Nicole couldn’t believe what she was hearing, this felt like a dream, her parents, especially her mom never defended her before, they never took her side, they always picked Nat over her, her mom only ever said Jean things to her.
“I don’t know mom, everything hurt so bad,”
She let out.
“I know, it hurt but you will be fine, I promise,”
"Mom,"
She cried hugging her mom, her mother hugged her back, this was the first time since she became an adult that she was receiving this kind of attention from her parents, her first real hug with her mom, it felt surreal, yes this whole situation was horrible but if it means getting back together with her parents then she didn't mind so much, she has always wanted this even though she never shows it, she always wanted her parents to love her and care about her feelings and they were doing that now.
"I am sorry Mom, dad, but I love him, I love him so much, that's why it hurt so much,"
"I understand you, princess, Rafael is pretty much a fine-looking man and he is well mannered too, it is a shocker if you didn't,"
Her dad said, her parents comforted her and made sure she was fine before they left her alone.
When her parents left her, she decided to go for a walk, she hasn't been out of the house for two weeks and wanted to receive some fresh air, she dressed the way she usually those, as Nicole not Natalie, she was happy to finally stred that identity and pick up hers, of course that means no more Rafael but it was fine, she was going to be just fine, she took a walk out of their mansion into the estate, walking through a part she was familiar with, she had a place in mind, a place the residents of the estate mostly never visited, she hadn't seen much people in that area, she walked for close to fifteen minutes before the arrived at her location, she stated at the beautiful lake that she hadn't been to in over five months, even more than that, she walked the familiar part of the lake, it was an artificial lake that was out there by the original owners of the lands, but as people kept buying the land and building houses in them, they didn't temper with it and she was grateful for that, this was her secret place, she has come here a lot especially those times when her parents threw parties at their mansion and she didn't want to be involved, she was never involved, she sat down in the grass, since she came back she lost the will to do anything, not even draw or paint, the third day after she returned she had gone into her studio but it didn't feel like it was hers anymore, she missed the one at Rafael's, the one he gifted her as their wedding present, his thought always made her sad and wanting.
"Just try and forget about it, okay?"
The tiny voice in her head whispered, for the first time in a while it was comforting her.
"I can't, I love him, I don't think I can't get over him,"
"Yes, you can, you just have to try,"
"I don't know,"
She replied wiping off the tears in her eyes, she should do well and return to reality, the reality that Rafael would never want anything to do with her again. She sat in the quiet environment until the sun started getting hot, she stood up and walked back home, going into her room, she took a bath and decided to try and do some work today and familiarise herself with her studio again, she wasn't going to leave her parents house again, she misunderstood them and they deserve a second chance.
Three days after the talk with her parents, Nicole found some kind of peace, it couldn't be called much of peace but her parents reaction to the whole thing had been totally different, even when she had told them she was in love with Rafael, they had understood, when he mom had hugged her, it had been everything, she has taken comfort in them, they always checked on her and she was grateful, her dad told her he will do something and make sure Rafael doesn't drag her name into the mud but she didn't want him to do anything to Rafael, she couldn't watch him go through anything bad, she just wanted to move on, she stared at the evening sky wondering how Rafael was and what he was doing at this time, if they were still together they would either be in bed together or he might still be at work, she wished they was a way to mend this so that she can have him back, her phone rang, bring her out of her thoughts, she looked at it and almost jumped off her seat when she saw the caller, he was calling her, maybe it was a mistake like last time, so she let it ring without taking it, but then he called back, once could be a mistake but twice, not so, maybe he wanted to tell her he had their divorce papers ready, she sadly picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Baby?"
Okay, she didn't expect that and had to double-check to make sure she was hearing right, he just called her baby, or maybe he was drunk? That could be it.
"Rafael?"
"When are you coming back home, I miss having you around,"
"Are you sure you are okay Rafael?"
"I am, I just miss you so damn much and want you back, I don't mind if you are not you, I just want you here,"
He said, she couldn't let herself fall for it or believe it, no and he was drunk, that was it, it was the alcohol talking, he didn't miss her, God, he didn't even know her.
"I am just going to hang up Rafael,"
She said but he stopped her.
"Please,"