Sinners and Saints II

Chapter 25

"Okay Tony, I'd be right there."
Rafael had his phone glued to his ear as he ran down the flight of stairs as fast as he could. "Just hold on for a little while — oh, alright man, thank you."

Rafael got to the last stair, pulling his phone away from his ear slowly, before he chucked it into his pocket.

He was in a hurry to be away from the house. He knew how important it was for him to meet up with Tony before his meeting at the office. He headed to the door.

"God-daddy,"

Rafael paused the moment he heard Grace yell his name as she ran down the stairs with Lucy running behind her, trying to get her to stop for a minute. A wide smile spread on his face as he watched the little girl run to him, holding on tight to her doll.

"Grace," he bent over quickly so she could run into his embrace, if it was going to stop her from running so fast. Grace did just exactly what he thought.

She hugged him tightly.

"You're home early." She said as she slowly pushed herself away from him.

"I actually am." Rafael rubbed his palms together. "I just came to pick up something I need at the office." He rose the brown envelope in his hands high enough for Grace to see.

She gasped.

"So you're going back?"

Rafael nodded.
"I am. Would you like me to get you something on my way back?"

She shook her head.

"Not really. I was just hoping you could tuck me in tonight."

Rafael blinked.

"Of course darling." He rose his hand to her head and gave her a gentle pat. "Of course I will." He pushed himself closer to her and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. Grace's face brightened immediately. She looked so so happy. She was about to say something else when-

The front door closed with a loud bang, making them both jump unintentionally in fright, turning at the sound of Benita calling Olivia's name.

"Mum?" Grace whispered like she wasn't sure she heard right. Rafael got up slowly too, hoping he had heard wrong. He knew Nanny Benita had to be wrong somehow. It was way too early for Olivia to be back home.

"Olivia, wait."
Amy's voice drew closer to them just as Rafael narrowed his gaze as the footsteps approached closer to them. Olivia rushed into the hallway with Amy rushing in behind her.

Rafael took a step forward and then paused the moment he noticed she had a lot of tears in her eyes and a lot falling form her face, cleaning them as she rushed towards them, clinging on tight to her bag, her gaze focused on the stairs.

"Mummy," Grace ran to her but Olivia just walked past her, running as fast as she could to the spiral stairs. It was like they weren't even there, like she didn't notice them at all. Rafael turned too. His heart was racing. He was trying to figure out so many reasons Olivia could be in that state but he couldn't think of anything.

He watched her run up the stairs with Amy running along behind her.

Rafael swallowed hard just as Benita rushed to the hallway too.

"God-daddy?" He slowly turned to Grace who had a glimpse of sadness in her eyes. She was pouting like she was about to cry. "What's wrong with my mummy? Why is she crying?"

Rafael turned to the stairs again and then turned back to Grace,

"I-I don't know." He told her. Rafael drew a deep breath and then reached for her shoulder. Now he knew he just had to make her less worried. "I'm just sure your mum is stressed from work. I don't think anything is wrong with her. She'd be fine." He swallowed hard. "Why don't you follow Nanny Benita to the kitchen for some snacks?"

"But I don't want any snack. I want to see my mummy."

"Grace, nwam." Benita hurried to her just so she could make the job easier for Rafael. She slowly reached for the little girl's arm. Grace slowly turned to her. "Your God father is right. I don't think we should disturb your mum now. She just needs some rest."

Grace exhaled softly. She knew it was rude to argue with her elders. She knew she had to do what her mother had always asked her to do- to obey first before she complained. She allowed Benita lead her away from the hallway just as Rafael turned to the stair.

He let out an exasperated sigh.

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Olivia's sobs weren't so tiny after all, neither was she just stressed from work. Three hours had passed and Rafael could still hear her cry from right outside her door. He had spent the last three hours trying to give her some time to be calm especially since she made it clear she didn't want to talk to anyone, but at that point he was scared she was going to cry herself to her death if it went on any longer. He was worried to death. He couldn't even bring himself to step out of the house.

Rafael exhaled just as he heard footsteps approaching the door too. Amy sighed just as she stopped right beside him.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Rafael didn't bother to shift his attention from the door.

"Do you know what happened?" Rafael glared at the door like he could see right through it. "Why she's this way?"

Amy didn't say a word. She just stood there with her hands firm in her pockets. She didn't move either. Rafael snorted out.

"Of course you know. She tells you everything." He whispered to himself the moment he realized how Amy had gone particularly mute on his question.  "This won't do," He folded his hand to a fist. "I have to ask her why."

He took a step to the door when Amy quickly grabbed his arm, causing him to stop for a second. Rafael turned quickly to glare at her.

"Don't take it the wrong way, I'm you and Olivia's  biggest fan but I don't think you should go in there right now Rafael. Now is not just the right time."

"Right time?" Rafael snorted. "She has been that way for hours. She won't even talk to me. What is going on Amy?" Rafael demanded to know. He wanted to know. The whole anxiety was killing him.

"Just give her some time. She just needs some time. I'm very sure she'd tell you about it when she wants."

Somehow Amy's words made him want to listen. It made him want to put himself in Olivia's shoes. He couldn't help but feel Amy had a point even though he was so tired of waiting already.

He let out a weak sigh.

He wasn't going to force it anymore. He felt Amy give him a soft pat on his shoulder and then turn to go. Rafael didn't even notice her walk away. All his attention was focused on Olivia's room and the sobs that came from it...the tiny sniffs. It was like he could see it, like he could see her, like he could feel what she was going through.

He drew a deep breath and then exhaled.