20.2 Another Wedding
Spring 1998, Basílica
Mae felt like she was melting. Even though the last month had been cold for the average spring, the temperatures had risen too high during the last days. Mae was glad she had chosen a light dress in the last second before leaving. The men had also taken off their jackets, and some even their ties.
On her left side, Herbert discussed the latest baseball season with Leroy.
On her right side, Linda talked in science chinese with Frank. They didn't look bored, but maybe it wasn't boring if you actually understood that language.
Opposite to her, Delilah and Diana discussed about potty training while Diana tried to stuff some food into her daughter.
And Mariella was playing somewhere with Bella out of her sight.
She looked over to the other table, where she saw the others discussing heavily, and talk insistently to Rosa. She noticed Francesco was gone.
She chuckled. Mae pitied him somehow.
"I have to use the bathroom", she lied, and then and got up.
She was bored to death here.
Mae looked at herself in the mirror. Last week, her sister had asked her if she knew what she wanted to do.
She still didn't.She still hadn't managed to tell Herbert anything. Instead, she had secretly switched back to contraception.
Secretly.
She knew very well that this couldn't go on like this. She had to pull herself together.
She sighed, then washed her hands and went out of the bathroom.
On her way back, she almost ran into Francesco.
"You had enough of being exhibition object no. 1?", she teased him.
He chuckled, while turning off his cigarette on the floor.
But his face turned serious quickly.
"Mae...", he started slowly.
"Don't." she cut him off. She didn't need any excuses.
He looked at her, as if he tried to figure out what she was thinking.
"Are we okay, then?", he asked after a few seconds."Don't worry", she confirmed.
She leaned on the wall next to him. There were like thousands of things swirling in her mind. And about a thousand things she wanted to say. She didn't know where to start, so she didn't say anything after all.
He leaned back too, and took a deep breath.
For a while, noone said anything.
"Francesco?", Mae heard Rosa's quiet voice. "I think I have a headache... could you bring me home?"
"...Sure", she saw him answer, when she looked to her side.
"Good bye, Mae", he said to her before they left.
She pulled up a smile.
Mae leaned back on the cool wall. She was glad she hadn't said anything. It was no use talking about what had happened in the past. He was married. He even had a kid, from what her friend's had told her. He had moved on.
And she had her own problems to solve.
So she pulled herself together and moved on.
I totally dig Francesco's dark outfit...
ReplyDeleteWhat does he even see in that Barbie dool Rosa? She looks so fake.
He looks incredibly good in formal shirts <3 I'll put more on him, haha.
DeleteAbout Rosa... I'll tell another time in an upcoming chapter, that I have not placed anywhere yet.
Well that could have gone worse. I wonder what will happen when Rosa and Francesco get home. Something tells me it won't be good.
ReplyDeleteThis time they didn't act as careless as about 2 years ago. But a lot has happened to both of them that changed them.
DeleteFrancesco is a hunk, omg, I have a feeling his marriage is doomed tho, eee
ReplyDeleteAnd they just act as the perfect loving couple.
DeleteAhhh .... to have someone that gorgeous want me, then try to sabatoge it... I don’t get her.
ReplyDeleteSHe's not sabotaging it. In her eyes, she's desparately fighting for her relationship that she's (probably irrationally) fearing to fall apart.
DeleteI'm worried about Mae. She's not happy. And lying to her his as husband?
ReplyDeleteShe's really not happy, at least now. She's in a situation she doesn't know how to get out without hurting anyone.
DeleteOof.. Mae has started keeping things from Herbert. Nonono she needs to talk to him and tell him she miscarried and she doesn't want to think about children for awhile. That's normal after one miscarries.
ReplyDeleteMae is used to keep things to herself, and Herbert has done zero encouragement to make her share, rather on the contrary. 😔
DeleteRandom thought, but it is so like Mae to just spontaneously decide what to wear to a wedding as she's about to leave. I dig that side of her.
ReplyDeleteThat was one heated silence of leaning against the wall.
Oh, Rosa has a "headache"? I'm sure. She will now act super distant and give him the evils all the way home, I bet. Though she may have a point, who knows how Fran and Mae's exchange would have goneif she didn't interrupt.
And yes, Mar, you do have quite a few problems of your own. Secretly taking contraception is not a way to solve them either...
Yep, that's a total Mae style :D too bad she uses the same method to decide who to marry.....
DeleteHehe, you're just a few chapters short to know what exactly she'll do to him. Or so.
What would have happened? That's a good question. Maybe Mae & Fran would have finally talked, but considering how stuck they're in their current life, there might not have come much out of it. But most likely they'd just left and kept going back on their own ways.