Half a Heart

-Maria:
Spending this week with Leo had been amazing, and I'd been thinking more about Barcelona. Leo hadn't come to school with me yesterday to go and ask for the transfer, and somehow he's managed to find just the perfect school for me. I get to start in October, and it's close to his house, so I'll be living with him. That is if I chose to transfer. It feels as if it's too good to be true, but somehow a part of me thinks we're moving a bit too fast. I mean we've just been together a bit more than a month, and now we're discussing about moving in with each other? But then again we've been going backwards in our relationship since the very beginning, and he knows all there is about me and I at least think I know all about him as well.

"Leo?" I asked and he turned his attention away from the tv, to look at me.

"What is it querida?" he asked and I sighed, putting my head on his chest.

"Do you think we're moving a bit too fast?, I mean I don't know since you're the first person I've ever had a relationship with." I asked and he ran his finger down my face and sighed.

"Well yes we're moving a bit fast, but that's only because of the distance amor, I want to be close to you in every way possible now that I'm here, and yes that might be a bit to early for other people who've known each other for a month, but with us I feel that the distance makes it different, not to mention that I'm crazy about you." he said and I nodded.

"I'm crazy about you too Leo, it just feels a little early to move in together don't you think?" I asked and he sighed.

"Well in October we've been together for almost six months, so then it won't be early amor, it just feels early now since you have to make the decision now." he said and I nodded. As I laid there I realized that I'd never ever be truly happy without Leo, and the distance would eventually make our relationship die, if I wanted to be with Leo I had to sacrifice my family. I knew what I had to do.

"Do you think my mom and little sister will hate me for choosing you over them?" I asked silently. and Leo was silent for a while, not saying anything.

"I'm sorry for putting you in this position nena, and know that no matter what I'll always be there for you, to answer your question, I don't know, I think we should tell them about us and see what happens." he said and I nodded quietly. It was better that way, that way I wouldn't feel guilty about breaking their hearts.

"I'm going to give my mom a call right now, it's better for her to hear it through the phone so she can digest it until she arrives here in a couple of days, will you be here?" I asked silently and he nodded.

"Of course amor, but what if they throw you out?" he asked and I tensed.

"If they're going to be that cruel, then I'll have Anna, she told me that she'll be there, and I don't think her parents mind me staying there, it's only for a two or three more weeks anyways, then school ends and I'll be with you, no?" I asked and he nodded.

"Of course nena, as soon as school ends I'll be here to take you home with me." he said and I smiled. I gulped and dialed my moms number, and Leo rubbed my back.

"Talk to me." my mom answered relaxed, and I sighed it'd be easier to say it when she was relaxed like this.

"Hi mom it's me, look I've got something sort of important to tell you, do you have a minute?" I asked and Leo frowned as I spoke persian, I suppose it was because he couldn't understand.

"Sure sweetie, but first how's school?" she asked and I told her it was fine.

"Ok what is it sweetheart?" she asked and I took a deep breath.

"Well, in Barcelona I met someone." I said and waited for her response.

"Met someone?, who?" she asked, suddenly very interested. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes.

"A man mom, I met a man that I sort of fell in love with." I said, glad that Leo didn't understand what I was saying, since we hadn't said "I love you" yet.

"Love?, what do you know about love anyways?" she said and I felt her getting angry.

"I know that it's love mom, he makes me feel amazing and he's changed my life already, he makes me happy mom." I whispered.

"So you've been dating someone behind my back?, do we suddenly have a boyfriend in the house Maria?" she practically yelled and I flinched. Leo kept rubbing my back, whispering soothing words to me.

"Yes mom, and I'm sorry but I've only been hiding him because of this." I said feeling a bit more confident.

"Because of what Maria?" she yelled and I flinched again.

"Because you're freaking out!" I finally yelled, unable to keep calm anymore.

"So who is this man, how old is he, where is he from?" she demanded her voice laced with anger.

"He's from Argentina mom, he's about to turn 26, his name is Lionel!" I yelled again, feeling anger running through me.

"26, Argentina????, I thought I raised you better Maria!" she seethed and I closed my eyes, taking deep breaths.

"You said yourself that love knows no age mom, I mean look at you and dad!" I yelled frustrated at how much of a hypocrite she was being.

"And see where that went?, where is your dad now Maria?" she shouted and I stiffened.

"He's dead mom, but not because of your relationship, because of the cancer." I whispered tightly, sick that she dared to bring him up.

"Yes, but I was stupid when it came to him, it was a mistake." she said and I felt my entire world fall apart.

"So me and my sister was a mistake too then." I replied tears rushing down my face, by now Leo was holding me tightly and wiping my tears away, looking at me frantically looking for an explanation.

"I didn't mean it that way sweetheart." she said softly now and I whimpered.

"It sure sounded that way mother, I'm sick and tired of you controlling my life mother, I'm leaving for Barcelona after School ends and there's nothing you can do about it, I'm legal, it's better this way, now you can truly enjoy life without your mistake of a child." I said and hung up.

As soon as I hung up I started sobbing uncontrollably and Leo wrapped his arms around me whilst I put my head against his chest.

"Shh amor I'm here, you can tell me all about it." he said as I kept crying loudly in his arms. After what felt like an eternity of crying, I finally stopped crying and Leo just held me tight.

"I ruined your shirt." I croaked, my voice raspy from all the crying. He laughed softly.

"I just witnessed you crying your heart over something your mother said, and you still worry over my shirt?, it's just a shirt amor, now please tell me what happened?" he asked, looking at me and wiping away what was left of my tears, frowning at me.

"I told her about us, and she reacted just the way I thought she would, she got really angry at me." I started and Leo scoffed.

"I'm the one who's taking you away from her and she's angry at you?!" he growled and I put a hand on his cheek, shaking my head, I didn't need this right now. He seemed to understand and calmed himself down.

"So anyways, she started yelling at me for the age difference and the fact that you're from Argentina."I said and he rolled his eyes again but let it go so I could continue. I smiled weakly at him and closed my eyes.

"Then I told her that she was being ridiculous because dad was about ten years older than her when they first got together, and then she called having me and being with dad a mistake." I whispered and felt a new wave of tears coming, as I admitted it out loud. Leo looked at me sadly and brought my head up, pressing his forehead against mine, looking me in the eyes.

"You're anything but a mistake amor, now she might be stupid enough to call her own child, her flesh and blood, a mistake, but I know that you're far from it, you're the best thing that ever happened to me, and you're an incredible woman, Te amo mi amor." he said thickly and I gasped. He loved me.

"I love you so much Leo, and I don't know what I'd do without you, you brought me back to life again." I whispered and he smiled, bringing our lips together. We stayed that way all night, I needed him and he understood, holding me tight all night.

"I'll never let you go mi amor, I promise." he said and I cuddled closer to him, kissing his neck lightly.

I woke up by the phone ringing, and I got up quietly, trying hard not to wake Leo up.

"Hello?" I answered wincing at how horrible I sounded.

"I want to meet him Maria, we're coming home today, I'll give him a chance and you can stay home until you leave for Barcelona, after that I might not want to see you ever again." mom said shortly and hung up. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, this was madness.

"Who was it amor." Leo groaned, pulling me back into bed, snuggling into me.

"My lovely mother." I said shortly and he tensed.

"What did she want now." he said stiffly, wrapping his arms around me tight.

"She wants to meet you." I said softly and he sighed.

"Good because I want to meet her and talk to her." he growled and I put a hand on his arm, looking at him pleadingly.

"She hurt you amor, and don't say it doesn't matter because it does, it killed me to see you like that last night amor, and so help me god I will talk to her about why she does it." he said, making me sigh.

"It's up to you, but you have to understand that it really doesn't matter anymore, she's not the mother I knew anymore, she's changed since dad died and I just took too long to notice." I said and he just held me tighter.

We spent that day just being together, preparing ourselves mentally for when they arrived. I felt my stomach lurch when they opened the door and announced their arrival. I sat there with Leo holding my hand tightly and whispering that he won't let them hurt me repeatedly in my ear. My mom, stepdad and my stepbrothers stepped into the living room and I felt sick.

"So this is the man you've kept away from us." Mom said in broken english, and usually I'd laugh at her failed attempt in english, but I gulped and looked down.

"Look up when I speak to you!" she yelled when I looked down and I looked up, feeling the anger from last night coming right up.

"You said I was a mistake, how come you treat me like a property then?" I spat at her and Leo glared at her.

"You better shut up, now I want to talk to this man." she said and looked at Leo. I felt mu blood boil.

"His name is Lionel." I snarled and glared at her.

"Alright then, Lionel, lets talk about this incident." she said and he stood up, looking at her with hatred in his eyes.

"First of all how dare you call your own daughter a mistake and treat her like a dog?, and secondly I love your daughter, and there's nothing that you can do to make me disappear." he snarled at her and she visibly shrinked.

"Now lets take this down a notch." Araz said, stepping in between my mom and Leo. I stood up and took my place next to Leo.

"He's right mother, there's nothing that'll make me let go of him." I said backing up Leo, holding his hand. Araz looked at me like I was crazy and I just shook my head at him, he might have been the only one who understood me, but right now he couldn't get between us.

"Right, so I'll expect you out of here as soon as school's over, and I don't want you around when I'm home, are we clear?" she said and I shuddered, this was my own mother.

"Yes." I said shortly, and dragged Leo into my room. I took a deep breath when we were in my room and Leo wrapped his arms around me.

"Don't bother to even think about that woman amor, she doesn't deserver your tears." he said softly and I sighed but nodded.

"I've always envisioned her throwing me out because of us, but I never actually thought it would happen for real." I said softly and he just nodded.

"It's just a couple of weeks amor, then it's over." he whispered and I nodded.

"I love you." I said looking up at him and he smiled.

"Te amo querida." he answered and I closed my eyes smiling. I could do this, Leo was all I ever needed.