Justine's POV:
The exams are over and the summer vacation is approaching knocking on the doors.
Everyone is waiting in anticipation to visit their families back in their home countries.
In this time of year, I would be the same as them;
Waiting anxiously to visit my parents and my big brother back in Italy.
However, this year around is different; I am burdened by Damon's problem, he wouldn't speak to me at all and he didn't get out of the room since he learned about his late mother and Little sister.
Whenever I look at Damon, he reminds me of myself when I lost my grandmother; I kept denying it at first, but my parents showed the harsh reality until I overcame it.
Now that the vacation has started, I had to face my first test as a wife; I had to choose between going back to Italy and leaving Damon all alone in his current state or stay with him throughout the whole vacation.
Without much hesitation, I chose right away to stay behind with Damon in the school this summer.
I thought it was the least I could do to fulfill the vow I took upon myself when I married him; to stay with him in good and bad times, in sickness and in health.
I thought it was my duty as his wife to stay beside him in times like those till he gets back on his own feet.
Later I found out that my heart was locked on Damon and used this duty only as a pretext to stay with him.
Now I have to think of a good excuse to tell my mother for not visiting this summer. I instinctively felt that it would be improper to tell her the truth about Damon's situation.
After I thought of a good excuse and gathered myself, I called her and started the conversation casually,
"Good morning, mother-"
,
"How are you doing?"
"We are just fine, Your brother is here with us waiting for you at home," my mother said.
,
"I am sorry, mother. But I don't think I can make it this time around, I have to stay in the school for makeup exams because I got bad grades in the last exams" I said in a sad tone pretending to be upset.
My mother stayed silent for a while then she said,
"... I see it can't be helped then, don't worry I will talk to your father and big brother and make them understand."
The call ended up so smoothly that I thought that my mother didn't catch on anything, but later I found out that this all was an act and she was just testing me.
When I called my mother, she already knew about Damon's family situation from the news, she was waiting for my call to see whether I will leave Damon all alone or chose to stay with him instead.
When she saw me making up excuses to cover up his misfortune and stay with him, she knew right away that I actually cared so much about him.
I even found out that my brother wasn't at home when I called, but my mother used him to see whether I really love Damon or not because she knew that I actually liked big brother a lot as I would hurry back every summer whenever I learned that he was back at home.