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“And again,” Freddie grumbled, “I’mstillhere.”
“Anyway, I just thought you should know that I won’t be needing Fredericka’s services in the meantime so if she ever uses my name as an excuse for work—-” Anneke heard a clicking sound. “Hello?”Nothing.
Her lips twitched at the realization that Fredericka had hung up on her, but the smile faded from her face when her phone started ringing again.
And of course, it was Marcus.
He had been calling her nonstop since this morning, and she had been dropping every one of his calls also since this morning.
There was nothing he could say.Nothing.She was done being an idiot over him.
****
“YOU’RE ABSOLUTELY CERTAINit’s my mother?” Marcus’ voice was terse.
“Si, signor.I have just come back from the hospital – I went there to confirm the patient’s identity myself.” Alberto paused unhappily. “And it is your mother, I’m afraid. Although the doctor still needs to receive several test results before making an official diagnosis, he strongly believes she has—-” The younger man paused again, this time unable to find a better term for what he had to say.
“It’s alright, Alberto.” Marcus’ hands tightened around the steering wheel. “She’s overdosed, hasn’t she?” It was his best guess, simply because it wouldn’t be the first time Raquel Ravelli would have tried to kill herself by OD.
“Si,signor,” Alberto confirmed reluctantly.
“Thank you for informing me about this. I’ll take over from here.” After ending the call, Marcus remained unmoving in the driver’s seat. A part of him wanted to ignore what he had just learned, but the better, smarter part of him knew if he did that – it wouldn’t be out of anger. It would be because after all these years, he still wanted his mother’s love – and he was terrified that she would only push him away if he tried to ask for it.
Closing his eyes, he thought of Anneke, who was as fearless and as selfless as he could never be. What would she have done in his position?
And as soon as he thought that, he had his answer.
It was an hour’s drive to the hospital, but by the time he arrived Raquel was still unconscious. Taking a seat by her bedside, he tried calling Anneke again but his call wasn’t even redirected to her voicemail. This time, his call wouldn’t connect at all, and Marcus realized grimly that Anneke had blocked his number.
It was almost dawn by the time Raquel started to stir, and Marcus woke up immediately. His mother suddenly started moaning and thrashing, and he summoned a nurse into the room.
“Is something wrong?” he demanded.
Instead of answering, the nurse slammed her hand on the emergency button, and soon more nurses came rushing in, and Marcus turned white when they told him Raquel had to be wheeled into the operating room.
“Overdosing can sometimes lead to various complications,” the doctor explained quietly, “and this may appear true in your mother’s case. I will need your permission to perform an operation—-”
“You have it.”
“The operation is risky,” the doctor warned.
“She’d have wanted to take it.” Because once upon a time, he remembered his mother as someone who was vibrantly beautiful, someone who loved life so much watching her could easily take one’s breath away.
“It will be costly, too.”
“I’m a billionaire, Doctor.” But Marcus’ tone was heavy, the admission giving him no pleasure.
The operation began soon enough, with a nurse informing him that it could anywhere between ten hours to an entire day. He tried contacting Anneke again, this time leaving a voice mail via direct message on all her social media accounts.
Ciao, bambina. I wish you would talk to me, if only to let me explain. And I wish I could be by your side right now, but I’m afraid it will be some time before I can go to you and beg for your understanding and forgiveness in person.
My mother is currently undergoing operation, a consequence on her overdosing on prescription pills. It is the fifth incident of the same nature in her life – it’s her favorite escape every time her marriage fails.
There is no lost love between my mother and me, but I cannot abandon her all the same. I hope – no, I know you will understand because you, more than other people, have the kindest heart that I know of. You gave me a chance when you didn’t have to, and remembering what you did for me has helped open my eyes about my own mother.
Marcus ended the message before he could say too much. It wasn’t that he meant to hide more things from Anneke – that was no longer in the cards – but if he were to speak the unvarnished truth about his life, he preferred to do it in person.
Following a restless night in the waiting room, a nurse soon came to wake Marcus to let him know that his mother’s operation was successful. He went immediately to Raquel’s room, and his mother’s gaze swung towards him the moment he entered.
