CHAPTER THREE

Aurora

I had nowhere to go. I realized that long before I was discharged from the hospital.

I was practically homeless as I had no husband, or home to call my own. I could go back to my parent’s but it would just be an extra financial burden on them especially with my baby.

I held him closer as I stepped out of the hospital, the sun too bright against my eyes.

The world had moved on without me. Everything felt unfamiliar, odd, and cold.

“Aurora.”

I turned at the sound of my name. It was the stranger.

The man who had been there when I woke up. The one who had been taking care of my baby like he belonged to him. Leon.

He walked toward me, calmly, like he had all the time in the world.“Where do you plan to go from here?” he asked simply.

I swallowed, avoiding his eyes out of embarrassment.

“I’ll figure something out.”

“You don’t have to.” His gaze strayed to the baby in my arms, then back to me.

“Come with me.”

I hesitated. I didn’t know him at all. But he had been the one to save me and take care of my baby for the long period of my comatose state.

For some reason, I trusted him. And also, I had no one else. I nodded in agreement.

His house was quiet, clean and warm. I stood awkwardly in the living room while he set my things down.

“You can stay here as long as you need,” he said.

“Why?” I asked before I could stop myself.

“Why are you helping me?”He paused, then shrugged slightly.

“Because you need help.”That was it.

There was no pity or questions or expectations. My heart was filled with gratitude.

As the days passed, I slowly started to adjust. Leon helped more than he should have. He bought things for the baby.

Woke up at night when he cried. Cooked. Cleaned. And never complained.

Neither did he ask for anything in return and that scared me a little because I wasn’t used to kindness without a price.

One afternoon, I tried calling home. My fingers trembled as I held the phone to my ear. But it rang until it went straight to voicemail. I kept trying everyone’s number but none went through.

A tight pain formed in my chest as I slowly realized. They didn’t call me or look for me, not even when I was in a coma or even when I almost died.

My family had always been responsible for asking, asking and asking even while I was sinking.

My getting married to Damien had been a poverty alleviation scheme to them.

They had tormented me about giving him an heir to seal my position as his wife forever.

I would forever be grateful to God for not permitting that to happen as my child would have been subjected to a life of misery and suffering from him and his mistress.

A bitter laugh slipped past my lips as I slowly lowered the phone.“I guess I really am alone.”

As if to remind me of his presence, a small giggle broke the silence and I turned to the sight of my laughing baby, staring at me with wide eyes.

“No…” I whispered, walking toward him. “I’m not alone.”

I picked him up gently, holding him close.“I have you, Theo,” I whispered softly, brushing my fingers against his cheek.

The name felt right, like something new.

I had not realized that we weren’t alone until I heard the voice of Leon and looked back to find him leaning against the door, watching quietly.

“Theo,” he repeated. “It suits him.”I smiled faintly, acknowledging him.

“I'm heading to work.” He announced, lifting Theo in his arms and playing with him a little.

The sight brought a genuine smile to my face. That could have been Damien.

I quickly got the thought out of my head. He didn't deserve that. Not with me.

The days quickly became boring with me practically eating and sleeping daily. I didn’t want to sit around and do nothing. I couldn’t.

So one evening, while Theo slept, I picked up a pencil and I started sketching.The ideas flowed out of me like they had been waiting and when I was done, I stared at the paper in shock.

“Did I really draw this?”It was beautiful, better than anything I remembered.

My fingers trembled slightly.Fashion design. I used to love it. It used to be my dream.

“Maybe…” I whispered to myself. “Maybe I can do this again.”But reality hit quickly.

I had nothing to my name. No money at all. My savings were nothing to write home about.

The little I had had been siphoned by my family.My chest tightened as worry crept in.

“How am I supposed to even start?”

“By not overthinking.”I froze.

I turned to see Leon standing behind me, holding one of my sketches.

“When did you–”

“This is good,” he cut in simply. “Very good.”I blinked.

“It’s just a drawing.”

“No,” he said, meeting my eyes. “It’s a business.”

I smiled proudly at that but then,“I don’t have the money for that,” I said quietly.

He didn’t hesitate as he proposed immediately. “I’ll invest in your business.”

The words stunned me.“What?”

“I’ll fund it,” he repeated. “You build it.”I stared at him, completely thrown off.

“Why would you do that?”He looked at me for a long moment before answering.“Because I believe in you.”

Silence filled the room and the only sound that could be heard was the sound of my heart pounding.

No one had ever said that to me before. Not like this. Not without conditions.

I looked down at the sketch in his hand, then at Theo sleeping peacefully nearby.Maybe this was it. A second chance at a new life.

I took a slow breath.“Okay,” I said softly. “Let’s make this a business.”