Prisioner In Your Arms

Nicole was in her bedroom, unable to believe what was happening. She had brought with her the photo that Leandro had in his house in Milan. They had transferred his body to be buried in New York, and she still couldn’t grasp the reality of what had happened.

Shelsy and her mother had traveled with them. Bruno allowed it because the pain Sergio had caused him no longer hurt, and it was important for Nicole and Rina because the baby she carried in her womb was Leandro’s.

Nicole stood in front of the window, her gaze fixed on the photo. Bruno entered the room and approached her, pained to see her in such a state. He wiped away her tears with his hand.

“It’s time, my love. We need to go to the church and then to the cemetery. I can’t bear to see you suffer like this. I never got along with Leandro, and I apologize for that. I know he was very important to you and our child. By the way, my mother will stay with Santi. The doctor has advised that he should not be exposed to strong emotions. For now, we shouldn’t tell him what happened to Leandro. It would be unfair to ask Sara to stay with him. She has been very distraught since she found out about his death.”

“I don’t know if I can bear to see that coffin and know that he’s inside. I close my eyes, and I can see him smiling. When I open them, I know he will soon be in that dark and cold hole in the ground. Leaving him alone in that place, no, I can’t.”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Nicole began to cry, a heart-wrenching cry. She knew that the final farewell was approaching, and she didn’t want, couldn’t say goodbye to him in that way.

“You have to try to calm down. I know it’s not easy, but you must do it. Our baby is receiving all these emotions. I have spoken with the doctor, and all of this could affect him.”

“And do you think I want to feel this way, to cause harm to my child? I can’t help it. Leandro was a very important person in my life. I lived with him for years. He treated me like no one else has. He was someone who never raised his voice, who always smiled, who took care of me. He did the same for my son. Throughout all those years, he sent me a huge bouquet of red roses every morning. He always had a big smile when he greeted me. Between us, nothing happened that I should be ashamed of. Do you know why? Because he didn’t want it to. He didn’t want me to be labeled as his lover. He wanted me to get a divorce first before we could get married. It wasn’t our fault that we turned out to be siblings. I couldn’t love him because in my heart, you have been and will always be there. But I cared for him deeply. He loved my son from the moment he came into this world. He was the one who cut Santi’s umbilical cord, took care of him, and told him bedtime stories every night. So please, don’t ask me to calm down. I want to scream, to scream loudly, to see if I can alleviate this pain that is tearing my soul apart.”

Bruno listened to her in silence, feeling his own soul tearing apart as he witnessed her suffering. Amidst it all, hearing her say that in her heart, he had been and would always be there, reassured him. For a moment, he feared that what she was trying to tell him was that she loved Leandro despite them being siblings, and he wouldn’t have been able to bear that. He hugged her tightly.

“Come on, let’s go. The Mass is about to begin. Let’s bid him farewell as he deserves.”

Nicole placed the photograph on a small table. That would be its place forever, next to her bed, so she could see it every day when she woke up. They left the room, and as they descended the stairs, the others were already waiting in the living room. Sara approached to hug Nicole, and after that, they set off towards the church.

The service was deeply moving. A large photo of Leandro was placed next to the casket, capturing his smiling face-the smile that Nicole loved so much.

After the service, they headed towards the cemetery. As they were about to lower the casket, Nicole couldn’t resist and approached to embrace it. At that moment, a light drizzle began to fall. The sky, too, seemed saddened, moved by her grief.

Shelsy wept silently, keeping her hands on her belly. That little one gave her strength to endure. Besides, she knew that Leandro’s love for Nicole would be eternal, and she respected that.

Bruno approached to pull Nicole away from the casket, and she complied without resistance. She stood there, her gaze fixed, watching as Leandro’s body was lowered into that dark place. Suddenly, that darkness engulfed her, and she felt as though she had awakened in a beautiful place-a garden filled with exquisite flowers. The aroma was intoxicating, and she noticed that the colors of the plants were vibrant. She had the sensation that someone was watching her. When she turned around, there he was, smiling. He was dressed entirely in white. She ran towards him and embraced him, holding him so tightly that he began to laugh.

“Hey, little one!”

“You’re here. You’re here with me,” she said, feeling the warmth of his embrace, feeling him as if he were real.

“They have allowed me to come and bid you farewell, so you can see that I am fine. So, wipe those tears away and be happy. There’s nothing to stop you anymore. And love my son, love him as if he were me.”

Leandro placed a tender kiss on her forehead. At that moment, Nicole woke up. She was lying on Bruno’s lap in the backseat of the car. Noah was driving, and Emma was in the passenger seat. They were heading to the hospital and had become alarmed when they noticed she hadn’t woken up.

She wiped away her tears and sat up. Bruno looked at her, puzzled, but she turned and smiled at him.

“I’m fine. Let’s go home. Leandro has said his goodbye to me. He is fine, in a beautiful place.”

Bruno, Noah, and Emma listened to her but remained silent. Perhaps the suffering had caused her to have hallucinations, but Nicole knew it had been real. She could still feel the warmth of that embrace, and the scent of the flowers had lingered in her memory.

Upon arriving home, Nicole greeted the people who were there to offer their condolences and support. Then, she apologized and went upstairs to see Santi. Her son needed her. Mara was sitting in a rocking chair, and Santi was sitting on her lap, hugging her. When Santi saw Nicole enter, he ran towards her.

“Mummy!”

“Hello, my love.”

“I saw from the window that there are many people at home.”

“They just came to say hello, my son.”

Mara quietly left the room when she saw Nicole embrace her son. Tears streamed from her eyes, but they were tears of happiness for having her little one back with her.

“Why are you crying, mommy? You shouldn’t cry. Last night, I dreamt of Uncle Leandro. He said goodbye to me and made me promise to take care of you. So, don’t cry. From now on, I’ll take care of you like he did.”

Nicole was astonished. She knew it was real. Leandro loved them so much that he had bid them farewell in that way so they wouldn’t suffer. She observed her son, who had grown during their time apart. He was slightly taller and spoke very well now. Before, some words had been difficult for him. She kissed his forehead and lay down next to him.

Later, Bruno entered the room and found them asleep. He lay down next to them, embraced them, and stayed like that for a while. It felt wonderful to be with his family and know that nothing would hinder their happiness anymore.

Days later, Nicole and Santi were in the garden taking care of the roses. Rina had insisted that Shelsy stay with her. She wanted to be there when her grandchild was born.

Nicole crouched down to move the soil with a small shovel when she suddenly felt wet. Sara, who was bringing them a tray of lemonade, noticed what was happening and ran to call Bruno. She then returned to take Santi to his room.

“Let’s go. The car is waiting for us,” Bruno said, taking Nicole’s arm to help her walk towards the car.

Nicole noticed that he looked pale. After all, it was his first time experiencing this.

“Wait, there’s still time. Stay calm. We need to bring the bag I prepared for this day. It’s in the dressing room on the right.”

Bruno rushed upstairs to fetch it, and Nicole watched him amusedly. His hands trembled with nerves.

Upon arriving at the hospital, they immediately brought a wheelchair to take her to a room. The doctor came to examine her.

“There’s little dilation. It will be a few hours before the baby is born.”

Nicole and Bruno hadn’t wanted to know if it was a boy or a girl. They wanted it to be a surprise. Due to everything that had happened, they hadn’t even decorated the room. It remained just as they had prepared it for their previous baby.

“Is it safe to wait that long, doctor?” Bruno was biting his nails out of nerves.

“Absolutely, Mr. Leone. I will come to check on her every forty minutes. The lady needs to walk to speed up the waiting time. Being in motion will help advance the labor.”

The doctor left, leaving Bruno a bundle of nerves. He paced back and forth incessantly, and Nicole laughed at his nervousness.

“For God’s sake, sit down. I’m the one who has to walk.”

The room was spacious, with a sitting area for visitors. Slowly, it filled with family members, all excitedly awaiting the new addition.

“Bruno, son, let’s go down to the cafeteria so you can have something and calm down. You’re making us all nervous.”

“No, no one can move me from Nicole’s side.”

Everyone laughed, understanding that he was practically a first-time father when it came to the birth process. He had a camera ready to capture the birth of his child, just as Leandro had recorded Santi’s birth.

Nicole started to feel the pains intensify, and Bruno grew paler with each passing moment. He didn’t know if he could bear witnessing the birth. He breathed heavily and perspired.

The doctor entered the room again to check on Nicole.

“Wow, it’s been quick. The baby is ready to be born. Mrs. Leone, don’t get up. I’ll ask them to bring a stretcher to transfer you to the delivery room.”

The doctor left the room. Bruno took Nicole’s hand and kissed it. He had no idea what a woman had to go through to give birth. After this, the love he felt for Nicole would be ten times greater than before, if it was even possible to love her more than he already did.