Chapter 1
You have to read Sinister before reading this one.
Chapter – 1
Four years later.
Everything is going to be alright, mama. We simply need to have faith.
“Mama, I did it” I heard my baby girl’s voice said excitedly.
“Show me” I said, taking the book from her, and she did. She completed her homework without error, making me proud of her.
“Baby, I am proud of you,” I added, kissing her on the cheeks, which made her face light up with glee.
“Thank you, Mama”
“Shit! Shit! Shit” I heard my Theo curse at the top of his lungs, causing my eyes to widen.
“Theodore D’ Angelo, no cursing young man, if you don’t want to be grounded for a month.” Antonia giggled alongside me when she heard her brother was in trouble.
“Sorry Mama but I fell.”
“Are you hurt, Baby?” I inquired with fear in my voice.
“No, Mama. I’m fine. I am now a big boy, and big boys do not get hurt.” I shook my head at his response. Since that day, he has behaved more like a big boy than his actual age. He doesn’t have to do it, yet he always does. He always makes me believe he is alright, even when he isn’t. I understand how much he is hurting on the inside, yet he is acting tough. He’s the best son a mother could have. After that day, he began to care for me as if he was a big boy, and when Antonia was born, he began caring for her as well. He is such a good boy but sometimes he makes me worry about his behaviour.
I approached my son, who was blowing air from his mouth over his bleeding knees while sitting on the ground. I shook my head and retrieved the first-aid kit from the kitchen cupboard.
“You don’t have to act like a big boy if you’re in pain, Theo. You should behave accordingly for your age.” I said this as I kneeled in front of him and began treating his wounds.
He smiled sheepishly before touching my face with his small hands. “And Mama, you don’t have to hide the pain you’ve been keeping inside your heart for years.” My eyes well up with tears as I hear him speak, but I keep my cool and continue to treat his wound before applying a bandage.
“Here we go,” I murmured, getting up on my feet.
“Thank you, Mama,” he said, standing on his feet as well.
“Is it hurting?” Antonia asked, her voice full of concern for her brother.
“No, my little princess. I am alright; don’t worry about it.” Theo reassured her and kissed her forehead, making her grin with happiness. I smiled at their fondness for one another. Even if we don’t have our love once with us anymore, we are happy because we have each other, and I hope this continues forever.
Many things have changed during the last four years. Four years ago, we returned to Florida, to our hometown, to begin our new lives. After Matthew was dead, there was no threat to us anymore, and we decided it was time to return to where we had our beautiful memories; even though we had some awful memories here, our good memories outweighed the bad. Dad and I began working shortly after we arrived here. I got the teaching job since I had teaching experience. And after Antonia was born, my parents and Theo grew protective of my babygirl. She had all of us wrapped around her small finger and didn’t even realize it. Even though she didn’t have a father, we all gave her the love she deserved, but she will need fatherly love as she grows up, which I pray never happens. After Antonio died, she was the only bright light in our extremely sad lives. She gave us reasons to live and smile. Without her, we would not be here. We were living a quiet life until a year ago, when something awful occurred in our lives: I lost my parents in an accident, and my children lost their grandparents. It broke not just me, but also my children. They were the only family we knew, and an accident separated them from us. I will always love and miss them; they were the ones that were there for me when I needed them the most. They were the best parents in the world, and without them, I wouldn’t be here with my kids. As for Matteo and Grace, we don’t talk anymore, we lost touch after only a few months. They still have no idea about Antonia, which I think is for the best. Hopefully they got married and are happy. I hope they got the happy ending that I didn’t receive. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes as I remember my Antonio. I couldn’t help but wonder whether I could have saved his life Then he could have been with us, but I did nothing and let him to die in my arms. On our wedding day, he died in my arms, and I could never forget it. I didn’t receive a happy ending with my love of my life, and I don’t believe I deserve one, at least not in this lifetime.
“Mama, are you crying?” I heard my son’s worry voice and I hastily brushed my tears away with my sleeves before facing him with a fake smile.
“I’m not crying, baby,” he just shook his head and hugged me.
“Everything is going to be alright, mama. We simply need to have faith.” I nodded and hugged my son back. He and my baby girl are the only reason I am alive; I could not have survived without them. They give me the reason to live and I will always love them not only as a mother but also as a father, because they deserve all the love they can get.
“Please don’t get into a fight again; I’m getting frustrated every time your teacher calls to say my son got into a fight,” I requested, adjusting his collar and standing in front of him in front of his school.
He just pouted before deciding to give me his own remark. “But, mama, they deserved it. They always bully me by saying that my father abandoned me because I was a bad boy, but mama, isn’t that true? My Dada loves me a lot, but he had to leave. Right?” I nodded in agreement.
“And to make my point, I teach them a lesson,” he said, causing me to shake my head.
“But, baby, not everything should be solved with a fight. I always tell you to handle your problems by talking to them rather than using your fists,” he shrugged, causing me to sigh in annoyance. This boy’s attitude is going to make me have a heart attack one day.
“And if I heard you indulging in another fight then be ready to give me your games and gadget and you will not get your possession for a month” his eyes begin to widen.
“Mama, I will be a good boy; please don’t take away my games. They are my life; I can’t live without them.” I shook my head at his overdramatic behavior.
“My over-dramatic son,” I murmured while kissing his forehead.
“Be a good boy for me”
“Yes mama”
“Good, love you”
“Love you too, mama” he responded before sprinting into the school before a boy joined him. I smiled and got back in the car before going to my daughter’s school. When we arrived, I dropped her before heading to my school. Antonia is an angel when compared to her brother. While Theo is often involved in fights, Antonia avoids them. They are extreme opposites, but they love each other, which makes me proud of them. They never fight, and if they do, Theo is always the first to apologize and reconcile with his sister, making him the best brother Antonia can have. They always have each other’s back. They make my job as a mother easier. I can’t help but think about Antonio and his love for us. What if he had been here with us? We could have been a happy family, and my children would have had their father with them, but our faith played a cruel game with us and stole Antonio away from us. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes; everyone in my life tells me to move on, but how could I? My heart will always belong to him, since he was there when I needed someone to help me, so how can I move on and forget about him? He will always be in my heart, even if he is not physically present with us, I will always have him in my heart. That’s how much I love him. I will always love him and only him.
