DeLuca’s Claim

CHAPTER 3

Valentina’s POV

Something felt off today. The feeling had been eating away at me ever since I woke up, it was heavy and uncomfortable at the same time, sitting on my chest like it belonged there.

“La mia bambina” (my baby)

I looked up at my mom and smiled softly,

“How is work?” She asked gently, not pressing because she knew my response would be the same as always.

“Terrible. My boss isn’t even making it any better” She smiled at that, the smile she gave off when she didn’t want to say too much.

“It will get better”

I shook my head and smiled, “You always say that”

“Because I believe it will, you just have to” she said as she caressed my cheeks. I laughed a little because she has been saying that for years that I had genuinely lost count.

“You’re impossible” I smiled widely

“And yet you love me” She said with an amused smile on her face.

“Do I even have a choice?” She gasped, placing her hand on her chest in a dramatic way.

“After everything I’ve done for you!”She said accusingly.

I pretended to think about it for a minute and the look on her face made me laugh so hard, I started coughing as tears clouded my vision. She laughed as she patted me on the back.

Calming down a bit, I held onto her hand savoring the moment as I said,

“Rest now okay?”

“Only if you do” she looked at me with worry and I had to blink away my tears.

“I will”

She obviously didn’t believe me as she gave me that look, the one that saw right through me before she eventually closed her eyes.

She looked so small at that moment, so fragile that it actually scared me. And so I stayed, thinking if I looked away for just a minute or blinked too hard, she would disappear.

I got home just as the sun was setting. My body ached so badly it felt like it would soon give up on me. Exhausted couldn’t even explain how I felt at the moment because every single part of me felt heavy.

Taking a shower quickly, I wrapped the towel around me and stood in front of the mirror. Dull eyes surrounded by dark circles stared back at me as I leaned against the sink and looked at myself closely.

“When did I start looking like this?” I thought as I stared back at the person looking at me.

Before I could think of anything negative about myself and my situation, I started getting dressed. I didn’t have the time or the energy to handle any bad thoughts this morning, people out there were going through far worse than I was.

Grabbing my bag, I made my way to the bus station as I reminded myself it was just another day, another shift and it will soon be over.

I barely made it on time but I was still early regardless. My co-workers greeted me warmly and I returned their greetings cheerfully. My boss had been breathing down my neck lately but I wouldn’t give him anything to work with. I checked in and got to work immediately.

My shift went by slowly as the restaurant was filled with the quiet chatter of people and the bell that signified someone going out and coming in. I smiled at different people as I took their orders.

An hour into my shift, the feeling from this morning hit me again but heavier this time but I just convinced myself I was tired and that was true, it was probably catching up on me.

I was at the table near the window setting down the order of the cute elderly couple by the window when I felt it, that same suffocating presence from the hospital and for a moment, I stopped to look around the restaurant but didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary, people were still quietly talking amongst one another.

The lovely couple smiled at me as I set their meals on the table and I returned it. They told me it was their anniversary today and I congratulated them before walking away.

Brushing the feeling off, I continued working because it definitely wasn’t going to pay my bills. I took more orders, but I felt tense and my hands had gone stiff.

As I approached another table to deliver their orders, the feeling that had been gnawing at me hit me hard causing me to look up and then I saw it, those captivating dark blue eyes that seemed to haunt me unknowingly.

It was the man from the hospital, sitting across the room in a manspread. My eyes unconsciously looked him over and he looked even more handsome, completely at ease.

I looked away from him immediately as I went about my day. Clearing tables and attending to customers but my eyes sought him out in the crowd every now and then leaving me distracted.

“Valentina” the voice of my manager startled me causing me to jump and nearly knock out the glasses on the counter.

“Yes sir” He slowly looked me over as he said,

“Table 12” he walked away from me, not before ordering me not to mess it up.

I grabbed the tray and headed for table 12. Turning into the corner, I walked straight into something hard causing the tray in my hands to slip.

Before the tray could hit the ground, someone caught it and I realized it was him. As I looked at him, it felt like it was just us in that moment as if the world around us had faded into nothing.

The loud sound of someone clearing their throat brought me back to reality and I looked to the source of the noise, noticing a very handsome man as well but not as handsome as him, I thought.

He handed me the tray with an unreadable expression as he said in a deep husky voice

“Careful”

And just like that he walked away and I watched him a bit too long before I remembered I was still holding a tray and had a table waiting. Moving on, I noticed the way people looked at me now, different with a look of curiosity, some with fear and some with indifference.

I don’t know why I kept on seeing this man and I wondered if it was really just a coincidence or something else.