Chupacabra | 18+ | ✔️

▪︎■ 07 ■▪︎

▪︎■ Ainara Moreno ■▪︎

Our last meeting was two days ago and we still couldn't agree on a plan. I would see him tomorrow to talk. Again. While Mr. Bianchi arranged a meeting with Iwanow, I was barely able to concentrate on my work. I was frustrated with this man. It didn't matter what ideas I presented, he always wanted to do the direct opposite. It was nerve wracking.

When we were in defense mode, even just for a few hours or days, we could easily get attacked. I couldn't risk anything and if I had a mole, then I and Erlina would soon be dead.

So I had to make sure...

"I want all of you to meet Mr. Bianchi's men. We'll work together for a few months, or as long as all of this takes, so this meeting will be important. Also, we'll talk about the next steps we want to follow, so be ready by eight, Saturday morning."

"Eight? On a Saturday??" Miguel complained.

"Point eight," I repeated.

"Fine... Damn," he murmured while leaving the others behind.

▪︎■▪︎■▪︎■▪︎

My daughter snuggled herself to my body and cried into my chest. It broke my heart every time I saw a tear or sadness in her face. I tried to calm her down with my hand slowly brushing through her hair.

"It's okay baby, I'm here. I'm here..."

We were laying in her little bed, the day long gone, the night consuming every light except the warm glow of the lamp on her nightstand. It was raining furiously, a storm breaking through the silence outside.

"Do you want to talk about it, mi vida?" I asked softly. (my life/my everything)

She hesitated, staying silent besides the little sobs and sniffles. After a few moments she started talking.

"I had...-had a nightm...-mare, mamá."

Her voice was so quiet and breathy that I almost couldn't hear her properly, but I stayed quiet and waited for her explanation which I knew would follow.

"I had a nightmare. We went to Columbia. It was so nice! There were flowers and butterflies everywhere, but then I lost you. I was scared, and- and asked a woman for help but she said I had to ask my papá instead. I said I don't have a papá and she j-just laughed and said that... that you left me because I don't have a daddy."

I gulped. Flowers and butterflies... Not exactly how I remembered it, but she never even went there, so how could she know.
"I'm sorry, cariño. That sounds horrible... I'm here now, everything's fine. I would never leave you, I love you, amor," I calmly whispered into her little ear. She had nightmares all the time since this fucker had a gun up in her face. I felt so angry and helpless. I hate feeling helpless. But I hated her feeling like this- being scared to death, sad, traumatized, a million times more. I tore me apart to see her, crying in the nights and trying to keep a smile in the daytime.

"I love you, mama."

'I don't have a papá... She said you left me because I don't have a daddy...'

My heart clenched painfully, heavy with sadness. I wish it would be different for her, that she wouldn't miss such an important piece and had the childhood I dreamed of, but I couldn't change my past and I regretted so much of it. Nothing that included her, I would never regret the fact that my daughter is alive, but everything that had an impact on her life now and made it difficult or different from any other childhood experience. Including the rat that called itself a man and the father of my child.