The Façade of Quad in Nimrod ✓ | Satire, family drama, dark society

XXI

In her room, Valerie was fighting with herself.

She wanted Fernando here, but she didn't.

She hated her mother, but she couldn't, at least not completely. 

Valerie was smart enough to notice the distance that had grown between her parents over the last few years. Perhaps, she thought, it was inevitable that it would happen? But she couldn't believe her mother could be with her to-be brother-in-law!

Letting out a distressed wail, she stuffed the pillow in her face. Everything was falling apart around her and filth was beginning to infiltrate the once pure, innocent, and beautiful world she lived in.

Something else bothered her, too. It was just one thing after another for the poor girl. The high mental wall that plagued her dreams crumbled halfway to reveal something she didn't understand. Someone she loved dearly, turning his back from all of them and breaking the promise to always be her brother—a brother that was not Henry.

The door opened, scaring those old memories away, and in came her criminal knight in shining armor. Caught awake, Valerie instead put the blankets over her head, refusing to speak.

"Ree-Ree, how about some honeyed milk. Nice and warm. It calms the nerves," Fernando's voice was soothing to her ears despite her anger towards him. 

"I've also some oatmeal with brown sugar and some strawberries?" 

She could smell the delicious brown sugar on the oatmeal and her favorite comfort of honeyed milk. Having not eaten dinner, she salivated.

Fernando put the tray down on the little coffee table in the room. "Come now. You haven't had anything to eat, you must be hungry."

She sat up annoyed that he didn't seem to recognize why she was so upset. "How could you leave me with them alone like that!" she yelled at him. "I was counting on you to be there! And everyone was ignoring me!"

Hot, angry tears streamed down her eyes. "And that disgrace of a woman and your brother!" Valerie was appalled at her mother's infidelity even more now that she said it out loud. Her mother had kissed someone so much younger and it disgusted her to the core.

Scowling inwardly to himself, Fernando gave a small smile and came to sit near her on the bed. He had worked it all out in his head. 

"I wanted to come as soon as I could, Ree-Ree. But my brother came to me about your mother, about the threats he received. I feared for him. I didn't want to tell you this. I didn't want you to think ill of us." He looked away and made his eyes water. When he turned back, he saw Valerie widen her eyes for she had never seen Fernando cry.

"I tried everything I could, she's still got him under her claws, sorry," He shook his head and wiped his eyes, "I shouldn't talk about your mother that way."

He let a deep shaky sigh fall from his lips. "I just wanted this house party to work out. Aulen did, too. He was afraid of her, but if he didn't appear, what would she do to him?"

"She's a mad woman!" Valerie grabbed his hands. "She's always been a mad woman. She always used to say Henry should go to asylum, but it was her all along." A tear snaked down Fernando's cheek and she wiped it away.

"Please, Fernando dear, don't pain yourself about this. I forgive you. You had no choice." She stood on her knees and placed a kiss on his forehead. When she pulled away he took her hands in his, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you, my love," he said in a quiet voice while inside he praised himself for his top-notch acting skills. "Are you hungry?"

"Oh yes. Hungry for what you've brought me, Fernando dear." Valerie kissed his cheek and hopped off the bed.