Madre knows

Vincenzo Moreno

What held me in place was a thin piece of thread. Shattered beyond words, I struggled to accept what had happened. I still saw it as a dream. Perhaps, all of this year was a dream. I could wake up and realize there wasn't any Rina to begin with. That I was the good old guy who didn't take no for an answer.

I couldn't emphasize how desperate I was to be proved right. That I was in a terrible nightmare.

Rina had contributed to what could be my downfall. There was no point hanging onto the hope that Madre wouldn't believe her. The woman I knew, the woman who had chosen her friend over her son, wouldn't start now to be loyal.

I didn't know how I got to my room. One minute I stood gaping like an idiot in the hallway, and the next, I was shutting the door behind me.

I remained still at the door as the implication of what had happened sank in. That's right. A woman was my undoing after all, and that was totally and completely my fault.

Triggered, I charged forward, held