Ophelia (17 page)

“Thank you, Misha.” My words meant so much more than they appeared to. I was thanking her for telling me everything, for her honesty, for letting me stay in her house. For all the Christmas presents and birthday cards she had gotten me through the years. We both knew she would never replace my mom, but her love warmed my heart when I felt lonely.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”

My eyes tired and my wrist throbbing, I fell asleep thinking about my reunion with Teo, how I imagined the things would be, and how badly I wanted to hold him in my arms. This man had sacrificed so many things to stay on the right side of the tracks, and I had left him alone so many times. It made me realize why he had reacted that way when I told him about London. He wanted to keep me for himself and I understood. A small grin probably appeared on my lips as my mind diverted to the land of dreams.

... O ...

My body was not yet ready to wake up, when I heard the vibrating sound of my cellphone on the night stand. I stretched my arm out of the blankets to get it. A message waited for me.

Teo: Ti amo.

I smiled a wide and happy smile. I typed, Ti amo, too.

Teo: When are you coming home?

Ophelia: Soon. Probably tomorrow.

Teo: Are you okay?

I saw all the questions between the lines. He was asking so much more than if I was just okay.

Ophelia: I am. No need to be worried.

Teo: Okay, thank you, baby.

It had been over an hour and a half since I fell asleep. I could have slept a lot longer, but I could hear all the voices downstairs and I felt bad for staying here. With my good hand, I touched the top of my injured hand and it was swollen. Damn it. I shouldn’t have played so much, but God, it felt good. So liberating. It was worth weeks of therapy or five gallons of chocolate milk.

I freshened up before meeting them in the living room. They greeted me with love. A tall glass of chocolate milk waited for me at the table.

“You guys know me well.” I took a sip after sitting down on my chair.

“You are probably the biggest consumer in America,” Jarrod joked. Although he might be right.

The night flew by. We laughed and talked. I shared the experiences I’d had travelling around the world. How I got lost in the middle of Hong Kong. When I visited Venice the first time, and how the city inspired me. But I spent probably a whole hour talking about Australia, assisting a music teacher and being invited to play at the Sydney Opera House. They were all quiet, listening to me, and it touched me. I’d visited all these places but never really talked about it. Of course, I would tell Beverly or Teo, but it felt different to tell adults. As if I was talking to my parents. I saw the sparks in Misha’s eyes when I told them each of the goals I had achieved.  In my young life, I had accomplished more things than some accomplish in a lifetime. Hard work and sacrifice were the key words of my life and through all the memories I talked about, I realized that I had no regrets. Travelling around the world, playing piano hour after hour had made me who I was now.

One thing I knew, it was time to go home.

***

You are the sun of my day, the moon of my night.

I want my world to gravitate around yours.

Because without you by my side, I’m a sky with no stars.

***

U
nable to nap or to close my eyes, I sat on the plane, counting each minute, waiting to land. Beverly and Clara offered to pick me up, which sounded much better than riding in a taxi cab. My journey back in Brooklyn was much needed, and I was now a better version of me. I learned a truckload of unexpected information, but I also made peace with the things that happened to me. I had lost a part of me and Teo, and it had broken us for an instant, but I believe it only made us stronger in the end. My heart craved his love and my body desired his. He told me he couldn’t make it to the airport, but he said he would be home early.

When I got to the terminal, Clara ran into my arms and hugged me so tightly that I could hardly breathe.

“Isn’t it my favorite little girl?” I tickled her side.

Laughing, she tightened her arms around my shoulders. “I missed you.”

An additional pair of arms joined us. I recognized Beverly’s perfume and her giggle.

“Hey, girls. We’re reunited at last.” She kissed my cheek.

“Brooklyn was... hummm... an unexpected challenge. I’m glad I went, I got the closure I needed and now, I’m just happy to be back on the West Coast with my favorite people.”

Something was different about Beverly. I didn’t know if it was my imagination or reality, but she seemed relieved as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Maybe keeping all these secrets had been hard on her. The situation had taken way too long to be resolved. At least, in the end, I knew the truth, and I had no desire to go over it with Beverly. I understood why it had been done and I was fine with their motives.  I had to accept it. They meant too much to me to be mad.

“Are we going home?” My voice sounded way too eager.

After taking Clara away from me, Beverly motioned me to turn around. I turned and saw him. He stood tall and proud, his hair shaved like in the old days. He wore one of the tops I had bought him in Paris, with the perfect pair of jeans, one that sat exactly at his waist. He didn’t come to me, he waited for me to make the first move. I didn’t expect to see him here, and it took me by surprise. I smiled, staring at his eyes, and a small shy smirk appeared at the corner of his lips, making me weak in the knee. My Teodore was back. No anger, no pain, just love. No words were spoken because we didn’t have to. When I took my first step toward him, I saw his body relax. I jumped into his arms.

“Sapevo che saresti ritornata da me. Mi sei mancata.” He whispered into the hollow on my neck.

“Stop talking and kiss me already.” The type of kiss I had in mind wasn’t airport appropriate, but I would settle for anything he was willing to give me.

“Such a romantic,” he chuckled before taking my breath away with a passionate kiss. His mouth came crashing on mine, unsettling me. Teo’s strong arms held me close, caressing me delicately.

“Don't squeeze me to tight, it’s still sensitive.”

He immediately released me. “Did I hurt you, baby?”

“I’m okay, just happy to be with you. We have to make everything better.” I wanted to beg him to take me back regardless of all the mistakes I had made.

“Aren't we now?” He gave me a small peck on the tip of my nose. “We had our first misunderstanding in many years. I think what happened shocked both of us, but it wasn’t either of our faults. We can only be stronger from now on. I’m not leaving you ever again.”

I didn't think it was possible for me to smile bigger. I nodded and kissed him again, because every second I spent away from his lips were a waste of time.

“Can we go back home now, Mom?” We both chuckled as we heard Clara in the background.

“Not that I don't enjoy kissing you, but I think we can continue in the privacy of our bedroom later tonight.”

“Absolutely.” I flushed, my heart hammering on my rib cage with excitement.

“Come on, girls, let’s go home.”

“Yeah, he loves this way too much. You’ll understand, Lia.” Beverly rolled her eyes. What was I missing? “Men and their toys.”

I assumed Teo had gotten a new car, which surprised me. He never complained about our car. We had a Volkswagen Golf, and it worked just fine. It must be something else, but he had gotten me curious. I was dying to find out.

His fingers found my cast as we headed outside. He looked at my swollen hand and gave me a concerned look. “How long has it been swollen like this? It should have been back to normal by now.”

He knew me well enough to know what happened. “I played piano yesterday.”

“Geez, how long did you play?”

“Two hours, maybe.”

He signed before kissing the top of my fingers. “I know there is nothing stopping you, but you weren’t supposed to play for at least two or three weeks.”

Thankfully he hadn’t seen my hand yesterday, because he would have freaked. The swelling was almost all gone now.

He took his car keys out of his pocket and I noticed it wasn’t the Volks key. He pushed on the unlock button with pride, I watched attentively to see which car it would be.

“Holy crap, you got a Range Rover? Are you insane?”

He laughed out loud, unsurprised by my reaction. “I can afford it, trust me.” Of course it was black, his favorite color, and the windows were also tainted dark. I had to admit it looked pretty good, and yes, part of me was jealous.

“Why didn’t you talk to me about this?” As soon as I said it I remembered that we really hadn’t been talking.

“I had been thinking about it for a while, and I got a good deal. Plus, it’s a safe car. It’s yours too.”

“Can I drive it?”

“Not today.” His tone was serious. “Let me get you back home in one piece, it’s all I need for now, okay?”

I agreed.

Beverly nudged me in the ribs. “Men and their toys, now you understand.”

I laughed. “I do.” I sat in the front passenger seat and I couldn’t stop smiling. We never had owned anything that expensive, even the apartment, which was nice but nothing luxurious. This was a first for us. We all had great jobs, but we were all happy with what we had. His change of mind was unexpected.

“Do you like it? Look at the leather seat, the stereo!” His eyes illuminated with joy. Beverly and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Should I be jealous now or what?” I teased him.

He pulled me by the chin, meeting my lips halfway. “Never be jealous. You are my one and only priority. You are my heartbeat.”

I heard Beverly sigh. “Are you guys always so cheesy?”

I give Teo a chaste kiss on his lips. “That’s why I love him so.”

We rode home quietly. The new car was so smooth, far different from our Volkswagen, where we felt every little bump on the road. Teo kept peeking at me until he gave in and took my hand into his, a simple gesture that made me the happiest girl in the world. I remembered our conversation before I left and how much he’d been hurt. We’d been so far apart and scared. All the unknown emotions we had been through separately saddened me.

What about his hair? The car distracted me from his new look. Why did he get rid of his longer, curly hair that I loved so much? I didn’t have to search for an answer much longer. I was gone, and I’d told him he looked like shit. He did this because of me. I was the reason and my heart sank just a little.

“Hey. Whatever it is you are thinking about, it will be okay.” How he knew of my sudden realization I couldn’t imagine. He held my hand a little tighter and kissed the top of it.

“I love you.” I could never tell him enough how much I loved him.

... O ...

The apartment was all cleaned up, everything in its place, not a single toy in the way. Nothing felt as good as the feeling of being home.

“Clara and I are going to the restaurant, and then the movies. So you'll have to evening to yourselves.” She winked and waggled her eyebrows, letting me know what she was referring too. I laughed at her lack of subtlety.

“Thanks, but it’s not allowed.” I sighed. “For at least three weeks.”

“Damn. You guys won’t make it that long.”

I flushed. “I guess we'll see.”

“Are you girls really talking so openly about what I think you are talking?” The look on Teo's face cracked me up. We had been caught.

“Maybe we are,” I replied, laughing at him.

He rolled his eyes, took my suitcase and brought it to our room. I followed him, still laughing.

When both of us were in the room, he closed the door behind me and slid his arms around me waist, pulling me closer to him.

“You have no idea how much I missed this and how scared I was to lose you.”

He kissed the base of my neck softly multiple times, making his way across my shoulder. “I know exactly how you felt because I was never in my life as miserable as I was without you next to me. The first time we argued, I turned my back on you. I left you, Ophelia and I’m so very sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” I tried to convince myself not to cry. “I thought you hated me for being so careless while carrying our child. It’s my fault if...”

“Stop right now,” he ordered me. His face tensed, I knew he wasn't happy with what I was about to say. “It’s not my fault or your fault, it’s called an accident. A very shitty accident, but it wasn't under our control.”

“I’m sorry.”

He embraced me, his arms holding me against him. “I’m sorry too. I’ll never say it enough.” His lips softly murmured against my hair. “It killed me to see you getting hurt, to see you in pain, unconscious. Never again, I couldn't bear it.”

We stayed like that for a while, standing in the middle of our room, enjoying the feel of each other. When we stared in each other’s eyes, I finally admitted to myself that I could no longer be away from him. Travelling around the world didn't interest me at all unless he was coming with me. “Every morning, I want us to have breakfast together. I want us to have a normal life. A happy couple life.”

“We always have, in our way.” He tucked a brand of hair behind my ear. “When you were away in Australia, Brazil or wherever you were,” he chuckled, “every small thing coming from you made my day. Whether it was a short text message, a postcard or a package, it made me the happiest guy. When you called, it sent me directly to seventh heaven. Any ways, I could get a piece of you, you made me happy.”

He had a way with words, and each of them touching my heart deeply. “I’m the luckiest girl. You waited for me when I didn’t deserve you, when I was selfish and going after each of my dreams.”

“Don’t, you were never selfish. You were on a mission.” He smiled. “You did it and now, you are mine. Mi sei mancata.” His lips found mine again. “Ti amo, Ophelia.” The Italian rolling off his tongue make my inside tighten in a hormonal frenzy. “I love how you react when I speak Italian.” My breath quickened. “You’re incredibly pretty.”

I ran my fingers through his short hair. “It reminds me of the seventeen-year-old Teodore.”