Chapter 23: "I promise"
Flashback
7 Years Ago Alexandro's Villa
The morning sun had long risen, but a room remained cold and dark. Fifteen years Gael sat motionless on his bed, clutching a photo frame to his chest. In the picture, a beautiful woman smiled softly—jet-black shoulder-length hair, big blue eyes, and porcelain skin. Just like him.
"Oh, Mommy… I miss you so much," he whispered, tears falling onto the glass. "It's all my fault. If I had just kept those papers away, the fire wouldn't have spread. You'd still be alive… I killed you both. It's all my fault…"
He had been three years when the fire incident occured. He was still small, but the memory was crystal clear.
That day began like any other. He had woken from a nap and found the house too quiet. Climbing out of bed, his tiny feet hit the cold floor. "Mommy? Mommy?" he called out, shuffling through the hallway.
He peeked into his parents' room. No sign of her. He knew Daddy was at work, but still… the house felt different. Then he heard it—the sound of someone throwing up.He turned toward the bathroom door just as it opened.
There she was.
His mother pale, tired, but smiling.
"Kyle, what are you doing here?" she asked softly.
Only she called him Kyle, or sometimes just "Gael." He hated hearing his middle name from anyone else.
"Mommy, are you sick?" he asked, eyes wide.
"No, baby. I'm not."
"But I heard you throwing up! You're sick! Why are you lying?" he accused, his little face scrunched up.
Annabelle froze, stunned by his boldness. Then, she let out a sigh and led him to the bed.
"Fine. But promise me—you won't tell your dad, okay?"
"I promise, Mommy. I won't tell Daddy. Or Leo. Or Iv," he said proudly.
"Okay, son." She placed his tiny hand gently on her stomach. They sat like that for a while until Gael's eyes lit up in surprise.
"Mommy! I think something kicked me!"
Annabelle laughed. "That's your little sister."
"Sissy?" he echoed.
"No, 'sister.' Just like you, but you'll be older, and you'll have to take care of her."
"Like Iv and Lis?" he asked.
"Exactly," she smiled, then pointed to her belly. "But she's still in here for now."
Gael fell quiet for a moment, clearly thinking hard. "Mommy… what's her name?"
"Oh, right," Annabelle chuckled. "I haven't thought of that. Why don't we pick one now?""You first, Mommy," he said, laying on the bed beside her.
"Okay…" She hugged him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go. "Nelly," she finally whispered.
"Nelly? I like it!" he beamed. But then his face fell. "But I can't think of a name for her…"
"That's okay, baby. You have time." She pulled him into another hug.
They stayed like that, sharing a quiet moment;hearts full of hope.
*Boom.*
A loud noise echoed from outside.
Annabelle sat up quickly. "I'll go check what that was."
"No, Mommy, don't go!" Gael pleaded, tears already forming.
"I'll be back, I promise," she said, holding him close one last time. "Don't come downstairs until I come for you. Be brave, okay?"
"I'm brave!" he nodded, wiping his face. "See? I stopped crying!"
"Yes, you are. And I love you for that." She kissed his forehead.
"Mommy!" he called as she reached the door.
She turned.
"Kayla," he whispered. "Her name can be Kayla."
Annabelle smiled, eyes soft. "I love you."
"I love you too, Mommy."
*Boom. Boom. Boom.*
The loud crashing sounds continued.
Gael stood beside the bed just as she'd asked—brave, silent, waiting. The seconds felt like hours. The air thickened. Then came sirens. A door burst open.
"Mommy?" he called hopefully.
But it wasn't her.It was Daddy.
"Daddy, where's Mommy?" he asked as he was lifted into strong arms.
No reply. His father carried him out. As soon as they stepped outside, Gael was hit by smoke. Darkness. Fire. His home was ablaze.
He coughed, trying to see through the haze. "Where's Mommy? Daddy, where's Mommy?!"
Still no answer.
As smoke swirled and flames roared behind them, a man in a fire-resistant suit approached, removing his helmet as he neared.
"Mr. Alexandro," he said solemnly, "we found this."
In his gloved hand, he held a delicate silver bracelet.
Alexandro's breath caught. He reached out slowly, his hand trembling as he took it.
"That's Mommy's bracelet," little Gael whispered, voice shaky. "She had this on before she went out ."
Alexandro clenched the bracelet tightly, jaw tight. "Where did you find it?" he asked the firefighter.
"In the kitchen, sir. That's where the fire most likely began. We also found these," the firefighter added, holding out a few scorched, blue-tinted papers.It also contributed to the spread of the fire.
"Blue papers…" Alexandro muttered, staring blankly.
But little Gael's eyes widened in recognition. "Those are mine!" he burst out. "I left them there... I made a mess and I was going to clean it before mommi became disappointed…"The firefighter glanced at the child with a hint of pity before turning back to the father. "I'm sorry to say this, sir, but... we found no bodies. Alive or otherwise. If anyone was in the kitchen when the fire started... they would've burned beyond recognition."
Gael was still in his father's arms, but his small body began to shake.
"The fire… it spread because I left the papers there… Mommy's gone because of me…" he choked out, tears pouring from his eyes.
His mind couldn't yet grasp the finality of death, so he thought his mommi was missing.
"Mommy… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…!" he sobbed, his tiny hands clutching his father's shirt. The weight of guilt, fear, and confusion crushed him all at once.
Flames licked the sky. Firefighters swarmed the grounds. Neighbors watched in horror. But all Gael could see was the last image of his mother's smile.
Then everything went black.
Little Gael's body went limp in his father's arms as he fainted from the shock.
RB