The Ecstatic Life Of Sofia

Chapter Twenty-Six: A Red Wedding

The next few months, Sofia couldn't shake a bad feeling. There was something ominous, something dangerous in the air. Something was coming and it was coming fast.

Sofia rubbed her stomach as she looked in the mirror. Any day now her little girl would be born. She smiled then walked into the nursery she ran her hand along the wood of the crib and rocking chair. She picked up one of the stuffed animals that she had bought for her girl. She put it back and looked at the picture she had put of Mr. and Mrs. Sala on the desser. She opened the dresser and looked at all of the clothes she had bought, Anthony had bought her all of the clothes she had wanted, but looking back now she realized Margaret would only wear this stuff a few months before she outgrew them. Sofia laughed and heard some rummaging in her bedroom.

"Anthony?" She called. She walked towards her room and saw a man in a mask, he turned to glare at her. He came up and punched her hard in the arm. Sofia stumbled and caught herself, she pushed the man into her room and slammed the door shut. She began to walk as quickly as she could to the stairs. She moved down them, then halfway down she felt a hard shove. She screamed as she fell down the stairs. Something was wrong, her stomach was cramping and it hurt, that wasn't supposed to happen. She let out another scream, she couldn't move.

The man who pushed her walked down the steps when he reached the bottom a gun sounded. The man fell. Sofia screamed again and began crying, Anthony appeared over her.

"Sofia? Sofia!"

Sofia's consciousness slipped in and out as she was loaded onto the stretcher and taken to the emergency room.

"I'm sorry, but we may have to make a choice, her or the baby."

Sofia's head lulled to the side and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Two weeks later Sofia walked hurriedly to the mirror in her dress.

"Lace it up Sara!" Sydney snapped.

Sara laced Sofia's dress hurriedly. Sofia gazed at herself sadly in the mirror, the perfect dress, the perfect make-up, and the perfect hair, but someone important was missing.

"Cheer up Sof, I know you wanted your daughter here today, but some things can't be helped." Sydney rubbed Sofia's shoulders.

"I know." Sofia said sadly.

"Don't cry you'll ruin your make-up!" Sara said.

"I'm sorry!" Sofia yelled. "I wanted my daughter, my Margaret, here today! Don't tell me not to cry when it was my fault!" Sofia dried her tears. "I'm sorry, it's just very emotional."

Sara and Sydney touched up her make-up then led her out to the car. Sofia stared out the window as the car drove towards the church, she had waited with so much excitement for this day only to have her happiness dimmed by recent events. She cursed herself for not listening to Anthony at the beginning, he warned her it was planned and she had ignored his words completely and because of that her child had payed the price. She couldn't wash the overwhelming feeling of guilt she had, and she imagined Anthony couldn't either.

When she had woken up in the hospital she found out that the man who had been attacking her, Roger Hills, was hired by Brittney's mother. The old woman wanted her daughter to marry Anthony and when Sofia began her relationship with him, the old woman began to plot. She hired the man as a "gardener" and overpayed him immensely. Eventually Sofia found out that more than a required kill, the man had become obsessed with her, he still managed to send her letters saying that he loved her and that they would be together eventually. Anthony had blown up after a couple of letters in one day, but Sofia said that they should leave him be with his delusions. Brittney's mother was sent to prison for 15 years and was killed almost immediately upon arrival.