Leon’s Cousin
Chapter 26
The paper Leon found in Nora’s room made him uneasy. He never expected Nora to remember that name.
“Why did she write Sophie’s name? Is her memory starting to recover?” Leon paced the kitchen that night. He couldn’t sleep.
Sophie was the reason why he was trying to find Nora and protect her. And that’s why he married her. Although marrying Nora made it more likely that the two women would see each other more often, since Sophie was family, Leon could make sure he was there to look after Nora.
It was much better than him leaving her out there and one day, sooner or later, she’ll meet Sophie.
He was grateful that Sophie wasn’t coming to dinner at his parents’ house.
“Sophie just called me,” her mother told him that night. “There’s a mess in her office that she has to deal with.”
Leon wasn’t afraid of Sophie, he wasn’t even afraid of Primo Lombardi, or Nando Alberti. He knew his family had doubts about him when he said he hadn’t killed anyone. It didn’t matter to him as long as Nora was in his care.
Nora. She was like a double-edged knife. Only Nora could free him from suspicion. Or even plunge him into prison.
The sound of Nora’s muffled moans echoed in the deserted second floor hallway, halting Leon’s steps who was about to return to his room. Concern etched on his face, he approached the door of Nora’s room, standing for a while and straining to hear more. As the moans escalated into frantic cries mixed with tears, Leon’s heart was flooded with worry.
Without hesitation, he pushed open Nora’s bedroom door and stepped inside her dimly lit room. Nora rolled on her bed, trapped in the grip of a nightmare. Her mumbling was barely audible, but he caught snatches of Sophie’s name amidst her stifled cries.
“Nora,” Leon called softly, approaching her bed. His hand reached out to gently shake Sophie’s shoulder. “Wake up, it’s just a dream.”
Startled, Nora’s eyes widened, her tears glistening in the dim light. She gripped her blankets tightly, trembling from the remnants of her nightmare.
“What happened?” Leon asked softly, worry lacing his voice.
Nora hesitated, her breathing ragged. “It was just a dream,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Leon nodded in understanding, sensing her reluctance and not wanting to press her further.
“Would you like me to get you a drink?”
Nora nodded. “Yes... thank you.”
Leon left the room briefly with the door open. He hurried down to the kitchen and returned with a glass of water. “Have a drink to help you calm down.”
Nora accepted it and drank the contents down.
“Now just go back to sleep,” Leon said softly. “I will accompany you here.”
“Please don’t leave me until I fall asleep.” Nora’s voice sounded tired and scared.
“Yes, don’ t worry. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”
He sat on the chair beside her bed, guarding Nora from nightmares. As Nora slowly fell asleep, Leon stayed by her side, his mind filled with worries and unanswered questions.
So that's why Nora wrote Sophie's name. She met Sophie in her nightmare.
It was still too early in the morning. Nora's eyes blinked open, greeted by the soft light of dawn filtering through her curtains. As she shifted in her bed, her gaze fell on Leon, who was still asleep in the chair beside her.
She suddenly remembered what happened last night. Leon woke her up when she had a nightmare and promised to stay with her until she fell asleep again.
"Oh, apparently he fell asleep here." A warm feeling came over her as she remembered Leon's comforting presence last night.
Carefully, Nora rose from her bed, taking a moment to watch Leon's deep sleep. She admired the calm expression on his face, quite different from the flat mask he usually wore during the day. Despite his cold demeanor, there was a kindness in him that she could not ignore.
Lost in her thoughts, Nora didn't notice when Leon moved to get up, his eyes blinked and met hers. There was a brief moment of mutual recognition between them before Leon spoke, his voice low and rough from sleep.
"Good morning," he murmured, his gaze softening as he noticed Nora's presence.
"Morning," Nora replied softly, a small smile on her lips. "You slept so well. Why don't you move to your room?"
"I just fell asleep in case you had another nightmare. Are you okay now?"
Nora nodded, her smile widening. "Thank you," she said. "For keeping me company last night."
"No problem."
There was a comfortable silence between them, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. For a moment, Nora let herself in the warmth of Leon's presence, thankful for his unexpected kindness.
"I have to go back to my room." Leon suddenly looked awkward. "There's an important meeting at the Pentagon today." He squirmed in his chair and grimaced.
Nora chuckled. "Your body aches because you slept in an uncomfortable position all night. Then I'll make you some coffee." She went to the door first. "What do you want for breakfast?"
"I don't think I'll have time for breakfast," Leon replied. "But... could you make me a little something to eat in the car on the way?"
"Like a school lunch? Yeah, sure." Nora smiled, realizing Leon's childish side.
When she was about to leave her room, still sitting on the chair, Leon called out to her. "I hope I didn't trouble you," he said.
At the doorway, Nora smiled. "Of course not. I just have to be a dutiful wife for a year, don't I?"
Nora had just finished a hard-boiled egg and a slice of toast with butter for breakfast. Leon had long since left, carrying a paper bag filled with apples and sandwiches for his breakfast. Nora cleaned up the kitchen as she recalled her dream. And she remembered calling Sophie again in her dream.
She wondered what Leon had heard when he woke her from the nightmare. Then suddenly the doorbell rang.
Nora hurried to the door, wondering who could be visiting her so early in the morning. When she checked the small screen next to the door and saw a woman standing outside, she hesitated for a moment before asking.
“Can I help you?”
The woman smiled warmly on the screen. “Hi. I’m SophiaLombardo, Leon’s cousin.”