Sonata of The Shattered | Book I

Melissa and Fransesca

6 July 2022

It was decided that Fransesca would meet the younger woman again after all the things that happened between her and Clayton; regarding the unraveled secret of their daughter, Christine. No, it wasn't easy and never was, but they tried their best nevertheless to put aside all of the complicated feelings and matters that revolved around them.

Fransesca and Clayton decided to put aside their feelings towards each other and continue their life at the moment as Christine's parents, though separated and never united under the vow of marriage. They did what they could as a parent and what they were supposed to do to make Christine happy, as she deserves the whole love and care from her mother and her father he never met until weeks ago.

Sitting in front of Fransesca right now was Melissa, who's looking super pale and thin from the cancer that started to slow her down in many things, including work and how she lives her life these days. Well, she wasn't staying in the house that she shared with Clayton all these years again as she decided to be with Tolentino, her lover from the start, for the rest of her days.

Slowly, Fransesca put down two cups of warm tea on the table in front of their eyes and let the situation take over whatever they're currently in.

"So, jie..." Melissa called her as she felt the awkwardness in between, and the unsureness of how she should address the older woman when deep inside she wanted to build a sister-like relationship with Fransesca herself, especially with the arrangement that the two had for Christine; weekend for Clayton and weekdays for Fransesca. "I'm super grateful that you finally decided to reveal the truth to Clayton regarding Christine and I couldn't thank you enough for your kindness. But will you please consider the other one?" asked the woman.

"Yes, yes I know that I ask too much from you but really, I know exactly how the two of you are trying to survive the current moment. I know how your feelings started to stop you from expressing your true heart and self," she told Fransesca. "I know how the love you have for him started to stop you from doing things you've always wanted to."

To hear the same thing coming out from Melissa's lips again, Fransesca couldn't help to sigh with a heavy feeling inside her heart. Something that stopped her from trying to cut her from all the (actually true) nonsenses. Something that stopped her from trying to stop Melissa from spilling all the truth that she tried to hide so bad from everyone, including Clayton— the man himself.

"Please, marry him. Marry him for yourself, for Christine, for him, then for me, jie."

"It's not as simple as you tried to portray to me, Melissa." Fransesca replied as she then took a sip of her warm chamomile tea. The tea that was supposed to calm her down yet now nothing works; it won't even calm down her anxiety over this topic. It won't calm her down from the unspoken feelings in her deepest part of the heart. "You're technically married to him, whatever the agreement you both came up with. You're his wife and he is your husband. I'm just someone from the past that happened to be his daughter's mother. That's all, no more or less."

"I can't just be with him even if you want and let me too. Even if Christine wants to let me. It's not as simple as you think. Whatever it is, if you're trying to set me up today, during your marriage with him, I'm a third wheeler in your marriage. I'm a mistress and I don't want to do that. I don't want to be one either, Mel."

Rejections kept on coming from her lips as Fransesca decided not to do what Melissa asked her to.

"You're his wife and I'm sure you'll be jealous as well over whatever you tried to start between me and Clayton. I'm also a woman who'll respect the other when the wife is around. I'm not trying to play with anyone's feelings nor marriage." Fransesca continued to give Melissa her reasons on why she won't say yes to what Melissa requested of her.

"Or is it because of the guilt and feelings from the past that keeps haunting you until today, jie?" asked Melissa, in which again, successfully silenced her. "I know that deep inside you love him sincerely, bigger than anyone could. You'll never be a third wheeler in the marriage as Tolentino. I allow you because I know that Clayton is never happy in this marriage and I never even think of him as my husband; because I have someone in my heart. We both have someone in our heart. I'll not be jealous of you, in fact; I'll never be. Because I'm happy and content with Tolentino and I know how Clayton needs you to be his only source of joy in life."

"You don't want to be with him because you regret your past decision that makes him like today, right? You're pretty late on realizing your feelings towards the man, right? That's why you hid Christine's presence and existence, decided to keep her because she's the only part of him that you can have by your side all the time as well as to not interfere with his life again, thinking that you'll not shock and destroy his life as you thought but actually not?"

"It is true that I don't deserve anything in life, Mel. I left him in the past and I broke him into pieces. Unsalvaged pieces that make him today. I am only someone from the past who happened to be a part of his life and nothing els—"

"I swear, jie. I swear to God that I know it, I know your feelings even by looking into your eyes. It explains everything. Your love towards Clayton is undoubted. If you don't have anything for him, then you'll never be kicked out from your family just because you refused to tell your father the name of Christine's father, Clayton, right? You tried to protect him and you tried to keep all that you can so no one would disturb Clayton in his 'new life', if you would say it that way."

Fransesca took another sip of her tea as she's now nervous and anxious. Because no matter where Melissa received and could deduct all of it correctly, those truths struck her deep inside her heart and silenced her immediately. Right at that very moment.

"Your eyes never lie, jie. You're not a good liar so stop acting like one. Everyone could definitely see those eyes and whatever you tried to hide behind it. Your love for Clayton, don't you want to try and figure it out with the man? If you really don't want to do it now, will you give it a shot after my death?"

"Mel, stop talking about deaths. You'll be okay if you take your medication. You'll be just fine and the disease inside you will go away. That death you kept on talking about, don't. Don't say it again."

Fransesca reminded her.

"You should know, jie, that I've decided not to take any kind of medication so yes, it will come. I'll not be okay and I know I'm not, even now. It will come soon and I could feel it. So please, do it for me. Put your ego aside and stay true; try it. Try to find your love after decades of having none and years of being alone, losing the man you love from your past mistake."

to be continued.