Chapter 3

"Why aren't you sleeping yet, love?" I turned to see him; he was at the door. "You're working too much."

I laughed. "If I want to go to university, I must," he says as he approaches the bed, kissing me on the head. "I don't think mom is going to support me; she cares more about her boyfriend; she tries hard not to be abandoned."

"You are not like her, and you will not be like her."

"Habits are inherited." I smiled so as not to feel more miserable. "You have great parents."

"They adore you; they will support you like I do."

My eyes crystallize, and I hug him. Don't leave me alone.

"I won't do it."

I stayed with him, needing his comfort.

*****

Juliett.

I wake up and touch my cheeks, they are soaked with tears. Little by little, the memories became more painful.

Since I stopped taking the medicine, my memories kept coming back, I was fooling my mother.

She thought she was still naive.

She came into the living room and my babies were with her toys, laughing as they played. Hearing them call me "mom" was the best gift. I never regretted it.

"Mom" I call her.

"I'm in the kitchen!" He shouts, leaning on her.

"I thought you were asleep, you have a night shift."

He denies, "I can still sleep in an hour; there are things to do."

"Mother, I'm afraid to ask this again."

"Yeah?"

"I want to know about my past, I need you to tell me the truth."

I can see her face, she's upset. "We talked about this over and over again. "She looks at me. "You don't need to remember everything, okay? You have a new chance in life, live it for it.

"Don't do it for me; do it for my children," she ignores me again, "they will grow up and want to know who her father is."

She sighs. "They don't need to have a father, and that's it."

Sooner or later, my memory will return.

Mom ignores me and grabs a bottle of pills. "You have to take your medicine."

I nod my head, put the pill in my mouth under my tongue, and once it is gone, I spit it out.

Then it was something terrible—she brought me closer to the sink, and I threw it.

Go back to the kitchen; this time it looks better.

"Are they still sleeping?" She asks more calmly.

"Yes, yesterday they had so much energy that they left me dead."

“The neighbor brought some delicious cookies,” she says after trying one.

"Derek?"

She nods. "He seems to like you; don't you mind?

How could she? She had a bad feeling about my own mother; she was lying to her face.

Derek is my friend, but he didn't have to know; he knew her intentions.

I shake my head—I still don't remember anything, and as long as I don't remember, I won't be able to move on.

"You're so stubborn; let the past go."

Her cynicism makes me sick. How did we get to this?

"You have to tell the truth, mom; your grandchildren will grow up without a father. "How could you live with the guilt? I said, insisting again."

"I'm doing it for your own good, "she said this, and she left the kitchen.

My mother had gotten angry after that tense moment when we had breakfast together, and then she left. The doorbell rang, and he walked towards the door. She opened it, and it's Derek.

"Hello. Is there something wrong?" I ask.

"I can pass?."

"Yes, go ahead."

Come in, and I close the door behind me.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, mom came out."

"I won't bother you for long," he said, looking at me. "I came because I heard some rumors about you and the man who moved in."

I roll my eyes. "Of course, these people seem to have no life of their own."

I already knew who the person who started the gossip was, Leila.

She starts laughing. "I call them busybodies; is that true?"

"He wants to meet me, and we're dating," she replied.

"I'm a little impressed. I must admit that he is handsome, but don't you think they are going too fast?"

I shake my head. "I thought that too, but we're adults."

"Did you talk to him about your children?"

"Of course, I told him myself," I said, smiling.

"And he didn't escape? Then he is the one."

There was a time when I dated someone, but I felt too awkward and most of them ran away when they found out I had kids.

She smiled at him "I guess so."

As I walked to work, I felt people staring at me, gossip in this town was flying fast. When I first arrived, they made up that I had run away from a man. It was very stupid because I didn't remember anything, over time they realized that it wasn't true.

Once I got to work I realized that everyone was talking about me, I wasn't surprised.

"I already told you, there's nothing innocent about that bitch," Leila said, not knowing that I was listening to everything.

Becca looked upset. "Watch your mouth," she warned, "you're just jealous of why he noticed her, not you. You're just jealous of her."

Irem, Kavya, Ava, Alessia and Chiara just nodded at Becca.

"Stop humiliating yourself, Juliette is a good woman" said Irem.

Leila got even angrier "we don't even know who she is, do you really know her?"

"She has worked here for two years, you are the only one who cannot be trusted" Kavya replied.

"It's none of your business, her past has nothing to do with the present" Ava responded.

She could understand her anger. They all fled their homes for unknown reasons, but I could see the pain in their eyes. Each one had their own story to tell.

I approached them. "If you have problems with me, come and tell me to my face," I said, looking at her face. "Stop talking shit about me; you're mad about something stupid."

She turns to look at me and says, "You're nothing special."

I laughed. "Clearly, I have something; Joseph hasn't complained." I approached her and said, "What happens between him and me? It's none of your business."

After that little argument, the afternoon flew by; it was lunchtime, and she still hadn't decided what to eat.

Irem approaches me and says, "You still can't make up your mind?"

I shake my head and say, "There's nothing I'm craving."

Chiara joins us: "I don't think you have to ask for anything."

I see her again. "Why? I'm hungry."

"Your dear boyfriend is outside; it looks like he made you lunch, isn't it nice?"

"That? "I said, I walked to the entrance, and there was Joseph.

He holds up a bag. “I hope you don’t mind; I brought you lunch,” he says, running his hand through his hair. “I forgot to ask you about your allergies.

"I'm not allergic to anything."

"You must eat."

I nodded, took the bag and approached one of the tables. Everything looked delicious. I started to eat, and he looked at me attentively.

I liked those details.

I walked towards one of the tables; everything looked delicious. I started to eat, and he looked at me attentively.

I liked those details.