Raphael approached and tenderly dabbed at her tears with a tissue.
Softly, he inquired, âAre you thinking about your mother?â
Setting aside the photo album she found in her parentsâ home, Elissa composed herself.
She nodded, her voice heavy with grief.
âI canât shake the thought.
If I had persuaded my mother to stay that day, would things have turned out differently?â
Raphael knelt beside her, tenderly placing a hand on her belly.
After a pause, he spoke up softly.
âBut if she had stayed, she might have lived her whole Life in resentment and anger, never finding true closure, let alone happiness.
Iâm not justifying her decision, but whatâs done is done, and we canât change it.
Itâs not your fault.
Please, donât blame yourself, alright?â
Elissa cast her gaze downward, meeting his eyes.
She stared at him for a moment before tears welled in her eyes and spilled over.
The nagging thought persisted that she could have altered the course of events.
A N G E L A âs L I B R A R Y
Raphael enveloped her in a tight embrace as they both succumbed to grief.
With their parents gone, they both understood the pain and found comfort in each otherâs arms.
Elissa sobbed softly, her voice choked with anguish.
âIt still hurts,â she confessed.
Raphael offered soothing words of comfort.
At that moment, he had a profound realization that the person in his embrace was his wife, and they were meant to support each other for a lifetime.
Meanwhile, Brantley, unable to sleep, ventured to their door in the quiet of the night.
Witnessing Elissaâs heartrending tears, Brantleyâs own sadness swelled.
Despite her earlier sternness, he hadnât expected her to cry.
It dawned on him that he, too, had lost his mother.
His blinked back his tears and said nothing.
After lingering for a moment, he retreated to his room, clutching his pillow tightly as he settled into bed in silence.
He was still a child after all.
Tears dampened half of his pillowcase as sadness gripped him.
By dawn, Raphael rose to prepare breakfast.
Brantley, being an early riser, made his bed, freshened up, tended to the balcony plants, and even tidied the living room.
He showed a great deal of responsibility.
Raphael asked Brantley to the breakfast table.
With a child and a pregnant woman in the household, breakfast comprised nourishing fare of eggs and milk.
Brantley had been finicky when his mother was still around, accustomed to gourmet meals prepared by the chef, struggling to appreciate simpler fare.