Chapter Two

Mariana.

My father has been hiding something, and I’ve known about it for a while. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but I could tell it was eating him up inside.

Knock. Knock.

“Mari, can I come in?” Emilia asked, poking her head inside.

I nodded with a small smile. After the conversation my father and I had last night, I couldn’t sleep, plagued by dreams.

These dreams had become more frequent over time, and even now, I still hadn’t figured out their meaning. My doctor hasn’t been able to help either; she kept telling me it would all come to me when the time was right. But when was the right time? I’ve been having the same nightmare for years, and I still hadn’t seen the right moment.

“Are you okay?” she asked, taking the space beside me.

“I’m fine,” I signed, but she didn’t look pleased with my answer.

“You left the bed last night,” she started, and I shook my head, but she cut me off.

“You don’t have to lie. I knew when you got up. What’s wrong? Still having the nightmares?” She asked, and I let out a sigh before nodding.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide this from her for long.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle. I’ll be fine,” I signed.

“You don’t look fine. How about we do something to take your mind off it?” she suggested.

“What do you suggest?” I asked, and the smile she gave me told me the only thing we were going to do was shop.

****

“Did you really bring me out here just to shop?” I showed her my phone screen.

She read through it and blushed when she looked back at me. “I’m only trying to help, Mari. You need this.”

I didn’t see how shopping would help me deal with what was bothering me, but for her sake, I decided to go along with it.

Emilia and I spent most of the day wandering through aisle after aisle of clothing. I was overly exhausted, but I stayed with her. Father hadn't called to check on us, meaning one of the guards must have told him we were doing fine.

“So, did it help?” Emilia asked as we sat down in a restaurant nearby.

We decided to eat out before heading home.

I nodded—though it hadn’t helped at all—ready to lie for her sake.

“It helped.” After taking a sip of my cold juice, I instantly felt better.

We finished our dinner and headed home before it got dark. Although I had never shown much interest in my father’s life or the kind of work he did, I was certain we were never safe outside without a guard. Our lives were at stake, and our father did his best to protect us.

I wouldn’t call him the best father, but he was trying to be both a father and a mother to us, and for that, I loved him.

When we pulled up in the driveway, I stepped out while Emilia asked some of the guards to bring her numerous shopping bags inside. Father wasn’t back when we went in, and I didn’t mind. I dropped Emilia’s clothes on her bed before heading to my own room.

After taking off my earrings and removing the lipstick from my lips, I stared at myself in the mirror. I looked so pale, too pale for someone who’d just claimed to be fine.

I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that something significant was about to happen. It felt like I was forgetting a bigger part of myself.

With a tired sigh, I took a quick bath. My phone rang on my bed as I stepped out of the bathroom. Instantly, I smiled when I saw who was calling.

“Hi Dee!” I signed and waved excitedly at her.

She huffed, dropped something on the floor, and looked up at me. The smile on her face instantly faded when she took a proper look at me.

“What happened to you?” she asked, getting straight to the point without sugar-coating her words.

That was Daisy for you.

“I just got back from a five-hour shopping spree with Lia,” I said, choosing a better lie than admitting I was okay.

She shook her head. “Not to be mean, but your sister is a shopping monster.” I smiled.

See? She knew exactly what I went through.

“Why did you call?” I asked as I dropped onto my bed, the softness feeling divine after standing and walking for so long.

“I wanted us to hang out tomorrow,” she said, and I frowned.

“We always hang out every day, Daisy.”

We both worked at the same place—well, mine wasn’t exactly a job, but I referred to it that way. Father wouldn’t let me get a proper job after Emilia almost got kidnapped last year. He allowed me to study, and I have a certificate, but he refused to let me get a better job. The only thing he agreed to was letting me volunteer at the same place where Daisy worked, and that’s how I met her.

“I’m not talking about work. You barely stay for the whole day. I want us to hang out after work tomorrow. You know, go out to the club, have some drinks, dance to some silly songs, and maybe get high,” she laughed at the last part.

I bit my bottom lip, pondering whether it would really be possible. Nevertheless, I was determined to make it work.

"Alright, tomorrow we'll go out and do everything you just mentioned." Her eyes lit up, and I realized how much she needed this—and how much I did, too.

"Really?" she asked, looking surprised as if she expected me to decline. I couldn't blame her; I had always turned down her invitations to hang out in the past.

"Yes, we'll talk about the time we had at work tomorrow," I signed, and she instantly nodded in agreement.

"Goodnight, Dee," I signed with a small smile.

"Goodnight, Ana, and make sure you dream of me." I let out a low chuckle as she hung up.

She was so funny.

I dropped my phone on the bedside table and stared at the ceiling. Once again, I was plagued by thoughts of what truly didn't exist.

"You have to stop thinking about this, Mariana," I told myself.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't escape those thoughts. Eventually, I fell asleep with my mother on my mind, missing her deeply. Times like this made me wish she were here.

I finally dozed off an hour later, but a pounding headache plagued me, and I was too exhausted to get any pain relief.