The Art of a Monster

Ch 11.June/9/2009

Stefano stared at the gravestone blankly with a small bouquet in his hand. He sighed and placed the flowers on the ground before removing a white rose from the bouquet.

"I know you want me to pay respect to your brother. I don't understand why you would want me to do that after what he did to you." He said as he looked over at the gravestone next to it.

"I know you loved me mother. You gave me everything you had so that I could thrive here. I am. I promise that I will give uncle something, but not today." Stefano said before he started to walk away. He looked towards the hill and stopped.

Valeria was up on top looking at the tree. His curiosity took control as he walked to the hill and up the steps.

"I wasn't expecting you here Valeria." Stefano said once he reached the top. Valeria looked at him and smiled.

"Seeing family?" Valeria asked.

"My mother. My father is buried back in Italy. What are you doing here?" Stefano replied.

"Seeing the roses blooming this year. This tree is the one I put in my first piece." Valeria answered. Stefano looked at the tree closer. It was dead and had a rose vine covered in red blossoms. Valeria looked at Stefano for a moment and noticed him admiring the rose vine.

"My father planted this vine. He brought it with him from Italy and planted it here the day he moved to Krimson." Valeria said as she looked back at the tree.

"What about your mother?" Stefano asked.

"I never knew her. She worked at a mental hospital, but then went missing when I was five months old." Valeria replied.

"I'm sorry." Stefano whispered. Valeria shrugged a little.

"My mother wanted nothing to do with me. She let my father take care of me when they got divorced. She was passionate about her career. My father was passionate about my life and future. I am where I am now thanks to him." She added.

"He sounds like a good man. I would love to meet him." Stefano said. Valeria was quiet. She felt a knot in her throat as she moved a few roses to the side revealing a name and dates: Riccardo Leone, June 9 1940- October 26 2008.

"He was killed in a car crash. Drunk driver. The car was going straight for me, but then my father turned the car making the drunk bastard hit him instead. This tree is his gravestone. It was what he wanted." Valeria said she was quiet for a moment before she laughed a little.

"My father and I used to joke about his age and when he was younger. He would talk about his life "when the dinosaurs roamed the earth". "How old are you father?" "Old as dirt." He would say." Valeria said making them both laugh. They were quiet for a moment. Valeria sighed.

"My father told me once that there's a monster in every person on this earth. Many are different. Most people have the monster of addiction. Mine is doubt." Valeria said. Stefano looked at her in confusion.

"Doubt?" Stefano said before Valeria nodded her head.

"Doubt made me question my capability to do certain things. My ability to fend for myself, my ability to play the main character. I even doubted my appearance. My doubt almost made me go back to Jack." Valeria said.

"How did you fight it?" Stefano asked. Valeria looked down a little to try and regain control of her emotions.

"I didn't fight it alone. Very few people have the strength to fight their inner beast." Valeria replied.

"Who helped you?" Stefano asked. Valeria sighed before looking at him.

"My father helped, my friends, but so did you Stefano. You helped me imprison my doubt. It no longer consumes me." She answered. She looked back at the tree to gather her thoughts before looking back at Stefano.

"What about you? Do you know what your monster is?" She asked in curiosity. Stefano looked back at the tree. He knew what it was. He knew what he was. The thought of how Valeria would react scared him.

"No." He answered blankly.

Valeria nodded her head accepting his reply before she looked at the tree. The memory of the crash replayed in her mind. She could hear the last words her father said to her before the ambulance came and declared him dead.

"Promise me this Valeria, promise me that you will give the world your talents without mercy. Promise me that you will stay strong. Above all, promise me that you'll never forget how much I love you. How much you mean you me. Promise me." His voice echoed in her mind. She felt the knot in her throat grow tighter as she failed to hold back her emotions. Stefano then remembered the two pieces she did: Shattered and Broken. He understood them now. He looked and saw Valeria's tears. It was heartbreaking to see her sad. To see her in pain because of what death took away from her. He looked at the white rose in his hand before he walked up to the tree. He carefully put the rose in the vine before stepping back to Valeria's side.

"Thanks." Valeria said as she wiped away her tears. Stefano gently held her hand as they looked at the tree and watched the sunset.