Butterfly and Flame - Alina and Evan

Camila

A/N *****This chapter is insanely long. I needed to provide the context of the back story to the back story. The Alinas'm needed to have met and been known by others in order to provide the finer details for the future by looking back to the past. I hope you find it as interesting and nerve wracking as I did while writing it.
💞

It was done. There was no turning back now. She prayed fervently that she had done the right thing. She owed it to the child but she also owed it to her sister. After all it had been her jealousy that had started a series of events that led to tragedies she never could have imagined. It had reached to this point of madness. She had done whatever was necessary to insure the child's happiness and safety and it could not be undone.

When she had taken the phone call from one of her fellow sisters it had been with impending doom that she picked up the receiver. She had been told it was life and death. She immediately ran to the phone believing that it was her mother that had fallen ill and was in danger. She was completely taken by surprise to hear Ashley's voice on the other end of the line. For a moment she stood completely still in shock and utter disbelief that her sister would be calling after so many years of not speaking to one another. "Camila please don't hang up, it's important that I speak with you but I can't do it over the phone. I know your order has rules and that's why I said it was a matter of life and death. Please believe me when I say that it is and that I need you. You know I would never call you unless it was something so important that I would break my promise my oath to never speak to you again. I must see you by the end of the week. I'll send a car for you. Will you come and meet me?". Ashley waited anxiously on the other end. She was so distraught she wanted to jump through the phone and grab her sister by her arms and shake her into acceptance. Camila wasn't  sure she had heard right. She was dumbfounded and couldn't utter a single word. Her mouth was dry and tears ran down her eyes as she held the phone with an iron grip. "Camila do you hear me? Do you understand what I said? Will you come? I must see you and I can't explain any of this in person."

Ashley turned from the window she had been standing near and clutched at the pendant that swung from her necklace. It was a nervous habit that she had from the time she was a child when she was ill. The medallion of "La Virgin de los Angeles" had been given to her by her mother when she was in the hospital. He parents believed she was at the point of death and the doctors had tried everything at the disposal to heal her. She had thought she would die. Ever since then she wore that medallion and it became her refuge when she despaired from all that the world had thrown her way. Even when she abandoned her faith she continued to wear the medallion telling herself it was a talisman and not a religious sacramental. Yet here she was saying a prayer to the Virgen of the Angels for her intersession before God himself. She was trembling now afraid that Camila would reject her request. She bit her lip and put her hand towards her face to cover her eyes. She had a constant headache since discovering that the child had gone missing. A week of sheer terror had passed before the child had been found in a homeless shelter. Christian was now in a sanitarium and being treated for depression and suicidal thoughts. She gathered her strength and spoke firmly but quietly to Camila saying "you owe me". Camila finally opened her mouth just enough to utter a single word..."yes". Ashley's hands were shaking and her whole body trembled with anxiety. I will send a car to pick you up Friday morning at 9:00am. It will be at the convent to pick you up and bring you to me. Camila, nobody else can know about this. It must remain between you and I forever. Say whatever you need to say to your Mother Superior. I will provide the convent with a large donation on your behalf; but under no circumstances are you to tell them that you're meeting with me. Do you understand?....Camila nodded her head and quietly answered ". She listened as the other end of the line disconnected and the dialtone went flat. With shaking hands she hung up the receiver walked out of the small room and straighten herself. She knelt down in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary. And began to pray in earnest.And that moment she felt that she might actually have the opportunity to make amends with her sister and she promised her self in God that she would do whatever was necessary to make things right no matter the cost to herself. Re recalled the brief conversation "Yes. I understand. Friday morning at 9:00 you will send a car".  Camila put her hand across her eyes and sat down heavily on the chair at the desk where she had taken the call. Ashley then said " Camila, I will forgive you everything with the service you will provide for me. I will now be in your debt". Ashley hung up the phone and Camila heard the dial tone resonate through her body as she too hung up the receiver.