Forever After All

by Catharina Maura

It’s always been her. If I hadn’t dropped the photo you kept on your nightstand, she’d still be in our bedroom. I saw the way you looked at her in that photo, Alec. And you know what? You’ve never once looked at me that way.”

I fucking hope so, because I can’t even imagine my life without Elena anymore.

I’ve called you that since you were about six and you were obsessed with The Powerpuff Girls.”

“You’re kidding me, right? You named me after the most violent one of the three? I don’t have a violent bone in my body. I’m clearly Bubbles.”

“Buttercup is also the bravest and the most headstrong, baby,” I...

Elena has managed to bring me closer to my own family. It’s something I never asked of her, but she did it nonetheless. That’s just who she is.

I promised you I’d give you back everything you lost, Elena. I never said I wanted anything for myself.” “But what about Matthew? Didn’t you want to take revenge? What about Jennifer? Alec, these shares are worth millions.”

I worry that I’m the one that put it there, and that the damage I’ve already done is permanent.

Sebastian, my first and last boyfriend. “Elena Rousseau, back from the dead, and prettier than ever. You lost quite a bit of weight, huh? Lost the glasses and braces too.”

“Why the fuck do you look so fucking beautiful today anyway?” he says through gritted teeth. “You weren’t even sure I was going to be here. For all you know, my grandfather would’ve done tonight’s speech and I never would’ve even showed up. Who do you look this beautiful for, huh?”

“You’ve had me enthralled from the moment I ran into you again, all those months ago. I’ve fought my feelings for you for as long as I could, but it’s a losing battle.”

“I can’t even imagine the rest of my life without you,” he says. “Please, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” I blink in disbelief and nod. “Yes. Yes, Alec. A thousand times, yes.”

“Alec,” I whisper. “All I want is you.” He smiles, his fingers brushing aside my hair. “You have me, Elena. Forever.”

“Marry her before the first of July,” he says, his eyes on Alec. “And my position as chairman is yours.”

I remember once my parents were so busy arguing with each other that they forgot about my birthday, but Luce and you didn’t. I came over to your house, and the two of you had baked me a cake, which was barely edible by the way, and you’d put up all those fairy lights for me. To date, that’s still my best birthday ever.”

“You’ll drive me crazy, Elena. Completely crazy.” She smiles at me. “That’s fine,” she says. “So long as you’re crazy about me.” Fuck me. I think I am.

We’d been keeping her on the medication her last hospital provided—and they mislabeled the propofol they sent us. I’ve had all drugs tested. There’s no doubt… there was foul play here.”

“E… El… Elena,” she says, her voice rough. My eyes widen and I look at her, shocked. “I… l—love… you.”

“You’re Elena Kennedy,” she adds. “You’re my daughter-in-law and Alexander’s wife. It’s time you show the world what that means.”

She’s ensuring Elena can gain independence from me. If Elena no longer needs me, will she stay?

If she wanted a divorce now, I have no way of denying her one.

It takes her a good minute to even notice me, and my mood drops even further.

“You did tell me I should be crazy about you, didn’t you? Careful what you wish for, baby.”

So I asked to meet Matthew’s mother. That’s when I first met her… Jade.”

“Jade knew that she could never offer Matthew the life that I could, so she told me she’d stay away. That she’d never see her child again, that he’d be mine. She vowed to stay away from my family—from your father.”

“Tell me what you’ve been up to. Tell me what you’re planning. Tell me what you need from me, Elena. I’ve given your father and brother everything… and now I want it back.”

I don’t think Elena needs me to say anything anyway—she just needs me to listen, so I do.

all I ever wanted was a family of my own, a husband that would love me. I wanted a home filled with love and laughter—I wanted what I’ve never had before. But if this is what love is, I want no part of it.”

I lost faith in God, when no matter what I did or how much I prayed, my mother wouldn’t wake up. Love is the same way. Blind faith, when logically you know better.”

I feel truly fearless as I walk into the building.

HEAD FIRST FEARLESSSSS

“Are you referring to the shares you inherited from a woman who isn’t dead? Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.”

“Let this be a reminder. What goes around comes around, Matthew. Not just your words—your every action. I will make you pay. This company, your shares, they should be the least of your worries.”

“Matthew Rousseau,” they say. “You’re under arrest

They’re yours. But everything I’ve ever worked for? Everything I’ve ever invested in? You can’t have that, Jade.”

None of that broke her. But this did. Love did.

I heard you’re the proud new owner of Rousseau Corporation. From what I’ve heard, you went in with guns blazing. I couldn’t be more proud.”

I’m not sure if love is still something I want. My heart craves it, but logically I can now see where Alec is coming from. Love… it’s too much risk. What Alec and I have right now is indestructible. If we fell in love, would it break us the way it did my mother?

You always told me that marriage is forever, that you work things out together, you don’t walk away. But, Dad, marriage takes two. And this marriage? I’ve been in this on my own for years now.”

I tried so hard to protect my mother, but if I hadn’t, she might have been able to get a divorce much sooner. My love for her is what prolonged her pain.

Elena cares about the little things, the way my mother does. She likes having dinner together, falling asleep together. If I’m not home for a couple of days, she gets restless. Elena cares. She cares about everything, about everyone around us. I adore that about her, but it’s also something that’ll hurt her in the end. Our marriage… it’ll never be enough for her. She’ll always want more.

My position as chairman is yours. I’ll lift the marriage requirement. You’re well aware that I adore Elena, but don’t marry her in pursuit of your own goals. If you marry her, marry her because it’s her you want, because you can’t imagine your life without her, because you love her. I want for you what your mother didn’t get to have—a happy and fulfilling marriage. Don’t end up like your mother. Don’t do that to Elena.”

I want all of my children and grandchildren to have what I had with her. Your grandma… she kept me grounded, she was my partner in every way that mattered, my best friend. She made life worth living, and I still miss her every single day. But what I had with your grandmother is exceptionally rare. Just being married doesn’t guarantee a bond like that. I should have known better.”

The thought of her leaving me tears me apart—but if I were to hold on to her, would I be tearing her apart?

There’s no shame in loving someone with all your heart, Elena, but that love must be mutual. If you end up giving more of yourself than you get back, you’ll end up a shell of yourself, depleted, like I was. Had I walked out sooner, I might have had a different life. Who knows? I might have actually found true love.”

Honey, the issue both Sofia and I had was that we loved with all our hearts and never received that same love back. Living like that, loving like that, it’s not sustainable.” The absence of love… I never thought of it that way. “Wouldn’t it be so much easier not to love at all?”

Honey, a life without love isn’t a life worth living. Besides, you don’t get to choose whether or not you love someone. If only. How much easier would life be if we could just make that choice? Love… it doesn’t listen to reason.”

I turn and walk away, every fiber of my being longing for him to stop me. He doesn’t.

Had me in the palm of your hands then why'd you have to go and lock me out when I let you in? Well, could've been easy all u had to do was stay ---------- Who could ever leave, darling? But WHO COULD STAY? IM DYING HERE

You find that harder to believe than me cheating on you?” I run a hand through my hair, unsure what to say or think. “Tell me you love me, Alec. Tell me you love me, too, and I’ll rip these divorce papers up right now. Hell, tell me you feel anything for me, that you think you might love me someday, and I’ll stay.”

he doesn’t love me, Mom. Maybe I’m foolish for leaving, but it’s all I want. I just want to come first to someone. For once, I just want to be the center of someone’s universe. I want to be all someone can see. And maybe it isn’t possible, maybe that doesn’t exist, but being with Alec, knowing that he used to love someone that way, and perhaps still does, knowing he can’t give me even a fraction of what he used to feel for her? It killed me slowly.”

There’s no way that boy doesn’t love you, Elena. He looks at you like you hung the moon.