[GIOSEFFO]
“You’re the living proof that nobody’s perfect. You, who seemed like you never made mistakes, are capable of making them too,” Raffaele added, speaking more seriously this time. It seemed they all knew by now that I had nothing to hide from them.
“I was never perfect. I was just good at hiding, but I am a flawed man, and all of that came out when I met Millie. She can bring out the best and worst in me,” I admitted. It seemed they knew everything about me; I had nothing more to hide.
“I told you before, Gio, that I look up to all your life decisions, but one decision I’m terribly disappointed about is when you thought annulment was the answer to quiet down Millie’s life,” Taddeo chimed in.
“I know, I am disappointed with myself, too. That’s why, as much as I can, I want to make it up to her. Even if she wants to kill me. If she wants me dead, she can kill me after I’ve explained myself and said everything I want to say.”
“I had a feeling Millie would be your downfall,” Taddeo sighed. “But it’s not entirely bad that you separated, even if it was just for a while. Not every separation is a bad thing, Gio. Often, you both need to breathe separately to figure out your mistakes and what you need to fix in your life. No relationship is perfect. There will be arguments and pain. Especially for you two, you didn’t even go through being friends or dating before getting married. You jumped right into marriage. Acknowledging your emotions is new to you, Gio. You’re not used to that.”
I listened to what Taddeo was saying, reflecting on the advice I had given him when he was desperately pursuing Beatrice. Now, all the things I had told him were coming back to me.
“What I’m saying is, you and Millie don’t have a solid foundation. It’s like a building standing on ground that could crumble at any moment. The foundation of your relationship isn’t sturdy. That’s why you’re easily shaken, and you think that a breakup is the solution after a minor argument. It’s because your marriage happened suddenly. You didn’t have time to get to know each other and strengthen your connection. And you, Gio, when it comes to Millie, you tend to rely on your emotions rather than logic. That’s why your decisions are often impulsive and out of place, like the annulment.”
I absorbed everything they were saying because they had more experience than I did. I had to admit that I might be wrong, and what I thought was best for Millie might not be.
“That will serve as a lesson for you and for her as well. Sometimes, you need to grow apart to evaluate yourselves, to figure out what’s missing in your relationship and what you need to fix to make it better. You still have time to make things right. The damage has been done, yes, but it’s not too late, at least not in my opinion. I’m not sure about Millie, though.”
Taddeo gave me a cold look after his last statement. He grinned at me before taking a sip of his drink.
But I couldn’t help but contemplate everything he said. I realized I was lacking as a partner. I wasn’t boyfriend material, let alone husband material. I never even thought about getting married or being in a relationship. But now, I wanted to be a good partner to Millie, so I would do everything to make it work. It would never be too late unless Millie herself stopped me and said she didn’t want it anymore.
I would persist until we fixed things. I would push forward, just like I did when I aspired to be with someone like her.
I took all their words to heart, even though I never imagined I’d be seeking advice from my cousins.
The door of the room where we were sitting suddenly opened, and I was surprised to see someone entering.
“Arcel, you’re still alive!” Raffaele exclaimed upon seeing our cousin.
“I just got home when I received ‘s text. I hurried over. What’s going on?” He asked, looking clueless. I shrugged, not in the mood to share details. They could handle it.
I simply rested after talking to my cousins. Somehow, I felt a bit better.
My resolve concerning Millie used to be weak because I had massive insecurities about her. But I realized after tonight that it wasn’t an excuse. Instead of letting it discourage me, I needed to use those insecurities as motivation for her. I admit I was a coward. I had principles in other matters, but I couldn’t stand up for my love for Millie because I thought I was the reason she might die. Instead of thinking that way, I should be thinking the opposite protecting Millie while I’m still alive.
~*~
The next morning, I wasted no time and left New York early for Minnesota. I was accompanied by David and Elliott, and Dario was already waiting for us there. He mentioned that Millie didn’t show any suspicious behavior. It seemed like she had integrated into the community and was leading a normal life. However, he couldn’t get close to her because he might become a target, just like what happened to me. If that occurred, Millie wouldn’t know how to handle it.
I decided to stay at a resort while in Minnesota. I had no idea how to approach Millie after what happened yesterday, but I had to figure it out.
The first place I visited was where I saw Millie yesterday. She was there again, happily teaching the children to read. She had a bright smile on her face, and it seemed like she derived immense joy from helping the kids. I couldn’t be sure if she had genuinely forgotten or didn’t remember anything that had happened to her after the accident, but despite that, she still chose to help. She was different in some ways, but the goodness within her remained unchanged. I knew there had been changes in her, but it couldn’t erase the inherent goodness in Millie.
She noticed us and looked in my direction. I walked toward her, even though her gaze at me wasn’t exactly warm.
Here she goes again, her murderous eyes fixed on me as if I were her prey. One wrong move, and she might actually kill me. Don’t worry, Millie. My life is in your hands, but for now, I can’t surrender it because there are many things I still need to find out.