Jill Malik P.O.V
"You're not going back to that douchebag! I don't approve !" 4
Aunt Lydia yelled in the speaker, I had to hold my phone away from my ear for a second. Geez, this
woman. 5
"Tía," I sighed, massaging my temples. "I forgave him and Amari needs her father. I cannot keep her
away from him."
"I don't care if you forgave him!" She hissed angrily. "He will never get my blessings. Not over my dead
body!"
I gasped and covered my mouth with my hand. Amari who was playing in the corner, looked up at me
confused. "Don't say that tía, you should learn how to forgive people. Life is too short," I took a deep
breath and continued, "People deserve second chances."
Aunt Lydia scoffed and in the background I heard the shuffling of chairs. "So you tell me that rapists
and murderers deserve second chances. For someone who graduated with a bachelor degree you sure
are dumb if it comes to love." 1
"Tía !," I was so tired of her mocking me. Yes, I get it, she doesn't like Flynn anymore. She hated him
and called him a manwhore. She couldn't believe what he did to me and she was so close to mutilate
his balls. Good thing he lived in the states and she lived in Barcelona. 7
"You cannot compare a cheater to a rapist or murderer. That's like comparing a house and a chicken. I
know he kissed that woman, but---," I paused for a second, "He's my soulmate, tía. We are meant to
be."14
The laugh that I heard from the other side of the line sounded so false, I wanted to vomit. "Soulmate?!
Do you even hear yourself, child! He's nothing but a cheating bastard. Once a cheater, always a
cheater. He will do it again!"4
"Be reasonable tía!" I yelled through the speaker. Amari looked up at me and there was fear in her
eyes. I hurriedly walked over to her and said in a soothing voice: "It's okay, princess. I'm not mad at
you. I'll be back in a minute okay? Stay in the bedroom."
I walked outside to the balcony and continued, "When I was younger I did a lot of stuff I regretted later
on and---,"
Aunt Lydia interrupted me. " You said it yourself! When you were younger. Flynn was an adult for god
sake! I don't know when you will realize that, Chica!"
"I believe in second chances, tía. Life is to complicated to get everything right the first time and I don't
want one mistake to ruin a beautiful thing."
I heard Aunt Lydia sigh on the other side of the line. "And do you want to know what I believe in? I
believe that relationships should always have second chances. Always, hija. But the exception is
cheating. Never take someone back who cheats."25
"I don't believe in that, tía." I answered stubbornly. "I don't want to talk about this anymore with you. You
don't understand me. Where's Milan?"
"No I don't, chica. You want to go back to a cheater. A c-h-e-a-t-e-r, he broke your heart! Of course I will
not understand!" Aunt Lydia sighed and I heard a soft murmur in the background. "Do you want to talk
to mommy, Milan?"2
There was a pause and then I heard Aunt Lydia's voice again. "He's drawing and he doesn't want to be
disturbed. Maybe you can call again later. He miss Pearl."
Milan called Amari, Pearl. When I was pregnant with Amari I got a seashell with a pearl from Reina.
Milan found it so beautiful, that he asked me the meaning of a pearl. I could still hear his demanding
voice in my ears. "What is a pearl mommy? It is so beautiful. Tell me mommy, what is a pearl." 3
When Amari was born and he saw her, his eyes lit up like fireworks. His lips curled into a smile as he
leaned in to kiss her on her rosy cheeks. "She looks like a pearl mommy. The one you have in your
room. Can I call her pearl?"2
He never called her Amari. It was always pearl or baby sister.
"Pearl miss him too. I will let you guys come over very soon. Or maybe Amari and I will come to
Barcelona. I'll see if the time comes." I said softly.
"That's great, hija. I miss you too very much. You know that I always want the best for you."
"Then why can't you forgive Flynn?" I asked staring down from the balcony. Cars were passing by, it
was rush hour.
"Don't even mention his name," Aunt Lydia said through gritted teeth. "I don't want to hear anything
about that douchebag."
"Goodbye tía," Suddenly I didn't want to talk to her any longer. It hurts that Aunt Lydia cannot forgive
Flynn. 9
"Bye, chica. Don't forget to call later to talk to Milan." She reminded me.
"I will not forget."
I ended the call and walked back inside the bedroom. My eyes searched for Amari, but I couldn't find
her. Oh god, where the hell did she go?
I walked out of the bedroom and I heard noises coming from the kitchen. When I entered the kitchen
Amari was on top of the table, eating cereal straight out of the box. Milk was dripping from all corners of
the box. I looked down at the floor and there was a huge puddle with milk next to a open bottle of milk I
bought yesterday. 7
Oh. my. god.
..........
"What did she do?" Reina bursted out laughing as I told her about the cereal and milk. I spent the
whole afternoon cleaning up the mess Amari made. I couldn't stay mad at her, not when she was
batting her eyelashes and pouting her lips at me.2
"It's not funny." I said as I quietly closed the door of the bedroom. Amari fell asleep half an hour ago
and since I didn't want to wake her up I sneaked quietly out of the bedroom. "Wait until you get yours.
You will deal with the same things."
"Oh please no!" Reina yelled out on the other side of the line. "I hope he or she will be a nice sweet
baby."
I chuckled and sat down on the couch. "There's no such thing as nice sweet baby, Reina. They all cry,
poop, and eat."
"Please don't start! Anyways how are things going over there? Is everything alright between Flynn and
you?" She asked.
"He wants us back."
There was a second of silent. Followed by a squeal. "He does?! That's amazing! Amari will have her
dad, you will have your man. Such a happily ever after."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't forget that he cheated on me and Aunt Lydia can't forgive him. I'm so confused
Rei, I want to give him a second chance. But I don't know."
"What do you want? If you want to give him a second chance, you should. Life is too short, live in the
moment."6
"I want too, but at the same time I'm afraid." I answered honestly. "I'm afraid that he's going to do the
same thing again. It will make me a fool."
"Being a fool is not always bad, you know." Reina said and groaned, "Jesus, the baby is awake and is
not giving me a good time....Ah! The baby just kicked." I could hear the happiness in her voice. I can
imagine her smiling as she rubbed her belly. "What did I say again? Oh yeah, if he does the same thing
again, he is a fool. Not you. Remember that."
"I don't know. I really don't know." I sighed and put my feet on the table. "I'm torn between giving a
chance and not giving at all. Will it be unfair to Amari?"
"Unfair? No, of course not. Having a child does not mean that two people should be together."
"I told him that." I said.
"Do you love him? Reina asked suddenly.
"How crazy it may sound. Yes, I do. I actually do."
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