Page 150 of My Heart's Doctor
“Put this on your lip. I'm going to get dressed and I'll be right back.”
“Devon, I want to dry your hair,” I reminded her. “Your hair is wet and it's not good to sleep like that, you'll catch a cold.”
“Are you a doctor now?” she asked, coming closer with a smile and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“You're the doctor, but my grandmother was very wise and always said so,” I commented, smiling.
“She was probably right, but don't worry, I'll do it quickly,” she affirmed. “You do what I told you and don't take the compress off your lip.”
“Very well, doctor.”
A few minutes later she returned with her long, beautiful hair dry and settled into bed beside me. I was glad to see that she looked better and was calmer. I was still turning over the matter of her mother in my mind. Should I tell her? Coller had implied that her mother was supporting him and helping him separate her from me, but she didn't know that she had called me. After reflecting on it, I decided to tell her because I didn't want there to be secrets between us, even if it was something I knew would hurt her. It was better to tell her as soon as possible.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, caressing her cheeks.
“I'm fine. You?”
“I am, stop worrying.” I took a breath and added: “I have to tell you something.”
Devon looked at me seriously and I think with fear.
“What is it?”
“Before I went to find you, I received a phone call from your mother.”
Devon's face fell and I could see the sadness reflected in her beautiful eyes.
“Lino told me she was helping him,” she said, with bitterness in her voice, and then asked: “What did she say to you?”
“According to her, she called to let me know that you were with him and to tell me that you two were going to get married,” I commented, omitting the part where she had vilely belittled her.
“I'm sorry she bothered you.”
“I don't want you to feel guilty about what we went through today. You're not to blame for any of what happened. The fact that that scoundrel was your husband and that your mother is a ruthless woman only makes me furious because they didn't treat you as you deserve, they made you unhappy and that infuriates me.”
Devon hugged me as tightly as she could, and I also wrapped my arms around her and held her as close as possible against my chest. With me, she would always be protected and loved. She deserved to be the happiest woman, and the fact that she had chosen me to be her life partner made me feel a great responsibility. I was going to make her happy.
“Let’s forget about them, please. We already know what they’re capable of, now let’s leave them behind and look ahead,” she asked, emotional.
“Toward our future. A future together, as a family and surrounded by love. I love you, Devon. I will always take care of you and won’t allow anything or anyone to hurt you.”
“Thank you, my love. I’ll take care of you both too. You are my family, the most important thing in my life, and I promise to protect and love you, always.”
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you,” she also said, and we embraced each other tightly again, a hug that spoke as much about the love we professed for each other as about the respect, protection, and admiration we felt for one another. A love that had prevailed and would continue to prevail against the wickedness of those resentful people who didn’t want to see us happy, but too bad for them, we were already happy and would continue to be because we loved each other above all else.
I fell asleep holding her, knowing that I had her with me and could protect her. Knowing that I had the love of my life with me and we were as strong as a rock.
I woke up in the middle of the night and I was alone. Her side of the bed was empty. For a second my heart sank, and I quickly got up. She wasn’t in the bedroom bathroom, so I headed toward Aurora’s bedroom because I knew she often got up at night to check on her. She wasn’t there either, and my anxiety grew. As I approached the living room, I began to hear her voice; she was talking to someone and doing so almost in a whisper. I don’t know if it was right for me to listen to her conversations, but I was so worried about everything that had happened hours before that I stood still, just a few feet away from her. Devon couldn’t see me because her back was to me.
“Why do you hate me so much, Mom? Let’s be honest with each other, be truthful with me for once in your life. From now on, I won’t be part of your life or my sister’s because it’s clear that’s what you want. I assure you we won’t see each other again, but for once in your life be honest with me and tell me what I did to make you hate me so much,” she asked, and it sounded like a plea, and my heart twisted with sadness. How could it be that a daughter would ask her mother that? That woman was a monster.
…
For several minutes Devon remained silent, I assumed listening to the awful things that woman must have been saying, because they obviously weren’t going to be loving words. I had to make a great effort not to go over there and hug her tightly, tellher that she didn’t need that woman and to forget about her, but I was clear that this was something she had to decide for herself.
“I can understand that my pregnancy was unwanted, but I didn’t ask to be born. If you didn’t want to marry my father, you shouldn’t have done it. I don’t think I’m to blame for you giving up your dreams either. All your sacrifices were by your own choice,” she said, firmly, but with her voice strangled by anguish.
