ribbon, ready to go to bed, a glass of unfinished bourbon on the centre table. His sank in his chest at the sight of it and guilt washed over him. Antonia’s depression was growing worse by the day.
“The fact that I forgot to close the door doesn’t mean you are welcomed to come in Christian,”she began angrily, “please leave”
“It’s been a while since we last talked Tonia,”he said slowly, moving closer to her, “I’ve missed you”
She scoffed at those words and downed the remaining alcohol in the glass in one gulp, shutting her eyes to savour the hotness in the liquid as it burned her throat down.”Haa,”she exclaimed with relief, “that felt good”
“You need to stop doing this,”Christian pleaded softly.”it’s unhealthy”
There was pain in her ocean blue eyes and intense guilt in his heart. He longed to hold her and wrap his arms around her_ to kiss her forehead and tell her how much he loved her.
“Go away Christian, go back to your children. Your new family, your new life, the one I am not part of”
She refilled the glass again and downed it in one swift gulp, widening her eyes as the liquid burned her throat again. There were tears in her eyes, and the hot liquid helped in suppressing the painful sobs in her throat.
“I don’t mean for things to turn out this way Ant. I miss you”
“Please don’t call me that,”she clenched her teeth angrily, “save the pet names for Laura, the woman you really love”
“That’s not true, I only love you”
“But I can’t have children! I can’t have children of my own. Do you know how that makes me feel. Do you know how lonely and empty I am on the inside. It was in your eyes Christian.”Tears rolled down her eyes, “You love those children more than you will ever love me”
“Calm down baby, let’s step out for some fresh air please”
“No”she picked the bottle of bourbon again, “get out now, leave me alone to wallow in pain”
As she raised the bottle to refill her empty glass again, Christian suddenly took a step closer to her and slapped the bottle of alcohol out of her hands.