219

Lorenzo Bianchi

I arrived at the studio that Giovanna had built for our daughter inside the house that had once been mine. Mia was dancing masterfully, so focused on what she wanted.

- Mia! - I called out to her

- What do you want?

- To talk to my daughter.

- I have nothing to talk to you about.

- Could you listen to me, just once?

- Not only have you hurt my mother since you got married, you've made Aurora afraid of you, and of course you've left me several times, when you visited me at the orphanage there wasn't a day that I didn't dream about when you would bring me to live with you, and then Giovanna, my mother, arrived and in less than a year she brought me to live with you, she never made a distinction between Aurora and me. She loves me just as much as she loves Aurora, do you know what the difference is between you and her?

- What? - I asked, dreading her answer.

- From the moment she enters the house or sees Aurora and me, she forgets everything bad that has happened and treats me and my sister in the purest way possible. Lorena may spoil my mother's day at the company, but when she arrives here, she becomes a mother and leaves the businesswoman Giovanna out of the house. You know Lorenzo, you never knew how to behave like Giovanna, I won't deny that I'm grateful to you for adopting me, but I've lost that charm I had for you, I wish it hadn't happened.

- I'm really sorry about that, it was never my intention to make your sister and you suffer, but I couldn't help it. Mia, I hope that one day you can forgive me. I'm sorry for making you, Aurora and especially Giovanna unhappy, but I want to make amends with my daughters.

- Maybe that's possible with Aurora, she's only six.

- But what about you?

- I don't know, my feelings are confused about you.

- I want to go to your presentation today, I know how important it is to you and I want to be there. Maybe this is the first step towards our reconciliation.

- Yeah, I think I'd like to have you there. - she said with a half-smile, and I can tell that my heart leapt for joy when I saw that she was giving in. - Don't think that just because I want you there, I'm forgiving you, I'm doing it mainly for my mother who never wanted our relationship to be like this. - she said and my joy ended there.

- I understand, I was wondering if Lorena could go? - I said sadly, I thought I'd taken a big step with her, but it wasn't quite like that.

- It's so rude to ask me!

- Lorena will soon be my wife and she's going to give you a brother, you and she should have a friendly relationship.

- No. Lorena hurt my mother and I can't forgive that, tonight is the most important night of my life, I can't just accept her being there, you being there is enough for one night.

- I promise she won't do anything to hurt your mother or you.

- No, please don't. Accept it because if you don't, I won't even want you there. - he said, looking at me.

- It's okay Mia.

- I'm giving you a vote of confidence, going against everything I've idealized all these years, you coming to my presentation is very difficult for me, but it's like they say: forgiveness is a gift.

- You're right, daughter, do you think your mother will ever forgive me?

- Maybe, forgiveness is the hardest thing a human being can do, she might even forgive you one day for me and Aurora, but whether she'll forget everything that's happened, I don't know.

- Okay, I'm going. I'll see you tonight.

- I'll wait for you there and don't let me down.

- I'll never do that again, darling. - I said and gave her a kiss on the forehead like I used to.