Made of Steel

40. Ups and downs

Cassandra Reid

I take a look of her once again. Her auburn curls are now wavier and auburn, extra pounds have melted away giving her the most spectacular body I've ever seen, including Leah's, and the rimless glasses are gone. However, it is her, I would recognize anywhere that gray and gold heterochromia

"Wendy Lambert", without wasting another second, I run towards her. "Look what the wind brought".

"Cass, for God's sake!". We hugged each other so tightly that we were about to shed tears of happiness. My childhood friend is here, in Florence, in front of me... "I can't believe it!"

"That makes two of us", I point out. "How long has it been? Ten years?"

"Nine to be exact", she says once we've parted ways, "since you went to Harvard and I went to Yale".

"Right, but the important thing is that we both managed to graduate", I point out. As girls we used to play doctor together, it was our favorite game. The love of medicine was a feeling we cultivated together and we had plans to study together, but then I was offered the scholarship at Harvard and we parted ways.

"That's right", without realizing it, we wandered around the room together until outside the hospital, "Pediatrician and Gynecologist, just as we dreamed. And everything seems to indicate we will work together".

I exclaim again, euphoric with emotion. My friend is planning to settle in Florence and was offered a vacancy at the hospital. It is wonderful.

I find it hard to believe we lost touch years ago. My Gosh, we were so close! Then I remember my father forbade me to contact her because Wendy was supposedly a bad influence on me. I tried to refuse, but then he did what he does best: threatening.

At the exit we sit on one of the benches and catch up under pleasant winter breeze which is already passing through. We both lose track of time and when we realize it, we find sky darkened. So we exchanged numbers and said our goodbyes.

"Fuck!", I say, exalted when I see five missed calls from Adriano along with a not-so-encouraging message:

'You're in Trouble, Rebel Wife'

I'm about to dial his number, but an incoming call interrupts my mission and I don't hesitate to catch her on the fly.

"Hi", a word, just a simple word manages to calm my anguish.

"By our Lord Jesus Christ!", I howl. "Where have you been, Leah Falco?"

"I'm on vacation," she replies with hints.

"Without telling anyone?", I question indignantly. My mood has changed from one second to another. "Have you gone mad?! Or are you planning to drive Romeo and me mad?"

"I'm sorry, okay?". Her tone tells me otherwise, but I let it go. My best friend is too impulsive and if she has run away as if she were a fugitive, she will have her reasons. "I had an emotional crisis and you know how I am".

I let out a long breath as the car pulls to a stop in front of the mansion's front steps.

"Where are you?"

"I came to the orphanage, I missed Mrs. Clarice and the children. I don't know how long I will stay", she anticipates my question, "but it will be a long time. There is no good coverage here, so don't call me. I I will when I can".

Rare, this is very rare...

Has something happened to her?

Will this February have hit her harder than the previous ones?