Chapter 26: beauty of his blue eyes

Where is color? Is it in the objects or in the light that falls on them? Let's answer by experimenting!

If you illuminate a scorpion with the light from a regular bulb, or if you see it under sunlight, its color will be black, brown, or yellow depending on the species. But if you light it up with a blacklight bulb, the scorpion will appear white. Why?

The answer is that color is not in the objects but in the light that illuminates them. This happens because light is a wave; that is, when light travels through space, it does so as a wave. Incredible, right? What happens is that each color of light has a different wavelength. In fact, of all the possible wavelengths of light, humans are only capable of seeing a small range.

The image below will clarify everything! It shows all the types of light wavelengths known so far. Humans can only see the range or segment labeled "visible." There are red, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and violet... and of course, all their possible combinations. The rest of the types of waves (radio, microwave, infrared, ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays) are not visible to us, even though they exist.

Other organisms are sensitive to more wavelengths than we are, or they simply see wavelengths different from those perceived by our eyes and brains. For example, bees can see ultraviolet light. Interestingly, some flowers reflect this type of wavelength!Hope shook her head in something between disbelief and acceptance. It was a lot to process, especially from someone who wasn’t from this world.

Guys like Tony were the reason I’d fought so hard to become as powerful as I was. I didn’t believe in shaking down hardworking citizens like Hope’s parents, and fought against it whenever I could.

“And Juan?” she asked. “Why did they owe money to him?”

“That I don’t know,” I replied. “I can ask him, but I’m sure it was just part of the shakedown. They needed money and they needed it fast, so they borrowed it. Juan probably told them he’d help and then roped them in.”

“Son of a bitch…”

“Don’t worry,” I told her, coming closer. “Juan’s never going to bother you again. No one is. You’re safe with me, angel.”

I took her hand and squeezed. But I could see there was still something bothering her.

“Ludwika, can I ask you something?” “Anything.”

“Why…why are you going to the cops with this?” she asked. “Shouldn’t you guys just…take care of it gangster style or whatever?”

I chuckled. “That’s a good question. And under normal circumstances, you’d be right. But Tony and his goons affected a lot of people, not just other criminals. Innocents like your parents. And if we just retaliate and wipe them out, there will be no justice for those people, and I can’t stand that.”

“Justice…” she said quietly. I knew what she was thinking; how could she ever have justice for her parents, who were no longer with her?

My heart bled for her, my angel, but while I couldn’t change the past, I could ensure her future would be safe and secure.

Nothing would stand in the way of that.

I took her hand in mine and stroked it slowly until she raised her eyes to me. My protective instincts had never been higher.

I’d love this girl forever. I’d die for her.

I’d wake up every morning at her side as the happiest man in the world and there was nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe and happy, and it was time she truly knew that. So, without hesitation, I told her what I’d been feeling.

“Hope,” I said. “I love you.”

Her breath caught with a sharp gasp but she didn’t hesitate before she replied.

“I love you too, Ludwika!”

She threw her arms around me as tears spilled from her eyes again, but these were tears of happiness. Those were the only tears I ever wanted to see from her again. My angel deserved a wonderful life and I was going to give it to her.

We held each other until her tears stopped and she was able to let go of me enough to sit back a bit. She looked like a mess, but an absolutely adorable mess. Her hair was in complete disarray and her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red. She certainly would have said she looked like shit, but to me she was perfect.

“This is all happening so fast,” she said softly. “But it feels so right.” “I couldn’t have put it better myself,” I smiled.

“It feels…like this was all meant to happen, you know?” she asked. “Like…if I hadn’t ended up at the club that night with Juan—”

“Then we never would have met each other,” I smiled, finishing her sentence for her.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. Our kiss felt different now that we’d said we loved each other. We’d both known it, but saying it out loud had simply confirmed it. My arms wrapped around her delicate body and I lifted her up and held her as she locked her legs around my waist.

We kissed like high school sweethearts leaving the dance as I carried her out of my office and into my room. I laid her down on the bed before me, and with a quick tug, opened her robe and exposed her body to me.

“I’ll never get tired of that,” she whispered. “Of what?” I asked. “Me undressing you?”

“No,” she shook her head. “The way you look at me when you do.” My lips twisted into a smile. “I’ll never stop doing that.”