35

Eloise

It was a matter of minutes before Julian arrived, the ambulance practically arrived with him. At that moment I had already managed to calm my grandmother down and asked her to keep her eyes open, to look at me and squeeze my hand, Dona Florence is always stubborn, she should have told me right away when she was suspicious, I would take care of her, I would give her my life for her if necessary, but as always she was thinking of me, always putting me first in her life and I felt extremely guilty about it.

Some nurses were inside the room performing some procedures, meanwhile I was in Julian's arms outside, in silence, I just needed him to hold me so I wouldn't collapse right there, in my thoughts I asked God, he said no he would handle it if something bad happened to him.

After a few minutes a doctor came to tell me that she would need medical care at the hospital, maybe a stay for a few days, there they would evaluate her better. As soon as they carried her on the stretcher into the ambulance, her eyes were on me, she looked at me the whole time and I talked to her in that moment, I made it clear that I loved her more than anything, and how she had the power to read my eyes, I didn't even have to say a word.

"It's going to be okay… God knows what's best for her. You're not alone, you have me. I love you." Julian kissed my forehead and hugged me.

Then I locked the house and went with Julian to the hospital where they took her. I didn't want to say anything, the silence consumed me, I was afraid that even my words would hurt when they came out of my throat, since everything in me was pain at that moment.

It was fifty minutes that felt like years, Julian was always there, holding me tight, with him I knew I had at least one ground to rise from, I tried my best to hold back the tears that for now burned my eyes wanting to come down.

"I don't want you to leave me alone Julian, I don't want you to stop hugging me... Can you do this for me?" I asked with my throat almost closed from the thousands of tears I was trying to hold back.

"Oh my love, you don't even have to ask. I would never leave you alone right now." He whispered and intertwined our fingers.

"Good evening, are you Mrs. Espinoza's relative?" Said the doctor suddenly and I got up in a quick jump. I looked at his badge and it had the name: Dr. Shepherd. He was young for his profession, but he also appeared to be quite professional.

"Yes, it's me!" I answered with some rod.

"You can come in to see her, she insists a lot." He said writing something down on the clipboard in his hands.

"I'll go there, wait for me here?" I looked over at Julian who was standing beside me holding my waist.

"Of course. I'll be here." I gave my love a peck and went with the doctor where my grandmother was.

As soon as we arrived in front of the bedroom door, the adrenaline and butterflies in my stomach attacked my body, it was like the first time of all things, when you feel that anxiety. I took a deep breath and walked in, then she looked at me and smiled.

"Hi grandma... How are you feeling?" I asked her coming closer.

"Better now that you're here." He babbled, his voice was weak, I didn't understand how a person could be fine one day and the next so bad.

"I... Can I ask for something?" I tried to speak but the trapped tears almost stopped me for a moment, I took a deep breath and managed to say.

"Of course, my daughter." She replied.

"I wanted to ask you not to leave me. Is that okay? I beg you Grandma, I can't do it without you, I won't!" At that moment my face was already a river, the tears I fought to hold back, my being was no longer strong enough to contain them.

"Listen, dear." He said softly and smoothed my hair, at that moment I had my head lying on his stomach. "Yes you can, you are stronger than you think. I feel that my time has come, my case is advanced daughter, I have a few days and I can feel it. You have to be strong, take care of Julian, he needs you." Finished saying and I didn't want to hear anymore.

I covered my ears and went to the corner of the room crying like a child without his favorite toy. It was hard to accept, it was impossible for me to accept, I wouldn't make it, I wouldn't, I couldn't live without my grandmother Florence. I did not want!

Suddenly I felt a sudden sickness, my stomach turned and I felt a wave of nausea due to all the stress and strong emotions, it had happened before, like the day I presented work there for the first time. I ran to the bathroom and managed to reach the toilet before I spilled everything on the floor, throwing up almost my entire internal organs. Then I washed my mouth and looked at myself in the mirror, I was done.

I went back to the bed where she was lying, smoothed her face and kissed her hand several times, stayed there for about ten minutes, watched her fall asleep, her lips were pale. When the doctor entered the room and asked me to leave, that she had to take medicine and rest, so I did, not before giving my little flower a very strong hug.

I got back to the waiting room and Julian was sitting there waiting for me, as soon as he saw me he got up and walked towards me, gave a light kiss on my lips and another on my nose.

"Let's get something to eat. You need to eat." He said and I felt my stomach rumble, because I had vomited everything there.

"We are going yes." I accepted. I couldn't do drama and a hunger strike when I needed the strength to stay by my grandmother's side in the hospital, even she wouldn't like to know that I wasn't eating.

Julian and I walked hand in hand out of the hospital, across the street there was a cafeteria, we would go right there, I wanted to be close in case they needed anything.

As soon as we entered, Julian dragged the chair for me and I sat down, I preferred to stay at a table away from the others, sitting next to me he took the menu and I wanted the same as him, no matter what he had chosen.

"How are you feeling?" He asked me, I noticed that he was a little uneasy, that in his eyes there was concern.

"Destroyed. But I'm fine with you being with me. I know you won't leave me... Just like my grandmother wants..." I replied in a soft tone.

Julian

Every minute that passed made it harder to tell her, what was I going to do? My little girl was suffering so much, poor thing, only eighteen years old and on the verge of losing her grandmother, the only person she had as a family, who took care of her and made her who she was. Me at thirty-eight, I would never be ready for a loss like that.

A dilemma was hammering in my head, I should tell her I was going to jail, but she was destroyed, that would destroy her even more, she was counting on me, she was sure that she would always have me by her side. I wasn't a fucking insensitive man, but I wouldn't do anything stupid again, it would be less painful for her to hear from me, to know the real reasons, than to look for me on any given day and not find me anymore, to be without explanations than what happened to me.

"My love. There's something I need to tell you, it's very important and please listen to me carefully." Hell! I wouldn't wish that situation on anyone, fuck she needed me and I wouldn't be there for her, all because of that son of a bitch Barierre boy.

"I know Julian... I know there's something to say, I want you to say it when you feel comfortable saying it." He replied with downcast eyes, I felt such a tightness in my chest, I felt like garbage at that moment, of everything I went through, that was the worst moment of my life.

"The Barierre denounced me for throwing you at them, I didn't have the capacity to have that weapon, I have to turn myself in so I don't have my name dirty again. the fastest for you." She looked at me with so much pain that I couldn't contain it and I let a few tears fall.

The moment my heart broke for good, was when she held my hands tightly, lowered her head on the table and began to sob between a continuous and painful cry that reached my soul.

"I understand and I guessed." He said in a choked voice. "I love you, I love you so much, please Julian, come back as soon as possible." I cried with her at that moment.

How could I? It was proof that she was much stronger than she thought, going through all that she still managed to understand me, managed to talk to me sensibly and not make a fuss or get mad at me, on the contrary, she asked me to come back Soon. And that's what I was going to do.

"I love you, and I will come back to you my love. I promise on my life."

I loved her with all the strength of my being before empty, now there is full of love, I couldn't live without her anymore, she didn't leave my thoughts and dreams, she was my strength to keep fighting for my freedom.

So I decided it was time to do what I wanted since our first night, regardless of her answer I already knew she was mine, however I needed a guarantee. And oddly enough, I was nervous.

"Love..." I called her with a partial stutter.

"Hi..." With a thin and soft voice she answered me.

"Before I met you, I had heard so much about love, but nothing compares to when I hold you, I feel that our bodies are one, I feel that both of us are truly love." I paused and swallowed hard, got up from the chair and knelt down in front of her. I saw her eyes widen in surprise but I also saw a glint. "Will you marry me? Be mine forever, only in every way there is, let me show you the world, give you everything I can, make you the happiest woman in the world. My love, most beautiful woman of the world. Do do you accept?" I looked at her pleadingly and her eyes were filled with tears.

She smiled broadly, and with her eyes brimming with tears, she said, "Yes, Julian. I accept everything with you!"