NO DOUBT [bwwm]

• 17 • The Woman for Him

I rubbed my eyes together, waking up from a deep slumber. Alcool is one hell of a sleeping pill. Several seconds passed before it hit me. He's dead.

"Yeah, he's alright, I mean, as good as it gets... I'm just glad he's been sleeping... Hasn't been eating much, though, not at all, actually... Ok, will do... See you tomorrow...Of course, bye," Francesca's voice echoed from the adjoined bathroom of our bedroom.

I groaned and pushed my head further into my pillow. Tomorrow. That Sunday morning was his burial and even though I had been carrying a miserable expression, I would have to toughen up and stand tall and proud, like he would tell me. Padre.

"You're up," Francesca stepped away from the bathroom's doorway and gingerly sat on the bed close to me. She wore a worried look that could almost be mistaken for pity. "You've been asleep since 9PM last night, and now it's almost 1PM."

I sighed heavily, "1PM? Shit, I told Ma I would go be at theirs - hers by 3PM." I hurriedly got up and made my way downstairs. Once in the kitchen, I pulled open the only cabinet I've been using lately.

"What are you doing?" Francesca seemed to have been following as she stood beside the island counter, her arms crossed.

"Getting breakfast," I grabbed my newly favourite Vodka bottle before making my way to the glass cabinet. As I passed her without sparing her a look, she annoyingly clicked her tongue. I could sense her roll her eyes even with my back to her.

"You have got to stop drinking like that, you know I've been holding my tongue for the past few days-"

"Good, how about you keep it that way?" I gave her a tight-lipped smile as I poured myself a glass of liquor.

She frowned at me like I was a child, "Because I care about you. And you're slowly killing yourself with this unhealthy coping mechanism. You know your mother called, just now. She's worried about you, Orlando, you haven't called her ever since-since that Monday."

"I've texted her. Multiple times," I protested before taking a huge gulp of Vodka.

"Yes, about the funeral, and that's it. She needs to hear your voice and know that you're alright. You're lucky I haven't told her about your new drinking habit. She would go out of her mind. And you need to check on her too, you're not the only one who's hurting."

I furrowed my eyebrows, "You don't think I know that?"

Francesca scoffed, "Good thing you know, how about you act on it, now? I know that you're grieving and all, but you're being really fucking selfish, and you need to fix that."