Chapter 10 -

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Lying on my bed, my eyes were heavy from the hard cries I had just shed. My face seemed to tighten from where the tears fell down my face. I couldn't sleep. I stood up, looking up to the window as I wrapped my robe around me. As I looked, I saw Bruno standing around a fire in the garden. Looking closely, I saw the pile of papers in the middle; seeing them burn into nothing but ashes. I could not help but feel happiness in some ways, because it meant that other people had been protected – whereas for me, it was too late.

I crept my way down the stairs as I unlocked the back door. Walking to Bruno, he saw me and opened out his hand. Taking it into mine, he pulled me into his chest; hugging me tightly as I watched the flames light in front of me. The flames danced around, but screamed at me; as the gossips disappeared into nothing but dirty secrets that will never be shed.

"I am sorry" He muttered in my ear. I looked up to him; our eyes connecting instantly, not allowing me to pull myself away from the gaze.

"Don't be" I whispered back. He moved he knee slightly, brushing it against mine; knocking the cut I got earlier on. I winced in pain and a flush of concern overtook his face.

"What happened?" He asked as he took me back inside, the fire completely disappearing; the cool gust of winds scattering the ashes into the night – never to tell.

"I fell from my bike earlier on." I wince as the blood trickle down my leg. The pain hurt, but nothing compared to the bigger pain I was feeling.

"Let me help you clean it up." He offers as he wraps an arm around my waist.

"I should not bother you." I mumble as I look up to Madame's window. I felt him follow my gaze as I looked back to see him looking.

"She will be asleep." He kindly reassures.

"That does not bother me anymore" I smile slightly – not caring whether Madame saw me with Bruno or not – all my care was gone.

"Then come to my room and let me help you."

We walked to his room quietly, not wanting to wake anyone up. I sat down on his bed as he grabbed a small tinned box he hand, from underneath his bed. Inside the tin was filled with bandages and any other first aid equipment. He cleaned it with some alcohol and I gasped loudly in pain; grabbing his hand as he continued to clean the wound.

"You okay?" He asks as he looks up to me.

"Yes" I stutter as he doesn't break the connection again.

"Good." He wraps my legs up. Once he finishes, he looks up to me and I stand up slowly.

"Thank you." I cough as he lifts my chin up gently.

"You are welcome Amelia." He whispered, sending shivers down my spine.

"Goodnight Bruno" I smile as I kiss his cheek; walking back into my room, smiling as I lay down and eventually slept.

*

I feel like I am drowning and there is no hope of being saved. The blackness of my memories start to spread through my mind, clouding my thoughts and taking me back to places I never wanted to revisit. But then there was a feeling. A feeling that made me stop and reassess the situation - Hope.

Hope is a bright star in a hopelessly dark universe. Through light years of distance, the brightness fills our inner selves. Hope makes us smile on the inside as well as on the outside. Hope is not just an emotion, it is a promise that smiling and laughter are just around the corner. When the fighter has been laid on the canvas by a well-placed right to the jaw, hope is there saying, "Get up. Take a nine count if you must, but be ready to stand, and have the ref dust off your gloves. You're going to win this match." Hope is drawn to the person who sees beyond the present defeat, beyond the moment of being cast down, beyond the loss of the job, and beyond the negative words of hopeless voices. There is that voice from the "bright star" telling us to look beyond the darkness - to the bright light of hope.

Madame had gone out to collect the payments with Marthe; she knew I did not want to speak to her and it was the first time I had ever raised my voice at her. It was strange and I think it scared her. Scaring her was not my intention at all.

As I touched the ashes that were once filled with life changing words, a soft breeze tickled my face as I picked them up into my hands; allowing them to fly with the wind.

"Can I show you something?" I heard Bruno ask as he put his hands in his pockets. I nodded my head and followed him into his room once again.

He pulled out the small stool by his piano, placing his fingers on the keys as he played his sweet melody to me. My wedding ring was off of my fingers; I began to play with it as the music seemed to calm me down. Music fills the air without effort, like the waves filling holes in beach sand; the sound rushing in and around every person in the room. Some react to the beat, others continue in chatter, but always it speaks to them in some manner. A lively tempo can lift them, elevate the spirit, or move them to dance, whilst a slow one can relax the mood. Before the notes filled the air every person was an island, with it they all feel the same tidal flows and the beginnings of togetherness feels warm.

I walked to the window and looked out; still trying to comprehend the things I had been told. While my thoughts crowded my brain, I heard the music stop as I looked to see Bruno behind me, his chest against my back.

"It was very beautiful" I smile slightly as I looked slightly to him.

"What is it?" He asks as he comes closer.

Silence mocked us both; more me as I continued to look out the window. Trying comprehend everything in my mind.

"I married a man I'd only met twice." I stutter as I try to keep it together as I play with the ring between my fingers. "I tried to convince myself that we were in love. I might as well have been dead."

Slowly, I turn around looking up to Bruno as I feel my wedding ring drop to the fall – but I could not care less. I put my hands on his chest as I looked to him; him looking down to me as his head tilted lower towards me; his lips nearly touching mine. Before I could feel his lips on mine, he put his hand on my waist.

"It is not possible" I whisper as I brush my nose past his.

"Amelia?" I hear Marthe call to me as I quickly rushed into my room, leaving Bruno behind.

"I am coming" I call back to her as I get to my room. She walks in as I stand beside my bed, trying to act as normal as possible.

"Madame wants to see you straight away." She softly spoke as I nodded my head in reply; dreading what Madame wanted to talk about. Walking down the stairs, I hear another voice from the living room as I go down.

I walked in to see Madame Perrin; getting a look from both of them as I sit down.

"You remember Madame Perrin?" Madame Angellier spoke without looking to me. 

"Yes, of course." I smile, frowning ever so slightly. "What brings you back from the Free Zone, Madame?"

"My son died in Normandy as the Germans advanced." She answered as she held a tissue in her hands. "I just received permission to visit his grave.

"I'm sorry to hear." I whisper, feeling very sympathetic towards her.

"How are things in Lyon?" Madame Angellier asks the mourning women; showing no ground of empathy or any emotion.

"Bad." Madame Perrin gasped.

"At least you don't have a German living in your house." She replied to Madame Perrin, glancing at me as she mentioned Bruno.

"Yes. I heard about your officer." Madame Perrin smiled as she looked to us both. "He's friendly?"

"I won't have anything to do with him." She began as she looked to me; giving me a dirty smile. "But Amelia does, don't you?"

I blush, embarrassed that the woman had practically announced to the world that I was disloyal. Which was funny, considering her perfect son was the one who has a child with the woman who he had been wit, before he met me.

"Oh, but that's good." Perrin smiled as she turned to me, holding my hand in hers. "We had to leave in such a hurry that certain things were left behind. The Germans are using our house now. Could you go there and get them back?"

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