SANTI'S POV
Once inside, I left the keys in the closet at the entrance and walked slowly through the hall to the living room where I could see photos of the two of us... Happy. It's strange to see myself so happy... That guy has nothing to do with the person I am at this very moment, instead she looked better than in my memories, so beautiful and with that big smile on her face that made a couple of tears start rolling down my face.
Every step she took were memories that came to my mind, like how she would burst into tears as soon as Jack died in the movie Titanic, her favourite, and I would hug her to somehow make her feel better. Or the times I would come home and be so immersed in a book she didn't even notice me, with those glasses that fit her great and made her look smarter if that was possible.
As thousands of memories continued to pass through my head, I walked upstairs and stood in front of the door I hadn't opened next to the studio door for four years. I took a deep breath before grabbing the handle and going inside. My hands were trembling slightly, and as soon as I opened the door half a millimetre, Jessica's essence hit me harder than it did when I entered the house.
At this moment the only thing I wanted to do was run out and not look back, but I stood there without being able to move a single muscle other than inside that room, so very slowly, I opened the door and saw how everything had been that day before I took her to the airport.
Flashback
It was four o'clock in the morning when I gave up on the fact that I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I don't know what it was that kept me from staying overnight, I just know I wasn't able to. Maybe it was because Jessica was going away in a couple of hours and I couldn't be with her because of work, and even though I could postpone it to do it when I got back from her trip, she convinced me it was better for me to stay and take care of my grandmother who had been unwell for a couple of days.
It would be around half past six in the morning when I notice how Jessica starts to wake up, so I put all my thoughts out of my mind and my smile appears on my face automatically, because something I loved to do every morning, was to see those brown eyes I loved to see so much, open and almost automatically a smile appeared on my face.
"Hello honey." Jess said with a big smile on her face, "Hello my love. How have you slept?" I asked, giving her a kiss "Well, it seems the one who hasn't slept well is you. Is everything okay Santi?" she asked and I nodded, "Of course I am, I'm just worried about grandma and that I'll miss you while you're not here." I said sincerely, "It will only be a couple of weeks, but I will miss you too."
"You know? Sometimes I hate you have to travel. I know you love doing it and everyone deserves to see your art, but I hate we have to be apart because of it." I said, "I know you hate it honey, and it's my least favourite part of it, believe me, but with what I earn I can help a lot of people and that's what matters to me." She replied, caressing my face, "I still don't know what I did to deserve to have a person like you by my side."
"Being there through thick and thin and out of the worst, that's what you've done. Besides, you're too handsome for me to let you go with just any one like Amy was." My girlfriend joked, "I remember her, what I don't know is how we didn't end up together before." I replied, laughing, "Because it wasn't the time for us in romantic mode." She answered, shrugging, "Do you know how much I love you?" I asked, "I know how much you love me, and I hope you know how much I love you. But I must take a shower before we leave."
"Hmm... we could go take a shower, yes." I said, leaning over to give her a kiss, but she laughs and puts her hand on my chest, "No, I'm going to shower by myself, because otherwise we will have sex, and I don't want to miss the flight." She assured "The flight leaves in an hour and a half, I can..."
"No, because then, we won't get out of here. Besides, I'm starving, could you make breakfast?" Jess asked "So it's the only thing I'm good for? To make you breakfast?" I joked, putting my hand to my chest for drama.
I couldn't help but look up and down at her body, a little shamelessly I must say, but it was a monument of a woman, sometimes I can't believe I'm so lucky to be able to have her in my life. "Obviously, what did you expect? You make perfect breakfasts, and you're one of the only people who do juices the way I like it." She said, playing my game.
"Know that you have hurt me in my poor little heart." I replied, pretending to wipe away a tear, "You know it's not just because of that, silly. What's more, breakfast is the least of my minds. The only thing that matters to me is that you make me happy." She said, giving me a kiss, "I'm glad I can make you happy, but go shower before I change my mind and go shower with you."
"You wouldn't, besides, I can lock from the inside." Jessica replied with a laugh, "You don't need to, I'm going to focus on making you the best breakfast so you miss me while you're in Los Angeles." I said, getting out of bed, "For obvious reasons I'll miss these breakfasts, but I'll miss seeing you more, I'll miss the best views in the world."
"That's what I should say." I said, "We'll do something so we don't miss these views then." She replied, "Whatever you want, tell me what's going on in that head of yours, beautiful." I asked, leaning against the wall, "We can make video calls in the evenings every day, so we'll see each other. Obviously, we'll talk on the phone too, but then we'll be able to see each other."
"I love the idea, but I think you better go bathe, love, I don't want you to catch a cold," I said, giving her one more kiss. "I'll go make you breakfast." I replied, "Thank you." We kissed again, and I left the room to go to the kitchen and make her a big breakfast while she showered and dressed and then we headed to the airport.
End flashback
I went over to the bed where I had left a sweatshirt on top of it, and there was a note on it, so I went over and picked it up and read it.
I couldn't help but cry when I read the note. It had been here four years and I had not entered this room since the moment she left, and she scolded me because I did not come home to rest at least for a while, but I had so many things to do...
Flashback
Today was a long day in the studio. Today was the day that I would meet with Kevin and his representatives to sign the contract with our record company. A couple of months ago they had offered me a job at a record company as a sound technician, apparently, they had heard some of my work and liked it, but sometimes I did other jobs, because apparently, I had a good eye for recognizing artists who would be good. In the future, hence, today I am about to meet with this boy and his representatives.
It had been a week since Jessica had left, but we talked every day, in the morning on the phone and at night on video call until well into the night or until either of us fell asleep.
I got up from the sofa in the office since I had fallen asleep on it and went out into the corridor to go to the bathroom that was at the end of the corridor where my office was located. This week it was rare that I didn't sleep in my office at the record company or in the hospital, since my grandmother had heart surgery.
Once the shower was over and I was about to finish getting dressed, my phone began to ring, and I didn't even look at who was calling anymore, I just answered, but my smile grew the moment I heard her voice.
"Tell me at least that you went home to sleep and you haven't stayed in the hospital or in the office," my girlfriend asked "Hello my love, I'm glad to hear your beautiful voice in the morning too." I replied with a laugh, "Answer my question, Santi." She said seriously, "No, I fell asleep in the office."
"Santiago De Luca, you're not resting as much as you should. You need to take better care of yourself." Jessica protested "Don't worry, I'll do it, just I was preparing for today's meeting and fell asleep on the couch, that's it." I said, "But you know it's going to be perfect." She replied, "I hope so." I murmured, "You'll see, yes, you've been preparing it for a long time and that guy is really good, and you are even better."
"What if I'm wrong and the guy isn't that good?" I asked "Of course he's good, he'll have to work on it a bit, but he'll become a great artist, you have a good eye for discovering young talent, you should trust that talent you have more, honey. Come on, say it."
"What?" I asked, a little confused, but getting the idea of what she means, "You know what I mean, say it." She insisted, "Ok, ok. Everything will be great in today's meeting." I repeated the words she had said to me not long ago "I'm so proud of you, honey. By the way, how is your grandma doing?"
"Better, she'll probably go home today, and I'll probably stay for a couple of days with her to make sure she's okay." I said, "At least then I'll be calm and I know you'll rest in a bed as you should." She replied "Don't be angry love, I will. I'm going home today to rest."
"You'd better, because if you don't, I'll be really angry." My girlfriend said and I couldn't help laughing, "Why don't you tell me how you're doing there?" I asked, expecting to hear everything she discovered in the city. "I'm doing well, maybe I'll be back in a couple of days instead of next week"
"Really?" I asked, hope starting to form in my mind, "Are you serious?" I asked "Really" She replied laughing, I guess at my reaction, "You don't know how glad I am to hear that, I'll be looking forward to it." I said sincerely, "Me too, now I must go, love, we'll talk at night, okay?"
"Okay, I love you, Jess." I said with a big smile on my face, "I love you too, Santi. I send you a kiss and a hug, and tell your grandmother I'll bring her a gift." She replied, "I'll tell her, and I'll send you a kiss, I love you." I repeated, "I love you."
(And with that he ended the call, not knowing it would be the last time he would talk to the girl)
End flashback
I put on my sweatshirt and hugged the note she had left me. After a while I had to leave because I couldn't take it anymore with the sadness I had inside, so I got up from the ground and quickly left the house, leaning against the front door once I closed it.
"Santi, are you okay?" asked Carla next to me. "No, I don't feel well." She sat down next to me and put an arm over my shoulders, pulling me closer to her so I could continue crying. I noticed how she was sobbing too, but despite that and how bad she must have felt, she's there with me supporting me, as she had been all this time.
"What do you hug so tightly, Santi?" At that moment I remembered Jessica's note, which makes me start sobbing again as I remember her words. "Hey, hey, what is it?" she asked worriedly "It's... it's a note..." I whispered, "Note of what?" she asked curiously and I handed it to her and she stared at her once she finished reading it for a while until she passed it to me and hugged it again.
"She really loved you. I have to assume that's why you're wearing the sweatshirt. How come you didn't put it on all this time? And how did you discover the note today?" she asked curiously, "Because before what happened, I spent the day working or in the hospital with Grandma." I replied, "You didn't spend anything at home." My best friend said and I shook my head.
"I guess whenever you talked to her she scolded you for not resting at home." Carla said with a small smile on her face, "You don't know how many times. In all the calls and video calls Jess told me I should go home to rest." I said, "The funny thing is she didn't convince you."
"Yes, I was convinced, but either I fell asleep while talking to her or I just went to the office to sort some papers and was preparing for the meeting that took place that day..." I said, my voice disappearing, "You know she'd be proud of everything you accomplished, right?" she asked, "Right now she'd be killing me for not moving on with my life."
"That's true, but if you know, why don't you?" Carla questioned, "Because I'm not capable." I insisted. I don't know how many times I've had this argument with Carla "Maybe I can help you with that." She replied politely and hopefully, "How?" I asked with a bit of curiosity, "Let's see, the record company told me they needed your help, and they asked me to talk to you so you could get back to work." She said, looking away "I'm not ready to go back to the building, it brings back bad memories."
Flashback (narrator)
At this very moment, Santi was meeting with the boy and his representatives to reach an agreement and for him to sign the contract with the record company. Everything was going well as Jessica had told him it would, and Santi knew the boy was going to accept, so he was waiting for the meeting to end to send a message to Jessica telling her she was right and he loved her.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean, things were also going well. Today was the day of the exhibition and Jessica being excited. She hadn't told Santi it was the day of her presentation because she wanted him to focus one hundred percent on the meeting, she was one hundred percent sure would turn out great, as she had told the boy.
"Well Jessica, are you ready to open the gallery?" asked the girl's rep "You know it Mónica, I've been waiting for this a long time." The girls said with a big smile on her face "I know. There are a lot of people out already, I think I've seen some of them in one of your other exhibitions." The woman said excitedly, "That means they like it, doesn't it?"
"Obviously they like it, you're one of the most valued artists in Europe right now, the U.S. is giving you a chance. You will be recognized worldwide." She answered and Jessica couldn't help but laugh at her representative's reaction "I don't care, at least with what I can I will finally be able to open an adoption centre and maybe a place where people who don't have enough money can stay."
"You're a great person Jessica, I'm telling you." Mónica said, "I'm not, I just do what anyone would do." The girl replied, shrugging her shoulders, "Not everyone does it, my dear, but hey, let's open now, we don't want you to get impatient."
An hour after opening the gallery, the sirens began to sound when a storm was approaching, usually a tornado, so they headed for the safe places as indicated. They could hear how the wind in a short time made too much noise, so the tornado must not have been too far away, but what Jessica did hear was how a child was crying calling for his mother, so before they closed the door, she ran out to bring the child who was crying in.
"Jessica, come back here right now." Monica asked, but the girl shook her head looking out, "There's a boy out there." She said, worried about the child, "It doesn't matter, miss, listen to your friend." A gentleman who was in there with them answered, "I'm not going to leave a child there."
And she ran off. On the way, she met a woman who was apparently looking for her son and Jessica managed to convince her to go to the shelter while she went to get the child. When she found him, she took the child in her arms and the little dog she was with and went in the direction of the shelter, what she did not count on was the wind would get stronger and end up dragging her.
Once the meeting was over, Santi sent a message to Jessica telling her that everything had gone great, which he would tell her in more detail on the video call in the evening and he love her. He leaves the building to pick up his grandmother from the hospital when he notices there are many people gathered around a television, which makes him go to see what is happening, and it is at that very moment his world falls apart in a few seconds and he begins to call Jessica desperately without receiving any answer.
End flashback
"I know, and that's what I told them, but I suggested you could join me on my tour as head sound technician, after all, that's how you started." Carla replied, shrugging, "What are you talking about?" I asked, "Before you refuse, let me explain. The head coach who was in charge of my tour has had problems and can't continue. He really was a person I trusted and I won't find anyone who can get that trust in no time."
"Well, I'm of no use to you either, you won't be able to trust me in a short time." I said sincerely, "That's the point, I know how good you are and you're the person I trust to be able to fill that role." My best friend said, "I can't leave here, Carla."
"I know it's going to be hard for you to leave and not be able to visit the cemetery every day, but you'll be able to call Francisco to drop off the flowers, you know he'll be happy to help you, and if you mean you won't be able to talk to her every day like you're doing, you're very wrong, because Jessica must be chasing you everywhere to take care of you from where she is." She answered and was about to start protesting when she raised her hand "You'd do me a big favour if you accept Santi. I'm seriously telling you; I need you to fill that position. If you don't accept it for me, at least accept it for Jess. She would be happy for you to get out of this rut and start taking back control of your life. Maybe getting away from here for a while will do you good, and it will bring a smile back to your face, at least you don't look bitter as you have seemed all these years."
A small smile appeared on Carla's face, because she knew what she said about Jessica is what completely convinced me. I would have agreed to help her anyway without me putting Jessica in the way, because at the end of the day that's the least I could do after all the support she puts into helping me. "Ok, I'll accept. "Well, we have to catch a flight early tomorrow, around five o'clock in the morning to go to where our next concert will be."
"And where is the show?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't say the last place on earth I want to go, "Right now we're on the U.S. tour." She answered, and I couldn't help but tense up, "Tell me you don't have to go there." I asked, "If you mean Los Angeles, don't worry, I don't have to go there. Better?"
"Better, I don't want to set foot in that city." I replied sincerely, "And you won't, but now we have to go to Jess's parents' house. You'll have to say goodbye to them." She said, getting up from the ground, "Okay, we'll go. I just want to ask you a small favour." I asked, "Sure, tell me."
"Before we go, I want to go say goodbye to Jessica." I said. That was something I wasn't going to allow her to take me out, especially if we take into account, I won't be able to do it for who knows how long exactly. "You can do it; I will accompany you myself" She replied with a smile on her face, "You don't have to."
"I know I don't have to, but I have to talk to her about a few things." My best friend said, shrugging, "As you wish." I said, "Well, let's go home, I have to see little Sofia, because I still can't believe this boy is about to marry her after the scare Jess must have given him."
"It's because he really loves her." I said with a smile on my face, because at least she could be happy with the person she loved the most, "I'm sure she's happy up there watching it all." Carla nodded, "I'm sure so." And with that we got up off the ground and walked to Carla's car to head to Jessica's parents' house.