3a.m
In the quiet of the night, Ally was roused by a gentle touch on her back. Even before she could react, she recognized the familiar hand—it belonged to her sister, Elly. Elly’s tear-swollen face revealed her emotional turmoil. Without hesitation, she asked, “Can I sleep with you?” Ally shifted slightly, making room under the blanket, and replied, “Come.” Elly nestled in beside her, seeking solace in their sisterly bond. The unspoken understanding between them spoke volumes, and as Elly whispered, “Thank you, sis,” Ally felt a surge of compassion. She wrapped her arms around Elly, pulling her close, and whispered back, “You’re always welcome here, no matter the hour.” In that shared warmth, they found comfort
**Maya** and **Carina**, the mothers, woke up to find their daughters still slumbering. With a rare day off ahead, they synchronized their steps toward their respective rooms. Maya approached **Ally**, while Carina headed to Elly's door.
As Maya turned the knob and pushed the door open, her heart swelled. There they were—her two daughters, wrapped in an embrace that transcended time. Their hug mirrored the innocence of childhood, a memory etched in Maya's mind. Tears welled up, and she couldn't help but capture the scene on her phone.
"Carina, look," Maya whispered, beckoning her wife over. Carina peeked over Maya's shoulder, her eyes softening. "Precious angels," she murmured, her voice filled with tenderness. They stood there, unwilling to disturb their peaceful connection.
But practicality nudged them. "They need to eat," Maya said, meeting Carina's beautiful brown eyes. She nodded in agreement, and together, they approached their daughters' beds.
"Sweeties," Maya coaxed, gently shaking Elly. "Time to wake up." Elly mumbled in protest, her Italian slipping through: "Mama, no... Voglio continuare a dormire." She shifted, almost toppling off the bed, but Maya caught her just in time.
"How was your sleep?" Maya asked, brushing a strand of hair from Elly's forehead. Elly, half-conscious, grumbled, "Bad. I forgot how loudly Ally snores." Carina and Maya shared a soft laugh. "Well," Maya teased, "you're the one who sought refuge in my bed. And Ally graciously allowed it. Besides, your snoring isn't any better. If you scoot any closer, I won't have an inch left."
Laughter filled the room, a balm for their souls. As they gently roused the girls, Maya whispered, "Vi amo molto, ragazze. Siete i miei tesori." Her love for them overflowed—their sisterly bond, their quirks, their shared history—all wrapped up in this cozy morning.
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Elly felt a storm brewing within her as she grappled with the bewildering actions of her math teacher. Doubt and frustration gnawed at her, mingling with a sense of injustice. Why had he treated her that way? Was it because she dared to stand up to him?
Lost in her contemplations, Elly was brought back to reality by Mama's concerned voice,
"Bambina," Mama said, concern etching her features. "Why aren't you eating?" Elly pushed her plate away, her appetite nonexistent. "I'm not in the mood to eat," she replied softly.
Mama persisted, her love evident. "Don't you like it? It's pasta—I made it for you. It's your piatto preferito (favorite dish). I've noticed you haven't eaten much lately. Everything okay, bambina?"
Carina said, placeing a comforting hand on her daughter's, but Elly quickly withdrew. "I'm sorry, Mama," Elly murmured. "Do you mind if I go for a run?"
Maya exchanged a glance with Carina. "El, it's past ten," she said gently. "Maybe it's better to stay home, babmina."
But Elly's need to escape, to clear her mind, was too strong to ignore. She felt a desperate urge to break free from the suffocating grip of her thoughts."I'll be okay," she insisted, standing up and reaching for her running shoes. Carina's pleading eyes met Maya's. "Then I'm going with you," Maya declared.
Elly shot her mother an anguished look, her frustration bubbling to the surface like a tempest in her chest. "I will follow you," Maya assured her, her voice tinged with determination. "I won't intrude—I'll stay ten meters away. I just want you to be safe."
Surprised by Maya's unwavering commitment, Elly hesitated, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. "What are you waiting for?" Maya urged, her tone a gentle yet persistent push. "Your thoughts won't clear on their own." With a soft smile, Carins watched them walk out together, a protective aura enveloping her daughter.
ALLY
"Bella, can I talk with you?" As I helped my mom with the dishes after we finished our pasta, a sense of unease settled in the pit of my stomach. Her gentle request to talk filled me with a mix of apprehension and concern. "Am I in trouble?"
"No tereso. I want to talk to you about Eliana."
The way Mom mentioned Eliana's name made my heart skip a beat, and I instantly regretted the direction the conversation was taking.
Mom's words hung heavy in the air, and I found myself unable to meet her gaze. The guilt of keeping secrets from her weighed heavily on my conscience, yet I couldn't bring myself to betray Elly's trust.
"You know... I know that you know what's going on with her."
I immediately looked away from my mama. I can't lie to her. "Mama..."
"I'm not asking you to say everything. I just need to know... I need to know if she is okay. If she was hurt..."
I saw tears welling up in my mama's eyes. "Mama, I don't want to... I don't want you to be mad at me... and I love you. But I can't."
"Did I do something wrong? Is that why she hates my touch? Does she hate me for something I did but I don't know what it is?"
Tears welled up in Mom's eyes, and I felt a pang of guilt shoot through me as she voiced her fears and insecurities. The way she blamed herself for Elly's distant behavior broke my heart, and I struggled to find the right words to comfort her.
"Mama, it's not your fault, I promise," I murmured, wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace. The warmth of her embrace was both comforting and suffocating, a reminder of the complexities of family dynamics.
"Can we hug on the couch?" I asked her, and without answering, she sat on the couch and hugged me. I don't know why, but I started thinking about Elly, who had to go through all this and didn't want to tell anyone.
I started crying because I wanted to tell my sister so much, but I didn't know how.
"I don't know what to do, Mama," I said with tears in my voice.
"What happened, Bella?" my mother wiped the tears from my cheeks. I could see that my mother knew that I was crying, but she wanted to give me some freedom.
"I want to help her somehow, but she doesn't want to talk..."
Mom started rocking me from side to side to calm me down a bit. "Everything will be okay, love."
Mama was playing with my hair
MAYA
"My love, everything is okay. It's 11:30, and I can see you're in pain. You're pushing yourself too hard," Maya said, her voice laced with concern as she observed her daughter.
"I need to... It feels better. I feel like I'm having control of my body," Elly replied, her words strained with determination.
After these words, Maya's frustration boiled over, and she shouted at her daughter, her voice sharp with worry. "We're going back home!"
Maya placed her hand on her daughter's trembling hands, but before she could offer comfort, Elly hissed in pain, causing Maya to recoil as if she had been burned. "Don't... touch me," Elly whispered, her voice strained with agony.
Feeling a pang of hurt and concern, Maya gently moved away from her daughter, her heart heavy with worry. "Did that hurt you?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear.
"No... go home," Elly replied, her voice barely above a whisper, a mask of stoicism hiding the pain that gnawed at her from within.
Maya's heart ached at the distance between them, the palpable pain in Elly's voice cutting through her like a knife. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her daughter in a comforting embrace, to ease the burden that weighed so heavily on her young shoulders.
But Maya knew she had to respect Elly's boundaries, no matter how much it tore her apart inside. With a heavy sigh, she nodded slowly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Okay, El," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "We'll go home."
As they made their way back, the silence between them felt suffocating, each step echoing the weight of the unspoken words that hung heavy in the air. Maya longed to break the silence, to bridge the gap that had grown between them, but she didn't know where to begin.
When they finally reached home, Maya watched as Elly retreated to her room, a sense of helplessness washing over her. She wanted to reach out, to offer comfort and support, but she knew that Elly needed space to process whatever demons she was battling.
Alone in the quiet of the night, Maya's mind raced with worry and uncertainty. She couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that gnawed at her, the fear that she had somehow failed her daughter when she needed her most.
But as the hours passed and the night grew darker, Maya clung to a glimmer of hope. She knew that no matter how dark the night may seem, the dawn would eventually break, bringing with it a new day filled with possibilities. And until then, she vowed to stand by her daughter's side, ready to offer love, support, and unwavering strength.
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hey, I'm slowly starting to improve the chapters I wrote earlier. If you think there are any errors here, please let me know, because I just fixed it