Love, Come Back

Marco’s POV I burst into anger as I clearly remembered everything, yes EVERYTHING, all the truth, and all the lies.   “Hey! Hon, what’s the problem? Please tell me?! You’re creeping me out!   Astrud said crying as she followed me inside our room. Damn it! I don’t even want to hear a word from her and I really don’t want to see her anymore! I just lost my tiny piece of respect to her! She’s a horrible monster!  I get my things and started packing it. Obviously, I just want to leave this house and this woman!   “Hey! Hey, Hon, ohmygod, hon, what are you doing?! Are you leaving me?! No, no, no, you can’t do that, please let’s talk about this!!!   “Bullshit, Astrud!! STOP THIS! Once and for all, STOP THIS!!!” I yelled at her as I harshly grabbed her arms. Obviously, she was shocked with what I did, she didn’t really expect it, but I can’t help it!   “You ruined my entire life, you lied to me! You made me look like a fool!!! You took advantage of the incident that happened to me! Aaaaaaaah Astrud, why?! How can you do that to me?! You even used your own son huh?!!! Aahhhhh Astrud! What kind of a monster are you?!” I said as she was crying but I really don’t care anymore after almost 17 years of ruining my life with all her lies.   “Hon, hon, Marco please I’m sorry, I did that because I love you that much, I want you to be with me, by my side, with our son. Marco!!” She caressed my face but I harshly get off her hands. I grabbed my bag and I’m about to leave. “Your lies end today; your lies end today!”   “No, no, Marcooooo!” She gave me a back hug and I can’t help it; I threw her in our bed.   “Mom!” Greco saw what I did and he was shocked. He gave me a glare and that calmed me for a bit. He’s still my son and he doesn’t have anything to do with this. He’s innocent. In fact, he’s also a victim her, victim of all the lies of her own mother!   “Mom! Are you okay?” He said giving Astrud a hug as she’s still crying and it still pisses me off because she’s like playing victim after all. Damn it!   I went out of the room and now ready to leave but Greco followed. “Dad! Where are you going? What’s that? What did you to mom?!” Greco said, he’s obviously mad at me, he doesn’t know anything, and he doesn’t have to know it. I sighed. “Greco, you don’t understand. Son, it’s hard to explain, but for now, I just have to leave”.   “What?! Is that it?! After what you did to mom, you are just going to leave just like that?! “I’m sorry this needs to happen, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve this, Greco.”    I leave Greco confused and even mad because I don’t know what to say anymore. I entered the car as I sighed. I stared at our home, even though Astrud ruined my entire life, there’s no doubt, we shared a lot of happy memories here, atleast with Greco, her son, our son. I stopped for a while as I remembered something, someone…. I need to find her, she needs to know the truth, but I don’t know where to start, but I have to look for her no matter what. I closed my eyes and I saw her beautiful face, all our happy memories, all my promises to her Flashback I caressed her face, “I promise after this mission, we will get married right away at the nearest Church” She laughed at what I said. Her laugh is like music to my ears. “What?! How can we do that? We don’t have any wedding plans at all” “So what? I don’t care as long as you are my bride even if we get married under the tree”  She laughed again. “Okay, under the tree huh? But how about the clothes we are going to huh?” I whispered to her ear, “even if you are not wearing anything, it’s perfectly fine”,  she jokingly slapped me and pinched my nose after that naughty thought of mine. “You’re definitely the most beautiful bride for me. I love you, Agatha.” And we shared a passionate kiss.   I opened my eyes and started the engine of my car and leave.   Greco’s POV I watched as my dad leave. Damn it! I punched the wall. I hate it! I hate him! How can she do that to mom? I remembered my mom…   I went back to their room, and there, I saw mother drinking wine again. That’s what is she doing everytime she is stress and sad. “Mom, enough please, it’s still early, you haven’t eaten anything yet.” I grabbed the bottle and glass of wine. “Oh, son, please let me, let me drink!” “Mom, no, let’s talk about the problem, what is it? Why did he do that to you?! “Greco…” She held my hand and started crying again. Damn it! I pity my mom. I hate seeing her cry. “Look, son, I don’t want to talk about it right now, I’ll explain everything to you maybe soon, but not now I just… I just need to fix myself.” Alright, I understand. “Alright, mom. But please don’t drink, just rest, just go to sleep instead.” She nodded. “Thank you, son, thank you.” I smiled a bit to her. “I love you mom”. I said as I kissed her forehead. I made sure mom was asleep before I called my friend. “Hello, Johnny, are you free? Alright. Let’s meet at the coffee shop.” I need to go out, I can’t stay here.   Celeste’s POV I’m currently having lunch with my mom and dad. “Celeste, before I forgot, remind me after lunch about the money for the books you need to buy for your Creative Writing Class, okay?” My dad said. “Dad, no need, I already asked my professor if it’s alright if I will just borrow and photocopy the pages from Jessica’s books, and she said, it’s perfectly fine.” “What? Are you sure?” My worried mom strikes again. “Yes, and Celeste, I insist I really saved the money for your books.” My dad insisted. “But dad, I know we are not abundant, so please just keep and save the money for something else like the electricity or water bills. Borrowing the book and photocopying pages are way cheaper than to buy those. In fact, my professor said we are not going to use and tackle everything in that thick book so it’s alright dad, mom. Don’t worry.” “Haaaaay Agatha, what kind of goodness did we do to have a loving daughter like this?” My dad said and my mom smiled. “I know right. We are definitely the luckiest parents alive right now, Martin.” Aaaaaaaah they are so cheesy to me. “Ah! Ah! No more cheesy words please. And no no no, I beg to disagree, I’m the one who is lucky, oh no, not lucky but blessed to have loving and supportive parents like you guys. Thank you. And I promise I will study hard like very very hard so that when I finish my degree, I will be able to find a stable job, and you guys will be Madame Agatha and Senior Martin” Both of them laughed. “Haaaaay! Okay okay, Bueno continue with your food guys.” My mom said. “Oh, hon, how’s the food?”. “Oh, hon, it’s perfectly cooked! I really missed your cooking and I really missed you!” My dad sweetly said to my mom. Haaaaay! They are like teenagers; they really love each other. Hashtag relationship goals. My mom laughed and jokingly pinched my dad’s nose. “Your daughter is there!” I just smiled and laughed at them. “Ah, by the way, mom, dad, later, Jessica and I will meet at the coffee shop to study together for our long test the day after tomorrow and we will need to finish our term paper, you know I will need to borrow her laptop for that.” I said as I asked for their permission. They looked at each other as if they agreed on something to say to me. “Okay, sure, Celeste.” My mom said. “And don’t worry, I promise when my salary at the new house we’re building got stable, I will make a loan so that I can buy you a laptop.” My dad said “But dad” I said as I will begin to disagree. I know my dad is really working hard for us most especially for me, to support my studies. He even sent me to a good university. I don’t want him to suffer just to buy me things that I can do something anyway. “Celeste, my decision is final. You need a laptop for your studies”. Haaaay he really insisted it, so I just agreed for now; I will still convince him not to buy me one.   After eating lunch, Jessica called me…. “Hello! Yes, Jess? Are you ready? Yes, I’m getting ready now.” I said to my best friend as I packed all the things we will need. “Alright, alright, let’s meet at the usual coffee shop. Okay see you! Bye!”   Agatha’s POV I’m currently fixing some of my things here in our drawer at our room. I’m planning to organize our monthly budget for our family. I know it’s stressful and hard, but we have no choice. After all, what’s important is we are surviving everyday and we are together as a family. But one thing got my attention ------- A small box with an antique ring inside it, an antique engagement ring to be exact. I can’t help it but to remember something or someone rather. I sighed.   Flashback “Marco, what if… what if you will just stay here, just don’t go that mission. We both, it’s very dangerous… You might, you might…. No I don’t want to lose you, I can’t! I can’t!” I said while crying, I’m just so afraid of what is going to happen to Marco at that dangerous mission. “Shhhh, love, didn’t I promise you, I will not die, I can’t die, we are not yet married!” Marco said as he hugged and comforted me. He kissed my forehead. “Marco, I’m serious! Love, just stay here with me please? Let’s just plan our wedding. We are already financially stable, right? You don’t have to go there.” I said. Well, I’m right, by the way, and it’s not about the salary anymore, it’s his safety, his life! He held my hand as he said, “Love, I love you, I love you so much. More than anything and anyone else in this world, but, but I hope you understand, I also have a vow in this country. Look, I promise I will be safe, I will go back here for you and we will get married. He kissed my hand, the engagement ring he gave me. “As long as you are wearing this ring, my love for you is forever alive, while I’m gone, just look at this ring, you will remember everything, everything we’ve been through.” Ahhhhh! I cannot! I burst into tears. “Just take care, okay? Take care and promise me, you will go home safe and complete, complete body parts, promise me, love?!” “I promise, I love you so much, Agatha.” He kissed my forehead, down to my nose, to both of my cheeks, and then to my lips and we shared the night and made love---- full of love.   “Hon, have you seen my----” Martin said as he called me. He saw what I’m holding and that I’m into tears, so I wiped my tears right away. “You still remember him?”, He asked. Oh no! No. I don’t want to hurt the feelings of my husband, but I can’t control my mind, the memories, that Marco and I had. “Martin, it’s not like that.” I said. I suddenly felt guilty. “No, hon, no, it’s okay, I know and I understand what you had with him is, is history. And what’s important now is us, the present. It’s okay don’t worry.” “Martin, I’m sorry.” “Hon, I said it’s okay huh? Don’t worry. There’s no problem at all, I promise. Well anyway, have you seen my wallet?” “Oh yeah, I put it her, in our drawer” “There, thank you, hon. Oh, I have to go. I can’t be late. We got a new boss in the village; the company is building.” “Alright, take care.” He kissed me in the forehead before he goes. I’m blessed to have Martin as my husband, and he’s right, what’s important is the present, not the past—the painful past. I look at the antique engagement ring, Marco gave me more than a decade ago. I tried to throw it many times, but I can’t – I just can’t.