The Power of Forgiveness
Sarah
After several months without having a real conversation with Rachel, today I planned to address several events between us and in our family. However, what prompted me to seek her out was her loss, something that was incredibly painful for me and I'm sure even more so for her.
Honestly, I was tired of all the intrigue and disunity. Even though discovering how selfish Rachel was and all her schemes had caused me great pain and disappointment, I couldn't live with so much hatred in my heart.
"Am I being weak?" I asked Mary.
My mother-in-law insisted on accompanying me since even though I was in an advanced stage of recovery, Kael thought it wasn't safe for me to walk around alone without the necessary support.
"You know my opinion, Sarah," Mary replied with a gentle smile. "I believe that your happiness is most important, and you won't be fully happy without having this conversation with Rachel. You both need this moment."
I gently squeezed Mary's hand in gratitude for her comforting words. She was right; I needed this encounter with my sister, and the outcome of this conversation would shape the future of our family. So, here I was at Enrico's father's house, waiting in the living room for Lindsay to inform Rachel of my presence.
While Mary remained seated on the charcoal gray sofa, I stood up and began pacing around the room. I observed the décor in dark, sober tones, reflecting the personality of the person who had chosen it. It was clear I was trying to distract myself somehow when I heard a noise coming from the hallway, quickly recognized as the sound of crutches, and I looked in that direction.
"Oh, good morning!" Enrico's father greeted him with clear surprise. "I didn't know we had visitors, forgive me."
I looked at him with a bit of surprise, as he was walking with a cane, unlike the last time I visited him in London when he was without any assistance.
\- "Good morning! How are you?" I extended my hand in greeting, promptly received by him.
"I'm well, thank you for asking. And how are you? Have you been waiting here long?"
"I'm fine, Joseph," I replied with a smile, then explained why I was at his house. "No need to worry, Lindsay greeted us. She went to inform Rachel about my visit."
Joseph seemed focused on something just behind me, taking a moment longer to respond. So, I turned to understand the reason for his distraction and realized I had made an oversight by not introducing my companion, who was already standing by this point.
"I forgot to introduce my mother-in-law, I apologize," I pointed out, feeling embarrassed. "This is Mary Graham, Kael's mother and my fiancé's mother. Mary, this is Joseph Bianchi, Enrico's father."
They exchanged greetings, but somewhat awkwardly. As I watched the scene unfold before me, I sensed a strange atmosphere in the air. I noticed they took a bit longer than usual to release each other's hands, and a suspicion crossed my mind briefly, but I dismissed it quickly.
"So, now you're Mary Graham?"
Did they already know each other?
"Yes, it's me now," Mary confirmed with a broad smile. "I thought I had left Seattle many years ago..."
"You're right. I spent quite some time abroad when my son started his career as a pilot," Joseph confirmed. "I've been back in town for quite a while now."
Before the odd dialogue continued, feeling like a conversation I wasn't being included in, I decided to intervene. "Infiltrate" was the right word, as they didn't seem inclined to keep me informed about what was happening in that room.
"Can you two explain to me how you know each other?" I spoke gently, with a touch of amusement in my voice. "Because I'm completely lost!"
"We met many years ago, attending the same elementary school," Mary explained to me, but her gaze remained fixed on Joseph. "In fact, we even had a brief romance in our teenage years, but nothing serious..."
At that moment, it may not have been serious, but the look they exchanged now was quite "serious," I thought with amusement. They seemed enchanted by the unexpected reunion, and I couldn't help but feel happy for them. After all, everyone deserves to find someone special in life, regardless of age. It was clear they were very interested in each other, and if their relationship hadn't worked out back then, now they seemed willing to give it a new chance.
"Those were good times..." Joseph hinted nostalgically, with a touch of sadness as well.
"I think you two could catch up and reminisce about the old times. What do you think?" I suggested somewhat tentatively.
I can't deny that my suggestion was loaded with ulterior motives, because it truly was. They made a lovely couple, and Mary deserved all the happiness in the world. She was an amazing woman, and I couldn't blame her for the failure of my parent's marriage, which started on the wrong foot between Guilhermina and Patrick. From what I knew of the story, my mother always knew that my father didn't love her.
On the other hand, my father was also weak for not fighting for his true love and accepting manipulation to maintain a loveless marriage. He was unhappy, making others unhappy in the process, and getting involved in gambling, perhaps as a way to escape reality. Having an extramarital affair could never be considered commendable behavior by anyone.
"I remember you used to love flowers a lot," Joseph recalled, taking the opportunity to extend an invitation. "Can I show you the garden? What do you think?"
"I still love flowers and would be delighted to see your garden, Joseph," Mary replied without hesitation, accepting the invitation.
Joseph and Mary, who would have thought? Even after all these years of living in the same city, seemingly without even crossing paths, today this very timely encounter between Joseph and Mary happens.
My thoughts were interrupted by Rachel's arrival. She entered the room with slow, uncertain steps, walking closer to where I was now seated. Her expression was weary, her pale face highlighting the small yet striking scar on her cheek. This made me even more empathetic to everything we had been through since the loss of our father.
“Lindsay said you wanted to talk to me…” Rachel said, her voice tinged with doubt as if she didn't believe the message had been relayed correctly.
Seeing my sister like that, so different from the vibrant and lively Rachel I knew, made me realize how much I missed her, despite everything. Learning about her loss changed the negative feelings I harbored. I've always believed everyone does their best, and I was tired of being a bitter and resentful person. It only caused me harm.
I stood up to express my condolences for her loss. However, to my surprise, Rachel's eyes widened in shock.
“You're standing on your own!” She practically shouted, covering her mouth in astonishment.
Seeing Rachel's surprise, I realized she didn't know how much progress I had made in my recovery, that I could now even walk unassisted, albeit with extra care. I took a step towards her.
“You're walking, sis!” Now, tears streamed down her face, and she broke into convulsive sobs, visibly moved. “You're walking!”
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