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And then, as if guided by fate, I stumble upon a hidden oasis amidst the turmoil – my mother's garden. The small gate creaks open at my touch, revealing a sea of white roses in full bloom.
Their intoxicating scent temporarily overwhelms the acrid odor of burning wood and flesh, transporting me to a world of tranquility. It's amazing how this tiny corner of paradise remains untouched by the devastation surrounding it.
This used to be my happy place as a child, and to imagine that tonight, after everything I've come to learn about my mother being alive, fate has led me here. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the sweet fragrance of the roses, trying to calm my racing thoughts and focus on what I need to do next.
I need to find Leonardo, and my mother. I need to hold her, touch her, feel her, smell her. I need to make up for the two decades that have gone by where I believed I was motherless.
But before all that, I seek sanctuary within the confines of my mother Elisabetta's hidden garden. I need to come to terms with what's happened.
My heart races as I make my way through the white roses, each step feeling heavier than the last. I begin to think of what my life would have been like, had mother always remained a part of it.
As a child, I would watch all my friends be picked up by their mothers. Gentle, sweet women in dresses with perfume that could be smelt a mile away. I'd feel jealous when I'd see little boys hug their mothers and tell them all about what happened at school.
For me? School ended and started with my father's mafioso. I was never hugged.
A lump forms in my throat. Had mother been alive, would I have grown up to be more carefree? More trusting? I begin to mourn the life I never had.
As I turn the corner, my eyes catch a glimpse of something...someone. A figure stands among the flowers, their back to me. My breath catches in my throat as recognition dawns on me – it can't be...
"Mother?" I call out hesitantly, afraid that my mind is playing cruel tricks on me. The figure turns slowly, and I'm met with the face of the last woman I'd expect to see here.
"Darío," her voice is barely a whisper, filled with disbelief and wonder. It's really her. In this garden. I barely notice Frank and Leonardo standing by.
Without thinking, I sprint towards her, closing the distance between us in the blink of an eye. My arms wrap around her tightly, pulling her close as if she'll disappear again if I let her go. She clings to me just as fiercely, tears streaming down both our faces.
"Mother," I choke out, trying to form words through the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume me. "I thought you were dead... All this time. Why didn't you tell me?"
She pulls back slightly, her grey eyes meeting mine with a mix of pain and guilt. "I wanted to, Darío, more than anything, but I couldn't. Your father would have found me, and he would have killed me before I ever got the chance to reveal his true nature."
"You should have come to me, mother."
"You were just a boy, my love," she says softly, averting her gaze. "After everything that happened, I couldn't risk endangering you or our family any further."
"Mother, I would have protected you. We could have fought him together," I argue, my heart aching at the thought of the years we've lost.
She shakes her head sadly. "It wasn't that simple, Darío. Your father, his cruelty knew no bounds. But, dear boy, I never stopped watching over you."
"Damn it, mother," I say, frustration and pain evident in my voice. "Do you have any idea how much I've suffered thinking you were dead? Do you know what it's done to me, to our family?"
"Of course I do," she replies, fresh tears welling in her eyes. "But it was the only way, Darío. I had to stay hidden, for your sake and for Lorenzo's."
The weight of her words settles heavily on my chest, and I can't find it within myself to be angry with her. Instead, I pull her into another tight embrace, vowing to never let her go again.
"Explain to me, mother," I say, the desperation in my voice apparent. "How did you survive that night?"
She takes a deep breath, her eyes revealing a pain I can only begin to imagine. "It was Leonardo who saved me. He knew something was wrong that night and insisted on staying close to me."
"Leonardo…" I murmur.
"During the attack, he shielded me from harm, sacrificing himself in order to give me a chance to escape," she continues, tears streaming down her face as she recalls the tragic events.
"Your father started attacking him, and threw him out of the window. I tried to fight him off, and your father did the same to me. We were both injured, but Leonardo made sure that the guards tasked to bury us took us out safely. He paid them handsomely. I barely made it out alive, Darío. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here today."
"And where have you been living since then?"
She smiles, a small ghost on her face. "Frank's father has set Leonardo and I up for life. We have our own home, assets, guards."
"Frank's father?" I repeat, stunned by this revelation. "He saved you? And Lorenzo?"
