LOVE AND IT CIRCLE

Chapter twenty-two

Zach•

"I'm glad you could come," I said to my brother, Josh, "I've never seen you this happy, I see you have found your peace."
the familiar warmth of his presence a welcome reprieve from the chill of my emotions. A successful businessman in London, Josh’s hectic schedule had kept us apart for far too long, and I yearned to bask in the familiarity of his company once more.

A bittersweet smile tugged at my lips as I thought of our mother. The promise of her return to the family home was a beacon of hope in the tumultuous sea of change that was about to wash over us all.
Dad is going to be very happy to see her again.

"I'm home!"

Like a siren's call, Amelia's voice beckoned, a welcome distraction from the tempest of emotions swirling in my mind. Rising from the couch, my brother and I turned to greet her, the smile on my face a mask that I hoped would hide the turmoil that threatened to consume me.
Josh went on to mom and they greeted each other.

"Oh son oh my God can't believe you finally here." Said mother as she hugged Josh.
Amelia’s presence was a sash of light, illuminating the joyous reunion between Josh and our mother. The tenderness of her embrace is a poignant reminder of the bond between a mother and her lastborn child, even as the passage of time etched its mark on their faces.
"I missed you super mommy."

"And here is my Queen how was shopping, and the dress?"

"Would've been better if you were there."

"I thought you were having a girl's time with mom, you know ladies' stuff."

She rolled her eyes, probably annoyed that I knew so much about ladies.

The shopping bags rustled in my hands as Amelia led us to our room, the soft brush of fabric a counterpoint to the uncertainty that hung between us.

"Zach, there is something I need to tell you."

"Okay."

In the quiet refuge of the bedroom, I sank into the sofa, an invisible burden weighing down on my shoulders.
Amelia's gaze met mine, her breath catching in her chest as she gathered the courage to speak.

"Tell me what is it?"
"I'm scared that one day I would wake up and see you not by my side, if I had to sleep forever I would because you are such a great person. I won't stand to see you mad at me or heartbroken because of me."
"What is all this honey?"

"There are things that might happen and I'm afraid, maybe you will hate me forever."

At that moment, a sense of clarity descended upon me, as if the cosmos had ordained that I should understand whatever truth she was about to reveal. Her words, unsaid, yet tangible in their anticipation, filled the space between us. The mere thought of Fernando’s name sent a shiver of unease through my soul, the specter of his malevolence looming like a shadow over our conversation. As I listened to Amelia's words, each syllable laden with an unspoken weight, the fragmentary nature of her confession only deepened my growing unease.

What could it be? I wondered, the unknowns hovering on the edge of my mind like a whisper of smoke, tantalizing and elusive. In Amelia’s eyes, a bottomless pool of emotion, I saw the echoes of a hidden pain that seemed to reverberate through the depths of her soul. The connection between us was forged in shared moments of tenderness and passion, a fragile thread that threatened to snap beneath the burden of her unspoken truth.

"Is there something you hiding from me honey?"

"I'm not hiding anything, Zach, I just wanted to let you know for the first time that I love you deeply,  I love you, Zach."