Thorns & Roses

-fourteen-

AURORA VALENTINA MARINO

"She has a fever, she needs to rest." The nurse said. Padre nodded and the woman left.

"Hey, mia stella. How are you feeling?"

"I'm tired, Padre."

"I know, that's ok." I shuffled to the side slightly so he could lay down beside me. He wrapped an arm around me and held me close. "We have to go to Spain for a bit to sort out some business so we'll be leaving in the morning."

"Can I go with you?"

"No, mia stella, you're not well. I'm taking your brothers but you have to stay here with your madre."

"Don't leave me here, Padre. I'm not sick anymore, I can go with you." He chuckled slightly and pulled the blanket over me.

"It's only for three days, ok? I promise, we'll be back." I clutched onto him tightly as I fell asleep but when I woke up in the morning him and my brothers were already gone.

Mom avoided me on the first two days but on the third she spent the whole day getting mad at every little thing I did.

"What the fuck are you doing in here?"

"I'm going to eat."

"You're always fucking eating, you're going to be as big as a cow. Get out." She yelled. I nodded my head and walked back to my room, holding back my tears, and threw myself onto my bed.

I had started to fall asleep when I heard a piece of glass shatter followed by a stabbing pain in the back of my thigh. I cried out in pain, clutching my leg. "Shut up!" I rolled over to see Mom with a bloodied shard of glass in her hand. "I was really starting to get so sick of you and then I realised, Riccardo isn't here so I can do as I please."

Fear washed over me and I tried to run past her but she stabbed the shard into my back. I dropped to my knees at the unbearable pain and I felt tears streaming down my face. She pushed me back, making me land on the pile of broken glass, making the piece that was already in me, go further into my back. I felt my eyelids start to feel heavier as the pain multiplied.

-

"Is she going to be ok?" I heard Padre's voice say.

"She lost quite a bit of blood but we managed to get all of the glass out. You have to make sure she gets lots of rest and she should make a full recovery." I heard another voice say. I tried to open my eyes but the bright light above me was making it close to impossible. After a couple more tries, I managed to slowly open them.

"Aurora." I heard Padre say. I turned my head slightly to face him. "Thank God, you're up."

"Padre." I said croakily as tears started to roll down my face.

"Oh, mia stella." He whispered, his own eyes filling with tears.

"It hurts."

"I know, I know. You'll get better, though. You just have to give it time." I nodded slowly. "What happened?"

"I already told you she knocked the vase off the table and she must of passed out and fallen on top of it." Mom said as she walked into the room. I looked at her with a confused expression on my face.

"Is that what happened, mia stella?" Mom was looking at me sternly, making me nod slowly to Padre.

"When did you get back?" I asked, quickly changing the subject.