Adam's Eve

55

It'd been four days. Four freaking days since Eva had issued Adam the ultimatum before leaving for her plane; if he wanted their relationship to return to the blissful period in which it'd once been, he had to at least speak with Rebecca.

Even though he'd driven back to LA from Jackson Hole yesterday, he hadn't contacted Eva. She'd called him a few times a day after her flight to LA but Adam hadn't dared to pick up, too filled with shame because he couldn't fulfill her wish even for the sake of their relationship.

Frankly, the thought of seeing Rebecca after so many months filled him with uncertainty and a whole other stream of confusing emotions. He didn't experience the rancor that thinking of her once had made him feel but he guessed he could attribute it to the months of never having seen her.

He didn't know how he would react if she was in front of him now.

Sighing, Adam returned his gaze from the blue, cloudless sky to the tombstone in front of which he was kneeling. A place he hadn't visited since his father's burial. In the stone were engraved the words 'Redulfo Garcia”, his father.

His throat thigtened, and he swallowed a ball of saliva to clear the dryness.

“How did you do it? How did you manage to forgive her?" He asked softly, wondering if his father could hear him wherever he was and desperately needing an answer. “She hurt you so much. Hurt us so much. How did you forgive her?”

He carressed the yellow flowers he'd brought along with him which he'd set down on the tomb softly.

“I'm glad you finally decided to visit father, brother.” A voice said from behind him. He didn't have to turn to know who it belonged to.

A moment later, Guillermo sank beside him onto his knees on the ground, making the sign of the cross. “I miss him so much sometimes.” He said softly.

Adam nodded. After striving so hard for months to shut thoughts of his father's demise out, he hadn't realized how much he'd missed the man. Until he'd come here thirty minutes ago and the tears had come without restriction. He'd only stopped crying a few minutes ago.

Comfortable silence followed for a while before Guille spoke, seeming hesitant. “I heard you.”

“What?” Adam asked without looking at him.

“You asking dad how he was able to forgive her. I think that question should be directed at me since you and I were hurt more or less in the same way.”

While he'd been away, Guille had called him to tell him that he'd forgiven their mother. Adam had been so furious that he hadn't spoken to his brother for a month until he returned to LA.

Guille continued. “I thought that I was a happy person. That I didn't need our mum to be happy. Before we met her. Even after dad's death, I thought things were soon going to be alright with or without her presence. Until I said the words. That I forgave her. I know this may sound crazy, but I felt freer, like I was born again. Happier, lighter. Like a weight I hadn't even known was there had been lifted and thrown right off me."

Growing up, Adam had thought his brother as weak and he was the stronger one. Now everything came back to him, and he realized it had always been the other way round.

Guillermo had always lived his life to the fullest, had never been scared of doing stuff that involved emotions, not letting hate and rancor rule his life. Adam himself had been the exact opposite, seeking solace in shallow no-strings-attached relationships.