Just for Tonight

47.

She hadn't heard from Raf since their last call. But a meeting with Matti confirmed what she had feared: her career as a journalist was over.

"We've got orders. Not to hire you if you ever applied for a job with us again. Apparently, it comes from the top. You'd be... unstable and dishonest, something like that", Matti told her, incredulous.

She explained what she had experienced in London, and what she had seen. How information could be distorted. How only a few people ruled the press. Matti listened attentively.

"What I fear most is for Ville", she conclued.

"Chlo... if ever rumors and lies appear in the press about him, we'll get to the truth of the matter. You know how we work, and you still have friends at the paper", he reassured her. "Thanks to your story with Ville, the day you made a right of reply about your duet, our newspaper was taken seriously in the music business. We're bigger now, and we know we owe it to you".

"Thank you, Matti-Matt. I'll call on you if this guy ... Raf... tries anything against Ville."

"What about you and your handsome boyfriend?", he asked.

"Nothing. We talk a little, but he's always ... something is broken between us. He doesn't understand me", she replied softly.

"But you love each other", Matti smiled.

"I hope we love each other... enough", she whispered.

She returned to Migé, a little reassured by her discussion with Matti. She found them both in front of the television, dismayed.

"Chlo, have a look at this", Ville said as he invited her to sit down.

She took a seat beside him and listened as the journalist spoke animatedly.

"Due to the extent of the Covid-19 epidemic, the government has decided to close schools, restaurants and any other meeting places, and to limit social contact to a maximum of 10 people. Teleworking is highly recommended."

"What the fuck!", Migé exclaimed.

"The schools are closed... it must be really serious", Ville murmured.

One report followed another. All over Europe, similar decisions were being made. Flights were suspended and borders closed. Doctors pointed out the reality of the situation: hospitals were overcrowded.

"Your asthma, Ville", Chloe said, suddenly backing away from him. "I just got back from a meeting with Matti...".

She leapt to her feet and took refuge into the bathroom.

"Chlo...". Ville stood up and headed for the bathroom. "Chlo ... no kidding ... come back to us".

"What if I'm a Covid carrier? What if I gave it to you? What if you get seriously ill because of me? You've got asthma, you're at risk I'm afraid!".

He couldn't help smiling.

"And so, you're going to avoid me for how long?", he laughed.

"As long as possible", she replied seriously behind the closed door.

"I'm going to stand outside that door until you come out", he threatened her gently. "Chloe ... I'll stay away from you, but please come. Thanks for worrying about me", he said softly.

She stepped out cautiously and he stepped back a little.

"Ville ... don't play with your health. Many people have died from this disease...". She had tears in her eyes and he understood how important it was to her.

"From now on, we're confined together, the three of us", Migé declared.

The pandemic turned life upside down in the space of a single night. Streets were empty, stores closed and the outside world seemed suspended, echoing eerie silence. Inside the apartment they shared, life went on at a strange, compassed pace, dictated by confinement. By mutual agreement, Ville moved into Migé's bedroom. This was the largest room in the apartment, and Ville spent most of his time there, surrounded by Migé's musical instruments. In the evening, as the shadows lengthened and the outside world fell silent, Chloe and Migé heard the faint sounds of music. Ville composed, often late into the night, turning his restlessness into melody.

Chloe disinfected the apartment once a day and Migé took care of cooking for everyone, after washing his hands several times under Chloe's watchful eye. They fell into this routine, a delicate balance of shared responsibilities and personal spaces, each of them finding small ways to make confinement more bearable. 

She now shared the sofa with Migé. Late that evening, she received a message. Her phone had gone silent, Rafael having stopped harassing her. Anxiously, she read the message.

"Thank you... for everything. V."

She smiled.

"I have this need to protect you... from everything. C."

"You make me smile. V."

"Need to talk?"

"I still don't understand ... you and him. But when I see you, day after day, it's really you. The one I knew. The one I loved."

She raised her eyebrows.

"I raise my eyebrows."

"Not all men are like him. I'm not like him. I want to protect you too."

"I hope one day you'll forgive me, even if you don't understand me. I hope one day you'll be proud of me. I've been a fool and I know it."

"What I understand is that you were under his spell. You're far from stupid".

She didn't answer immediately. She took a deep breath.

"How much easier it is to write to you than to talk to you... I love you, Ville. Good night."

He didn't reply.

"Who sent you messages?", Migé asked half-asleep.

"Ville", she whispered.

"Good thing". Migé smiled as he drifted back to sleep.

The next day was like the others—measured, deliberate, shaped by a cautious distance even as they shared meals together. At lunch, Migé finished eating first and stood to take his plate to the kitchen. Ville glanced at her, his voice soft but resolute : "So do I" , he whispered, looking at her.

The way he said it, she knew it was a statement of fact. No promises, nothing else. But they loved each other.

‐----

Hello dear reader,
I hesitated for a long time to write a chapter on Covid. It seems so far away and so close at the same time. It was another world, a world that made us aware of the importance of life, and the fragility of our human condition. A world where Chloe and Ville will maybe be able to find each other again, because in the end, love is what matters, isn't it? 😉