Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

Found Her

25 May 2022

A wide smile could be seen on his face as he went home from picking up his nephew, Vincent. God, he loves how smart and innocent that adopted son of Claudius can be. To find out that he's actually the classmate to Fransesca's daughter made him happy, as it could be a way for him to know about the little girl better. To get to know the mother's condition as well.

It was rare to see the man coming home with that kind of smile, so his wife decided to raise a question the old man. "So, what happened today on your task of the day?" she asked, as she gestured to the man to sit next to her on the living room's couch.

Clayton took off his shoes and put them in the cabinet as he then sat himself next to Melissa. "I met her. I met her daughter. Turns out that Vincent is her daughter's classmate. I remember the name perfectly: Catharina Christine Clementine. The name of our favourite actresses in the past. She named her based on the actresses." he told her.

Melissa couldn't help but to also smile as she heard what he said. "What else do you find out or talk about with the young girl? How did you manage to talk with her?" Melissa asked. "Vincent is her best friend and Fransesca couldn't pick her up, so Vincent offered her a ride and I drove her back home. She talked about her mother a bit, but all I can see is the exact splitting image of Fransesca in her. Everything... looks the same." Clayton added in excitement.

"Interesting how you can say that thing— the exact splitting image. I'm guessing that every bit of her looks like Fransesca, then?" Melissa tried to confirm what's in her head and the man nodded. "And... what you said last time turns out to be true. She's been a single mother since the birth of her child but I received no information regarding the man's identity or whatsoever."

"That's great, isn't it? You have a chance now!"

"But I'm not that optimistic, Mel. She has a daughter."

"Her daughter needs a father."

"Don't make things hard for me, please? I'm just... I'm just happy to be able to see them both happy. That's all that I can ask for. Nothing else. She doesn't have any feelings towards me, I don't want to push things and pressure her instead." Clayton explained his reason for why he never intended to try and talk with the woman directly.

"It's the same as why won't you take any medication? Perhaps this disease would go away with His miracle and with some efforts to do so."

Melissa slapped his left arm hard and sighed. "That's different! You still have hope meanwhile I'm not. Realistically speaking, yours are much better than mine." Melissa argued. "Clay, you still have a life you can enjoy and spend with someone you love. Don't waste it. Don't waste every opportunity that you can spend with someone that you wanted to be with. I know deep inside, it's Fransesca. Fransesca is the one you loved and still love." she added.

Melissa held his hands and smiled at him. "Clay, can I meet her? Can I meet Fransesca and talk about several things I wanted to talk about with her?" the lass asked for his permission. "There's nothing to be discussed between you and Fransesca. Don't, Mel. Don't disturb her happy life without me." he rejected her permission.

"Are you really sure about that?"

"Yes."

"What if she's living a hell-like life because of you?"

"I see it with my own eyes, Mel."

"What makes you really sure about the feeling she has inside? Can you read her mind? No. Do you really know every single thing she's been through these past years and the reason why she ended up being a single mother? No. What if she's hurting because of someone who treated her badly and what if you can help her? What if you actually are fated to be her saviour?"

Clayton shook his head. "I don't know what's wrong with you after you're diagnosed with this disease, Mel. I don't why you act this way when you can stay just like how we used to be. I know that you wanted the best only for me and I know I'm still madly in love with Fransesca. But I prefer to love her in silence for afar."

"You know what? You'll regret every decision that you make today. Trust me. If you don't try to fight for her, then what for? Those feelings shall not be validated from the start. If you don't even fight for her, then I do understand why she decided not to accept you in the past— you didn't help her to feel the same. You didn't try to change her mind either."

Melissa stood up and sighed as she looked at him. "Years. It's been years. Are you going to stay in secret? Are you going to run away from the woman you love?"

She left him alone in the living room and his smile was nowhere to be seen again. Somehow, he realized that what she said was indeed true. Everything that she told him was true. He decided to give up when he knew he couldn't convince her at the first try though he showed Fransesca how deep and serious he was in the past.

Clayton was left... all alone, once again. Contemplating his life choices.

to be continued.