Inseparable 2

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

4 years later

“I can’t believe he’s fifty-five! He looks much younger, even though his hair is greying.”

“He IS fifty-five, nevertheless,” laughed Evelyn, clinking her glass to signal to the waiter that she wanted another mint tea. “It’s not just Manuel. Time leaves its mark on all of us. But while people are young, like you, they don’t really sense the passing of time.”

“I’m twenty-one,” Ronnie responded confidently. “But sometimes I feel like I’m ninety in spirit. Of course, at times physically, too.”

“Oh, Love,” Evelyn said, and lovingly patted the girl’s thin little hand. “Twenty-one, and already a wife. I can still hardly believe it.”

“I know. At times I find it strange too,” she admitted, blushing. “Yet, it feels so natural. As if Dominic and I have always been meant for one another.”

“Because it must be true,” the woman smiled.

“Well, not always,” Ronnie shrugged.

“This whole thing… does it never cause any tension between you and Alexis?”

“It must be hard to believe, but it doesn’t in the least. Alex would never lie to me, but even if she tried, I’d be able to tell if she was lying.”

“You have a very tight bond.”

“We do. Although since she started her apprenticeship in Sheffield, I see very little of her. But we regularly talk on the phone, and she occasionally comes home. She’s happy for us; I’m positive about that. Do you know that she was also my witness?”

“Yes, you mentioned it, and I saw the pictures too. It’s amazing of her,” the woman stated, shaking her head in admiration.

“Alex never really loved Nick,” she continued matter-of-factly, sipping her coffee. “This only became obvious later on when during her university years she fell in love with…”

Here, she took a worried glance at Evelyn and went quiet. She wasn’t sure if it was smart to bring up the old story, whatever had happened between Alexis and Nathaniel. She knew it would only make both of them sad.

Their own friendship, which had started some four years before at Nate’s birthday party in the Cruz home, had since turned quite intimate. Whenever they met – and this happened regularly – they mostly talked about their shared passions: books and literature. Evelyn had become a motherly substitute for Veronic, who had become an advisor, an encourager, and a listener in a way that Ronnie had never experienced with her own mother. Ronnie studied English literature at the Faculty of Humanities, and she was more and more serious about following Evelyn’s footsteps in becoming a proofreader. The only reason for her not inviting Evelyn to her own wedding with Dominic was her concern for Alex. She didn’t want to open her sister's old wounds as she thought they had never really healed. She didn’t even tell her about her friendship with Evelyn, which at times caused her to feel guilty. Whenever they met, of course, Alex and Nathaniel’s past also came up as a topic. This, however, usually cast a dampener on their mood because neither of them was fully convinced that their loved ones were progressing in the right way as far as their feelings were concerned.

“With Nathaniel,” the woman finished the sentence, mercifully.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to bring it up,” she said, shaking her head, then sliding the wedding photo album she had brought to show Evelyn into her bag. “The thought hurts just thinking about it.”

“Is it really so bad?” the woman furrowed her brow.

“Bad? Well, I wouldn’t really say that,” shrugged Ronnie. “But it’s not as good as it could be either. The problem is that I know my sister too well. I know what she’s like when she is carefree, and I never fail to notice when something’s wrong. And now she is acting exactly as she did with Nick, back then.”

“What kind of guy is her present boyfriend?”

“Ewan? He’s great. There’s nothing in the world about him that I could criticise. He is a dermatologist and a plastic surgeon, specialising in burns. They met at the Doctors Without Borders event.”

“Wow, that’s great,” the woman nodded admiringly.

“I know,” Ronnie agreed. “Coming to think of it, he is almost Nick’s duplicate, mentally.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. He just doesn’t happen to be Alex’s type. In the same way that Nick wasn’t either. I think she's fallen into the same trap.”

“You mean, she doesn’t love him.”

Resting her chin melancholically in her palm, she stared out of the window.

“I’m afraid she doesn’t love him in the same way she loved Nathaniel. For a long time, she had nobody, and this Ewan is really nice, it’s not like he’s not. Still, I have the sinking feeling…”

“You think she still loves Nate?”

Evelyn looked at her carefully, waiting for the answer. Ronnie heaved a deep sigh, and genuine worry clouded her face.

“I’m not a psychologist, and Alex has never said anything like that to me, but… I’m afraid, that’s how things are.”

“Oh,” the woman sighed aghast. “Now that you’ve brought this up, let me also add that I also have doubts about Nate having fully forgotten your sister.”

Ronnie suddenly looked up.

“He left London in a horrible state.”

“Alex didn’t want to hurt him. I know that much!” she burst. “She was in a terribly awkward position because of Nick and our families. She tried her best not to hurt anybody, and yet, she ended up causing the most pain to the one person who was the most important to her.”

“I don’t doubt that for a moment, dear.”

“But what makes you think he’s not over Alex?” she asked now, more softly.

“Of course, he would never mention anything of the sort, and he’s been with this Carolin for a year, but still… Something’s very wrong there, and it’s hard not to notice.”

“Is it true what the papers say about her?” the girl asked cautiously.

It was unnecessary for Ronnie to go into detail: Evelyn knew what she was referring to. Carolin Ruiz was the daughter of Sandro Ruiz, the manager of Barcelona, and indeed, the press had considered her Nathaniel’s girlfriend for about a year. Several photos had shown them at clubs together, on holiday, and in public places. She was tall, thin and very pretty, with light brown hair, and looked very good next to the football star, although her notorious personality was well known to the tabloids. Thanks to her father’s position, she had become a celebrity early on, and a lot of articles had been published about her teenage anorexia. She had visibly come out of the illness quite well, but the tabloids often reported on her depression, and euphoric celebration. Evelyn and Manuel had met her on one of their visits to Barcelona when they had spent a few days at Nathaniel’s place. They had met on two more occasions since then, always briefly, because it seemed like the girl was ever in a rush. Nate had also given them the impression that he wasn’t very keen on them becoming more intimate, perhaps because their relationship wasn’t particularly healthy. At some point, they broke up, and Carolin moved back to London, but two months later they were back together again. She had been educated in England and preferred London to Barcelona. This had often caused tension between them.

So Evelyn responded truthfully, “I don’t know her very well. We’ve only met on a few occasions.”

Ronnie didn’t speak. She just watched the woman expectantly as she quickly shrugged, and went on in resignation.

“I’m sure you know that I don't hold the tabloids’ reports in high regard. Still, I’m afraid there’s some truth in the case. She appears rather imbalanced and insecure to me. You know the type with whom you can never be sure what to expect when you next bump into her. We’ve only met three times, but I've always had the feeling that she was completely different every single time.”

“Borderline? Manic depressive?” the girl piped in offering her own quick diagnosis.

“Say no more!” the woman said, lifting both hands in the air. “The very things I dread!”

”But… isn’t there something you can do?” came the unsure, very cautious question. “I mean… something should be done, no?”

“Oh, Veronic,” sighed the woman deeply, while shaking her head slowly. “You can’t imagine how hard it is for a mother when it comes to discussing her child’s private life, without trespassing. Naturally, I don’t want to get involved in my son’s love life in an unhealthy way, and I don’t want to advise him either, and yet, at times I’m just dying to give him a big shake. Especially, when I feel that things are going in the wrong direction.”

“And is that how you feel now?” Ronnie asked quietly.

“I feel very apprehensive about it.”

From what the printed press material and online articles suggested, Nathaniel was having the time of his life. Professional success coupled with financial rewards were given to him at a very young age. He travelled a lot, saw a great many places and, thanks to football, met more people than an average person ever would in a lifetime. In both of his homelands, he was a favourite of sports fans and a sought-after star of talk shows. If he shot an advert for sunglasses with a good-looking model, the next day the press had them down as being an item, despite the fact he'd never said a word. His family and close friends, who had a bit more insight into his everyday life, often found such news amusing. When the tattoo craze was at its peak in the football world, he was no exception: he had his neck and lower arm done. This was also enough to keep the press happy for a while. Likewise, his ankle injury, which caused him to take a break from active playing for several months, was good press material. Also, his brutal back injury that he had suffered at the World Cup – which was only a hair’s width away from forcing him into a wheelchair for life – had made him a star of sports news for many months. Still, he was young and healthy, and his body became whole very soon. His passion for football had not chilled over the years, and under the guidance of an expert coach, by the age twenty-six, he had reached the pinnacle of his career.

Veronic watched the mother pensively for a while before continuing.

“But you have such a great relationship. Nathaniel used to be so intimate with you, and always asked for your advice, didn’t he?”

Evelyn looked back gloomily because the expression ‘used to’ was perfectly applicable to the present situation. She stared in front of herself deep in thought, which caused Ronnie to place her palm lovingly on her hand. The woman nodded slowly, then again, smiled faintly.

“Certain boundaries exist that I would never cross.”

Veronic nodded in approval. There were some boundaries that she would never cross when it came to other people’s private lives. In her sister’s case, however, she was ready to make a compromise.

“Perhaps if they had a chance to meet again,” she mused, out loud.

“If they could see each other again, things might work out by themselves,” Evelyn said, wrapping it up.

They stared at one another, trying to read the other’s mind.

“Perhaps,” the woman started, slowly uttering the words, “there might be an opportunity that we could help a little. It might be possible to give them the chance to meet again, but…”

“But?” the girl asked with glittering eyes.

“I will need your help. And it will still be quite tricky. It all depends on timing.”

“I bet you’re talking about Manuel’s birthday party!”

Evelyn glanced at her admiringly, then giggled, and jabbed her index finger in the girl’s direction.

“Admit it; it crossed your mind too!”

“Yes, the moment you mentioned Winter Garden,” the girl confessed.

“Nate hardly comes to London these days, and I don’t think this will change in the near future.”

“But he’ll surely come home for Manuel’s birthday!”

“Exactly,” the woman nodded. “Although we have to adjust the date for him. But he’ll definitely come home.”

“And I have to somehow make it happen that Alex would come over for a visit at the same time and that she would be willing to come to Winter Garden with us.”

“It won’t be easy,” the woman added.

“I know,” responded Ronnie, scratching her head. “I have to think of a reason why then, and why there. When are you planning the party?”

“The first weekend of next month. But nothing’s set in stone yet. I wanted to keep the venue a surprise, anyway.”

“All right. This could work. Alex hasn’t been home for a month, anyway. Maybe I can talk her into timing her next visit for that day.”

“That’s great, Ronnie! Let me know immediately when you have fixed the date with her. I’ll then go and book the place, and I’ll also reserve a table in your name. Of course, not directly next to ours. That would be weird.”

“Deal,” the girl agreed, and excitedly sank her teeth into the edge of her mouth. “Evelyn…”

“Yes?”

“I have never done such a thing before.”

“I could tell that, dear.”

“And the only reason I’m willing to do this is because I don’t think my sister is happy. And I want to do something for her. I love her so much.”