A Love Restored

NOW Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

The sun, bright and golden in the morning, slipped through Felix’s blinds, painting playful stripes across my eyelids. A yam escaped me, as I stretched my arms luxuriously in the warm bed that still held the faint imprint of his form. The sheets on his side were a little messed up. His phone was still on the bed. I guess it hadn’t been very long since he has woken up.

I looked at the time on his phone. 10 AM! Panic clawed at my throat. Breakfast! Toast was burning, eggs were scrambling themselves, the world was ending – or at least that’s what my sleep–addled brain insisted. I was still Felix’s housekeeper. I had a job to do – food to cook and laundry to wash and floors to vacuUM

But then, the sweet scent of Felixs laundry soap wafted over me, calming my anxieties as effectively as a lullaby, I burrowed deeper into the pillows, a smile blooming on my face. His cologne lingered, a comforting reminder of the moments of the night before, I breathed in his scent in the sheets. If he walked in right now, he’d think I was a madwoman, sniffing in his bedding like some kind of psycho. But his smell was so comforting. A mix of the detergent, his cologne, and just…him.

I think I slept again, because when my eyes opened after a few more minutes, I had to squint at the bright, bright sun. I slowly got out of the bed. I was already missing its comfort. I went to the washroom and washed my face. I had to brush my teeth, and my toothbrush was in my room. I slowly made my way outside. I wondered where Felix was. Maybe in his office, or was he at work already? His phone had disappeared from the bedside, so maybe he had left. I cursed myself internally for sleeping in so late. But he’d let it go this once, I knew,

was pleasant after so long.

I began to make my way down the stairs, the silence in the house was p

The peace was shattered by the rumble of voices downstairs. My eyes widened with a mixture of terror and belated realization. I could feel a steady rise of anxious emotion in the pit of my stomach. Felix’s parents. My heart hammered against my ribs as I was stuck to the step I was standing on. I needed to go back up to his room and lock myself in there until the Corsinos had left.

Why hadn’t Felix told me he was expecting them?

I began to walk up the stairs. Slowly, slowly, my feet falling lightly on the expensive wood. Almost there, almost free…

“Miss?”

My breath hitched. I froze, my leg midair, fell to the ground with a thud. His father had spoken from behind me. I had to turn back around. There was no escape.

Oh but the familiar voice…of a time gone by. Memories were flooding into my head.

I slowly turned back around. Our eyes met, and 1 saw the realization dawn on his face. His mouth fell open, and he gaped at me for a few minutes.

“Flora?” He finally spoke.

*Mr. Corsino,” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. “L… I… L.

He remained silent, still gaping at me. I began to softly walk down the stairs, and I took labored, gingered steps till I was standing in front of him. A sob threatened to leave me, seeing his familiar face, the features hardened by his field of work yet I knew the soft man he was underneath.

“You look just like her. For a moment I thought…I wished…” He blinked rapidly, like he was pushing Lears away. “Flora… I can’t believe this.” He opened up his arms, and pulled me in for a hug. He was squeezing me so tight. “My God, kid.” He mumbled in disbelief.

You look just like her

He was thinking of my mother. I knew he was.

I felt a tear slip out. I sniffled.

“Hey, I’ve got you.” Mr. Corsino said softly. Relief washed over me, followed by a wave of mortification. But before I could sink deeper into the quicksand of embarrassment, he continued, “I’m so confused.”

He pushed me away from him, his smile genuine. “Come with me.” I hesitated for a moment, then nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Felix!” The thundered. His voice was loud enough to echo through the empty house.

Mr. Corsino led me through the hallway into the living room. It seemed like Felix was just walking out in heed to his father’s thunderous yelling. When he spotted me, he stopped in his tracks.

“Oh my God!” It was his mother’s voice. Before 1 knew it, I was being grabbed by the woman and she was engulfing me in her arms. “Flora, oh my God!”

“Hi, Mrs. Corsino.” I mumbled.

She pulled back from me and grabbed my face. “We thought you were…”

“Dead?” I smiled lightly.

She nodded.

“Well, here I am, in the flesh.” My smile grew wider

“Oh, Flora.” She turned to Felix with an angry look on her face. Both of his parents were staring daggers at him.

“I’m sorry.” I mouthed to him. He just smiled.

As I looked in Felis direction, the tension was palpable in the air.

I hesitated for a moment, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my jacket, as I watched his parents glare at him

“Felix, how could you keep this from us?” His Mom was first to yell. “Flora is back! In your house! And we find out like this?” His mother’s voice echoed with a mix of disappointment and anger.

His father chimed in, “We’ve been there for you through all this, and you hide something this significant? What else are you keeping from us?” He roared, “Jesus, Felix! After everything that happened, you decided not to come to us?”

Felix struggled to find the right words, glancing at me with a mix of apology and helplessness. “Mom, Dad, 1 didn’t mean for it to happen like this. I just didn’t know how to tell you.

His mother, pacing back and forth, continued her tirade. “You don’t get to decide what we should know or not, Felix. We’re your parents! We should’ve been the first to know when Flora returned. Or that she is even alive.” She looked at me, “Oh, Flora, I can’t even imagine what you have been going through.”

His father’s frustration added to the mix. “How long has she been back? And how long have you had her in your fucking house without us knowing? We have a right to know what’s going on. Secrets like this only lead to more trouble.”

The weight of their expectations and Felix’s guilt hung heavy in the room, making me wish I could disappear. The revelation of my return had opened a floodgate of emotions and truths, leaving us all submerged in an uncomfortable silence. Felix attempted to explain himself, but his parents were not easily appeased, their scolding continuing in a wave of concern and frustration that seemed unending.

“Two months.” He said softly.

“Two months?” His father yelled.

“To be fair, we just made up yesterday.”

“What is there to make up? She clearly didn’t leave you on her own!”

“Yes, Dad.” He stared at me. I laughed.

“Come sit down, sweetie.” Felix’s mom told me. I nodded, and sat down on a couch. Felix took the seat beside mine. He slowly grabbed my hand and squeezed. I smiled up at him.

“So?” Mrs. Corsino prompted. “Tell us, what’s been going on?”

The living room was charged with tension as I listened to Felix narrate the story of how I ended up back in his life. It felt surreal to be at the center of this situation, hearing my past unfold in his words. His mom’s arm was wrapped around me, like a safe cocoon. And my hand was in Felix’s. I was wrapped in warmth from all sides and it felt so good and right and peaceful,

“I refused to recognize her at first,” Felix began, his voice tinged with regret. “She showed up at the doorstep, looking so different, yet so familiar. She got a job here as my housekeeper. And when I saw her I was…blown away, I didn’t know how to react

His mother’s stern expression softened for a moment, acknowledging the weight of the revelation.

Felix continued, “And then I saw where she was living.” His face contorted into a mask of disgust and disdain, “And her dad –

“Wait, Sam is alive?” His fath

father was the one to ask.

Felix nodded gravely. “He was hitting her. And keeping her locked up and terrorized all these years.”

Mr. Corsino looked pained. He had the same expression Felix wore. “Flora, we thought…you were all dead. We tried to find you.”

“It’s alright, though. All’s well that ends well”

“I know, Mr. Corsino. The first few months, I was really hopeful, too, that you’d find me,” I smiled sadly. “It’s

Felis gritted his teeth. “Its not ended yet.”

He looked up at his father. “Flora explained everything to me last night, how she was kidnapped, and some man called Ascensio was behind it. He’s the one who killed her mother and took her away. She’s been through so much, Mom, Dad ”

His father’s scowl deepened as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. And you think her father is involved too?” he asked, seeking confirmation.

Felix nodded,

mom

“Yes, it all points to him. Flora’s been living a nightmare, and we can’t turn a blind eye to that. And now that we know who killed her

I saw Mr. Carsino’s fists clench, his knuckles turning slightly white.

I shifted uncomfortably under their scrutinizing gazes, feeling like an exhibit in my own tragedy,

Felixstone softened as he turned towards me, “I treated her badly when she first came here, I didn’t believe her. I’m sorry, Flora. I should’ve been more understanding.” He looked at me. “I was an asshole. The biggest asshole. I’m so sorry, I’ve been so stupid. I’ve been an idiot.”

His apology hung in the air, a mixture of relict and remorse washing over me. I could see sincerity in his eyes, a genuine regret for not accepting me sooner. The mom fell into a thoughtful silence as Felix’s parents absorbed the weight of our shared history. The truth was out, and the echoes of my painful past reverberated in the room, demanding acknowledgment and understanding.

“Its okay.” I whispered so only he could hear me, “I know it was hard for you, too.”

Mr. Corsino, leaned forward, his eyes filled with determination. Felix, gather your men. We need to find this Ascensio and bring him to justice. Flora, you deserve vengeance for what happened to your mother, and we will ensure it happens.”

My heart raced at the mention of vengeance, a word heavy with the weight of my past. I looked at Mr. Corsino, a man hardened by his lifestyle and its trials, and at Felix, whose expression mirrored his father’s resolve. These two men, powerful men of the mafia, looking so determined. The room seemed to close in on me, and I took a deep breath, finding the courage to speak my truth.

“Mr. Corsino, I thank you, for saying that, but I don’t want revenge,” I began, my voice steady but soft. “All I want is to be safe and happy with Felix. The past is haunting enough, and I don’t want it to define my future.”

Felix’s hand found mine, a reassuring squeeze that spoke volumes. I could see a conflict in Mr. Corsino’s eyes, torn between his duty as a protector and my plea for a different path.

“Flora, my dear,” he addressed me with a paternal warmth, “I understand your feelings, but we can’t let those responsible for such heinous crimes go sinpunished. Ascensio needs to be dealt with, not just for your sake but for all the lives he’s destroyed. His jaw clenched, “For your mother’s life.”

I felt the weight of his words pressing down on me, and I struggled to find the right response. “Revenge I just want to move forward, to live a life free from fear.”

won’t

it bring my mother back or erase the pain.

Felix’s father sighed, a heavy acknowledgment of the complexities of our situation. “Flora, I promise you, we’ll handle Ascensio properly. No harm will come to you. He must face the consequences of his actions.”

silent support unwavering. I turned to him, finding strength in his presence. “Felix, do what

As the conversation unfolded, Felix stayed by my side, his sil you want with Ascensio. Just…don’t hurt my father.”

His lips were parsed as he answered, “I can’t promise you that, Flora.”

Mr. Corsino sighed. “Alright, Flora. We’ll do it your way, but make no mistake – Ascensio will pay for his crimes.”

His Little Flower