𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐙𝐕𝐎𝐔𝐒 - ᴄʜᴀʀʟᴇꜱ ʟᴇᴄʟᴇʀᴄ

20

𝘌𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘦'𝘴 𝘗𝘖𝘝:

I was standing in front of a crowd of people. I stood in the wooden podium and grabbed the microphone attached to it. I looked around, I felt nauseous and sick. My stomach kept flipping and my hands were sweating.

I closed my eyes taking a deep breath, feeling my whole body tremble. Everything felt in slow motion. My eyes landed on him.

I saw him look at me concerned. He knew me way too well to know I was having a total meltdown. He gave me a comforting smile, his dimples slightly showing. I smiled back.

"It's okay." I saw him mouth and nodded swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Olga Moreau was an amazing woman." I started saying and fidgeted with my hands. Everyone's eyes went towards me when I started my speech. "She made everyone around her feel loved, she made everyone smile even on the worst days." I looked around and saw Margot, she had tears in her eyes but she gave me a comforting smile, giving me the strength to continue. "She was like the moon on a dark night. She taught me many things. She taught me to never give up and to never let anyone take my smile away. She taught me to appreciate life and to see it as a gift. She also taught me to cook pasta." I chuckled softly and sniffed. I saw Pierre smile a little bit as tears slipped down his cheeks.

Everyone had tears in their eyes. Everyone was here for her.

"She was deeply and profoundly adored by everyone. She took care of me every day. She was always there for me, ever since I have memory. She never left my side and she helped me through my darkest nights. Through my Highschool breakups, through my failures, through my triumphs. She was always there to give me the warmest hugs and the brightest smiles." My voice trembled and I looked to the side, seeing Olga's portrait. She had a bright smile on her face, just like the one I talked about before. "She was my mother and I'm gonna miss her forever. Im gonna miss her forever in this life and in the next one." Tears slipped uncontrollably down my cheeks as I sobbed.

I turned around and rested my head over the coffin as tears slipped down. I felt someone grab me. I turned around seeing Charles and wrapped my arms around him. I sobbed on his shoulder as I closed my eyes. Feeling the pain on my chest increase. I looked up and saw my mother at the door, behind all the crowd.

She was looking straight at me. I knew she wanted to talk.

[...]

My mother and I were sitting on a restaurant. She indeed wanted to talk.

"Vous avez choisi?" The posh man asked us as he poured sparkling water on our glasses.

"Oui, je voudrais la salade niçoise et un verre de vin rouge, s'il vous plaît." My mother ordered and the man wrote down her order.

She looked at me and I stared blankly at her.

"I'm not hungry." I stated, keeping the blank expression on my face.

"Merci." My mother smiled at the man and the man nodded and walked away.

"So, how was the wedding?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

I crossed my arms to hug myself and my mother took a deep breath and took her dark glasses off, revealing her intimidating eyes.

"It was great. It made its way into every front page in every magazine in Monaco." She replied and I tilted my head.

"I saw. Thanks for the invite, by the way." Sarcasm dripped from my words.