Sephora

CHAPTER 30

Sephora spent the next few weeks in the house with Ella, the kids and a very absent Aries.

Sephora wasn't sure of the reason as to why he was always absent from the house.

Many times she wondered if it was because of her that he acted so busy.

Did he dislike her presence around the house?
Was he avoiding her? Or Was he simply busy? Or did he genuinely not want her around?

It seemed as though whenever it came to Aries, her thoughts had the tendency of being all over.

      "What is it that bothers you so much Fiore?"
Ella asked, leaning on the rail in the same position her mother also did.

Sephora wondered how their mother could still look so young and stunning even if she was advanced but then again, she birthed two epitomes of beauties.

     "Aries of course"
The older woman replied, laughing softly when Sephora's eyes turned in shock towards her discovery.

     "Mama"
Sephora whined before  covering her face in embarrassment at the thought of getting caught.

     "What?, your eyes are staring a little too dreamily at him"
She replied, pointing towards the compound where Aries indeed stood with his phone glued to his ears.

How long had he been standing there?

       "Awww"
Ella suddenly  gushed, earning herself a loud smack from mama who wasn't letting her embarrass Sephora anymore than they already did.

     "It's alright darling, you are allowed to take him all in,I birthed absolute beauties"
Mama hyped, fanning herself the way you would if you saw a hot guy in the beach.

Her  dramatic action got the girls laughing  really hard.

     "I'll leave you girls now"
Mama announced before walking away, leaving Ella and Sephora in a comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts.

     "You are okay right? "
Ella suddenly asked, Turning in a manner that let her face Sephora.

Her questions, although soft carried a lot of maddening weight.

Of course she wasn't okay, of course she was heavy with guilt, loss and a weight that weighed heavily on her but what was she supposed to do?

     "I'm Okay"
Sephora finally replied with a soft yet exhausted laugh, the type that told so many stories yet Ella refused to poke or push her for more.

     "Talk to him"
Ella encouraged, turning back to face the area Aries had been standing but he wasn't there, he must have gone inside.

     "I remember the day he left"
Ella began, facing up to the sky as though her story was written up there.

     "I'm not sure I've cried so much in my life Fiore"
She laughed before dabbing her eyes a bit more and then inhaling sharply.

       "I thought it would be a short trip, you know?, a little space from everything we had going on at the time"
She stopped and smiled sadly.

       "I don't know what happened out there Bela, I don't know what this world did to him but whatever it was, they took my brother from me"
Finally the water works began, Sephora could tell that there was a lot of pain down there yet she didn't attempt to stop her.

If anything she came closer but didn't say anything, allowing Ella the chance to express her emotions.

      "He came back with so much hurt, heart ache and darkness, so much so that it took me close to a year to finally establish a bond with him again.
I know he doesn't like talking about his life away from us but I know that whatever he experienced was enough to dim the once bright light that would shine in those beautiful eyes"
She stopped and smiled.