The Mirage

Ch. 25 "Amore"

As Gemma's grandfather pulled her into the older home he briefly looked over any wound or discoloration on her.

"Ohh what happened il mio bambino". Gemma's grandmother asked walking into the living room from the kitchen always using an Italian term of endearment while addressing her.

Gemma smiled at her family with the thought of when she was little in this house running around or having her grandmother teach her how to cook when her grandfather wasn't teaching her life skills or how to fight. This is where Luca was raised. Just this thought brought warm tears to her eyes. She missed her baby boy so much. Yes she was biologically his sister but she will forever be his mother.

After these happy thoughts came so did the bad thoughts. The thought of why she became a mother. Her mother killed her father committed suicide. These people that caused so much pain in one day sill tormented her life. She was abused by them physically and sexually. They burned down her house and the few things she loved. They raped her and shot at her. She was taken by them so the cycle could repeat.

Breaking her thoughts her grandmother Pearl hugged her gently not caring about the blood.

"Let's get you cleaned up mio amore"

Pearl tugged Gemma to the bathroom starting up the shower. As the water heated up Gemma started to undress looking at herself in the mirror.

The so confident girl that walked in front of people in a shirt and panties was not there. All she saw was her abused mother staring right back at her. Gemma's eye and cheek were swollen with a slightly bloody scratch running from her cheek to her lip. Pulling off her shirt she saw the gashed skin the a bluet had slid through. Her arms had purple and blue bruises showing off the hands that had wrapped around her. Looking at her back nothing seemed to be wrong but a soar red dot by her shoulder blade. Her knees had been bruised from being pushed to the floor and her feet were black with soot from walking along the streets without shoes.

Getting in the shower Pearl made sure she had a fresh towel and a pair of clothes to sleep in for when she got out. Gemma washed herself flinching slightly from the sting of contact at the bruises areas.

"Grandma? Can you wash my back?"

Gemma asked opening the shower slightly as the older lady was about to leave the bathroom. She turned to her granddaughter nodding softly. Gemma handed her the soap and turned around. She smiled at the fact the her grandmother could help her shower at the age of twenty one and it wouldn't be weird. This is what she strives to teach Luca, that everyone has a body and it may all be a little different but you don't have to only see a body in a lustful moment but you can be comfortable with all bodies.

After the shower Gemma got dressed in one of her grandfathers old shirts and a pair of old sweatpants. Walking out of the bathroom Pearl told her to sit on the floor in front of her so she could brush out Gemma's hair. It was like she was little again with the way her grandmothers soft hand stroked through the wet hair after the brush. She then started to braid Gemma's hair while Gemma started to get drowsy at the comforting feeling. Gemma kissed her grandparents on the cheek thanking them for letting her stay and always being there no questions asked. With that Gemma snuggled into the once very familiar comforter falling into a dreamless sleep.