Page 142 of Tell Me What You Want, Or Leave Me

“The only reason I didn’t tell you earlier is because Eric forbade it. But on the third day, I ignored him. You had to know what was happening.”

I’m grateful for this detail.

The tension between us is thick.

“Judith, I want you to know things have been very clear to me for a long time,” she says. “Eric is a happily married man, and I won’t go there.”

“I’m glad to know that,” I reply. That’ll make our lives easier.

She smiles and points to a man in a suit in an impressive Audi A8.

“I have to go. He’s waiting for me.”

Moving quickly, I plant a kiss on each of her cheeks. We look at each other. Her telling me about Eric and my giving her two kisses means we’re at peace.

I watch her from the hospital door, how she wiggles her hips for the man in the Audi, gets in, and kisses him.

When I return to Eric’s room, he’s working on his laptop and smiles when he sees me.

He’s looking better, and I kiss him.

“I love you,” I say.

Two days later, we’re back in Munich.

Home sweet home!

Having all my things at hand, my bed, and my bathroom are what I need most.

When Flyn and Simona see Eric, their faces say it all.

They’re horrified.

I understand their alarm; Eric’s eyes look scary.

“Easy, although he looks like the evil vampire fromTwilightwith those eyes, I swear it’s Eric! And he won’t bite your necks.”

My comment relaxes them a bit.

Flyn hugs his uncle.

“Are you going to get better, or is this the way you are now?” he asks.

“He’ll be fine,” I say.

“I hope so,” Eric murmurs, his arm around his nephew.

I don’t say more. I know that, even if he’s not talking about it, my German is concerned. You just have to see how he looks at himself in the mirror. I just hope the medication manages to drain the blood and everything resolves by itself. My father always says, positivity calls forth positivity. Therefore, I’m positive!

That night, when we sit down for dinner, we ask Norbert and Simona to join us for dessert. We need to talk to them. When we tell them the good news about my pregnancy, Flyn shouts.

“I’m going to have a cousin! How cool!”

“You’re going to be a big brother, and we’ll need you to teach him many things,” I say. Everyone looks at me. “Flyn is my child, and Medusa will be too.”

“Medusa?” Simona and Flyn ask in unison.

Norbert smiles. Eric does too. I point to my flat belly.

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