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I’m laughing now because why not. “That’s where you’re wrong, Mother. I was very much a part of it, and I gladly took part. His atrocities were sickening, and the way he betrayed our family was… indescribable. How could you be okay with that?”
“We can work this out, Eset. I know we can.”
“Actually, I don’t think we need to work on anything.”
“I would like it if we could… I’ve been diagnosed with cancer, Eset. At least think about it.”
“I’ll think about it, but that’s all I’m going to do.” I hang up the phone on her. I can’t even process what she’s told me right now. After everything she’s done to my brothers and me, she wants me to be there for her now?
When in the fuck was she ever there for me when I needed her? Oh, that’s right… never.
Chapter Eleven
Santos
It’s just past eight in the morning, and I’m in my kitchen, fixing some scrambled eggs, bacon, and avocado toast. I already had a plate ready and made coffee as soon as I woke up. The eggs are almost done, and I discovered a trick a couple of years ago. Most people think I’m nuts by doing it, but if you add a little bit of water to your egg mixture while you’re whipping them up, it makes them fluffy and delicious. I like to put a bit of shredded cheddar cheese on my eggs, so I put some over the top and give the cheese time to melt on the eggs. I put my bacon slices on my plate, pop two pieces of toast into my toaster, and already have an avocado chopped up.
A lot of people make the avocado spread by using lemon and salt for the mixture, but I like to use a bit of honey to give mine a little element of sweetness. By the time the toast pops back up, my eggs are done, so I turn off the burner on the stove and plate my eggs. I grab a knife and rub the avocado mixture over the toast, and I’m good to go. All I have to do now is pour some orange juice into a glass, and then my breakfast is ready. After I get some orange juice, I head back out to my favorite spot—the veranda.
There’s nothing better than a good, hearty breakfast every morning. I glance down at my phone, letting my father know Eset had something pop up, so our trip to Switzerland has been delayed for at least a few days. I offered my services for anything he might need until then, and he told me that I should be focusing on doing whatever I can to make sure my marriage to Eset goes off without a hitch. He and I had a lengthy conversation about what Eset expects from me, but I didn’t tell him anything that would put her at risk. The fact of the matter is my father doesn’t need to know everything about our relationship, nor should he.
My phone begins ringing, and it’s Eset. The last time I spoke to her was yesterday when she said she’d be giving me a call in the morning and asked what time I wake up. I told her around this time would be good, and seeing as there’s an eight-hour time difference between Cancun and Grozny, it’s about evening time there.
“Hello,” I speak into the receiver as I answer.
“Hey. Do you have a little bit of time to chat?”
“Yeah, I’m just eating breakfast, so there’s plenty of time.”
“Okay. Alejandro let me know you came to see him. I’m pleased you took the initiative and got that over with as soon as possible. It shows me you’re very invested in our wedding going off without a hitch, so I think we should start planning it.”
Good. I’m glad Eset sees that I’m taking this seriously. “When do you want it to happen?” I question her, remembering she said the sooner, the better.
“I think two weeks is plenty of time to get everything thrown together, don’t you?”
I don’t know jack shit about wedding planning. “I think so, but you’re the boss when it comes to the wedding. You tell me.”
Eset laughs in a carefree manner, giving me another peek at her personality. “Santos, I’m the boss for the rest of your life, and it’s best if you know that now.” Well, there is the saying “happy wife, happy life”, so I suppose she isn’t wrong. I’ll let Eset feel as though she has the power right now, but when we’re married, she’ll become the thing I protect more than anything else in this world. I doubt she realizes it, but I won’t let anything bad happen to her. She’s going to be my wife, and in turn, she’s going to be my family.
“Whatever you say,mi amor.Is there a certain place you’d like to get married?”
Eset grows quiet for a moment, and I begin to wonder if it’s because I’ve referred to her asmi amor, but she’s going to be my wife. If I don’t give her some sort of pet name, then people will think something is odd about us being together. “I think it could be nice to get married in London. It’s where we first met, and I think you and I have a connection with the city.”
“I’m happy with London. Any ideas on a venue or what you imagine your dream wedding to be? I… I know this is very much political, Eset, but I do want you to have everything and anything you’ve ever imagined.”
“That’s very kind of you. I would love to get married in an art gallery or a museum. I can reach out to some and see what would be available on such short notice. Hopefully, there will be at least one that can work for us.”
“Art is your passion, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I love art, as you very well know. It’s… relaxing. It kind of makes everything else in the world disappear from my focus. I can breathe easier when I’m in a museum, or even painting, or doing pottery.”
For some reason, Eset sounds like something is troubling her mind. I’m really curious about what it is, but I don’t want to pry too much. “Eset, I apologize if I’m being brash, but you sound like something’s on your mind.”
Eset sighs heavily on the other end of the line. “My mother called me up out of the blue after she knowingly knew my father was in the wrong for everything he did to my brothers. She told me she wants to see me, and she was diagnosed with cancer… but I doubt I’ll even reach back out to her. Maybe if she treated us all well in the first place, we might show up for her when she needs us the most, but how can I do that after everything she’s done to us?”
“It’s wrong of her to reach back out to you after what she did, but she sees her own morality now, which is showing her the importance of family.” I’m not trying to stick up for her mother, but I think when people are facing extreme challenges in their lives, they view the world a bit differently. Now, I don’t know Eset’s mother. I’ve only heard stories about the woman, and I do believe everything Eset is telling me is the truth. It’s obvious her mother’s diagnosis is plaguing her, and she’s having a hard time trying to figure out what to do about it.
“I can completely see that being a possibility, but is it my problem? No. I haven’t even told my brothers about her diagnosis. They’ll all probably want to show up for her, even though she didn’t show up for us. My brothers are kinder than I am at times, and I think our mother, possibly facing her own death, will cause them to forgive her for a lot of things. I don’t think I’m the type of person who can forgive her for the things she’s done.”
