Silent Eyes

34, New Love, Old Wounds

"Selene," Monica said, feeling like she had repeated herself a hundred times. "Please stop jumping on the bed." However, the little girl was brimming with excitement and leaped onto Monica, her face beaming. "But mommy!" she giggled. "Daddy's coming." Monica rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile. Andreas had been very busy lately, and Selene hadn't seen him much. She had grown increasingly grumpy until he revealed that he was off and could spend some time with her. As soon as Selene heard the news, her eyes widened, and she began bouncing off the walls.

Monica sat on the bed, folding Selene's clothes into a backpack. When Selene tripped and almost tumbled off the bed, Monica rushed over. Luckily, Selene managed to catch herself and gave her mother a sheepish grin. Monica grimaced, repeating, "Stop jumping on the bed!"

Selene bore a striking resemblance to Monica, with their doe eyes, round lips, and deep dimples. The only difference was their skin tone-Monica had a chocolatey brown complexion, while Selene was caramel-colored. However, Selene's mischievous nature mirrored her father, Andreas. She was a playful girl, sometimes blunt and always brimming with silly secrets. Monica thanked God that Selene hadn't inherited Andreas' temper, and she felt grateful for that. She wasn't sure how she would handle a screaming and punching toddler.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, capturing Selene's attention. She slid off the bed and darted toward the bedroom door. Monica placed a t-shirt down, getting to her feet and calling out, "Baby, what did I say about running through the house?" Finally reaching the door, Monica found someone had beaten her to it. "I got it," Roy said, turning the knob. He opened the door to reveal Andreas, and the two men silently glared at each other.

Monica sighed, annoyed by their ongoing feud.

Since leaving Greece, Monica had met Roy, a guy she encountered at her local grocery store. Roy worked in security there. He had been initially shy, but eventually mustered the courage to ask her out, and Monica accepted. Of course, she had to be cautious when it came to introducing someone new into her daughter's life. Thankfully, Roy proved to be trustworthy, and they were now in a committed relationship, living together. The only thing Monica regretted was disclosing to Roy what Andreas had done to her. Now, whenever the two men crossed paths, Roy became protective, sparking arguments between them.

Andreas stood at the door, towering over Roy. As always, his blue eyes shone, exuding an intimidating presence. Monica noticed his shorter haircut, making him appear even more attractive. However, she reminded herself that she was with Roy and that she and Andreas would never be a couple again. With that in mind, Monica reached out, squeezing Roy's hand and offering a gentle smile. "Do you mind waiting here while I grab Selene's things?" she asked. Roy kissed her lips and smiled back. "Sure, take your time." Monica slipped away, leaving the men to stare at each other.

Once Monica was out of sight, Roy crossed his arms and locked eyes with Andreas. "It's about time you spent some time with your daughter," he sneered. It was clear that Roy held a deep dislike for Andreas. Despite Monica's insistence that he had changed and was working on his anger issues, Roy remained skeptical. He had spoken to Monica's father and brother, who shared his disdain for Andreas. Upon learning about the incident where Andreas had trapped Monica in a closet and broken her fingers, Roy's sole intention was to protect her from this dangerous man.

Andreas clenched his hand into a tight fist, veins bulging around his arm, struggling to contain his anger. However, Selene was babbling next to them, oblivious to the tension in the air. The last thing Andreas wanted was to kill a man in front of his daughter. Roy was clearly no match for him, with his menial security job and his attempt to intimidate with his chubby physique. But Andreas smirked, dropping his fist. "Ah, I'm not even going to give you the satisfaction," he snickered.

Roy's eyes narrowed as he frowned. "What do you mean by that?" he asked. Slowly, Andreas' smirk faded, and he moved closer to Roy, pressing his face against his. He was so close that he could see the sweat trickling down Roy's cheeks and his pores. Andreas' voice dropped to a menacing tone. "You wouldn't stand a chance of leaving here alive," the large man warned. Roy tried to appear tough, but his gaze betrayed his unease, and Andreas regained his confidence.

Monica returned with Selene's backpack. "Sorry," she sighed, shaking her head. "I hadn't finished packing all of her things, and I needed some more time." Andreas softened at the sight of her. He reached out for the bag, but Roy quickly snatched it from Monica's hand and forcefully handed it to Andreas, growling, "Just take it and leave!" Andreas' eyes widened, and he couldn't control himself anymore. He lunged forward, grabbing Roy by the throat and slammed him viciously against the wall, as Monica gasped in horror.

Monica rushed over to the chaos, tugging at Andreas' arm and demanding, "Let him go!" Andreas' grip was tight, and Roy's face began to turn blue. Alarmed and noticing Selene standing in the background with scared eyes, Monica dug her nails into Andreas' arm and forcefully pulled him away from Roy, who was now coughing and holding himself up. She then turned to Andreas and pointed an accusatory finger. "Are you insane? Our daughter is right here!" she shouted. Andreas finally noticed Selene, and guilt washed over his face. Running a hand through his dark hair, he winced. "Damn it, I'm sorry." He crouched down to Selene's level, holding out his hands. "Baby, everything's okay now. Come here."

Selene hesitated at first, but seeing her father's soft blue eyes and tiny smile, she relaxed and walked into his embrace. Andreas lifted her off the floor and rubbed her back soothingly. He felt remorseful. He had promised himself not to let his anger get the best of him, but Roy had pushed him to his limits, and before he knew it, he was choking the man. Now he wanted to rectify his mistake and assure his little girl that everything was alright. Reluctantly, Andreas faced Roy and said, "I'm sorry, Roy."

But Roy gave him a scornful look and scoffed. "What a load of bullshit!" Andreas gritted his teeth as he tightened his grip around his daughter. Fortunately, Monica placed a hand on Roy's chest and frowned. "Roy, he's trying to apologize!" she said. Roy glared at her, motioning toward Andreas. "Monica, there's no way you're defending this guy." Her lips sealed shut, she reached up to his cheek, kissing him gently. "I'm not," she sighed. "I'm just..." She paused, biting her lip. "I'm just trying to defuse the situation."

As Monica continued talking to Roy, Andreas observed. He watched how her hands delicately touched him, how her lips moved softly, and the care in her eyes. It pained him, and he turned away, not wanting to witness the woman he loved being affectionate with another man. But he knew this much: if Selene wasn't present right now, Andreas would tear Monica away from Roy and beat him to a bloody pulp. Roy was fortunate to still be standing, and Andreas kissed his daughter's cheek to calm himself.

Eventually, Monica and Roy settled their disagreement. Roy was to go into the living room as Monica walked Andreas and Selene out. She wanted to give the men some space, blowing a kiss to Roy as they slowly stepped outside. Once the door closed behind them, Andreas lowered Selene and happily instructed her to head to the car. The girl dashed off, and he sighed, meeting Monica's concerned gaze. She began with a swallow.

"I thought you were working on your anger," she said.

Andreas closed his eyes, running a hand across his face. "I am," he replied. But Monica trembled, biting down on her nail. "Andreas, I can't have you coming to my house and attacking Roy-" She tried to continue speaking, but Andreas cut her off. "I know, I know," he tiredly repeated. "Trust me, I'm working on it." Selene was now calling out for her dad, and the parents turned to face her. Monica finally smiled and chuckled. "It looks like your daughter wants you," she said. Andreas smiled and scratched his head. "Yeah."

Silence fell as they gazed at each other, longing evident in their eyes. But Monica broke away, exhaling deeply. "Well, I should get back to Roy. You choked him pretty hard, and I want to make sure he's okay." Andreas nodded while stepping back. "Okay," he said. "Oh, and I mean it-I'm sorry." With that said, he turned around and headed towards his car. He secured Selene in her car seat and got in himself. Then, they drove away, waving goodbye to Monica.

She smiled, mouthing the words, "I love you," to her daughter.