Chapter 22 #3
"Ok, I'll go tell the saleswoman," he said, and went to look for her, though I was sure he wouldn't remember it, so mentally, I began the countdown, 3, 2, ...
“Devon.” I heard him say before I finished counting. “What did you say the princess was called?”
I couldn’t help but smile. I approached where William was standing with the saleswoman and asked for the costume.
A little while later we were leaving the toy store with several packages.
“It got very late,” I commented.
“Not too late. Perhaps we could go for a drink somewhere. What time is your appointment tomorrow?” he asked.
“It starts at ten in the morning.”
“You don’t have to get up too early, we can go for a drink.”
I nodded and when we got in the car, William joined the traffic and I turned on the music.
At that moment “Separate” by the band PVRIS was playing.
For a few minutes I stayed focused on the song, but although it was a beautiful track, at that moment it felt a bit sad to me.
I reached out and turned off the car radio.
“Why did you turn off the song? Don’t you like it?” he asked, turning his head to look at me for a moment.
“It’s a beautiful song, but I prefer not to listen to music.”
“You seem a bit strange or worried today,” he said, looking at me with concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just a little tired, but don’t mind me and let’s go have that drink.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“I’m sorry, my love, sometimes I forget that your job is exhausting. Let’s go back home.”
How could I think that this wonderful man was someone as petty as Lino had tried to make me believe? And all because of the words of a man who had once broken my heart with his coldness, lack of consideration, and selfishness. To hell with Lino!
“No, I’m the one who should apologize for not enjoying these wonderful moments with you. Let’s go for that drink and enjoy the night, even if I have to go to work tomorrow without sleep,” I stated, and turned the radio back on.
William smiled, but his expression showed that he didn’t understand what was happening to me.
“We can still enjoy ourselves at home,” he said with a mischievous smile.
“I have no doubt about that, but I also like the idea of going out to have fun.”
“Very well, let’s go have fun.”
The place William chose was a bar located on the terrace of an important hotel.
The place was on the rooftop, had beautiful panoramic views and was decorated to recreate an elegant garden.
The waiter accompanied us to a table and left us the menu to choose the cocktail or drink we wanted to taste.
William chose an Old Fashioned and I ordered a Cosmopolitan.
“I was thinking of asking Xavier to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us, but only if you agree. His family lives in the United States and this year he mentioned he doesn’t plan to travel. Would you mind if I invited him?”
“Not at all,” I said, shaking my head, “but first ask him if he doesn’t mind spending it with us. There’s a cultural expectation that says you should spend these holidays surrounded by people, but maybe he wants to be alone.”
“I don’t think so, but I’ll ask him.”
“If you think his solitude isn’t self-imposed, then don’t let him spend it alone. These holidays stir up many memories. Sometimes Christmas isn’t easy; we tend to remember much more the people who are no longer with us. I don’t know if that’s Xavier’s case, but it’s always better to have company.”
“I’ll ask him if he has any plans and, if he doesn’t, I’ll tell him to spend Christmas with us.
I should warn you that Xavier doesn’t have much Christmas spirit, but he’ll surely make an effort for Aurora and for you.
Besides, he’s very fond of you,” he said, but as he said this last part, he frowned.
“Well, I think he’s a cheerful and nice person,” I said.
At that moment they brought our drinks and we remained silent. When the waiter left, William raised his glass.
“To us and to our family.”
“To us and our family,” I said, knowing they were the most important thing in my life.
After taking a sip, during which he kept his eyes fixed on mine the entire time, he put the glass on the table.
“Have you ever spent Christmas alone?” he asked.
“On some occasions,” I replied, not wanting to delve into those memories because I didn’t want to tarnish our moment.
“While you were married?”
“No, during the years I was married I spent it with Lino, and after we separated I always spent it with my great friends, with Sylvia or with Orson. I spent it alone when my father died because my mother and sister would make plans to spend it with some relative, but they wouldn’t include me.”
“You had told me about them, and just knowing what they did to you makes them insufferable to me and I don’t want them near us. Are you planning to invite them to our wedding?”
“I was planning to let them know, but don’t worry because they won’t come.
I never mattered to them. I never knew why my mother hates me so much.
I tried by all means to earn her affection and make her proud, but I couldn’t.
My mind filled with whys, but without answers.
Perhaps her affection has a limited quota and she gave it all to my sister, focusing her love and recognition on just one daughter,” I stated, shrugging my shoulders.
“To hell with her!” he exclaimed, furiously. “I don’t want her anywhere near you or my daughter. We’ll pretend that woman and your sister don’t exist. You don’t need anything from them.”
“They’re still my mother and sister,” I said, sadly.
“Being a father or mother isn’t just about conceiving a child, it’s much more than that.
It’s unconditional love. A mother isn’t just someone who gives birth, just look at yourself with your capacity for love and devotion, with the purity of your love and the great love your heart holds for caring for children.
You are Aurora’s mother, not the woman who gave birth to her, just as your mother isn’t yours because she didn’t give you the love or care that a mother should provide to her children,” he declared, firmly.
I looked at him, moved because his words wrapped around me as if they were a shield of protection.
“Thank you,” was all I could say with a choked voice.
“Thank you for being part of our lives.”
I couldn’t hold back anymore and stood up to hug him. My emotion was so overwhelming that I couldn’t speak because otherwise I would burst into tears. William pulled me to sit on his lap and hugged me tightly.
“Let’s go home,” he said, and it sounded like a promise.
“But you wanted us to be here, I don’t want to ruin the night,” I said, making an effort to find my voice.
“Ruin? How could you ruin anything? You only make everything more wonderful. Let’s go.”
We stood up and left the place.
As soon as we got home, William dragged me to the bedroom, closed the door and stood in front of me, looking at me with intense desire. With one hand he held my face and then slid his thumb across my cheek.
“I love you, my sweet doctor.”
“Not as much as I love you.”
“Well, I don’t think it’s possible to love more than I love you,” he affirmed, and leaning in, he pressed his lips to mine and claimed them as his own.
We both let out a sigh and the kiss intensified.
We explored each other’s mouths with desperation and overwhelming need.
Our arms tightened around each other to feel closer.
A guttural moan vibrated in his chest and made mine tremble.
William slid his hands down my back until he reached my buttocks and pulled me closer to him.
Slowly he moved a few inches away from me and rested his forehead against mine.
“I want to give you a gift. I was going to give it to you on Christmas, but I have something else planned for that day. Now I’d like you to wear it and have nothing else on, just your skin and what I’m going to give you.”
He moved away and went to his nightstand, opened one of the drawers and took out a package. When he handed me the small bag with the brand of a fine and elegant jewelry store, my heart stopped, but not for the reasons William was surely thinking.
“Open it,” he said, enthusiastically.
At that moment what I felt was terrible fear.
I remembered what Lino had told me and began to pray that it wasn’t what he had shown me.
I took out the package and tore open the elegant paper.
William looked at me smiling, probably thinking that my speed in unwrapping was due to my eagerness to see the gift, but while that was true, it wasn’t exactly for the gift itself, but rather to know once and for all if inside there was a…
“I hope you like this necklace, let me put it on you.”
My heart stopped beating, or perhaps it was beating so fast that I had to stop feeling it to avoid noticing the pain it was causing me.
I remained motionless, watching as William took the necklace out of the case and extended it in his hand for me to better appreciate it.
I examined the necklace. It was so beautiful that I almost lost my breath, but mostly because it was identical to the one Lino had shown me, I had no doubts.
My eyes welled up and I shook my head, trying to swallow the lump that was tightening my throat.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned. “Don’t you like it? If that’s the case, we can exchange it,” he said, speaking hastily.
“Why did you buy me this necklace?” I asked, with a thin voice.
“Because I thought you would like it, I never expected this reaction,” he said, putting it back in the bag and leaving it on the nightstand.
I just watched him, but I couldn’t move. When he came back to my side, he took my face in his hands.
“‘Sweet,’ what’s happening? Why did you get like this? I don’t understand anything.”
“Why did you buy me that necklace?” I insisted.
“I don’t know, I liked it and thought you would like it too. Now tell me once and for all what’s going on.”
I moved away and sat on the bed. I put my hands to my temples. There was no point in keeping what Lino had told me to myself. I had thought not to say anything because I was sure they were all absurdities, but how could Lino know about the necklace? I took a deep breath.
“Do you buy that necklace for all your lovers?”
“What? Why are you asking me that?” he asked, his face distorted.
“Just answer me, but tell me the truth.”
“Of course not. How could you even think such nonsense?!” he asked, unable to temper the indignation in his voice.
I had to tell him the truth.
“Today Lino came by the medical clinic and...”
“Your ex-husband? You were with him?” he asked, rage reflected in his voice as he ran a hand through his hair.
“He showed up when I left the clinic to talk to me about you,” I said, while his face reflected increasing fury. “I didn’t believe anything he told me, but this gift makes me doubt.”
“Doubt me? I don’t know what he might have told you, but it’s clear that I don’t like that this son of a bitch’s word still holds value for you.”
“It doesn’t, William, I assure you. But he followed me as I kept walking and I couldn’t help hearing what he was saying.
He told me you had many mistresses, that you gave all of them a necklace like that one,” I said, pointing to the little bag on the nightstand, “and he showed it to me. He said it belonged to one of your mistresses who was an acquaintance of his. He also said that I was just like all the others and that you only proposed to me because I was the only one who could get along with Aurora.”
“I’ll kill him! I swear that guy is going to regret ever crossing my path.”
With all the calm I could muster and with an anguish pressing on my chest as if it were being crushed by an elephant, I raised my gaze to fix it on his eyes, which at that moment were looking at me with indescribable fury.
“How could he know about the necklace you were going to give me? I don’t understand it, William,” I said, shaking my head. “Can you explain it to me?”
“Of course I can explain it. Though let me tell you that I don’t like at all that you doubted me, especially because of what that piece of garbage told you.”
“Put yourself in my place. As much as I try to understand it, I can’t. How is it possible that Lino knew about the necklace? I swear I can’t find an explanation.”
William was pacing back and forth across the room like a caged lion. He was furious, but I didn’t know if it was because of what Lino had said or because he had been caught.