LA SOLITUDINE:

Loneliness.

T H E O ' S P O V:

Why was history repeating itself? Is it to make me suffer more than I should? The same old distance between two lovers is being repeated. Melanie and I have suffered our part, but seeing our daughter and Valerius's pain just brings us the same discomforting suffering.

Months have gone by and spring was spreading its blossoming flowers everywhere, yet Shira seems to be a young bud not being able to blossom without the person she needs right now. Valerius was that person she needed but she's denying it.

The loneliness of each has impacted both. Shira has trapped herself in the four walls of her room, barely coming out to see anyone. Each time I go in there, she is either curled up in bed or she is looking out the window. Every night, I pull myself together and put her to sleep as I used to do when she was a child.

My daughter was in a realm of pain, the same realm that I had to go through. If only Shira would put her walls down then perhaps her suffering would end. Valerius has visited almost every day or every night yet he returns home with an empty soul.

I know that every morning or every night, Shira looks out of the window to see her other half walk away like a numb spirit, carrying the heavy guilt he has on his shoulders. They are both blaming themselves for a crime they haven't done, each suffering from the miles they put apart.

-

"Chérie, can I come in?" I knocked on the door of Shira's room, the sniffling inside seemed to stop and Shira's croaked voice doesn't hide how she was crying once again. The room was eerily cold, in fact too cold. "Chérie, you will catch a cold." Shira didn't seem to care but went over to the window and closed it with a sigh.

I knew that feeling too well, the feeling of being numb. No cold air could be colder than how you feel on the inside. The cold might prick your skin but the pain on the inside stabs you and that haunts you, that is what keeps you up at night.

Shira lays down on her bed and wipes her eyes that have puffed up and the red under them have become menacing. My baby has been through so much and still, the pain hasn't gone, what have I done that my child is being punished for?

"Come here, chérie ." As I sit on the edge of the bed, I pull her close to my body, Shira's head lays flat against my chest and I begin to stroke her hair like I did when she couldn't sleep during a thunderstorm. "Chérie, Valerius came over today again." Shira turned to look up at me and her eyes slowly turned into glass.

"Papa, I don't want to see him," Shira sniffed, wiping her face, "But I need him." Lowering my head, I kissed her head. Shira wasn't stupid at realising something was missing in her life but she is the type of person who needs a little help along the way else she will return back to square one.

"I know, ma fille, I know. Trust your heart and remember you both need one another. He's suffering too, chérie," No words came from Shira except the sound of her trying to conceal the echoes of her cries in my shirt. "Give him a chance, amour, he loves you."

"Papa, I love him too, I just needed some time." Shira was exactly like her mother, a woman who needed time to reflect but sometimes time is what makes things disappear, it separates us from the ones we need but we don't see it as we are so consumed by our indecisive thoughts.

"He will be coming here soon as he has been doing, you should go see him." I suggested, my hands shifted her hands, grabbing them I clasped both of them in my greater ones, keeping them warm. "But-" Shira began but I interrupted her.

"No 'buts' Shira, it's better now than later." Moving her head to her pillow gently, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "Chérie, you need him; don't let him go." With that being said, I walked away and closed her door, leaving her to organise her thoughts.

-

"How is she?" Melanie asked, her blue eyes plunged into my earthy ones. "Our daughter looks broken, mon amour ." My eyes felt heavy with pain and my heart bled out as I couldn't do anything about it.

"Dieu, I pray that this ends at once." Melanie whispered, her hands cupping my face, bringing me into relaxation. "Me too, amour."

Melanie and I held each other in an intimate embraced as we stood on the balcony, the breeze was chilling but our embrace seemed to have brought us warmth.

"Our kids have grown up so fast, haven't they, amour?" Melanie said, against my chest. It was true, they have all grown up so fast. Alexandre was soon to marry his wife, Abella had finally decided to live with Dante even though it took a lot of persuading. Louis was living in his own house yet to find someone, meanwhile, Ace is still a womaniser.

"They have. Time has gone too fast." I breathed out a heavy breath. "I'm scared Theo," Melanie said, a small sniffle seemed to snap me out of our intimate moment, loosening our embrace but never pulling away, Melanie's eyes began to swell with tears. "Scared of what, amour?" I asked, wiping some of her tears off.

"Scared our daughter won't get the happiness she deserves." Truth be told, I was scared too but Valerius promised me and he never breaks his promises. "Amour, our daughter's happiness is with Valerius, she just needs time to realise what she's missing. Don't be scared, amour, time will heal those who have been hurt." Kissing her lips, Melanie sunk back into our embrace and I tightened my hold on her. "Nothing will happen, I promise."

-

The specific sound of Valerius's car echoes and the headlights illuminated the front of the house. Before he could knock, I opened the door to be met with his scruffy figure. His hair was disheveled, he had grown a beard and those eyes of his seemed to have died and been replaced with numbing intoxicants.

"How is she?" The same monosyllabic tone he has always asked day in day out. He didn't care for his own well-being, he cared only for my daughter's. "She's-" I begin to say as I turn my head to look at her peak outside her bedroom door. Shira nods her head and I smile at her, knowing she wants to speak to him.

I turn my head to face Valerius, who is holding a bouquet of roses, a mixture of yellow, red and pink. "These are for her, can you give them to her please, along with this note." Valerius handed me a neat letter with the word Shira written in blue ink pen. "Why not hand it to her yourself?" I smiled, as I notice Shira come down the steps behind me.

Valerius's eyes lightens then lowers as he notices her blood shot eyes. "I will give you two time." The two stand in front of one another as no words are spoken. As I take my queue to leave, Melanie is smiling from the bottom of the stairs, approaching her, I wrap my arm around her waist, kissing the side of her head before leaving Shira and Valerius to pour themselves into each other's arms.

Hello, mes amours, hope you liked this chapter, if you did let me know your thoughts. Have a lovely day or a good night's sleep.

How did you like Theo's POV?

Also quick note, it will take time for me to update but don't worry it won't be too long, it's just that I am applying to different jobs at the moment and all. But love you all xx