Devoted Love, Mr. Hayes’ Darling Wife

Estrella Berrocal, although excessively sad, was no fool; although Roberto Rouco’s apparent words were for her benefit, she knew that Roberto Rouco was ultimately suspicious of her.

Still, she didn’t want to go back to The Rouco Family, nor did she want to see Olivia Montes and the others, she just wanted to go back to the place where she and Adam now belonged, to shut herself away and curl up in a corner to lick her wounds.

“Good.”

…

From the hospital she returned to The Villas of Repulse Bay and Dulcina Calvo, restless, followed her.

“Estrella, I’d better sleep with you for a few days, I’m afraid Olivia Montes and that evil sister of yours will come to your door to bully you!”.

Estrella Berrocal said, “Felipa is still at home, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Can I not worry about you when you’re like this? It’s a deal, I’ll stay with you for a few days and when you’re stable, I’ll leave you alone.”

Felipa smiled and said, “Third Young Grandmother, since Miss Dulcina wants to stay, you can let her stay, the thing is that you have a good relationship and it will make you feel better to talk in the evenings.”

Estrella Berrocal did not refuse again, but spoke very little and did not address Dulcina Calvo, who said many words before Estrella Berrocal returned them in a subdued voice.

In the last few days she had stopped crying and talking about Adán Rouco, but it was as if she had been driven out of her mind, she ate at lunchtime and slept at bedtime, it was as normal as it could be.

On the day of Adán Rouco’s funeral, the sky was pouring with rain.

Estrella Berrocal, dressed in black, stood under a black umbrella and watched Adán Rouco’s clothes being buried.

Paulita hugged Estrella Berrocal around the waist, her little face red with tears, and asked, scared and sad: “Estrella, what happened to daddy? Is it true that daddy died?”.

Estrella Berrocal knelt down and hugged Paulita tightly, “Don’t be afraid, daddy just keep watching over us in another way, we all have to be strong.”

Paulita sobbed: “But I miss daddy…. Star I love daddy…”

The little girl’s eyes fell in a torrent of tears that made Estrella Berrocal’s heart pound, she took a deep breath and held back the tears, her voice trailing off as she said, “Okay Paulita, don’t cry.”

“Ooooooooooooooooooo …”

Dulcina Calvo watched with tears falling from her eyes as Esteban Zaragosa took her in his arms.

As the grave was sealed, Estrella Berrocal hugged Paulita and closed her eyes tightly.

After the funeral, Roberto Rouco wanted to take Paulita with him: “Paulita, go home with Grandpa”.

Paulita clung to Estrella Berrocal and refused to let go: “Grandfather, I want to stay with mom!

Estrella Berrocal’s heart fluttered: “Mom?

Would Paulita finally call her mom?

Estrella Berrocal looked at the little girl with reddened eyes, “Paulita, what did you just call me…?”

“Mommy.” The little girl’s mouth was flat and her eyes were watery.

Estrella Berrocal hugged her and the tears she had been holding back finally fell, but she had to convince Paulita to go back to Roberto Rouco.

Roberto Rouco was suspicious of her and would not let her return to the Rouco family, she was living in the villas of Repulse Bay and could not concentrate on Paulita, much less take her to and from school. She was afraid that if Paulita went with her to The Villas of Repulse Bay, she would leave the little girl out in the open, which would be bad.

“Paulita, be good, first you go home to live with grandpa, mom…. Mommy will come to see you in a few days, okay?”.

“Don’t you love Paulita anymore, Mommy?”.

Estrella Berrocal reached out and wiped her tear-stained face. “Why not, mommy is not going to stop loving Paulita, it’s just that mommy just lost her daddy and is in a bad mood and is afraid she won’t be able to take care of Paulita.”

Paulita then gave up, sniffling and saying, “Then you must come see me when you are in a better mood!”.

“Yes, when mom is well adjusted, I will take Paulita to stay with mom.”

“Mmm! Hook!”

Paulita stretched out her little finger and Estrella Berrocal extended her hand and pinched a stamp with it.

As Roberto Rouco carried Paulita away, Paulita looked back at Estrella Berrocal leaning on her old man’s shoulder, and Estrella Berrocal burst into tears, but reached out her hand and greeted Paulita anyway, with a small smile playing on her lips.

…

The seventh night of Adán Rouco’s departure.

On the seventh day, late at night, at twelve o’clock, it was said that by lighting candles in the room, the deceased would be reunited with their loved ones.

Estrella Berrocal lit a bunch of white candles in her bedroom, with no light in the room, just candlelight.

Estrella Berrocal opened the window and drew the curtains, so that Adam could return.NôvelDrama.Org © 2024.

He stood in front of the candles.

“Adam, do you want to come back this way?”

“Adam, will you be back soon?”

Tears slipped from her eyes and she took a deep breath, interrupting and talking to herself.

“I’ll take Paulita well from now on, don’t worry.”

“You still don’t know if the baby in my belly is a boy or a girl, and I don’t know.”

“I’m afraid I won’t be a good daughter-in-law for The Rouco family, if only you were there…”

Estrella Berrocal pressed the diamond ring on the ring finger of her left hand and pressed it to her heart.

“Adam, come back, let me see you one last time, okay…”

Tears blurred his vision.

On the other side of the window, in the winter night, a strong wind blew and blew the candle away, enveloping it in tongues of flame that burned the raised curtains.

When Estrella Berrocal looked up, the fire had gone up in smoke.

Estrella Berrocal rushed to pour water on it, but the fire was so strong that she ran out of the house, covering her nose.

Felipa also woke up: “Third Young Grandmother, what’s wrong? Oh my God, there’s a fire!”

Felipa got Estrella Berrocal out of the chalet immediately, but the firemen arrived just in time to prevent the fire from spreading, and half the night was a riot.

Estrella Berrocal sat on the living room sofa, distressed.

Felipa was startled: “Third Young Grandmother, you say, why do you light candles in your room in the middle of the night?”.

Estrella Berrocal did not speak, as if she were mute.

Felipa called Dulcina Calvo, who arrived in a cab in the middle of the night, and was surprised to see Estrella Berrocal frozen on the couch. “Estrella!

Estrella Berrocal bit her lip, with a dirty face, slowly looked at Dulcina Calvo and said, “Dulcina, why hasn’t Adam appeared even though I lit the candles on the seventh day?”

“Star …”

Estrella Berrocal wept helplessly, “I lit many, many candles but Adam still did not return …. why … why is this …”

Dulcina Calvo reached out her hand to wipe his face and cajoled her, “Maybe, maybe he’s back, you just haven’t seen him …. Look, there was a flash fire, but you didn’t get hurt, it must have been Adam Rouco who protected you, starting the fire, because he wanted to tell you he was back. ”

As soon as Felipa heard that, she also sat up and said consolingly, “Yes, Third Young Grandmother, Miss Dulcina was right, the Third Young Master must have sensed that you were waiting for him and came closer again.”

Estrella Berrocal ducked her head for a long moment before saying quietly, “Actually, I know that when people die, there’s nothing left … but I just want to believe in ghosts and gods for a while, I just want to see Adam one more time.”