A Love Restored

Chapter 63

The soft click of my mother’s bedroom door falling gently into its latch announced my arrival. The soft glow of a bedside lamp illuminated the room, casting a warm light over the space. My mother lay in her bed, her features softened by the delicate hues of lamplight. Her hair was scattered around her on the pillow and she was lying there just staring at the ceiling. That was strange.

I carefully tiptoed in.

“Hey, Mom,” I whispered, approaching her bedside. The gentle rustle of fabric accompanied my movements as I settled into a chair beside her, pulling one from near the window closer to her bed. The lines etched on her face seemed more pronounced in the subdued light. I was almost taken aback by how pale and frail and haggard she looked suddenly. It was like the last few months of always being sick and never feeling well had aged her by ten years or so. It wasn’t nice to look at her this way.

“How was your day, sweetheart?‘ Her voice, though laden with a drowsy quality, held a warmth that never failed to comfort me. She sounded very tired, her wice was tinged with pain and it felt like she could barely turn to look at me. Her eyes were puffy.

I launched into a recount of my day at school, the details of classes and the things that had happened with Tilly and Felix.

yeah, now

now Tilly is dating-

is dating.” I told her, “That’s good

good for her. Oh and Felix helped me with calculus so I’ll be easily passing that paper now.”

“That was nice of him.”

I nodded. “Are you feeling okay, Mom? 1 asked, my gaze scanning her face.

“I have a bit of a headache, sweetie,” the replied, her voice barely rising above a whisper. “Your father gave me some pills; I should be fine after a good

Worry gnawed at me, but I masked it with a reassuring smile. “Test well, Mom. I’ll be downstairs if you need anything”

She nodded appreciatively, her eyes closing as she settled deeper into the pillows. Reluctantly, I left her room and slowly shut the door behind me.

Descending the stairs, I caught sight of my father in the foyer. Beside him stood a group of imposing men, their presence casting a foreboding shadow over the surroundings. A sense of discomfort rippled through me as memories of their previous visit a few months ago resurfaced. I had seen these men before. And I’d been afraid of them before. And my Dad had told a man named Ascensio not to touch me, but the way he had looked at me after that had been…..truly bone chilling,

Ascension was here today, too. I had probably made a sound, because all the men turned around to look at me. I awkwardly waved at my father.

“Haven’t you got something better to do, Flora?” my father snapped, his tone cutting through the air with a sharp edge. “Scurry off!“.

I didn’t need to be told twice.

In the kitchen, the comforting aroma of home–cooked meals enveloped me. Hannah, our housekeeper, bustled about. I approached, a faint smile playing on my lips as saw her.

“Hey, Hannah,” I greeted her, attempting to shake off the lingering unease from my encounter with my

father.

“Miss Flora,” Hannah replied in greeting, her eyes crinkling

rer with warmth.

1. h. How w

was your day?”

“Good, thanks, Hannah. How was yours?”

“Line, too. Can I make you something to eat?”

I nodded gratefully, taking a seat on the kitchen island. Hannah went about the kitchen making me a sandwich with turkey, lettuce, tomatoes and peppers, Lasked for some mustard, which she obliged. She kept a plate with the sandwich in front of me, and I quickly dug in.

Tomorrow will be my last day working here, she announced to me suddenly, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness.

A pang of sadness struck me, too, I looked up in shock. “Why, Hannah? What happened?”

She sighed, her gaze momentarily distant. “I just dont feel good about it anymore, Flora. It’s fine for me to move

“Did something happen?” I asked her, “This is so soon.. why didn’t I know?”

Chapter

“I made a quick decision,” she said. “I’ll miss you, Miss Flor”

1 respected Hannah’s decision but couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss. I miss you, Hannah. You’ve been like family to un“

She offered a tender smile. “You take care, Flora. Her voice fell a few decibels. “And be careful of the things around you.”

The cryptic advice hung in the air, leaving me with a perplexing sense of foreboding.

A gentle creaking of the stairs announced my mothers presence. I ran to her from the kitchen. Her steps were small and measured.

“How are you feeling, Mom?” I asked her. “Did you need something?”

Her eyes met mine, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Better, dear. The pills your father gave me are working their magic. I just came downstairs to take a wall Being out of bed feels better.”

Relieved yet apprehensive, I took k her to the living room and sat beside her. The men and my father were now long gone.

Mom there were some men with Dad earlier. They looked scary. Do you know what’s going on? I’ve seen them before, too.”

A shadow flickered across her eyes, but she plastered a smile on her Dee. Flora, dear, sometimes adults deal with complicated matters. Your father is handling things the best way he knows how.”

The vague response fueled my sense of unease, leaving me with a lingering suspicion that the ominous figures harbored secrets my mother chose not to shane. I thought only my father knew what was going on, but it seemed like my mother was involved, too.

“And Mom, Hannah is leaving!”

She nodded. “Yes, Flora She let me know today morning. I’ll miss her, too. We’ll have to find a new housekeeper.”

I anauried into her with a frown. “Ti miss her”

“Ten sime abrill mita you, too

Leaving the living room. I retreated to the comforting solitude of my room. The subtle sounds of the house settling into the stillness of the night domed a backdrop to my thoughts. Tomorrow marked a turning point–the departure of Hannah, the dissolution of a familiar routine, and the

mercling revelation that my father’s dealings might be more intricate than I could fathom.

Laner in the night, I called up Felix to discuss this with him, hopping he could allay my fears and make me feel a line better.

Ties Fleck,” he preted, the warmth in his voice offering a momentary respite from the unease that clung to me. The sound of his voice was always a

Tell” I tepit, my wortu tumibling out in a hushed urgency, “something strange is happening. There are these men, weird and intimidating and scary,

darcher, I saw them a few months ago. And I saw them again today.”

1. moment of sõlmer stresmed between us, punctuated by the subtle crackling of the phone line. I could almost envision Felix processing the gravity of my words on the other end. I could see the calculating expression on his face as he would try to make sense of my word.

“xinight, Flora,” he urg

ell me everything, from the beginning.

mg the mumers with the men, the cryptic meeting in the foyer, and the impending departure of Hannah.

ets. When I finnbed, a benny allener lingered, pregnant with unspoken concerna.

Tiom,” he frailly que, hu voice a steady reassurance. “But sometimes, thing might not be as dire as they Tamar Mint – Darji their physical description?”

gulped. “Um, one of thirt an tartved Aucerous. That’s all I know

suddenly sounded

“Do you know this

A sigh of relief escaped me, tempered by a lingering unease. I just have this feeling, Felix, that something’s not right. What if my father is mixed up in a wrong deal or something dangerous?”

Felix’s voice resonated through the phone. “Flora, I promise you, everything will be fine. Let me talk to my father about it. Maybe he can discreetly check up on what’s happening. Well figure this out together.”

The warmth in Felix’s words enveloped me like a protective cocnon, momentarily easing the knots of anxiety that gripped my insides.

“Don’t worry, flower.” He spoke softly. “I’ve got you. Nothing bad will happen.”This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

“Thank you, Felix,” I whispered, gratitude lacing my words. “I just needed someone to understand. I don’t want anything bad to happen to my family.”

Well

“I know, Flora,” he responded gently. TIL do everything I can to help. We ll get through this together. Just trust me,

okay?”

In that moment, I clung to the belief that, with Felix by my side, the shadows encroaching upon my family would dissipate, and the truth, whatever it might be, would surface.

Nothing could hurt us.

Chapter Comments

a