Love Makes Blind

Mirella had never been so tired before. She knew her breaths were numbered but it wasn’t until this morning she had really felt how sick she was. She regretted it now, hiding her illness; but at the same time she didn’t. Then Elia would still be blind and miserable.

She had spent most of the day talking with Darin after Elia ran out. They had been planning what would happen next. Mirella had arranged everything so her children wouldn’t have to do anything.

She had put money aside for her funeral and even planned all the details – from what casket she would be buried in to which hymns would be sung under the ceremony. She remembered very well how hard it had been to plan her husband’s funeral so many years earlier and she didn’t want to put her children through that.

After she came to Italy she had gone talking to a lawyer and signed all necessary documents that would give Darin full custody over Elia without anyone in the family being possible to fight it; Darin and Elia needed to stay together. They would both go back to America with Leah and Paul after Mirella was dead and buried. They would stay for some time until the worst sorrow had passed.

Leah had been talking to her mother on the phone and asked her to look for an smaller apartment for her, Darin and Elia to share. They wouldn’t need the big house they had earlier rented. Leah knew her mother would talk to someone in the tribe and get a good but cheap apartment for them.

Mirella had also arranged her life insurance to go to the same fund as the money from her late husband. And all the money would go to Elia’s college education. Darin had already decided to go back to his medicine studies.

Paul had been sitting in a chair against the far wall and heard all their conversations. He was deadly worried about Elia, but he knew she needed time to think. But he was also glad she wasn’t here. She would have flipped if she heard how easily her mother and Darin talked Mirella’s death and how they sorted everything out. He was relieved to hear that Elia would definitely come home with him. He had been afraid she would stay here and live with Valeira or her grandmother.

Paul was thinking about calling his mother and ask her to withdraw his application for college. He wanted to stay close to Elia.
“Excuse me.” Paul rose from his chair and looked over at the bed where Mirella laid with Darin and Leah at her side. “I just need some fresh air, I’ll be right back.” He didn’t hear their reply as the door closed behind him.

He hadn’t left the room since Elia had walked out. He felt responsibility to stay with her mother when she couldn’t. Paul had no idea where she was, if she was lost somewhere in the city or if she had managed to make her way back home. He was going to search for her.

His plans where spoiled as he walked out to the parking lot; Elia was walking across it with Matteo by her side. He had his hand on her back and Elia’s eyes were red from crying. Of course she had gone back to Parghelia to meet him. Paul wanted to rip Matteo’s head of slowly and painfully. He took a deep breath to calm his shaking body.

“Elia!” He called when he had calmed down; they hadn’t spotted him yet.
Elia looked up from the ground and straight at him. She stopped for a second before she rushed over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I’m so sorry for running off.” She said and buried her face in his chest.
“It’s okay, monster.” Paul said and kissed the top of her head. He glanced over at Matteo while Elia clung to him. Matteo’s suspicious eyes were locked on Paul. “You are here now.”

“Is my mother angry at me?” Elia wanted to know and looked up at Paul. She could see he had been crying as well and felt bed for leaving.
“No, she understands. But she and Darin needs to talk to you. They have arranged almost everything.” Paul explained and started to walk back to the hospital entrance.
“[Do you want me to come with you Elia?]” Matteo asked in Italian just to annoy Paul.
“Of course Matteo, that would be nice.” Elia smiled kindly at him.

Elia walked close to Paul through the hospital corridors. She could feel the sadness and anger she had managed to get under control on the drive over here flare up again. She gripped Paul’s hand with both hers.
He squeezed them reassuringly. “I’m right here Elia.”
Elia looked up at him. “I should’ve stayed earlier. You could have comforted me; I needed it.”
Paul smiled.

Matteo felt betrayed when he heard Elia say that. Hadn’t he comforted her well enough? He started to wonder if it was a bad choice to go with them up to Mirella. She was the one that was sick, but all Matteo could focus on was Elia and Paul. He hadn’t really been that close to them when they were this lovely-lovely. But they were ‘soul-mates’, right?

Elia was surprised over the mood in her mother’s hospital room when she walked in. It wasn’t as sad as she had expected. She could see Darin holding her hand and talking. It was as if they discussed the weather. Had they decided to pretend nothing was happening? They looked up when the door closed behind them.

“Bambina.” Mirella lifted her weak arms towards her daughter and smiled a sad smile.
Elia could see the tears forming in her eyes as she walked over and hugged her mother closely. “It’s going to be just fine, right mom?” She asked her.
Mirella brushed Elia’s hair behind her ear and kissed her cheek. “Thank you for coming back.”
“I will hold your hand till the end.” Elia said and took her hand carefully.
“No, not the end Elia; it will just be a new beginning. For both you and me, I’ll get to meet Roberto again and you will be great.” Mirella was a woman with strong belief of life after death.
Elia started crying again and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.

Everybody left the room silently to give the mother and daughter some privacy.
“I am so sorry mom, for trying to kill myself.” Elia said and looked at her mother. “I didn’t realize before how painful it must have been for you.”
“You survived, that’s the only thing that matter.” Mirella scooted to the side and made space so Elia could lie down beside her.
“Because you saved me. And I feel so bad for not saving you.”
Mirella took a deep, tired breath. “You are saving me by just being here. It’s okay to be sad Elia, but please don’t stop living just because I do.”
“I’ll try.”

“If not for me, do it for Paul. You should have seen how worried he was when you left, and I don’t think it was only because of me. He talked to me earlier while Darin and Leah was out. He wanted to reassure me that he would always be there for you, no matter what happened.” Mirella told her daughter. “He asked me for your hand, too.” Mirella said. She didn’t mention that she had given him her engagement ring; because Paul had said that he wouldn’t propose to Elia until she was done grieving. Mirella had agreed on that. “I told him you were already his.”

“I love you mom.” Elia said and kissed both her cheeks.
“I love you too Elia, always remember that.” Mirella closed her eyes and took one last deep breath.

The steady beeping from the heart monitor changed into one long beep. Elia lifted her mother’s hand and held it against her cheek as tears flowed from her eyes.
“I will always love you too mom. Always.” She rested her head on her mother's chest in one last embrace and cried.