My Darling | Theodore Nott

Without You

Madelena Noceda had been three and a half years old the first time she proclaimed she was in love.

"Mamí," She said, looking up at her mother in the mirror, "Estoy enamorado, amor, amor- amor prohibido, mamì, amor romántico, amor para siempre, siempre por amor,"

Isabela fixed her daughter's hair in the restroom of the busy restaurant. Combing through the perfect raven locks lovingly, regretting her decision to allow Madelena to watch a telenovela with her.

Music played from beyond the door to the women's restroom blending with the sound of the ocean just beyond the patio. A baby cried. A dog barked. It was far too loud for Maddie. Too many colours. Very overwhelming.

Lena was sitting in the large basin of the dry sink, the fabric of her pink skirt poofing where she sat. She was holding one of her mother's golden bangles, she wanted to wear it as a crown,

She sat with the posture of a little saint, attempting and failing to balance the bangle on her head before Isabela took it away,

Madelena was behaving saintly, as though she had not thrown a tantrum over how her hair had been done minutes ago and announced loudly if her mother did not fix it this instant she would die of despair.

"You, querieda, are three," Isabela said in Spanish, kissing her cheek, she wiped the lipstick from Maddie's perfect cheek. Carlos was much fussier about his hair than Maddie was but her Principessa was far more dramatic.

Maddie threatened to be dangerously beautiful, and hopelessly romantic. Isabela complimented herself as she thought this. Madelena Noceda was her spitting image.

Maddie looked at herself in the mirror and pinched her own cheeks as hard as she could to make them pinker. Maddie checked her mother had brought her purse before looking up at her,

"Necesito rouge, Mamí," Maddie insisted as the prettiest pink ribbon was braided into her hair, "Per favour, per, Fah- vorrrrrrrrererrr," She rolled her r until her mother worried she would run out of breath,

Isabela picked her up and turned her around to face her, Maddie smiled at her in the way every mother longed to be smiled at as she applied the faintest amount of blush to her daughter's perfect little face.

"Mamí, más, no soy tonta," Maddie said, closing her eyes. Isabela applied more, Isabela scooped Maddie out of the sink,

"Mi corazón," Isabela said, she should have warned her about giving her love to someone who would never give her back.

Isabela did not know she would not live to see Madelena's first love, she would not live to see her grow into a wedding dress or ever know Maddie would be a gifted artist. Isabela would barely know her own heart.

Instead she kissed the sweet girl's cheek being scolded about ruining her rouge,

She had Maddie on her hip, stepping back into the restaurant, weaving between tightly packed tables and waiters,

"Quien es este gran amor," Isa taunted, Maddie shook her head, burying her face in the crook of her mother's neck, "I can just ask Carlos," She threatened in Spanish,

Isabela wore golden hoop earrings she had refused to sacrifice after having her children,

"Carlos," Called Isabela in warning, Maddie raised her head,

"The boy with the tortured eyes," Maddie whispered,

"Ja!" It took Isabela mere moments to locate the boy who had stolen her daughter's heart. He was six years old at a table with his parents and clearly wished to be anywhere else. "I think you might be a little young for him, mi corazòn."