Chapter 41 - The Garden

The night passed like an eternity, sleep eluding me as I tossed and turned in the unfamiliar hotel bed. Nicholas tried to get me to fall asleep, but everything was just so unfamiliar and I couldn't stop worrying.

The next morning I woke up tired and not well rested. I managed to eat breakfast and I showered and got ready.

We returned to Arkham city asylum again, determination etched on Nicholas's face. This time, I let him handle everything and he managed to schedule a meeting with another doctor, and we anxiously waited for our turn. The minutes crawled by, each tick of the clock resonating with my escalating apprehension.

When we were finally ushered into the doctor's office, I clung to the hope that this new doctor would provide answers.

"We're here to see Mr Brett Fontana. We were told he isn't allowed visitors but please understand, we've come a long way and we just found out about him so naturally we're very eager to see him."

Nicholas started.

The doctor looked at us and sighed.

"And what his your relationship with him?"

"I'm his niece. Cleopatra Fontana."

I answered.

"And this is my husband Nicholas Moretti."

I added.

The man nodded again.

"Mr Fontana has been here for almost two years. He doesn't like having visitors. He hasn't had a family visit him since he checked himself in here."

Nicholas and I shared a look.

"He checked himself in here?!"

I exclaimed and the doctor nodded.

"Yes. He did."

"Listen, I understand your concerns and I wish I could help but we have to respect our patients' wishes. His last encounter with a visitor wasn't the best."

I sighed.

"If you tell him that it's me I'm sure he's going to want to see me. Please are you sure there's nothing you can do about this?!"

I pleaded.

Nicholas looked at the doctor.

"You said he doesn't allow visitors, what do you mean his last encounter with a visitor wasn't the best?!"

He asked and the doctor looked at the file in front of him.

"Oh yes he had a visitor a few weeks ago. The visitor insisted on seeing him just like you're doing. Mr Fontana became very aggressive after the meeting, he also got physical. We had to sedate him."

Nicholas and I looked at one another. My mind instantly went to Alex.

"Was the visitor Alexander Anderson?"

I asked and the cutie shrugged. His face gave away nothing.

"I'm not allowed to divulge such information to you ma'am."

He answered and I sighed.

"Well then at least please let him know it's me. Let him decide himself if he would see me or not. Please."

I begged again.

The doctor sighed. Then he told us he would try his best. We were asked to wait in the lobby and talked to Nicholas about the mysterious guest that my uncle had recently.

"I also think it's Alex. I mean, I wouldn't put it past him." Nicholas said and I nodded.

"Well if we get to talk to him, we can ask him all about it."

I said and Nicholas nodded as he squeezed my hand.

........

After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, we were finally told that we could see my uncle. My heart beat wildly in my chest as we were led to the secluded garden where we would see him.

As Nicholas and I entered the secluded garden of the asylum, anticipation hung in the air. The rustling leaves and distant sounds of nature surrounded us as we approached the place where my uncle was. The tall iron gates creaked behind us, sealing us inside the garden.

There was a figure at the far end of the garden. Sitting on a bench. I could see the dark hair and the grey hospital clothes he was wearing.

I approached him eagerly. Eager to see his face.

When we finally reached him, my heart raced with a mix of anxiety and excitement. There, in the midst of the carefully manicured flowers, stood my uncle, a man I had never seen before in my life. A man I didn't even know existed until a while ago. I looked at his face, he vaguely reminded me of my father, but a younger version.

Brett Fontana had dark hair with grey hair peeking out in front. He had a faraway look in his eyes, like he was there and not there. The beard on his face was overgrown and greying.

When he looked at me, his face reflected a glimmer of recognition as our eyes met. 

"Uncle Brett?" I said softly.

He stood up slowly, never tearing his eyes away from mine as he looked at me. And then he pulled me into a tight embrace, the weight of the years apart melted away. His embrace felt like a refuge, a connection to a part of me that I never knew.

"Cleo?" he murmured, his voice a hoarse whisper. "You look just like your mother." His words, heavy with both sorrow and nostalgia, echoed in the quiet garden. He touched my face gently, I could see the tears in his eyes.

"You met my mother?"

I asked him and he nodded sadly.

"I knew your mother."

I held back tears, overwhelmed by the flood of emotions that swept over me.

I had so many things to say, so many things to ask, but I just stood there silently watching, soaking in the moment.

We stood there, the three of us, in a silent communion, words unnecessary in the presence of such profound emotions.

Uncle Brett's gaze lingered on me, as if trying to etch the very image of me into his memory.

"You have grown into a beautiful young woman."

He said as he touched my cheek again.

I smiled again, this time wiping away the tears that formed. I remembered Nicholas had come with me and turned around and saw him a respectable distance away from us. I reached out and beckoned for him to come nearer. He was my family now, I wanted him to meet my uncle too.

"This is my husband."

I said as I pointed at him.

"Nicholas."

My uncle looked at Nicholas and nodded. The two of them exchanged a warm handshake.

"I have so many things I want to ask you about. So many things I want to know. Why are you here?! Why didn't I ever meet you?! Why did my father never mention you?!"

"Come. Come and sit. You're right we have a lot to talk about."

"I heard about your father. My condolences."

My uncle said and I nodded.

"Thank you. How did you find out?"

I asked and he shrugged.

"I saw it on the news."

"Anyways I'm sure you have a lot of questions...."

He started and I nodded eagerly.

"Yes. And I need the answers to them. It's obvious you and my father weren't on good terms before I was born. I want to know what happened.”

"And please, please don't lie to me. I already know about the whole clan stuff and the whole story on that so I'd appreciate it if you don't try to sugarcoat the truth or hide things from me."

He looked taken aback by that. And I thought he wasn't going to respond for the longest time till he nodded his head. There was a sad smile on his aged face.

"Your father and I weren't always like that..."

"Then what happened? Where did it all go wrong?"

My uncle shrugged.

"Come on... take a guess."

He said and I was about to protest that I didn't know and he should get to it until Nicholas answered.

"A woman?"

He answered and my uncle nodded slowly. I looked at my uncle in confusion.

“You fell out because of a woman?!”

“Not just any woman.”

“Your mother.”