The atmosphere in Harry's apartment was very different. Laura wouldn't talk to him and wouldn't let him help set up Emma's bag to take to the hospital on the day of the birth. Finally, Harry gave up.
- What were you doing at Daniel's house? You said you weren't going to do anything crazy -
- I don't want to talk about it, Susan... This happened because you're a meddler -
- Of course I am! And that's why I'm calling you -
- Everything you do is to keep them together -
- Yes, Harry. He's my brother and I don't like to see him sad -
- I'm your brother too.
- But I can't solve your problem or help you solve it... When will you understand that the first thing you have to take care of is your family? -
- I know...
- It doesn't seem that way. Mom drove me crazy telling me how you got drunk... We are all worried about you, Laura and Emma... How much longer do you think you will go on like this? -
- I can't let her go... Believe me I've tried to find a way, but I can't... I think about her every day, Susan... I imagine her with Daniel and the only thing that calms my anger is drinking myself unconscious... I can't even pretend to be her friend anymore -
- Little brother, why don't you take Daniel up on his offer and go to another city? Wait for the baby to be born, pack up and move. You could find a nice house... Start over with your wife... Do you still love her? -
- Yes, I love Laura very much, but it's not the same as I feel for Deanna... Everyone expects too much from someone like me... It started as a lie to have Emma and now it's my misery. I don't know how long I can live like this, Susan -
- Harry...
- Sometimes I still have hope, you know? That she will leave Daniel and I will finally have my chance... I don't even know why it took me all that time to tell her... I didn't want to hurt Laura and she didn't see me as anything but a silly friend. I was going to confess everything to her when Laura told me she was pregnant... That was my last shred of hope going down the drain....
- You were happy when you were able to get married... I remember your face... -
- "I was happy that we could have our baby, that marrying Daniel would take her away from that jerk Frank who was looking to get back together with her... That asshole showed up again after he cheated on her, trying to get her to forgive him. Deanna loved him, she cried inconsolably on my shoulder when she found out what that jerk was doing to her... It just all happened at the same time....
- You made a mistake, okay. It's in the past and you can't change anything, you just have to move on... In a few weeks you'll have a daughter to take care of and protect -
- Emma... do you know why I named her that? Emma Carelli is the soprano that Deanna admires... God! -
- Jesus Christ, Harry! You've got to stop, you've got to stop... She's going to consume you... -
- She's like that, she consumes everything in her path. Can't you see how Daniel's all over her? Even that creep Leonard's got the hots for her. Once she gets in your way you can't avoid her. You know what I'm talking about, you went to convince her to go back to him... He was probably crawling on the floor so you decided to step in -
- It reminded me of when Emily died, he was just the same... -
- That's what I'm talking about, that's the effect she's causing. Understand me, Susan, she's a hurricane that rips everything in her path... When she finally leaves him, he's going to fall apart completely, but Daniel will be able to go on with his life as he always did... He'll survive -
- Why do you say she'll leave him? -
- Because that's what will happen, you'll see... You know where we live, the environment we live in, a woman like Deanna has everything against her. Not even mom likes her... Do you think she'll put up with it? Of course not... She's free and happy and this world of ours will just overpower her -
- I'm so sorry, Harry dear, you have no idea how much it hurts me... It hurts me so much... -
- Don't worry, Sis, I guess it's my karma for being a coward... Can you imagine? Can you imagine if one day they had a child? If Emma was hers? That's the sort of thing I think about all the time... -
- Please don't say it out loud, Harry... -
Anguish rose in his chest. By saying it to someone it was as if he had broken the spell Deanna had over him. Hearing those absurd words spoken and realizing he had no way of making them come true. His throat closed up for a moment trying to hold back tears.
- I'm so sorry for everything I've done... I'm more sorry for what I didn't do... We'd better go with Laura and Emma to another place... I won't be able to put her out of my mind, but at least I'll have peace... -
- That's a very good idea, Harry... -
Find a house with many rooms, a spacious garden, build a home. With distance and time he could have a normal life again, maybe finish his studies in a few years. He would see her at some family reunion and that would be it. He could live with that.
But Laura felt like she was suffocating. She constantly felt the urge to cry, her body was heavy, and she spent all her time locked up in the apartment. She did nothing but think and think all day long. Nothing was working, nothing was happening, nothing.
She spent her entire pregnancy in despair and anguish. Her plans to start a family with Harry and have a happily ever after, like in fairy tales, had long since been history. She had a whole life ahead of her in which she could either stay alone with her daughter, or live in the shadow of an unreturned love.
- I'll make her go away -
- You'll achieve nothing but to expose yourself, you're rushing -
- No, I thought it through and it's the best way -
- If you do it, you'll be evident in front of everyone -
- Of course not, I have my ways -
- Well, if you say so... When will you do it? -
- Soon.
- But... Don't do anything stupid... Well, actually, it's pretty stupid... -
- I don't have much choice...
- As you wish...
- Get ready to enter the scene and this time do it right... -
Harry came home, made tea for the two of them and shared a moment of peace with his wife. Silently, that was the cost he had to pay to Laura for his immaturity. He would not force it, he would not be angry, but would duck his head and wait for her forgiveness. Breaking Deanna's spell had cleared the picture for him, like when the clouds clear after a storm.
In his head he had much to plan, much to conceive. The road was smoothing out, or at least, he wanted to believe it was; otherwise he might commit a greater stupidity. He put his hand on his wife's belly and sat down at the computer.
The company's largest subsidiary was two cities away, near a cluster of houses in the suburbs, big, white houses with gardens and trees. There were many good schools and an Arts Center. It was a 5 hour drive, the distance was far enough.
Laura came over to see what he was doing when he got up to go to the kitchen. Was he looking to buy a house? What for? To get away... To have a place to run away to after the divorce and far away... Far away from her, far away from Emma. Coward! He was planning to leave her and he wasn't even hiding it, he was house hunting with her sitting just a few feet away. Her silence hardened, she had to stop the hurricane.