The words had been forming in his mind ever since he had calmed down from his panic attack. Max had realised that there were too many reminders of Alex in this house and that both of them loved him too much to be able to move on with all this around them.
It had to be even more difficult for Alina, who had now lost two, three if one counted her father, family members in this house. And it looked like she hadn't even moved on from her mother or father yet.
It was evident in quite a few things Alina did. She obviously hadn't gotten over her mother since she hated the disease that had taken her with a vengeance. And Max had seen Alina get a ghostly look more than once when she entered his and Alex's room, which had been her mother's.
Alina also hadn't moved on from their father. It was because of him that she hated the mafia world and everything related to it. Because of him that she purposely stayed in this little village, even though she was suffocating here. And probably it was her hate for her father which had led her to take her mother's maiden name. Alina had said that Alex had been obsessed with their father, but it looked like Alina was also obsessed with him. Obsessed with trying to become as different to the man who was her father as she could. Of course it didn't help that she was a lot like her father.
Max realised that Alina hadn't responded to his question when he pulled himself out of his thoughts. He turned his head a bit to see her eyes closed and head resting on the back of the sofa. "Looks like she fell asleep. She must be tired, it was a lot of work, arranging the funeral and the service. And it wasn't like I was much help." Max muttered to himself as he too closed his eyes.
Contrary to what Max thought, Alina wasn't asleep. In fact she lay awake long after Max had drifted off to dreamland. Alina had been laying her head back and resting her eyes when Max had asked the question about moving out. It had caught her so much off guard that Alina had frozen. By the time she had recovered enough to respond, Max had already assumed she was asleep.
And Alina hadn't corrected his assumption, because she had no idea how to answer his question. Move out? Alina had never thought about it. This house was her whole world, the only world she had ever known. But it was true, there were too many reminders of all that she had lost here.
Maybe it would do her some good if she went away. But how could she? It would be like abandoning her mother and Alex. Alina lay awake pondering the question till she saw the sky beginning to lighten from the windows.
The next two days passed as usual. With Alina and Max now training even harder than before to ensure that all of Alina's moves, mannerisms, and even her voice were exactly like Alex. Neither of them wanted to leave any scope of their being recognised.
"Are you all right Alina?" Max asked from across the dining table, where the two of them sat having dinner.