Sisters of the Heart

"Just go, querida.", Georgiana said affectionately rubbing my cheek.

"We're all here to look after Josh. You have your show today.",said Beth. Her voice was soft and kind.

"Five minutes more, guys."

I squeezed Josh's tiny hand. He was fast asleep. His speech had been slow since yesterday and his movements, whatever little had been difficult. Doctors were trying to figure out the extent of the nerve damage due to the prolonged coma.

I was afraid he would never regain full functionality. He had been confined to bed till now and did not know that his legs were not functioning. I didn't know how to tell him.

There was knock on the door.

"May I come in?", came a strangely familiar voice.

"Jules?", Georgiana said sharply.

A pale, blond woman, with sunken cheeks entered. Jules was unrecognisable, a mere shadow of the person she used to be. I barely sucked in a gasp at her condition. She had become rail thin in the span of three months. Only her protruding belly gave any sign of her pregnancy.

"What are you doing here?", I asked, my tone harsh and unforgiving.

"I am not here to fight.", she said tiredly. " I am just here to see my nephew."

"You have no right to call him that!Get out! I am calling security right now!", Georgiana said indignantly.

"Shh!", I said but the damage was already done. The noise had woken Joshua.

"Fuck! I'm sorry.", Jules muttered.

Blinking slowly he turned his head.

"Ma-ma? Tia?", he said, his eyes wide with confusion.

Before, I could say anything, Jules stepped forward slowly.

"Hey,my sweet.", she said ruffling his black hair.

Josh's tiny arms, went around his tia. I looked away, anger seething in me.

"W-why did you n-not come to se-e me, t-tia?", he said softly while his head lay cradled on her chest.

"I am sorry, baby. I was busy. I didn't know you had woken up. I am so sorry.", she said. The corners of her eyes had gone red. She was struggling to hold back tears.

My throat had gone heavy as well.

"He needs his rest, Jules.", I said quietly.

But, she didn't listen.

"I think you will forgive me after this. You are going to be a big brother, Josh.", she whispered.

He gasped softly. His eyes grew rounded with wonder. Then a small, tremulous smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

"You are going to have a baby sister, Josh.", she said and in that moment all I wanted was this innocent child to be protected. Jules had once protected my son. How could I not love hers in return?

Hate was too complicated when it came to the ones you loved.

"M-ma?", he whispered.

" Yes, I know. I know. I am sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

Jules sniffed and rubbed her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"I have to go work, baby but I'll be back. I promise.", she said and kissed him on both cheeks.

He smiled again and she laid his head back on the pillow.

She walked away from the bed and stopped right in front of me.

" What's the diagnosis?", she asked. There was no malice in her voice. Only a strange emotion.

"He won't walk again.", I said.

Her sharp intake of breath betrayed her poise.

"And Jules.....never come back here again.", I said and held the door open.

After a while, I said to Georgiana,

" Set a trust fund up for the baby to be accessed at 18. 10000 dollars to be deposited every month until she comes of age. You, be the trustee.", I told her.

Jules' baby was innocent and she would want for nothing. I would watch over her from afar as her guardian angel.

She looked at me with respect and pity,

"You just can't help it, can you? You just can't stop loving people can you?"

"It's not easy, Georgiana. To stop loving people."

___________

"Ready?",I asked Emir.

"No, I am not. I am afraid I'll never ever be.", he answered honestly as the shadows of the stage hid his face. We stood in a quiet corner before I had to walk down the ramp with him. I was his muse tonight, created and shaped by his hands, stitched in place by the threads of his pain. It humbled me to wear his genius on my skin.

I engulfed his hands in mine. Then gently pulled it up to my heart. His palm was gently calloused and warm against my chest.

"Can you feel it?", I asked.

His eyes we're dark and intense, lost in his own purgatory.

But then he nodded slowly.

"I am afraid too. We can be afraid together. We can fear failure together. I will hold you up tonight if you fall just as I know you will when I do. That is what this means. I may not have a name for this.....this bond between us, but I can promise you, that we can fail together. We can hold onto each other."

The haunted look in his eyes, still did not recede. I breathed a prayer for him. Give him strength, I prayed. Show him the way, I begged.

"Do it for Rose, then. Do it for Liliana.", I whispered.

I felt him giving in to my tenacity. I had bought him to this moment, this terrifying moment when he would bare his creation to the world after almost disappearing from the public eye for two years.

I pulled him by the wrist after taking a deep breath. The flash of cameras almost blinded me the moment I stepped onto the stage. I looked at him. Gave him my dazzling smile. Almost careless. Mostly flirtatious. A smile that I had not given to anyone in a long, long time and I mouthed to him

What if?

He read it on my painted nude pout and his lips twitched a little. I let myself go and in the heat of moment threw my head back and laughed. Inaudible music played, as ge twirled me around the stage upto the front. We didn't know of the world. There was me wearing a magnificent ice blue silk gown, and a painstakingly hand embroidered cape with Arabic calligraphy and mosaic patterns. What was daring was that the entire front of the gown was open. My modesty was only protected by the sheer nude lining and the most magnificent piece of jewellery I had ever worn.

On my neck I won a ten-stranded pearl necklace that had been an heirloom of the Arslan family for the past 150 years. I had a sneaking suspicion that Emir was royalty. It was made up of highly prized Japanese pink pearls. There had to be atleast a good 300 of those on the necklace. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. I had never been one for jewellery preferring cars instead but I had immediately offered to buy them from Emir.

The bastard had replied cheekily,

"Sorry, they aren't for sale. My mother would have my hide if I sold them. But look on the bright side. If you marry me, they're yours automatically."

The enthusiastic claps that came from the room were probably because of the necklace.

He pulled me close by his side and we posed.

Then somebody handed him a microphone.

"Today marks the end of my two-year long hiatus from fashion. This collection was the result of the tireless work of my design team, my atelier, my production house and everyone involved in the process of bringing "Metamorphosis" to life. But, most of all, I would like thank this formidable woman who has had my back throughout this journey of coming back to myself. Ladies and gentlemen, my muse and my inspiration for this collection, Sana Bianchi. "

Bad idea. Really bad idea. I started crying on the stage. Fuck!

Giving him a tight hug we asked everyone to join the after party and the private showrooms.

All the while I could only feel like a goddamned mama hen.

Fuck! I was old.

__________

At the office

"I have news for you.", Georgiana said as she sashayed into my office.

" If it's bad news, then I have to remind you that's its not even 8 am in the morning. I haven't got enough caffeine in my system for a shit-"

"Jules overdosed. They have taken her at the hospital."

"What the fuck? Is the baby okay?", I asked already out of my seat and moving.

"I don't know. Caldron is out of it. Somebody has to do damage control, Sana.", she said, her voice frantic

On my way out, I grabbed my bag and called out to Lola who was working away at her desk.

"Tell Emir, I have to get to the hospital when he gets in. My sister just OD'd."

She cursed and stood up.

"Go! ",she said. " I will tell him and I will ask them to bring the car around. I will pray for you."

She hugged me on impulse tightly and I returned it.

Rushing out of the building, to where my car was already waiting, I thanked God for such faithful and competent staff.

"To the hospital, Myers. Fast.", I commanded as we hurried stepped inside.

Georgiana was immediately on her tablet.

" Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! ",she swore. That look meant one thing.

" The press got hold of the news? Already? Fucking hell!"

At that moment, my phone started blowing up. Journalists, no doubt. I sighed. Bloodthirsty bastards! Not a day went by, that our lives were not national gossip. Privacy was something we didn't have. This was about to turn into one big media circus, unless we did damage control.

"We have to get a statement for what happened or the rumor mill will run wild. It's bad enough as it is. Is Caldron at the hospital?"

"He is. He says there's a crowd in front of the hospital. There's no way we can get in.", she said worriedly.

"I know a way through the back, Miss Bianchi.", Myers said apparently listening to the conversation.

I thought about it for a moment. Then I said,

" We are Bianchis. We don't hide from the world. We go in through the front door."

_____________