Aurora was warm and cozy. Something soft nestled against her cheek as she stirred. She frowned, sighing as she burrowed deeper beneath the cover. It took a while but slowly, even in her partially awaken state, she was able to recall pieces of her last conversation with Mariano.
Her eyes popped open—a second later, a splitting headache shut them. Slowly, they came open again and her gaze darted around the room, but nothing was familiar. Where was she? Her surroundings were luxurious—the bed she laid on was covered in silk brocade, oil paintings adorned the walls and a fire burned softly in the grate.
Aurora attempted to throw the bed cover from her body as she tried to sit up but at that very moment, a nurse was entering the room.
"Now, now," the nurse said calmly. "I will not have you upsetting yourself. My name is Rebecca, and you're my top priority. I don't know if you're aware, but you're hypertensive, ma'am. The condition was exacerbated by stress and exhaustion. It took a while to stabilize you, and the last thing you need right now is more stress."
Aurora shook her head, desperately. Although it had always been a prerogative, her medical condition was the very least of her problems now. She'd managed to keep it under control all these years but these last few hours have been difficult. Her condition wasn't the least surprising.
"Listen," the nurse crouched down beside her and started with a soothing voice. "I can only imagine how difficult it is to lose a husband and I'm sorry you have to go through this. And at such a young age too. I can assure--"
"No, no, no, I don't care about that." Aurora tried but was prevented from sitting up again. "Where's Mr. Barrera?" She demanded desperately. "Maximo's son, where is he?"
"Oh," Slightly confused the nurse's brow furrowed as she answered composedly. "Last I heard, he's in a very important meeting with his media and security team. He wishes not to be disturbed."
"Take me there!"
"No, you're staying back in that bed." she gently pressed her to the pillows. "It's time to take your meds, eat and then you'll rest some more. You'll need the energy for tonight's event. The spotlight would be on you and Mr. Barrera."
"No, you don't understand....."
The nurse brought Aurora's legs together and threw a white coverlet over them. "What I do understand, is that it won't be long before you join your husband if you reject proper treatment for a venture that would shoot your blood pressure to the roof. And if you're wondering if it would be all worth it, then the answer is, no. You'll be dead."
Taken aback by her bluntness, a mutinous look crossed Aurora's face but she was docile, beyond protest. If anything happened to her, her child would be lost forever. It wasn't a fate she wished on the innocent boy. Then there was her sister's issue. She decided to relax but her brain was going round and round and round, like a rat in a trap. The nurse administered some drugs and a few minutes later, a servant arrived bearing a tray with soup tureens and a basket of bread.
She started to eat. She was hungry, she realized. The delicate lemon-scented chicken soup was delicious and slipped down her tight, taut
throat. So did the fish, grilled with herbs and served with fragrant rice.
"How bad was I?" Aurora asked tersely, in between bites.
"Let's just say you got lucky." the nurse shrugged. "It's not uncommon for people in their 20s or 30s to come up with cases of hypertension but yours is quite serious. If not properly treated, could lead to a more serious medical condition."
"Hmm." her head bobbed slowly. "And how long was I out for?" she glanced around the room again. "I can tell we changed locations. I even hear waves breaking along a coastline. We're by the sea aren't we?"
"Yes, we are." The nurse smiled. "You passed out and came around about an hour later. Unfortunately, the doctor had to sedate you cause you were distraught. You've been sedated for about a day and a half, and as for where we are, this is Mr. Barerra's beach house. We arrived earlier in the day, just in time for the funeral wake this evening."
And suddenly, quite suddenly, out of nowhere, Aurora felt tears prick in her eyes. She didn't want them there. Tried to stop them from welling. But she couldn't stop them. Before her eyes, her lunch blurred.
If only Maximo had told her about her child when she'd asked earlier. If only. But hadn't he made it clear it was his revenge for her infidelity? A son for a son, his last venomous words. She shut her eyes. Quite deliberately. She wondered if now would be a good time to finally report the case of the missing child, although finding him would be a Herculean task. She had no pictures of the baby then, nor any of him now, five years later.
"I'm sorry for your loss ma'am." the nurse repeated.
Aurora nodded, and somehow it just made her vision blur even more.
The evening came, and the guests arrived in their numbers. Aurora could hear the music and the hushed voices downstairs from where she stood in front of her bedroom mirror. She was doing up the zipper of her black dress that goes just past her knees. Her hair was in a high bun and her face was make-up free.
The memorial service was held in the banquet hall. Ten or fifteen round tables filled the space, covered in white linens. There was a banquet table at the front of the room and, on it, trays of cookies.
She walked in with purpose; keeping an eye out for Mariano, as she did. A woman she'd never seen before reached out to shake her hand as she stepped into the room.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, darling. It's such a horrible thing to be widowed at such a young age."
There was a handkerchief crumpled in her hand. She had been crying.
"Yes. Thank you for coming." Aurora replied. "How did you know my husband?"
"The name is Latoya Khomeini. Distant cousin." the woman sniffed. "I reside in Malta with my family, hence the reason we've never met. I'm too old to travel around unnecessarily."
"I understand," Aurora said for lack of anything better to say. She remembered once questioning Maximo about his extended family but the old man had smiled and said he only had his kids. He never said anything about Latoya. The woman was older by twenty or thirty years and her hair was gray, her skin a road map of wrinkles.
"Come," she took Aurora by the arm. "You should be beside the rest of the family when you receive your guests."
"Rest of the family?"
"Just myself and Maximo's children. Mine are somewhere around too." she smiled. "Speaking of children, I haven't seen Laura all evening. Any idea where she might be hiding?"
Aurora blanched at that. "No. You should ask her brother." she glanced over the woman's shoulder to where Mariano stood five feet back, speaking with an older couple. Truth be told, he looked bored. He displayed none of the same grief that Latoya openly displayed. "Excuse me." The older couple moved on and she stepped past her.
She moved to stand beside Mariano and they began receiving their guests together.
"Aurora," he greeted, holding her stare.
"Have you gone back to the house?" She asked, ignoring the greeting. "What did you find?"
"This isn't the time nor the place," he muttered. "We have guests."
Another couple walked up to them, offered their condolences, and moved on.
"I honestly don't give a damn," she whispered. "The only reason I even came down here was to find you. The nurse wouldn't let me out of bed any other way. I need to find my sister."
Mariano threw a glare her way. "I'm working on it. You should focus on getting better and please do your best to look distraught. It's your husband's funeral."
"Don't you dare--"
"Thank you for coming." He looked past her to greet the guest next in line.
Aurora harrumphed and stormed off just as they were about to offer her their condolences. She stopped by the cookie table, helped herself to one, and turned to find a table to sit at. It was awkward sitting alone in a room where nearly no one is alone. Everyone had come with someone else to pay her final respect to Maximo. If only they knew he didn't deserve the honor and the high praises.
While she was still shuffling through her thoughts as she decided where to seat, someone bumped into her, almost knocking off the cookie.
"Ow," she rubbed her arm and turned around.
"My apologies, Mrs. Khomeini." An older man said. He had gray hair and was dressed in an orange suit. Highly inappropriate for the occasion. "I didn't see you there."
"It's fine." she turned to leave but he grabbed her subtly by the arm.
"It's amazing how highly Gemma speaks of you."
"What?"
"Yes," the man nodded, his voice dropping to a whisper. "She's so sure you'll come safe her. She sings your praises so much so I had to find out what's keeping you."
Aurora didn't move; she didn't know what to do. This man had her sister!
***