The Italian's Proposal

Chapter 5

For Melody it had been a thing of fate, of life, of heaven. A man like him, charismatic, with dark eyes that guaranteed a life of adventure and eternal nights of absolute pleasure. She, who had only lived through romantic books, had finally seen what they said so much about.

That was the problem of parents raising their children absorbed in their world, in a world invented by them and managed at their whim, trying to take care of them from adversities and ailments, they hid from her that there were harmful and malicious people, people who took advantage, wolves dressed as lambs.

"I have no insurance, period," she finally replied after considering giving him the real answer.

Her father was a wretched and heartless man who had left his youngest daughter to the good of God.

"You know, I'm beginning to think that's your natural humor. Hateful and snooty. Tongue-tied and ready for anything."

Melody rested her eyes on him for a second and felt small next to him. She wasn't tall at all, nor did she have a petite body and even less so now that she was expecting a child. Her body was getting bigger in areas she wouldn't have wanted, she was sure to have stretch marks and scars for life. She knew because she was beginning to understand that life was not a fairy tale and she was not a princess of romantic stories.

"Congratulations," she growled.

"Now what for?"

"For thinking you know me."

It was hard for her to believe the situation she was in at that moment. Sitting in the car, next to a sexy Italian, with gray-green eyes, hair like a Nordic god or some angel of the trumpet players.

It was even silly to wonder if he was single, for a man like him, with his impeccable clothes, his confident way of walking and with the money and beauty he had, it was impossible that he was somehow not engaged. Surely, he had a magazine wife and two children waiting for him at home, dining in a perfect house, with a table worth the cost of his entire veterinary career in college.

Something else that had been cut off like water or electric service. Her father had taken it upon himself to let her know that she would never again receive a dollar to pay for college credits.

"You are banned from this family until you learn to make the right decisions. Like you're an adult. Which you were already supposed to be!" That had been all her father had said when he found out.

Her mother had been the emissary of all her father's requests and interests for a long fortnight.

"My girl don't be stubborn. It is for your own good. That still doesn't feel." These were the phrases her mother would say to her since the morning began.

Her parents never referred to their child as a person, as an entity, as a baby. For them he was just a burden in her bright future.

"You'll regret it as soon as you see the travails a single mother goes through. Don't think the world is one of those Sandra Bullock movies. The world is not pink! Life is not, Melody! You don't survive without a man by your side to take care of you. If that scumbag who damaged your life doesn't love you, much less can you survive alone."

"It's not that he doesn't love me," she had said the first few days. Then she had realized that she had been stupid to pretend to think that Richard would come to his senses and be with her and her son, forming a happy family.

Melody came back to her reality, the reality she had since she had left home with suitcases.

She looked at Timothy again sideways, noticing his hard features, his eyebrows were crossed, as if something made him uncomfortable, she sniffed slyly trying to find out if hormones had played a joke on her again and the bad smell was escaping from her armpits.