Page 85 of My Sunfall

Chiara

Outside, the sunlight hits our faces. We sit on a bench overlooking a lush garden, coffee in hand, and for a moment it’s just the two of us. Now that my head is clearer, I recount everything, from the marriage contract to the events of the docks, Lily’s fingers weave into mine.

“Oh, sis.” She lets out a shaky breath once I’m finished. “I suspected so much, but I had no idea how bad this could get.”

“Me, neither,” I reply, staring at our intertwined fingers. “I…was so scared, Lee.”

She gently squeezes my hand, sensing that I needed to voice my whirling thoughts. “But…I wasn’t scared for me,” I go on. “I was terrified for him. Lucas.” Duh, who else? Heat creeps up my neck, but Lily merely smiles encouragingly. “I’m happy that things turned out good and everyone is safe.” I let out a long exhale. “Now, things can return to normal, I guess.” Was that twinge in my chest my heart squeezing?

“What is…normal?” Lily asks tentatively, and my mind blanks.

“It’s…not really clear in my head yet, but I have been thinking a lot when I was in the hospital bed,” I admit. “I am not sure I know who I am anymore. I thought I had my life figured out when I was living in that small town. But I was lying to myself, I was hiding.” I look up into her eyes. “The life here I thought was a cage trapping me, was in fact myself building it, letting it imprison me. I’m done hiding, this is not who I want to be.”

Lily nods.

“Listen,” I go on. “About the villa, it’s yours if you want it.”

“No,” Lily shakes her head and squeezes my hand. “I told you, I don’t want it, and Dante doesn’t need any more money.”

“Okay.” I breathe out. “I don’t want to sell it anymore. I was thinking about remodeling it. Turn it into a women’s shelter. The size is optimal, the grounds are secure, it’s perfect.”

Lily gives me a long, admiring look, but she remains silent, nodding to urge me on.

“I don’t have any education, and I don’t know how I’ll do it, but I want it to be a place where women and children will feel safe and free. They’ll get schooling, learn trades. They can learn how to cook if that’s what they want. And they’ll have martial arts and boxing lessons, so they’ll never feel helpless again.” My voice has gained confidence now.

“Oh, sis.” Lily has tears in her eyes. “That’s amazing. You are amazing and I’m so proud to be your sister.”

I give her a shy, watery smile, my throat too tight to utter a reply.

She gives me a long look and quietly asks the question I have been dreading. “What about… Lucas?”

I look away, trying to find the right words. Then I clear my throat before replying. “I-I don’t know what this…situationship is. Now that we don’t need to be married anymore, we could go back to being friends, I guess…” My heart constricts painfully in my chest, but I breathe through it, pushing the feeling down. I can do this, I’ll be strong and everything will work out.

Lily remains silent, and I go on. “You know, for so long I’ve thought I had no choice, that I was confined in this world by duty and obedience. What I wasn’t seeing was that I was holding the bars of my own prison so tight that I couldn’t see what was going on around me. I was too busy telling myself I was trapped that I didn’t notice Lucas tearing down the walls around me, brick by brick. He set me free without me even knowing it. He saw the real me and instead of trying to change me, he accepted me.” I look back at her and smile with a bravery I don’t feel. “I will be forever grateful for what he did. And honestly, I’ll be okay now. I’m myself, I’m free.”

Lily takes my hand in hers and squeezes gently. Then she reaches into her tote bag to retrieve an item and places it into my palm. My breath catches in my throat.

“The paper crane I left behind,” I whisper in a hoarse voice.

“I think this belongs to you,” she says gently. “You don’t need to run anymore.”

“No…” Tears gather in my eyes. “I… don’t need to fly away anymore. I’m staying.”

She wraps her arms around me with a relieved sob and we hug, tears of joy, of hope, of resilience slowly trailing down our cheeks.

By the time we return, Matteo and Erin are there, too. The room is suddenly filled with warmth. Hugs are exchanged all around, relief evident in everyone’s eyes. Then the visitors start to file out, and the door closes behind them with a soft click.

Once they’ve left, a tray is brought in, and I notice that it’s already noon. Even though I grew up in luxury, my jaw drops when I see the opulence of the meal which looks more like a Michelin-worthy lunch than a hospital tray. I barely have time to comment before Lucas is tugging at my wrist, pulling me back onto his bed.

“Come here,” he says.

“I need to go back to the villa to shower and get new clothes. I’ll eat there,” I reply.

“No.” His tone is gentle but final. “Eat with me. Then Roberto can take you back to the villa. But you’ll come back here right after, promise me.”

“Lucas, I’m only crowding you here—”

“You’ll come back here,” he snaps, and my annoyance rises a new notch. But before I can reply, he catches my wrist and tugs me toward him. I land on his chest and hear his ragged intake of breath.