Ricardo's obsession

EPILOGUE

Two months had passed and Ricardo Jr. was still in the incubator with a feeding tube inserted to his stomach. He was five weeks early and was put into ventilator for RDS (respiratory distress syndrome) then the complication arose when he could not feed. Iris's tight lips spread into a smile when his little fingers fisted and then un-fist. Nothing was easy but with Ricardo not around everything was worse had it not been for this little bundle, who laidin the incubator with all the weird and siuffocating looking wires attached on him, she would have collapsed long ago yet she was still hopeful, the doctors updated her on how he was putting on weight and it won’t be long for him to get out from the incubator to his crib.
Camilla carried her sleeping grandson in her arms and looked out into the lake. She was a fulltime proud grandmother now and Marcus will be two in 3 months. Albert walked in carrying a tray of refreshment for the little one and warm tea for his precious. It was cold and the lake was frozen had it not been for the little man in her arm she would be scrolling out in the cold. He smiled realizing just how much of a responsible woman she had become after she was titled a grandmother, not that she was irresponsible in a harming way but she certainly never acted her age but now she was.

“Would you mind to join me for a cup of warm tea?”

“Ahh… Albert that’d be lovely yet my tired arms will refuse to let go of MY GRANDSON (emphasizing on the words).”

“Give me the owner to put your little prince to bed (Taking Marcus from her arms) and I’ll be back in a minute to join you.”

Camilla smiled and stretched her arms; oh the boy was certainly growing too big for her. Not long and she will not be able to carry him in her arms for long.

“Tears of joy that the prince is growing very handsomely or for the threatening future of not being able to carry him in your arms?”

She laughed at his stated fact she was feeling both. It had been over decades since she last felt the joy of carrying her own child in her arms and how she missed Ricardo. Today was the very first day she could ever replace Iris in her thoughts.

“How would I be now if not for Marcus?” Her voice was too pained and Albert knew no words from him will ever be able to ease her heart so he put his arms around her and hugged her tight. Camilla burst out crying and Albert ran his wrinkled hand over her hair as he inhaled deep the cold air.
“Have you heard from Iris?”
“I could not talk with her but Lambert and Moses are there with her so she’ll be fine and do a very good job.”
“I got no doubts in her. If only Ricardo saw just how she is trying to make the best of everything. She never failed as a mother or a wife or a daughter.”
Camilla was ever so proud and thankful for Iris. When was the last time Iris sat down and took a leisure time? What Iris was going through was too much for a human to be going through and still have that never fading smile on her face but Camilla knew the smile was only for the world to abstract strength from and she never grew tired of being everything for everyone. Camilla sometimes wished if Iris could let things be and feel the way she wanted to yet then she will not know what to do for her poor brave daughter-in-law.
“She is way much more than we let her on to be. She is a fighter and a brave one too. A very little we can do for her is to never break and that’s how we help her in the smallest way possible.”
“I wish there was something I can do to help her in anyway.”
Albert was on the brink too but he held on.
Iris was rubbing the temple of her head as the meetings stretched on. It had been over 3 hours and yet the meeting was nowhere near conclusion. It was going to be a mess if it had not been for Lambert taking the lead and that is how they headed towards conclusion and in an hour the meeting was over. ‘One more meeting and she will be good for the following week.' She assured herself and continued with the meeting with the headache that was killing her.
“We need to slow down and take a break.”
“We should wrap this up ASAP.”
‘Iri… Mrs-Wilde can I have a word with you.”
“Mr-Lambert we better wrap this up first and then everyone can get their tired self to wherever they find their peace at.”
The warning was clear and Lambert knew better not to drag it as there will be no winning for him. It has been and still is very hard for her or any other trying fill up all the empty spaces Ricardo has left but she was pushing herself too hard and he knew why but he wanted her not to stop but slow down a little, maybe just to catch her breath. She was one strong headed woman and as every second passed in her company he only learnt how Ricardo was head over heels for her. She was just too much for anybody other than Ricardo. Thank God for making them for the other or this world will be going insane with having to cope up with the both.
Lambert ran after Iris and handed here the manila folder with hesitation. He did not want to burden her with too much of the work related stuffs but also he did not hold the power in him to look over everything. Once in a while he was always reminiscing the time when she asked him to look over all that had to do with the Corp but he also felt it will be better to make her indulge herself in other things that will take her mind off Ricardo be it just for a minute in a whole year. She needed it, the distraction was a must for her but now he slightly regretted doing it so.

“Selena has been torturing me to see if you can open up a day to catch up and not forgetting Johnny is also being very cranky about missing you and Marcus.”
“Oh! How I miss them too. Will This Friday do?”

“Any day will do. I just need to give her the date and breathe for a while.” (he joked)
“Lambert you should take some time off too. I will manage here.”
“You and I both know very well who it is between us, that needs a break.”
“Thank you. Lambert.”
He opened his arms and offers her his hug which she gratefully took.
“He would have been too proud of you and that is not a new thing but he will also want you to live a little."
Iris closed her eyes and re-ran his words in her mind again and again. Ricardo! How she hated him for leaving her in this situation but she knew her love for him was stronger than anything else in this world. Whenever she even felt like giving up the world somehow never failed to remind her how Ricardo would have wanted her to move on and a little life to live.
“Now I need to make sure everything is in their respective places before I can take a break so you go home and kiss little Marcus my love.”
He pulled away from her and also snatched away the manila folder from her hand. He knew what he needed to do right now and it will be the best for everyone.
It was hard trying to wrap up the things which were meant for Ricardo to do but this was now his duty to do so.

“Moses! Make sure she doesn’t come back here for a month at the least or you will start from the bottom AGAIN.”

“I will do so with pleasure but you know that is not fair.”

Moses complained making Iris laugh at their conversation. It had been over a century since they last heard her laugh and they both looked at each other making a silent promise to continue to do so if that is how they’ll get to make her laugh.
Iris reached out and kissed Lambert on the cheeks and whispered a thank you (like she always did) and left.
How can she be always thankful for everything, literally everything...?
“Do I get to be sleep with Mark tonight? I mean you know today is the day.”

Iris knew well what he was implementing on and she smiled at him.
‘You’ll have to go against Camilla then. And I hope you remember very well she will never go easy on you when it comes to her little prince.”

“Let it be declared to the world just how much I hate that very Mrs-Wilde.”

“It had been long declared but then you’ll run right back in her defence the moment a finger is pointed at her.”

“Know what. I hate myself… The only the love I have for in this world is for you and Mark and nothing else.”
“Ric! How about him do you hate him too?”

The serious tone in her was enough to let the young man slap himself for ever spilling everything he just spilled. No matter how or why Iris will never hold herself back if it came to Ricardo.
“I’d have respected him if he’d not have left you like this but I do hate him for how he made you the way you are now. (BROKEN and TIRED)”
“You should take back your words young man. You know what he did for you.”

“It was you who made me what I am today and no matter how much I might owe him I still hate him and you can never change my mind on it.”

“If you only really knew him.”  Was all Iris said and was mute silent. Moses rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. The talk was eating him up from inside and Iris’s silence only added up.
As the car came to halt he walked out and held the door open for Iris and she thanked him with a tight smile. As she was about to walk in.

“Mrs-Wilde I’m sorry. I cannot help the way I feel for Mr-Wilde but I promise not to think of him in any way. If that may make up even a little bit to you.”

Iris was hurt at the thought of Ricardo being not thought of but she knew Moses very well and just why he said what he said and she agreed with him too. If negative was all a person was about to think of her husband then she’d rather have them not think of him at all.
A genuine smile came on her lips as she put her hand on Moses’s shoulder and said

“You just won Mark for the night. Will you take him to your or you’ll go to his?”

Moses gleamed with joy. He was too fond of Marcus just like the way the little one was with him. Getting to spend time with the little one was a moment of peace everyone looked forward to. Out of all the heavy hearted moments Marcus was their happy pill and Moses did not get this moments very often as he was still under training in the corp as Ricardo ordered him to and it was not easy at all. The man made sure to make him go through every hellish scenario possible but he was also sure where it just led him to.
Moses looked at the dark sky, inhaled the cold breeze and walked in following Iris.