Paint Me Saved ✓ Book 1

4. If only I looked

Leonardo

Bright rays of the sun zapped my eyelids. Palming my face, I twisted around to face the other side of the bed. That's when I felt it.

The warmth, the vanilla scent from her body had vanished. I sat up, peering at the watery patch on the maroon carpet where she'd stood. Deafened by the silence inside my room, I slid off my bed and checked every corner of the room.

"Kiera, are you here?"

I moved across the room, pushing open the balcony doors. Warm winds rushed in, embracing the artificially cooled air from the inside. Reality dawned. I had to leave for home.

A paper fluttered under the weight of a vase with artificial flowers on the table - a note from her, penned in cursive.

Hey Leo,

Thanks for a lovely night and for saving me from alcohol poisoning. I wish we'd met under different circumstances.

Take care

I read it a few more times before sliding it into my wallet, hoping the circumstances which made her leave were better than mine.

* * *

Mom stood at the entrance, arms raised to fold me into her protection. Her hair was grayer than before. The green of her eyes had faded, clouded with woes she never stated over calls. Yet it was her smile lines that throttled me.

"My baby, I missed you so much," Mom sobbed, "Tell me you're not going back. No more missions, please."

I peeled her feeble hold off me, gazing at her mist-laden eyes.

"I'm back, Mom." For now. I ushered her back into my embrace, wrapping an arm around her as we walked into our home. "Where is everyone?"

"Why'd you ask something you already know the answer to, Leo? They're at Work. As always."

The melody of silence was deafening.

I stood near the kitchen island while my mother moved around, organising breakfast for me. The smell of freshly baked biscuits wafted in the air.

Finally, I got to eat home cooked food.

Pulling out a chair from around the dinner table, she dragged it into the kitchen. "You must be hungry, right."

I nodded.

"Here, sit. I've made you your favourite."

Like old times, she served me breakfast and sat beside me. Her distant looks and the way she kept checking the entrance, made me ask.

"Mom, are we waiting for someone else to join?"

"No. I guess we are eating alone."

"Where's Antonio? It's still early for him to leave for office."

"Antonio has changed so much since you left." The intonation in her voice dimmed. "He doesn't even have time to look at me."

While I had moved away to escape my demons, Antonio nested within his to support Dad's empire. In the midst of it all, she suffered.

"I'll have a word with him," I said, savouring her famous biscuits and gravy. "We can't have two workaholics in the family. Dave Brenton is enough for us."

"After everything, I'm glad your sense of humor is intact."

She wasn't aware that humor came at a price. The price of my sanity, peace and a chance at a normal life.