Chapter 220 - Waterworks

Persephone was half asleep when she felt someone pulling sheets off her body. She didn't need to ask who it was as she could recognise this scent anywhere. Feeling a dip in the mattress, she moved towards the source of warmth. 

"Go back to sleep," Santiago murmured as her back hit his chest. 

"Hug me," Persephone demanded. 

Santiago placed her head on his arms and put his hand on her stomach, caressing her in the process. Persephone changed her position facing him. She saw his eyes were closed and he was still dressed in his clothes. 

She wiped his tensed frown on her forehead. She wondered how many secrets he might be keeping from her but she knew that she needed to trust him. There are things they couldn't share and she understood it more than anyone. 

Santiago caught her wandering hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. 

Persephone, who couldn't fall asleep now, smiled at his cute gesture and snaked her arms around his neck before putting a wet kiss on his eyes, nose and lips. 

She didn't notice how a smile bloomed on his face when she closed her eyes and buried her head in his embrace. 

She didn't know when she fell asleep again. But it was nearly afternoon the next day when she woke up. After freshening up, she went out of her room to find Cameron and Santiago playing in the garden. Lara was playing with Emy and her dolls. 

"Lara, where is Santiago?" Persephone questioned her with furrowed brows. She remembered that Santiago came home and it wasn't part of her imagination. 

"He has to leave immediately," Lara informed her. "And Miss Vitello left with him. They said they would be back in a few hours." 

"Did they go to see Ellison in the hospital?" Persephone suddenly questioned. 

Lara smiled at her. "They didn't tell me anything more than that they would be back in a few hours." 

Persephone's happy mood fell as she lay down on the couch. She didn't feel like walking. She was feeling down for no reason. Switching on the TV, she began watching some local soap operas. She has grown badly addicted to these soap operas. 

Lara, who came with a plate of food, started to see Persephone crying while watching TV. 

"Percy, what happened to you? Are you in pain?" Lara questioned as she saw the latter start crying even more seeing her. 

Emy, who was playing with her dolls, wobbled her lips too, seeing Persephone uncontrollably crying. 

"Ah, sweetie, don't cry," Lara began consoling Emy who was on the verge of crying. 

"What happened, Percy?" Cameron, who was playing with Santiago in the garden, came inside only to find Persephone crying when Lara was consoling another crying girl. He couldn't see Persephone cry as his thoughts always went to the time when he had seen her giving up on her life. That deadly scene was still etched in his mind.

"Are you hurt?" Cameron asked her once again. 

Persephone managed to shake her head and wiped her tears by the sleeve of her top. She even wiped her running nose with her sleeve. 

"My heart hurts," Persephone said while sniffling. Pointing at the TV, she cursed while crying," Angela is refusing to marry Marco, the guy who loves her so much and choosing to marry the jerk Male lead Guissipie. How can they torture my lucky second male lead? What do they take the second male lead for?" More tears trickled down her cheeks as they all saw a very beautiful woman on TV wearing a white wedding gown leaving an insanely handsome man for a narcissistic one. "Angela! You bitch! Can't you see how much Marco loves you?!"

"Jesus Christ!" Lara couldn't help but scold her. "You are crying for this dumb woman? How many times have I told you not to cry for unnecessary things?"

Persephone paused crying for a moment as she looked at a very angry Lara and blinked her eyes when the latter's anger didn't subdue, she burst into tears once again. 

"It's not my fault," Persephone sobbed. "I am an emotional mess! I can't keep my emotions in check. I don't want to cry but they don't stop at all." 

Lara's expression softened as she hugged her and rubbed her back. "It's okay. Crying is not bad. But you must tell us if you are in pain. We are here for you. So, you have to tell us if something wrong happened. You don't have to be strong, Percy. It's alright if you are not feeling well. You are nourishing a life inside you. It's not easy at all." 

Now, this was Persephone's cue for more waterworks. Poor Cameron and two other kids didn't know why she was even crying but seeing her uncomfortable was making them uneasy too. 

"My back hurts," Persephone began with more tears. "My legs are cramping. I can't stop the pain. My ankles are swollen. I can't walk. I cannot sit." 

"Hush, you will be alright. I will massage your legs for you, "Lara was talking to her as if she was a baby. To be honest, Persephone was like a baby to her. A baby who was growing a baby inside herself. She has gotten too attached to this girl that she couldn't bear to see her in pain. 

"Cameron, go bring a hot water bottle, "Lara said to Cameron while pointing at the kitchen. " Ask Mrs Rosa where it is placed." 

Cameron nodded, running towards the kitchen as Lara massaged her legs. 

"Now are you feeling well?" Lara asked. 

Persephone nodded her head. 

Half an hour later, Valencia and Santiago returned home. When they saw Persephone laid on the couch with Lara massaging her legs, they passed for a moment. 

Santiago saw dried streaks of tears on her cheeks and furrowed his brows. Taking large strides, he reached her. He put her head on his lap and caressed her cheek. 

"Why were you crying?" Santiago asked with a frown. 

Persephone opened her big glossy green eyes but didn't say anything. But she knew if she opened her mouth only a sob would come out. 

"What happened, Red?" Santiago asked her softly. "Why were you crying?"

"She is hurt," Junior said, looking at him. "Her heart hurts." 

"Heart hurts?" Santiago gazed up at him in confusion. 

Junior nodded his head. "Her heart hurts because of Mr Marco." 

"Mr Marco?" Santiago repeated the name. He couldn't bring himself to ask his wife who this Marco was because he had promised that he wouldn't force her into something she wanted. If it was Marco she wanted, he couldn't possibly stop her, right? Even though it was hurting him the most right now. 

Junior nodded his head once again. "He is a very handsome and ethical man." 

Valencia, who couldn't understand how her son know about this Marco guy Persephone was crying for asked, "How did you know Mr Marco, love?"

Junior blinked his big blue eyes at her. "We saw him on TV. Percy was crying because Miss Angela refused to marry Mr Marco for some bad Mr Guisippe. Mom, we will watch that show regularly when we go home." 

It was Santiago's turn to be bewildered. When realization finally dawned on him he blinked his eyes only to look at Persephone in utter amazement. "You were crying for that dumb show again?"

"Lara, my legs hurt again," Persephone cried, averting her gaze from his face. 

Santiago took a deep breath to deal with this crazy woman.

"Percy, how about you eat something first?" Lara said in a tone of concern. "You haven't had a bite of food in your stomach since last night." 

Santiago looked at the time and then at Persephone. "You didn't even have food?"

Persephone wobbled her lips as Emy did earlier. 

Santiago sighed. Taking her in his arms, he turned to his room. "Miss Lara, please bring food into the room. And cook something lighter." 

Santiago placed her on the bed again and started massaging her legs the way Lara was doing a moment ago. He had done it several times to learn the techniques. 

"How is Alicia?" Persephone asked him. 

"She is fine now," Santiago answered. "She will be discharged tomorrow. Valencia will be going back to the hospital to look after her as Emma returned with us to rest." 

"Was she seriously ill?" Persephone asked him. 

"Yeah," Santiago nodded. "But she will be fine now. All she needs is proper care and a nutritious diet." 

"Emy is missing her mom now," Persephone sighed. "I hope that Alicia's health recovers soon and she can enjoy her vacation here with us. Who knows when she will return here to sightsee?!"

Santiago tickled her nose. "Aren't you too deep into the role of hostess?"

"What do you mean the role of hostess? I'm the madam of this house. If they come to visit us, isn't it natural that I will be the hostess?" Persephone glared at him. Narrowing her eyes at him, she asked, "Santiago Vitello, are you refusing to accept me as your wife?!"

"Wait what?" Santiago looked at her in bewilderment. "When did I say that?!"