A Mother For My Son

Lilibeth Domínguez

I'm on my way to a very nice coffee shop I found yesterday in Orvieto, Italy. It's a very peaceful place and I like it. I've been living here for just over a week now, as I have nothing holding me back in my home country. After the death of my parents, I felt so lonely that I needed to seek a new adventure, but I never thought that what I would experience in the following days would be more than just an adventure.

I leave the coffee shop with a delicious ice cream when I see a man who takes my breath away. He's sitting down, but I can tell he's over six feet tall, muscular, blue eyes that stand out against his tanned skin, especially with that jet-black hair. The woman accompanying him is beautiful in every sense of the word, with her reddish hair, fair skin, tall, and a great figure, as she catches the attention of every man passing by. our gazes meet for a few seconds, and I feel a flutter in my heart, but I'm the first to look away and then continue on my way.

It's been two days since my first encounter with that man, and I still can't forget those beautiful eyes and those lips that seemed to invite a kiss. I'm in the same coffee shop as that day, recording a short video to upload later to my social media because I don't like doing live streams. Suddenly, behind me, I hear many gunshots, and from their intensity, I deduce they're from a high-caliber weapon. People start running and screaming, trying to protect themselves, while the screeching of a van can be heard. I crouch down, and just as I'm about to run like everyone else, I realize that all the bullets were aimed at that luxurious van just a few steps away from where I am. Without warning, the back door opens, and I see a woman covered in blood falling, holding something in her arms.

I'm about to turn away when she notices me and looks at me with beautiful green eyes, pleading for my help. Like the fool I am, I don't hesitate to approach her. She lifts herself up slightly, and I see a baby about five months old in her arms. She's been trying to protect him all this time. I don't know if he's injured because he's crying with all his lungs. She hands him to me and tells me something I can't understand because I don't speak Italian. After this, she takes off a silver chain from her neck, which she hands to me, trying to push me away with her hands when we hear the noise of several cars trying to reach the place where we are. I turn around and run away from there, but not before giving one last look at the woman who has taken her last breath.

I run through the empty streets, as everyone has taken shelter in shops or their homes to stay safe. When I'm at a safe distance and think no one is following me, I check the baby I'm carrying in my arms. He's still crying, but fortunately, he's unharmed. I take off my jacket and wrap him in it. After about an hour of walking aimlessly, I don't know where to go, whether to my small hotel room or to hand this baby over to the authorities. I don't want to get into trouble, especially being a tourist.

I've decided to take him to the authorities when I hear shouts from men behind me and the noise of at least five vans. Fear invades me, and I think they're after this baby, so I have no choice but to run again. I've only gone a few meters when a van blocks my path. I think it's the end for us. A man gets out of the back, but due to nerves, I don't recognize him, also because tears blur my vision. I find myself surrounded by several men with long guns, and finally, when this man stands in front of me, I realize he's the same man from two days ago, and my soul sinks.

He says something to me in Italian, but I don't understand, so I explain that I only speak English and Spanish. One of his men acts as a translator the whole time. They demand that I hand over the baby I'm holding and explain what I'm doing with him. Without warning, the man approaches me and tries to snatch the baby from my arms, but I cling to him as if my life depends on it.

"Please don't hurt him. He's innocent!" I plead as more tears well up in my eyes. Then his man translates what I said, and he responds to me.

"My boss says please hand over the baby. He's the father of the little one, and we've been looking for him since we found out about the accident," He surprises me by saying this, but still, I can't trust his word.

"How can I know if you're not lying to me? I can't hand him over until you prove to me that he's his father," after talking to his boss and him shouting in frustration, he grabs my arm and shows me a photo on his phone of the baby, and indeed, I can tell it's the same baby I'm holding in my arms, and he looks quite happy in his father's arms.

"Alright, I'll give him to you," I pull my arm, and finally, this man lets go of me, but he held me so tightly that I'm sure I'll have a bruise where he was squeezing me tomorrow. I lift the jacket a little and I'm about to hand it over when I realize that the baby has his hand tightly gripped onto my sweater, making it impossible for me to open his little fist. Now I can see that he resembles his father like a little caveman. "Please, sir, can you extend one of your fingers?" when they inform him of what I just asked, he looks at me with a grimace and ignores what I said.

"Come on, I'm not going to bite his finger. It's just so the little one can hold his finger and let go of my sweater," I say exasperated by this man's attitude. After I finish saying that, he extends his hand, I take it, and slowly bring his huge finger closer to the baby's hand, who is sleeping peacefully in my arms. After a while, he takes his father's finger and lets go of me. When he has him in his arms, he looks at me with eyes wide, and shouts something to his men. I follow his gaze and realize he's looking at my beige sweater stained with blood.

"The baby isn't hurt. It's his mother's blood; I've already checked him, and he's fine. It's better not to uncover him since he's asleep and it's very cold right now; he might catch a cold," I explain to calm his men down, while I take off my sweater over my head (since I don't want to walk the streets with a blood stain; that would be terrifying), and instantly regret it, because I'm only wearing a very thin, tight blouse. I grab the sweater and throw it into a nearby trash can. Throughout this whole time, his men and he don't take their eyes off me, fearing I might have a bomb under the sweater. I take a scarf from my backpack and wrap it around my body to shield myself a little from the freezing air.

"By the way, his mother gave me this," I said, pulling out the chain the woman gave me before she died. It's a chain with a gold ring and next to it is a beautiful heart-shaped locket adorned with small diamonds forming a "K." I hand him the chain, he takes it, and I can see a hint of pain in his eyes. Then he pulls my arm again, and I'm starting to get annoyed; I don't like it when he does that.

"My boss says if Mrs. Katherina said anything else," he demands urgently, sounding just like his boss.

"Yes, she said something like 'Per favore, prenditi cura del mio bambino' (please take care of my son)," I look at the little boy's father and see him nodding, "well, I think that's all, now I must go." Without looking back, I run through a small alley, hearing shouts behind me. I manage to run about five meters when I feel someone catch up to me and put a damp cloth over my nose and mouth.

I thrash desperately, trying not to breathe, but it's impossible, and I feel my body grow heavy, along with my eyelids.

Massimo Carluccio

I'm continuously surprised to see the same woman I saw two days ago. The first time I saw her, I couldn't stop staring until she vanished from my sight. I was captivated by her beauty and felt the need to have her followed to learn more about her. However, in the end, I regretted it, as women are the ones who seek me out.

Just today, I began to think this girl was responsible for Katherina's murder. Seeing her run with my son in her arms flooded me with a hatred I had never felt in all these years. But when I realized she was actually protecting Alexandre, all that hatred turned into gratitude, as she risked her own life for my son's.

We're heading towards my home in Liguria Genoa. I had to render this woman unconscious to get her into my truck and leave Orvieto. It's about a four-hour journey, and her being asleep gives me time to go through her belongings. I find her cellphone and unlock it by taking her hand. I see a video she recorded this afternoon and witness everything that happened with Katherina's death. This woman was foolish enough to keep recording without realizing it. But thanks to that, I realize that my son's mother said to her in her final breath, "D'ora in poi sarai sua madre" (from now on, you'll be his mother).

We arrive at my mansion late at night. I get out with my sleeping son in my arms and hand him over to my housekeeper as I go back to get this woman and take her to her room. When I lay her down on the bed, I see she's about to wake up, so I ask them to cover her face again with a damp cloth. I don't want her to wake up until early tomorrow; I still have a lot to process about what happened, and I don't have time to argue with her again.

I leave her room and lock it, then head to the room where my son is. My personal doctor is examining him, and from what he tells me, I know this woman took very good care of him during the time she was with him. I pick him up, and he starts crying, looking for his mother. But how do you explain to a six-month-old baby that his mother is dead? Pietro, my right-hand man, suggests I let him sleep with this woman, and maybe he'll calm down a bit. I'm not entirely convinced, but I agree, and to my surprise, Alexandre curls up next to her, hugs her, and eventually falls asleep.

Lilibeth

I wake up in a room I don't recognize. My head hurts a lot, and the beam of light coming through the huge window hurts my eyes too much, making it hard to focus. I look around but can't remember how I got here. I only remember running, leaving all those men behind, when someone covered my face with a damp cloth, and then I don't remember anything else.

I get up quickly and head to the door, which is open. I go out, but I don't see anyone. This scares me. Who would kidnap someone and then let them wander around? I go down the stairs and see a huge wooden door in front of me. I run out, but stop abruptly when I see in the garden about twenty armed men. But since they don't stop me, I try to run towards the main exit when I hear my name shouted in a strange accent. I quickly turn around and see the same man from yesterday.

"Lili...beth."

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. My parents must be very worried," I lie, hoping he doesn't notice the tremor in my voice, "I hope the baby is okay." I don't wait for him to say anything else and continue running, finally reaching the gate, I breathe a sigh of relief.

Thankfully, no one is chasing me, so I decide to turn right and run even faster.

I haven't run four meters when this man comes out in front of me, surrounded by all his men aiming their weapons at me. I turn around and see they've closed the other side too, with an infinite number of men making it impossible for me to escape them. Without realizing it, he's in front of me again, lifting me over his shoulder as if I were a sack of potatoes, and my fifty-five kilos mean nothing to him.

"Put me down, you damn fool! Who do you think you are?" I kick as hard as I can and hit his muscular back with my small fists. We enter his property again, and I hear the gate close behind me, separating me from my freedom.

"You're despicable! How dare you kidnap me? I demand you put me down!" I shout and hit him in the kidneys; I feel the air leave him, and then he gives me a hard slap on my buttocks, making me ache with pain.

"My boss says to stop hitting him, or for every blow you give him, he'll give one back," one of his men replies, and I suppose it's the same one who acted as an interpreter the day before.

"No one threatens me." I continue to attack with my punches, and he immediately gives me two more blows to my buttocks, causing a small tear of pain, but mostly of anger. When I stop hitting him, we enter the room I left a moment ago, and he throws me onto the bed. I quickly move away from him and press myself against the wall while he ignores me and leaves the room, but not before giving me a cold glance and locking the door.

I approach and try to open the door without success. I start screaming, but no one opens for me. Tears threaten to spill again, and I cry for so long that I don't notice and collapse from exhaustion. When I wake up, I'm lying on the bed, and it's already late, but what really wakes me up are little hands touching my face. When I see the owner of that little body, I realize it's yesterday's baby. He smiles at me, and that makes my heart feel a little better seeing him better than yesterday. As I hug him, I give him kisses on his face, making him laugh even louder and cling to me even more.

Massimo

I see how this woman takes my son, and I know that Katherina was not wrong to leave him in her care. She is so happy playing with him that she hasn't noticed my presence. I clear my throat, and finally, her eyes meet mine. I can sense the hatred in her gaze, and she ignores me again, focusing on Alexandre.

There's a knock on the door, and one of the maids enters with a tray full of food. I asked for a variety of dishes since it's been hours since she ate, and I don't want her to get sick. The maid places the tray on the table, and I instruct her to leave. When Pietro enters, I ask him to act as an interpreter with this woman and urge her to eat.

"Mr. Massimo says please eat something; your meal is ready," Pietro translates.

"Well, tell your boss I'm not hungry, and I refuse to eat anything. I want to leave; he can't keep me locked up all the time." She says defiantly. As soon as I hear what she said, I rise from my chair, approach her, and snatch Alexandre away. I call one of the maids to take my son, leaving just Pietro, this woman, and me. I grab her arm, determined to make her eat, and drag her to the table where the food tray sits. But despite her small and weak appearance, she manages to break free from my grip and knocks the tray to the floor.

"I told you I'm not eating anything in this damn house. I'd rather starve than stay here." She spits in my face. My anger rises; no woman has ever dared to do this to the great Massimo.

"As you wish, but you'll suffer until breakfast tomorrow." Pietro informs her. I grab her face with my hand, squeezing so tightly I feel like I might break her jaw at any moment. Then, I easily lift her and throw her onto her bed. I turn and lock her in. I can hear her trying to stop me, but she can't, and she starts pounding on the door. This woman infuriates me, but I can't help feeling an electric current every time I touch her. I've never felt such an unrestrained desire for any woman as I do for her.

Lilibeth

The next day, one of the maids wakes me up and tells me the shower is ready, along with clean clothes, something I'm immensely grateful for since I hadn't been able to shower for days. After getting ready, the same woman returns to inform me that I should come down for breakfast because Alexandre is waiting for me (that's the little boy's name; I finally found out). I go down, and indeed, the baby is in the dining room. I quickly approach him, and he gives me a big smile.

"My darling, I missed you so much" I shower him with kisses and sit next to him. The woman feeding him asks if I want breakfast, but I only ask for a glass of water. After finishing my water, breakfast is served, and that's when that sick man who has me locked up enters. I stand up as soon as he sits down at the table; I don't want to be in the same place as this despicable being.

"Please stay for breakfast; it's my boss's orders." His man informs me. I ignore him and am about to leave the dining room when Alexandre starts crying at the thought of being left alone. I turn back, pick him up, and leave, leaving his father with a murderous look.

It's been four days since I arrived here, and true to my word, I haven't eaten anything. I know perfectly well that a person can survive for more than thirty days without food. I hope this will make him let me go once and for all, but I'm not naive. All I do is drink water, and that's what sustains me. In all this time, he has tried to force me to eat many times, but I always end up getting my way. Today is a sunny day, and I've seen the garden, which is divine and has a beautiful pool, albeit very deep. So, I decide to take Alexandre out to soak up some sun, as Pietro, the man, told me that I'm here to take care of his son.

We're about to go out to the garden when Massimo stops me, putting his arm to prevent me from leaving.

"I think since I'm taking care of your son, we can at least go out to the garden; it's suffocating to be indoors all day." I say, pushing his arm aside and heading to the garden. There are at least four heavily armed men there too. I leave Alexandre in a small pen that one of the maids set up and sit next to him to enjoy the sun.

"Miss, would you like to swim for a while?" The woman carrying some fruit for Alexandre asks me.

"No, thank you, Anely, I don't know how to swim." I reply with a smile. All the maids here are very kind to me. She says goodbye and goes to continue her work.

I get up to pick a fruit for Alexandre when I feel someone push me, and I fall into the pool. It's so deep that even standing on tiptoes, I can't reach the surface. The more I try to swim up, the more I sink. Fatigue overtakes me due to the lack of food in recent days, and I know this is the freedom I've been yearning for, so I stop fighting and sink into unconsciousness.

Massimo

I'm in my office with Pietro, discussing some business and if he has found any clues about Katherina's murder while he looks out the window. He informs me that Lilibeth is still in the garden, sunbathing with my son. I'm still angry with this woman for her continuous insolence.

"You can go, Pietro, and continue with the investigations." I gesture with my hand to leave me alone. When he's near the door, we hear Alexandre crying, and we immediately look out the window. We don't see anything strange until Pietro mentions that the guards aren't in their positions, and Lilibeth is nowhere to be seen. We rush down to see what's happening.

"That damn woman will pay for this when she returns; how dare she leave you alone," I say, taking my son in my arms, but he continues to cry. "Anely! Bring me that woman immediately."

"I'm sorry, sir, but the miss never entered the house," She says with a puzzled look. "She stayed with Alexandre the whole time."

"She couldn't have vanished into thin air, and where are the useless ones who should be here guarding her?" My men come out and inform me that they had problems elsewhere on the property, so they had to leave their posts for a moment. But when they left, she was still here.

I'm close to the pool when I see a piece of apple on the floor. I approach and see a silhouette at the bottom of the pool. I hand Alexandre over and dive in, feeling an indescribable fear. I can see this woman at the bottom, I bring her to the surface and quickly try to resuscitate her. When I feel like I'm about to lose her, she starts coughing and spits out all the water she swallowed.

"Damn it! Do you want to die so badly that you're willing to drown yourself?" I ask, carrying her and heading to the waiting car to take her to the hospital.