Erica’s POV
I was up in the morning and it was quiet. I had barely slept a wink. I had stayed up all night waiting for Lorenzo.
I had stayed in the living room but he never came. The kids decided to wait with meI never told them why I was upbut they fell asleep an hour after and I carried them up to their rooms.
I waited for a while but the living room got chilly and I had to go to my warm bed. I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking about how I could make it up to him but sleep crept up on me and I dozed off.
I sat up and I decided to go downstairs. The stairs creaked a little. My eyes darted around but there was no unusual movement.
I bit my lip and sighed. Maybe he slept in the guest room again.
I got to the door and it was firmly shut.
I knocked.
“Lorenzo? Are…are you in there?”
There was no answer and I began to worry.
“Lorenzo?”
Still no reply. Was he still sleeping?
I took the initiative and opened the door. The bed was still laid neatly and it seemed nothing had been moved from their place at all.
I touched the bed and it was ice cold. No one had slept her last night. Lorenzo never came home.
I looked around his room and saw his bag. He hadn’t unpacked it since he got back from the airport.
“Maybe I should unpack it?”
I walked towards it and stopped.
No. I couldn’t. It would just make him even angrier.
I sighed and left the room. I only hoped that he was safe. I didn’t want anything to happen to him.
My kids woke up and the silence of the morning was shattered. I had given Clarissa the day off. I was determined to stay home with the kids. I wanted an excuse to not think of Dante. I didn’t want to see him either.
“Mum, I had a dream…”
I chuckled and listened to each of my kids’ dreams. I chuckled and gave them all hugs. I felt warmth and satisfaction. I loved them and all I wanted was for them to be safe.
We got the day started and began the chores. The entire day was difficult. I never thought that it would be this hard to get the kids to sit still and clean.
“Mum! Can I help you…”
“Ethan wait!”
It was too late. He had already grabbed the mob and turned the bucket of soapy water that I was using to mop.
I sighed and buried my frustration under a hatchet. I walked over to him and carried him away from the slippery floor.
I was bubbling with anger but I had to keep myself in check, but the glare in my eyes said it all.
“I think you kids should go and play upstairs so that I can clean.”
The restrained anger in my voice was threatening enough and my kids scurried up to their rooms. I could hear Elsa scolding Ethan and he trying to defend himself.
When I heard their door close, I took a deep breath and began to clean the puddle on the floor.
I was still worried and my worry soon squashed my anger. I grabbed my phone and checked if there was any text or call from Lorenzo.
Nothing…
“Wait a second…”
I checked my notifications and there was a message.
My heart began to pound in my chest and I immediately opened it. But soon, I was swallowed by regret.
It was from Dante.
“Good morning, Erica. I’m sorry about yesterday. I really love you and I didn’t mean to lie to you. Please forgive me.”
I closed my eyes and deleted the message before I gave myself a chance to rethink it. I was home so that I could forget about Dante. I wasn’t going to let him slip into my life again.
I sighed and took a seat. My mind was a fuzzy mess. Did I ever really hate the things he did to me?
I had everything that I wanted: A good job and money, three beautiful kids, a man that I loved…
No.
My heart skipped a beat as I lied to myself.
Lorenzo. I didn’t really love Lorenzo. I had thought that I could grow to love him if we spent more time together but my feelings hadn’t improved. I was living a lie and day by day, it seemed that we were drifting further apart.
I buried my head in my hands and light tears filled my eyes.
Ring! Ring!
I whipped my head up at lightning speed and lunged for my phone.
“Lorenzo? Oh.”
I was filled with a mixture of disappointment and relief as I placed the phone on my ears.
“Hey, Javier.”
His deep and soothing voice fixed my mood slightly.
“Erica, you almost sound disappointed to see me. Am I interrupting something?”
I gasped silently. Was I that easy to read?
“No. Not at all. I am just tired. Ethan spilled a bucket of water and I’m trying to clean it up.”
He gave a chuckle and I couldn’t help but smile too. His aura was infectious.
“Well, try not to slip. Anyway, I guess I called at the right time. You sound stressed so I’m thinking that maybe you and I can go out later. Just a casual stroll, talk, see nature, you know, just to clear the mind. Trust me, with the way you sound, you need it.”
I was about to turn down the offer but I stopped myself. Javier was right. I did need some fresh air. I couldn’t believe it took two days for me to fall apart.
“That would be nice. I’ll see you later. Is 7 pm okay? I want to be home early.”
“Perfect time. I’ll meet you at the mall.”
The call ended and I felt my heart lift slightly. An evening stroll would be…
Bang!
The door was violently flung open.
I jumped from my seat and nearly fell on the floor.
“Lorenzo?!”
“Erica!”
Lorenzo walked up to me, grabbed me tight, and pulled me into a steamy kiss.
I was frozen in shock as his lips smashed against mine. He tasted like pancakes and he was wearing a different shirt.
He finally pulled away from me and I could see a strange softness in his eyes.
“Lorenzo…”
“Erica, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you. I shouldn’t have poured my anger on you like that. The truth is, I was upset but not with you. I was upset with Dante and I ended up transferring that aggression to you over something so trivial. I love you and I want you to forgive me. Please.”
I was stunned. It was all happening so fast. One minute he was mad at me and the next, he was apologizing and asking me to forgive him.
“I’m not angry but I was worried. You were gone all night. You didn’t even call. I stayed up waiting for you and it’s almost noon. What changed your mind? And what happened to your shirt?”
His voice was soft and shaky like he was holding back tears.
“I bought a new one. I spilled coffee on the old one. Also, I was alone. I had breakfast alone and I realized that I hated it. I wanted to be with you and the kids and I realized that you did nothing wrong. I would have been in a cell if you didn’t come on time and I didn’t even thank you properly. I’m sorry. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He pulled me close and hugged me. I hugged him back but my stomach churned nervously.
I had lied again but I couldn’t bring myself to say the truth. It would be too painful.
He pulled away and I slinked back. This was happening so fast. I needed some space.
“I’ll be going out for a walk later, around 6:30 pm. I need to clear my head. I’ve been stressed out.”
He looked over my shoulder and saw the puddle on the floor.
“The kids did that?” He asked.
“Yeah. Ethan tried to help but he made things worse.”
Lorenzo smiled and kissed my forehead.
“You need some time to yourself. I’ll stay with the kids and you can have the evening to yourself.”
He kissed my forehead again and I sniffed his new shirt. He smelled different…