Chapter 60- WEIGHT
*Flashback*
Leonardo stared at his friend, Ricardo in the face. His friend was just as distraught as Leonardo was. What began as two friends having fun, had turned into a day that Leonardo would regret for the rest of his adult life.
'Is— is it bad?" He asked, hoping that his friend would give him the good news but Ricardo's silence had spoken volumes. The two boys stood in the forest for what seemed like hours, not moving nor saying a word to one another.
'I think you should go" Ricardo spoke up, breaking the trance like state that Leonardo was caught in. Still in disbelief, Leonardo stared at his friend questionably and unable to say a word.
'Just go!" Ricardo yelled at him and when Leonardo stood still, unable to move, Ricardo pushed Leonardo away.
'But I did it, you can't stay here" Leonardo tried explaining. Knowing very well that he might be sentenced to jail for the crime that he had just committed, Leonardo could not allow his best friend to take the blame for something that he did not do.
'Leonardo just go, I will handle it" Ricardo yelled at his friend and even as he tried to keep calm, pacing the woods and running his hands through his hair had done nothing other than to reveal his true state of his panic.
'But—"
'But nothing, as it is you and father are not in the best of terms. If this comes out, he will make sure that you are locked up. I will take the blame for what you did" Without saying another word, Leonardo turned on his heel and bolted out of the woods, not looking back but forever grateful that his best friend has saved him from ruining his life.
The events of that day, twenty one years ago would stay with him until the day he died and will forever haunt him, even in his sleep.
*Flashback*
'Leonardo wake up!" Leonardo's eyes shot wide open at the sound of his wife's voice. He awoke to his wife worried eyes looking down at him, as he lay on their bed. He quickly sat on his bed, beads of sweat running down his forehead and also, parts of his t-shirt drenched in sweat.
'It was a nightmare" he whispered to himself but Aurora caught that and touched the sides of his face, looking into her husband's fear filled eyes.
'What happened, why were you calling out Ricardo's name?" She asked. Aurora's worried expression scared Leonardo. The last thing he wanted his wife to do was worry about an incident that happened years ago.
He quickly smiled at her, anything to make sure that the worried expression on Aurora's face disappeared.
'It was just a bad dream, that's all" Leonardo reassured her, but even as he lied, Aurora still looked concerned. Leaning closer to Aurora, he placed a kiss on her forehead.
'Please do not worry about me, I am okay. And besides, worrying is not good for our baby"
'But—"
'But nothing Avena, we have a little baby to take care of from now on and it is best that you not worry over some silly nightmare" he told her, with a little edge to his tone of voice. Even as the ghosts of his past continue to haunt him, he would never allow it to hurt his new found happiness.
'Okay, if you say so. I made lunch, come and eat" she told him, getting off their bed and exiting their bedroom before Leonardo could say more.
'Stupid!" Leonardo slammed his hand against his face, knowing very well that he mishandled the situation. Putting on his pants, Leonardo stepped off his bed and made his way towards the dining room.
As always, Aurora neatly placed their food onto the dining room table. She amazed him at how much she took care in everything that she did.
'Come sit down, your food is ready" she told him plainly, whilst she took her seat at the table. Leonardo sat down right next to her and even as he sat, he could still feel that Aurora was mad at him.
Breathing out and composing himself, Leonardo took Aurora's hand in his and looked at her in the eyes.
'I am sorry, I did not mean to snap at you like that. Perhaps I was just scared"
'Scared of what? If you have something that is bothering you, wouldn't it be best that you tell me?" Aurora asked him, concerned glittering in her eyes and her heart pained that her husband could not share his deepest hurt with her.
Leonardo tightened the grip around his wife's hand and his loving eyes looking into hers, wondering just how he would ever break the news to her that her husband is not who she thinks he is.
"My love, maybe one day one I'll be able to tell you what is in my heart but until that day comes, you will have to just trust me" Leonardo told her and even as she listened to her husband speak, she could not help but wonder what did Ricardo have to do with all the nightmares
"Ok" that was all that Aurora could say at the moment, the last thing she wanted was another argument between the both of them. But just when Leonardo thought that he was out of the woods, Aurora stopped him from returning to his food.
'Just wait a second, I just have one more question to ask you and please answer me truthfully" Aurora pleaded with her husband.
"Why is it that every time you have a nightmare, Ricardo's name is always the only name that you mention?" Aurora asked and Leonardo swallowed the lump in his throat as he struggled to come up with a lie. He slowly turned towards his wife and smiled, hoping that what he was about to say would put her at ease.
"Let's just say that he's a good friend who did a lot for me and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him" Even as her husband spoke to her about his friend, Ricardo, something in her told her that Leonardo was lying to her but she just couldn't figure out why he would do such a thing.
"Ok" she answered, smiling at him but quickly returning to eating the food on her plate.
The mood between them was pretty normal the entire afternoon but the weight of a conversation and Leonardo's nightmare still hang in the air.
Even as Leonardo praised best friend, something about him did not sit well with her. Added to Leonardo's nightmares and is unsettling moods, Aurora herself had another obstacle in her path and that was finding out who it was that was sending her those threatening letters.
In the bid to find out what was unsettling her husband, she had forgotten about her own problem and that was keeping her identity a secret. The identity that she could not reveal to the world no matter what. She had built a life, a beautiful life for herself and she would not allow the presence some enemy to ruin it for her
**
The next day
Aurora stood in a room, tapping her feet onto the floor impatiently, her hand on the telephone pressed against her ear as she waited for the person on the other end to answer the phone
'Please answer signora Meta" Aurora started getting inpatient with the older woman, wanting her to pick up the phone. Her husband had finally left for work, she had a few days to get ready before she started with university and all she needed to do right now was to speak to Signora Meta and make sure that her beautiful life would not come to an end.
'Hello my dear Signora Meta" greeted Aurora over the phone. The older woman was full of smiles and it was Evident in her voice as she spoke through the phone
In that very moment, Aurora wished that she could be as cheerful as the older woman was but unfortunately, she could not for the worries of the world wore her down.
Aurora tried her best not to cry over the phone but it was her voice that betrayed her as her motions ran wild. Aurora could not figure out if it was just her or the hormones of being pregnant that caused that to happen, but what she did know was that, she was distraught and she was broken
'What is it my dear, who has hurt you, say something please" Signora Meta begged Aurora over it to say something but all she could do was cry over the phone as her motions engulfed her.
'Signora Meta, something is very wrong" Aurora cried over the phone.
'What is it my dear please tell me?" She asked.
'I think someone has found out my identity" Aurora blurted out and just like both women were silent. The older woman was no longer speaking.
'Hello—hello" Aurora tried getting the older woman's attention but still there was silence on her end of the line.
'My dear, I think you just overreacting" Signora Meta's voice broke through the line as she tried to reassure Aurora that everything was okay.
'You do not get it Signora Meta, something is wrong, someone knows who I am and I am sure of this" Aurora explained, even as she tried to keep her calm, but the panic in her voice swarmed its way out.
'But how would anyone know who you are, you haven't said anything to anyone have you?" Signora Meta's question had come as a surprise to Aurora who had not told a single soul who she truly was.
'No Signora, I have not old anyone a single thing but I've been receiving is letters on my doorstep, that they know who I am. I thought that it was some kind of joke but they know my name and this is truly making me very afraid" once again there was a silent on Signora Meta's end, as Aurora waited for a response from the older woman
'Ok, I want you to be calm and I will get to the bottom of this" She promised Aurora but that was not enough.
'How would you do that, how would you fix all that is wrong when I am finally happy and all of a sudden things are going wrong" Aurora cried out, gripping onto the phone tightly as if she were about to break it with her bare hands.
'No need to worry, all you have to do is trust me" Signora Meta assured Aurora who was just about losing her mind as fear gripped her.
'But how can I trust you Signora"
'Please my dear, trust me. I have never let you down and I never will, I promised your mother before she died. I will take care of you and I will do just that, please trust me" Signora Meta's words that come as a reassurance but Aurora could still not help but to wonder how would Signora Meta would go about solving her problem.
Aurora was finally happy where she was, she finally had a husband and a baby on the way.