Always Been You

~Lola~

The scorching sun, resembling a rapacious despot, carelessly let loose its lethal heat upon the waves of the ocean, which was then followed by a chilling breeze from autumn. I was standing on my balcony and staring off toward the horizon as I did so. The balcony has now become my favorite spot. I stood by the balcony as the gentle breeze blew the seemingly endless dunes further and further into the distance. In the dry Ozarks, waves of hot air mingled with the seasonal chill, causing sandstorms that occasionally blocked out the sun itself. These storms were caused by a combination of the season’s natural coolness and the hot air. As I gazed lower down, the earth took on the color and appearance of sand, which, on a nice day, I would have liked nothing better than to run my bare hands through. I heaved a sigh of relief and reached for another book to read. But as I continued to read the book to the babies, I noticed that I was beginning to feel a bit chilly, so I moved to a seat that was closer to the fireplace. While I continued to consume my tea and read the book, I stroked my stomach at various points throughout the procedure. I was cursing at how good the Earl Grey tea was because I knew I would be making frequent trips to the restroom tonight. My teapot was almost empty, and I was cursing at how delicious the tea was. I closed the children’s book and headed up the stairs. I did not waste any time getting to bed, and I let the night take control.

I let out a groan when the sound of booming thunder filled the room and lightning flashed through the narrow space in the curtain. It was impossible to get any sleep because of the heavy rain that was falling. I tried everything I could think of to stay asleep while I tossed and turned in bed. Then I had the realization that I was going to get a cold soon. Since I was going to be staying by myself with no one to look after me, I made sure I took care of myself and wore warm clothing at all times. Why the rapid drop in temperature? I had to force myself to get up several times throughout the night to check to see if any of the windows were open. To my surprise, I found that all the windows were open; nevertheless, the rain was able to keep out of the house. I was so irresponsible that I wanted to curse myself. My entire body began to shake, and I found myself beginning to back down a little bit. I tried to get back to sleep, but my body wasn’t producing enough heat. I sighed deeply and walked over to the fireplace, where I wrapped myself in a blanket. I positioned myself on the couch so that I was somewhat near the fireplace. The memories that I desperately tried to block out came rushing back to me like the torrential downpour that was occurring outside. I didn’t know what was wrong, but all of a sudden, I started crying.

Why am I torturing myself in this way? I made a pact with myself that I wouldn’t cry over someone who didn’t appreciate me, and I intend to keep that promise. Why am I crying at this moment? As I stroked my stomach, the realization that I was completely by myself rushed through my head. I was alone, and no one was there to assist me or look out for my well-being. I am currently ill, but no one is available to help me. I just have myself to rely on. I couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my face. I didn’t give it much thought before pulling out my phone and calling Dante. I hid the caller ID. However, it came as a surprise that he picked.

Dante: Hello!

I was just speechless. This is beyond what I can handle. Should I tell him I’m pregnant? Should I remind him of the promise he broke? Should I inquire whether or not he has eaten yet? Can I tell him I’m not well? I was having a lot of things go through my head, and it was getting to the point where I couldn’t even breathe properly.

Dante: Hello!

The only thing I did was listen as the other person continued to greet me. But I am sure that they could hear my sobs. They were out of it, but if you listened closely, you could make out that the other person was crying their eyes out. After that, all of a sudden, he called my name.

Dante: Lola, Lola, is that you?

I was unable to respond to him, so I ended the call instead. I don’t think he’ll bother to call back. It’s likely that he dropped the phone on the floor and shattered it. There are simply a lot of things that haven’t been spoken about between the two of us. Broken promises and treachery, I’m no better. I escaped with his children in tow because we wanted to preserve peace. While I was carrying his children, it was unbearable for me to watch him with Candice because I was the one who was carrying his children. I was unable to, and I was aware that this was the penalty I had to pay for not being able to say no. A penalty that I had to pay for being a selfless person. I flung the phone on the couch and immediately started crying. My stuffy nose was made worse by sobbing, and my sobs made my cold symptoms even worse. I am unable to contact anyone for assistance. I couldn’t move. My body suddenly grew heavy. What may be causing me to feel this way? Although I am currently situated in close proximity to a fireplace and, hence, ought to be feeling better, I am completely paralyzed right now. I was completely at a loss for what to do. My forehead was soaked with sweat at this point. Who do I call? I can’t call Dante. I tried to reach out to my phone again, but I failed. I kicked myself for not thinking about asking Mason for his phone number. I couldn’t anymore, so I gave in to sleep.

~Mason’s POV~

I have no idea what is going on, but one thing is certain: I am not a fool. I can perceive Lola’s feelings of loss through her eyes. I just want to be friends with her, and I don’t think it would be cool at all for me to ask her about what occurred between her and her husband. But I have faith that she will eventually let her guard down. She seems to be a kind and interesting person who has a tale to tell. I went to the kitchen and made some soup. Because it is so chilly today, a bowl of soup will have to do. Although I was preoccupied with serving myself the soup, I couldn’t help but think of my sneaky little helper. I took a food warmer and a dish out for her, then headed out and drove to her house. The gate was open. I suppose that she did not remember to lock it before driving in. However, as I was pulling my vehicle into the parking lot, I noticed that my sister had also pulled in. How did June know Lola? I exited the vehicle and walked toward her.

“June, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see Lola. I had been calling her, and she was not picking up, so I was worried that she lived alone.”

“You’ve met Lola?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“When we met, she was at the mall doing some shopping, so I knew she was new in town, and we immediately exchanged telephone numbers. Because she is pregnant and lives alone, I became concerned when she did not answer the phone when I contacted her.”

“Well, I came to drop this off for her. Let’s head in.”

June and I headed toward the door. We rang the doorbell a couple of times, but no one answered. Even June tried to get in touch with her via phone, but she did not pick up her phone. I was forced to take drastic action and smash the door in. I gave the door a few good kicks, and it eventually opened. June and I went inside together. The house was huge, and we didn’t even know where to start looking for her. I’m confused as to why she would get such a big house for only herself to live in. Because the property contained a large number of bedrooms, we were forced to break apart in order to search in all of the different areas. After our search, we were unable to locate her, and we began to question whether or not it was appropriate for us to break into her home. But then we noticed that the fireplace was lit, and as we drew closer, we saw that Lola was perspiring heavily while sitting on one of the chairs, which indicated that she had a fever that was rather high. I used one of the blankets to wrap her up, and then I took her to the nearest hospital.

Where the fuck is her husband? Her ring looks very expensive. The cost of the home she purchased is significant. The cost of the vehicle she is driving is significant. Why on earth would her husband want to leave her all by herself when she was carrying not one but three babies? Does the man even know the whereabouts of his wife? Is Lola running away from someone? Is she running away from her husband?

A lot of thoughts are going through my mind. I don’t know if I should protect her or ask her what’s going on. But it is all too soon. Will I be in trouble for caring for her? Lola looks harmless. I will have to get her to tell me her story because she can’t continue to stay alone in her condition.