Mommy? (2)

Chapter 23

Emilie's P.O.V.

I was sitting in Leonora's room, breathing in her scent and trying not to cry, when the doorbell rang. I decided to ignore it. It couldn't be anything important, Shania and Hiroki had their own keys, and who would want to see me? I had retreated into a cave of isolation these last days, feeling that life without Leonora didn't make sense at all. And now I couldn't even find her because no one knew where she'd been taken and no one was going to help me.... I thought that she'd be in the house where she'd lived while she was a baby, but no one knew where that house was. She had never talked about it with anyone ever since she'd left her childhood house. I sighed and grabbed my hair. Why did things have to be so complicated? The bell rang again and I groaned annoyed. Which crazy person wanted to see me now, and insisted on it? I stood up and trudged towards to door, deciding that the best thing to do would be to answer.

"Hello? Who's this and what do you want?" I asked in a grumpy voice, not wanting to open without knowing who was there and why.

"Please open the door it's me."

I froze, the inter phone against my ear. Was I dreaming? This couldn't be possible, it was too good to be true.

"Emilie? Hello? ...... mommy?"

I pressed the button to open the door to the apartment block with force and, opening the door to my flat, I rushed outside and down the stairs, catching Leonora as she was about to start going up them. I engulfed her in a hug, crying and telling her that I loved her all at once, not believing that I could see her after this time, not believing my eyes.

"Is this really you? Are you really here? This is not a dream?"

She hugged me tight and kissed me, our tears mingling together, sadness and joy and love in each of them. I held her tight and she held me tight as well, I didn't know anymore where my body ended and hers started but I was happy to finally see her. I was happy to finally hold her again and feel her heart beating against mine and her lips on mine and her love coming out of her in waves. I held her, trying to make her understand how sorry I was through that gesture, trying to make her feel of the love I felt, and all of the joy and relief at seeing her again, healthy and alive. After a while of standing there in the stairs, Leonora pulled back and smiled at me through her tears.

"Can we go to the flat please? I don't have much time...." she said, looking as if she were about to crumble down.

I nodded and, holding her hand tight, walked up the stairs, her a step behind me. I felt like Orpheus when he went to fetch Eurydice: I was too afraid to turn around to check that she was there, lest she disappear into thin air, but at the same time I wanted to check that she was still there. Thankfully we got to the flat and I sat down on the couch, sitting her on my lap and holding her tight against me. I didn't want to let her go, ever, but, from what she'd said about not having much time, I guessed that I would have to. Nothing seemed to be working out. At least in books characters always ended up having their happily ever after, but would we get it? This wasn't a book after all, but reality. I decided not to think too much about the future, it would just make me even sadder, and decided to simply enjoy Leonora's presence, breathing in her scent and holding her tight, while she explained to me what had been going on. She told me about what her sister had told her, about this man Jean-Paul, whose description I matched to what Theon had told me, about her future marriage, about her re-education, about the deal. I then told her about how Shania and Hiroki were dealing with everything, about how we'd gone to her childhood house, about Cyra and Theon, about the police. She squeezed me tight when she heard about the sleepless nights I'd had, sleepless nights which she seemed to have shared judging by the dark bags under her eyes. When we'd both finished speaking, we simply held each other and tried to make as much love as possible pass through that simple hug, enjoying the other's presence as much as we could.

Much too soon, it was time for her to go. She stood up reluctantly and, kissing me deeply, started crying again.

"Goodbye Emilie," she spoke through her tears, love apparent in each of her words, "I wish you all the best. Please never forget that I love you so much more than anyone else, and that all I want is the best for you. I want you to be safe and healthy, so please never do anything to ruin your health or that could put you in danger. Please be happy for me, Emilie. And please tell Shania and Hiroki that I love them and that I'm sorry I couldn't see them today."

With one last tearful and loving look, she left, softly shutting the door behind her.