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She settled back in her chair, golden hair cascading around her. “Months turned into years, and Avelina heard nothing from the prince. She began to lose hope but refused to give up on their love. She continued to sell berries and mushrooms at the market.”
My heart broke for the poor girl.
“One day, as she sold her wares, a grand procession approached the village. The prince had returned, intending to take Avelina with him to his kingdom. Overjoyed, she agreed to go.”
Desperate for a moment away from Marina and the oppressive atmosphere, I walked over to the window. Marina’s voice softened, tinged with bitterness.
“But as they left the village, the people looked at her oddly, as if they knew something she didn’t. When she asked the prince about it, he confessed he was already married and had returned to take Avelina as his mistress.”
I traced my fingers along the window’s cold glass, leaving delicate imprints as I gazed into the encroaching darkness.
In the distance, Volk’s silhouette was visible in the garden, his phone pressed to his ear. He suddenly turned as if he sensed my gaze.
“Avelina was devastated. She realized the prince had never truly loved her. He intended to abandon her in an unfamiliar land, leaving her isolated and heartbroken for his own selfish pleasure.”
The tension in the room grew almost unbearable. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Volk, feeling like I was sinking into a trance. My cheeks flushed as I pressed my hand against the windowpane, Volk’s eyes unyielding on mine. My heart raced, and forbidden thoughts began to creep in.
“Avelina fled back to the forest and climbed to the top of the tall tree in the clearing. There, she cried out to the forest spirits, begging for their help. The spirits heard her cries and transformed her into a bird, a nightingale with a hauntingly beautiful voice.”
Marina’s voice jolted me back to reality.
I spun around, pressing my back flat against the cold window.
“She flew away from the tree, never to return to the village. But her song could still be heard at night, a mournful melody of lost love,” Marina continued, her eyes now fixed on her empty glass.
When she finished, she turned to me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
“Sometimes, love can be a cruel mistress,” she said softly. “And the forest, with all its secrets, can be both a refuge and a place of despair.”
My eyes locked with hers. “Are you Avelina?” I whispered.
The room fell silent, the seconds stretching into eternity.
I remained frozen, afraid to move or speak.
Finally, Marina let out a shaky breath, breaking the silence.
“Aren’t we all?” she asked with a sigh. “All women are Avelina, in a way. We all want to be loved, and we all want to believe that someone will come back for us, no matter how hopeless things seem.” She shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips. “But in the end, we’re left with shattered dreams and broken hearts.”
I listened, absorbing the depth of her pain and disappointment.
There was a profound truth in her words, a shared experience that transcended our individual stories. Despite our differences, we were bound by a common longing for love, hoping for someone to stay and mend our broken hearts.
But often, life shatters those dreams, leaving us with nothing but heartache.
Love had always been an elusive concept to me—something I observed from afar but never truly felt.
But as I stood there, Marina’s words made me think of my mama.
My mama loved my papa with a depth that I could only marvel at. Their bond seemed unbreakable, but fate had other plans, taking him away from us.
I remember the pain in her eyes when we first landed in the States, as she realized she had left behind her home and the man she loved. Her love for my papa had shaped her entire world. She had dreamed of growing old with him, sharing a future filled with love and laughter.
When that dream shattered, she was left with heartache and an emptiness that seemed impossible to fill.
Reflecting on her story, I understood that love isn’t always a fairytale. It can be cruel, unpredictable, and devastating.
But it also reveals the strength of the human heart.
