When We Were Young

Chapter 27

Paula nervously stood in the doorway of her bedroom as she quietly watched her daughter sitting cross legged on the bed, colouring in her picture book, her small brows furrowed in concentration. Nina looked up from her book and flashed her a sunny smile and she caught her breath.

Every time she smiled at her, she saw a trace of Rafael.

“Mummy, come and see what l am colouring. It’s the sky,” she called to her in her usual bubbly voice.

Paula smiled at the excitement in her small voice. She moved away from the door frame she was leaning and strolled into the room. She sat beside her on the bed and peered at her drawings.

“Wow! This is beautiful, Nina,” she told her with an encouraging smile.

Nina looked up at her with a contagious smile.

“It’s beautiful just like you, mama.”

Her heart almost melted at her words. Her daughter had a way with words just like her father. Rafael used to make her feel so special and beautiful just by the way he looked at her and his romantic words.

“Honey, l have something to tell you,” Paula said in a hesitant voice, her heart quickening with dread.

She didn’t know how Nina was going to react to the news and it scared her. Nina stopped colouring to stare at her with her big innocent eyes.

“You remember when l told you that your dad is an important person and he travels around the world saving people ,” she started in a dry and nervous voice.

“Just like superman,” she exclaimed in an excited voice.

“Not exactly like superman. He helps the poor and sick,” she said with a smile, feeling herself relaxing a bit.

It wasn’t as hard as she first thought.

“When is he coming to see me?,” Nina asked in a hopeful voice.

“Well, he is back now and he wants to meet you tomorrow,” she replied in a voice made thick with emotions.

Nina got up from the bed and began to bounce up and down in excitement.

“Yey! My dad is coming back!,” she screamed.

“We are going to have so much fun,” she screeched still bouncing on the bed.

Paula blinked back tears seeing her daughter’s happiness. She had also betrayed her daughter by keeping her away from her father.

                                                 ~****~

The next day, she paced around her small living room, anxiously waiting for Rafael. She occasionally glanced at Nina who was seated on the couch, watching Alvin and the Chipmunks. She silently prayed that the meeting will go well.

She was glad that her mother had gone out to a casino with her friend, Xiomara and probably won’t be back till evening. Rafael and Sophia had always disliked each other. She didn’t need additional tension to ruin the day for her.

The door bell rang and she braced herself. She crossed the small room to open the door. Rafael stood on her front porch, dressed neatly in blank pants and grey T-shirt. His beard was shaved. His eyes looked nervous, as he stared back at her, holding a big brown teddy bear the size of Nina.

Like always, her heart leapt to see him.

“Hie,” he greeted her awkwardly.

“Hie,” she replied in a small voice, feeling the familiar butterflies circling her stomach.