Lady Friend

Twenty Eight - A Talk in the Park

It was up to Violetta now. This whole situation was up to Violetta. She knew that her father could convince her, but only the niece could play the trump card. She didn't want it to come to that though. 

Angie had agreed to meet her in the park at three o'clock. It was twenty minutes to, but she wanted to get there super early to review her battle tactics. Her phone lit up with a message. It was from Leon:

'Good luck, Vilu. You've won either way. ;)' He made her laugh and was there when she needed him. He was the perfect boyfriend. She was so lucky. 

After passing half the time on the phone to him, Violetta decided to take in the scenery. The scenery that Angie would either miss or still see every day. She hoped it was the latter. 2:58. Angie should be here any minute. Sure enough her bag bounced against her hip, one minute from three, so she was sat on the bench and ready to talk bang on the dot. This was just like Angie. 

She asked her what she wanted to talk about and she told her the truth: her job. Angie sucked in her breath. This was going to be a hard conversation.

Violetta told her about the Studio and how everyone loved her there. That was true and she knew that. The going away party they had thrown for her was so thoughtful. She especially loved the song when everyone joined in with her. It made her feel special. She knew that it was one of the moments that she would never forget. The Studio, and the people in it, had done a lot for her and she would always be thankful for that.

She then told her about Ramallo and Olga and how they wouldn't be able to live without her. Angie laughed. It was true, Violetta told her. Olga would cry all the time and be inconsolable and Ramallo would spend his time trying to comfort German, her dad. Angie wasn't so sure about that. Violetta raised her eyebrows. Double emphasis. She had to know how much her dad cared about her, surely she could see it? Angie shook her head. He loves you, and you're in love with him. What's more simple than that? She didn't know that it wasn't that simple. They were adults. There was Esmeralda and their jobs and the past. Of course that didn't really matter anymore because they could never be together in real life. As much as Violetta wanted it to happen, it couldn't. It wouldn't. They... were just too different from each other. Soon, they would be on different sides of the world.

"Angie, don't say that!" Cried Vilu.

"But I have to." Said Angie, who was cradling Violetta. She was resting her head on her chest.

"You don't have to, you can stay!" she protested through the tears.

"I can't! I've got a new job! I'm leaving... Very soon." Angie kissed her niece's forehead. It would probably be one of the last times she would kiss her. No, don't think like that! She was leaving for France and that was that. Nothing would change it. They could still talk. It's not like she was going to lose her again. There was Skype and texting. They could keep in touch.

"There's a time difference and new people there. It's Paris, you'll meet someone else."

Angie laughed through the tears starting to form in her own eyes, "Oh, is that what this is about?" She chuckled seeing Violetta's mischievous grin. "Well I won't. I'm there to do a job, not to find love."

Violetta thought of a way her plan didn't have to go completely South, "Can you promise me that?"

Angie laughed again, "I can." She linked her pinky finger with her niece's and they promised. Angie wouldn't find love and she wouldn't meet new people out in Paris. 

Violetta knew differently. She knew she would find someone else in Paris and that she would forget her dad; because life moves on. They got up, wiped away their tears and walked towards the sidewalk where Pablo and German were already waiting. Where Angie would be picked up to go a fancy hotel or apartment in Paris. Where Angie would be whisked away to move on from her life here.