Chapter One: Make a Decision

During the journey time that Annelise was not asked about what the past two years had been like at Yale, a question arose in her head.

She questioned herself over and over again between the small spaces of silence inside the car, if she wanted to take that course, she didn't want to argue with her parents and much less with her grandparents because of that.

Even though she knew that she did not agree with many things in the family religion, she never imposed himself on it, in the end, she had become accustomed to living with them the way they were. Her heart was aching just imagining that she would have to beat them head-on if she decided to go.

On the other hand, she remembered all the small jobs she took to collect the amount of money she needed, she would meet new people in a new location and take a course on the subject that has always fascinated her. Her parents would forgive her, after all, soon she would return home and nothing would have changed just one more certificate.

A costly sigh escapes her lips when she realizes that she has a decision even if she doesn't want to make it. Everyone was talking and acting like she was definitely going back to Berlin and she always felt her heart race in an impulse to tell her she was going to the Vatican in a little over a week.

The car is parked in front of the closed garage door, Gibson is lost in childhood memories. In her early childhood, she lived in a smaller house, not far from there, but they moved into that house as soon as her grandparents came to live with her parents.

She remembered the tiny entrance hall that faced the living room, on the left side of it was a corridor that gave access to the bathroom on the left and the kitchen along with the dining room on the right. As soon as she entered the room, she saw the considerably large dining table, after all, Annelise had a sister five years older who was married and had just had a baby, the family was already large and soon became even bigger.

On the wall behind the table that was located almost in the middle of the room, there was an arch that led to the kitchen. Returning to the corridor there was a stairway at the end of it, up there were three bedrooms, one for your parents and the other for your grandparents. What became of guests was yours, no, they didn't turn it into a guest room when Anne left the house, she even gave up the room when she entered pre-adolescence.

That's because the house had a room on the third floor, it was something called an attic but it didn't look like one, the old residents used it as a guest room. Gibson then insisted countless times for a few weeks until his mother left.

And at the age of fourteen, the girl could remember that she had never in her life, swept, vacuumed and, dusted with such joy.

She never imagined missing so much to lock himself in a room of her own where no one messed up or left the bathroom disgusting every time used it, she smiled involuntarily into the house seeing everything exactly as it had the last time she had been there.

"Why don't you unpack and take the opportunity to take a shower?" Her mother asks, resting her left hand on her daughter's back.

"Sure, I'll do it right now." She agrees but stays in the same place watching every corner that your eyes reached from the living room.

"Your father has not wanted to move a miserable painting since you left here two years ago." Comments Marjorie and Anne smiled at her mother, turning her eyes to the decoration, realizing that nothing had been moved or replaced by new things. "His life for when you're not around." Reveals. "But we don't have to worry about that anymore. Now, go upstairs, I'm going to finish dinner and set the table, your sister must be coming soon." Hurry, kissing the younger daughter's forehead before disappearing down the hall.

Gibson felt that she was going to break her own heart into little pieces having to disappoint her parents' expectations. What consoled her is that it would only be eight months and maybe she could spend it as holiday parties, which were in a few months, at home.

The blonde went up the two spears of stairs to her room, on the top floor, with some difficulty due to the suitcases while her thoughts were lost on her birthday that would be next Monday, her parents would certainly have lunch or something. Then she would have to deal with the whole family and mainly as aunt Cecília's insinuations saying that she would soon have to find a husband and get married to have children as well as her sister.

She seemed to live in the nineteenth century, Annelise didn't even know if she wanted to get married, she had never been interested in anyone other than a few kisses. She had had experiences that tested her "faith" in college, but she preferred to leave that in the past as a college student.

Gibson removes the boots by leaving them by the door and closes them, making a mental note that she should clean his shoes before putting them away. She walks towards the closet and opens it, seeing clothes she no longer remembered that she had and maybe she didn't even know he could miss. None of them smelled like a guard showing her mother took care of her things.

Annelise empties her bags, putting everything back on the hangers and shelves. Europe was cold in the winter so she will have to buy some coats and overcoats before going to the Vatican.

She chose a dress that she had left at home for dinner today, she wanted to be presentable to meet her niece Sophie, whom she only knew from photos and videos. Having a more secluded room in the house gave her a private bathroom as a gift and she always loved it.

She left his small makeup bag on the sink countertop and removed the base of his face before washing it with cold water. She tied her hair in a manual bun and without many tangles, she entered the shower with her body being embraced by hot water and steam.

She wiped her body and then put on the dress in a nude tone with long sleeves a little tighter at the cuff, leaving her with the fullest sleeves, she had a discreet neckline that was interconnected to the collar of the garment so it didn't leave any part of her breasts exposed just the crucifix hanging from his neck. The play went up to her knees, behaved as her grandmother liked.

Loosen your hair, straightening it as it was before, redo the makeup almost imperceptible before and spray your favorite perfume on your neck. The citrusy and refreshing fragrance gave her the feeling that she had just stepped out of the bath every time she used it.

Put on a pair of short boots with a small brown heel before going down to the first floor. As soon as her feet reach the hall, the doorbell rings.

"Let me get it." Announce excitedly and head towards the door unlocking it before opening it.

Her eyes find the woman a little shorter than her with gray-blond hair and green eyes almost like sapphires.