31: Open your Eyes

I explain to David the reason I can’t accept his generous offer. He’s disappointed, but he gets it, Miranda’s mom is a stay-home-wife so he can relate to my case. Unfortunately, this means this will be my last week here. Judith, the original assistant, comes back next Monday. 

The following days have a strange sentiment, I feel nostalgic about leaving my first job, but also excited for what’s coming. On my last day of work, I get a little more emotional than I expected, I even shed a few tears, but I assume pregnancy hormones had something to do with it. 

Stefan picks me up afterward, as he has every day this week, he’s been acting especially attentive to me after our last outburst. 

“So, how’s the wedding coming along?” He asks me. 

I make a face and then shrug, how am I supposed to know? 

“You don’t have anything planned yet?” Stefan asks surprised when he sees my reaction. “I thought we agreed to have the wedding as soon as possible.”

“So, planning is my responsibility?” I reply.

Stefan looks at me baffled.

“Well... usually girls love to plan their weddings... I assumed you will be already on it,” he explains doubtful. 

“Yes, but I thought you’d help me.” 

“Oh, sure, doll. Whatever you need, but we kind of need to get started for me to help you.” 

“I’ll look for a wedding planner next week,” I promise. “And actually, you can help me with something else too. I want you to come with me to the doctor, just to check everything is ok with the baby.” 

Stefan kisses my hand and gives me a reassuring smile. “Whatever you need, doll.” 

———

I do what I promised and find several candidates to be our wedding planner, they all appear to be great and I honestly have no clue which one to pick. This whole planning an express wedding is turning out to be stressful from the start. At least everything is fine with our baby, I’m 10 weeks pregnant and, according to the doctor, everything looks great.  

I’m looking at wedding venues on my laptop, it’s Friday afternoon and Stefan is working late. I wish he was here, there are so many things we have to decide about our wedding like invitations, music, cake, our first dance... I urgently need to pick a wedding planner and I need Stefan to help me choose one. Someone knocks on my door, maybe Stefan got off work early. I jump off the bed to open the door, my dad is standing in the hallway.

“Your friend Miranda is here, she’s waiting for you outside; I told her to come in, but she refused,” he says unenthusiastically. 

I run down the stairs feeling excited. I’m so ready to mend things between us. I could definitely use my friend right now, there’s so much going on in my life I’m dying to tell her. My enthusiasm dries when I step outside and see Miranda’s face. I know her well enough to know something is terribly wrong.   

“Hey! Let’s take a walk,” she says nervously looking over my shoulder, I look back and see my father standing a few steps behind me.

Miranda starts walking away rapidly. I can hardly keep up.

“Hey! Slow down! What’s wrong?” I shout behind her.

Miranda makes a total halt.

“So, I had to hear from my dad that you are pregnant? Seriously? I thought we were best friends.” She cries out.

So that’s what’s bothering her! I get it, but she’s not completely innocent here either.

“We are and I’m sorry. But you have to understand, everything has been so sudden, these days have been an emotional rollercoaster and, to be honest, you turned your back on me... I didn’t know what was going on between us, you stopped talking to me over a guy and I had too much going on...”

“What?! I didn’t stop talking to you because of Barney... Olivia this is worse than we imagined...” 

She suddenly stops talking, she looks at my house and then nervously around. She grabs my hand tightly; her grip causes me pain. 

“Let’s walk a little more,” she practically starts to run. Once we get to the corner and turn, she slows down. 

“Can you explain yourself to me?” I demand. “Hey! Stop!”

Miranda looks at me, her eyes are filled with tears.

“I’m sorry, I’m really really sorry. I’m sorry I was such a terrible friend and I’m sorry for what I’m about to tell you because I seriously don’t know if I’m doing the right thing,” she  appears to be so distressed I kind of feel bad for her, but I also have no idea what is going on.

“Whatever it is, you can talk to me. I’ll help you, no matter what.” 

We have been friends for years and she obviously is going on thru some hardship.  Miranda wipes the tears from her face and takes a deep breath. 

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I thought it would be better to stay away and out of danger. I know it was selfish, but I knew you’d be alright... and then my dad told me about your pregnancy and so... I don’t know, everything changed... I knew that at least I had to say something, give you all the facts so you could make a choice or whatever.”

She sounds crazy, but I don’t want to tell her and hurt her feelings, so I give her a reassuring smile.

“Ok, I’m here, tell me what you wanted me to know,” I say in a soothing tone.

“Martin Molina went missing,” she says. 

“Sam’s brother? When?” I ask shocked.

“The day after our encounter with him at the mall. He just faded from the face of the earth. No one knows where he is, his parents went to the police, but they have the feeling the police is not really looking for him,” Miranda explains.

“That’s so sad... I can’t believe it,” I mumble.

“You can’t? Because I can! Erick throws you out of his party and then his house burns down. Martin acts like a jerk to you and then bam! He magically disappears... what does that tell you?”

“Bad things happen to bad people?” I joke. I’m starting to fear she’s entertaining the same ridiculous ideas of everyone else about my dad being a mobster.

“Olivia, this is serious!” Miranda shouts not caring that pedestrians turn their eyes to see us.

“What do you want me to say? What happened to them is terrible, but I had nothing to do with it,” I shrug indifferent. 

“I know you didn’t have anything to do with it personally, but at some point, you have to realize there are a lot of red flags around you, Olivia. I love you, but you have to open your eyes and see the truth under your nose.” 

“Miranda, you know me and you know my family. You’ve been to my house so many times I lost count. You can’t seriously think those stories are true,” I exclaim.

“I don’t really know your family and neither do you, Olivia. Think about it. Why hasn’t your father ever asked you to join the family business? Is a flower emporium really no place for a woman? And how about the intruders? Those suited men look dangerous, you have said it yourself... they all obey your dad like trained dogs and walk around acting all mighty... over a flower business? The police told Sam’s family to keep away from your father, the same police who refused to investigate the arson because ‘dangerous people’ were involved... and now they refuse to search for Martin. Olivia, there are so many red flags! You can’t be this blind!”

“Miranda, it’s ridiculous! I already told you, my dad has no idea about what happened at Erick’s party and I certainly never told him about Martin harassing me. He had no reason to hurt them.” I explain with a smile.

“Yes... but someone else did. An intruder that works for your dad...”

I shudder. My whole body feels cold. The smile fades from my face, I don’t want to be dragged in her ridiculous paranoia, but then I remember uncle Gus’ words and my pulse accelerates.

“So... you’re saying Stefan is in on it? He’s part of this fictitious mafia story?” I ask mockingly, but something inside of me is breaking. 

Miranda shakes her head, disappointed. 

“The last thing I want to do is to hurt you... but I think you and your baby deserve better. You should get out of this world of arsons and disappearances. You have to get out while you can.” 

“It looks like rain... I should go back home,” I mumble uncomfortable. 

I stumble back home, Miranda stays in the middle of the sidewalk staring at me, she doesn’t try to stop me, but her words stay with me. My dad is standing in the doorway, checking our mail. I walk past him without saying a word. I’m about to crumble and I need to reach my room before that happens.