„In fact, Patirica invited her. I introduced them to one another today at the beach and Patricia wanted to show her Sofia's books..."

„Yeah, yeah, of course. Come in, don't just stand at the door. Patricia and Zamira are already in the dining room," Arnold interrupted him. Nikki got an impression that Sofia's father wanted to avoid talking about his daughter.

They passed the lobby and turned right, immediately seeing two women. Nikki recognized Patricia and there was an older woman in black, just behind her. She looked tired and exhausted. Nikki then realized what Daniel was talking about. Undoubtedly, it was Zamira who had a difficult time fighting with reality.

Patricia hugging her had snapped her from thinking.

„I'm so glad to see you. C'mon...I want you to meet my mom."

Suddenly, Nikki was standing in front of Zamira.

„Mom...this is Nikki Hamilton, the author of The Silhouettes. Nikki, this is my mom Zamira," Patricia introduced them but as soon as she mentioned Nikki's name, Zamira's eyes filled with tears and the woman put her hand over her mouth. Nikki felt very uncomfortable.

„My Sofia loved your books so much," she said hard, hugging Nikki, who was a bit shocked. „I'm so glad Patricia had invited you. She can show you Sofia's copies."

Nikki returned the hug sympathetically, but briefly.

„I'm so sorry for your daughter," she said honestly, making Zamira smile slightly, almost invisibly, before she approached Daniel.

„Boy...look at yourself. It seems to me that you've grown up since I last saw you," the woman said, tightly hugging visibly upset and frowning Daniel. „You know, I still have some Sofia's things that I'm sure she would've wanted you to have. They're packed in the box, up in her room so you can take them later."

Although it has been only a couple of minutes, the pleasant feeling Nikki had got at the front door was slowly but surely vanishing. It didn't take her long to read the mother tormented with sadness who was standing in front of Daniel. The woman was so caught up in pain that it seemed like she was trying to pull everyone else in it so she wouldn't suffer alone anymore. Nikki in some way sympathized with Zamira. Parents should never bury their children. It should be the other way around. Any deviation from it should be forbidden. Unfortunately, Arnold and Zamira had to bury one of their daughters, and Nikki couldn't even imagine how much pain the loss of a child brought.

„C'mon, don't talk about sad things now," Arnold interrupted with discomfort and gestured toward the table. „Let's have dinner. That's why we're here after all."

All five of them sat down at the table. Patricia pulled Nikki to sit next to her, Arnold was sitting at the head of the table, while Zamira and Daniel settled at the opposite side. Arnold was the first one to fill his plate but after him, they all started to do the same.

„Nikki, tell me how come that you decided to be a writer?" Patricia asked immediately, taking a bite of chicken meat.

The other woman cleared her throat.

„I've always loved to read people's reactions and feelings. So I was kinda at a crossroad between psychology and writing. I've chosen English literature and before I knew what was happening, I was already writing The Silhouettes," she explained.

„My Sofia wanted to be a psychologist," Zamira started but Arnold didn't let her finish the sentence.

„Daniel, tell me how's everything at Brian's? From what I'm hearing when I come to town, the business is blooming," he asked, interrupting his wife, who just looked down, playing with her fork and plate, full of untouched food.

„Umm, yeah...things are going well. I'm happy until Brian is paying regularly."

Arnold and Patricia laughed. The rest of the dinner went through a conversation about business and Patricia's progress in Mexico. Zamira was silent, captured in her own world and Nikki spoke only when she was asked something. After dinner, Arnold poured a glass of wine to everyone and persuaded Daniel to play chess with him, while Zamira was cleaning up the table. Nikki wanted to help but Patirica had other plans, pulling her to the second floor.

„This is my sister's room. All her books are up here," she said, dragging Nikki in the gray room, with modern furnishing and a large bed. She immediately noticed a large picture of Daniel and Sofia, placed on the table opposite the door. It seemed like the photo was taken on the beach. Daniel was hugging the girl from behind, they both wearing big smiles, looking at each other.

Patricia just frowned, lowering the photo's face on the table.

„I can't believe they haven't removed the photo," she said indifferently and then went to the bookshelf as if nothing had happened. During this time, Nikki was looking around, noticing that all the things were in place. It didn't seem like there was no one in this room for over a year. Several papers were placed on the desk, a pencil on them, as if someone had filled them up yesterday. There was a wide-open book of unknown title on the dresser next to the bed and few jackets were hanging on the door. The house slippers were placed in front of the bed and in the middle of the room was a big box Zamira had previously mentioned. Nikki assumed that Patricia's mother dug through Sofia's things, trying to find what she wanted to give to Daniel.

„Ah, here it is.", Patricia said suddenly, holding two books. Nikki jumped slightly, surprised by Patricia's voice and faced her.

Patricia gave her books. The other woman immediately recognized both covers and took them over, in her hands. She opened the first book, seeing a clean sign on the first page. Yes, that was indeed the signed copy. Nikki recalled the day she was signing her first book. It looked like one copy had come to Naples.

„I know she'd be very happy if she could meet you," Patricia said and Nikki just smiled sadly.

„I wish I had a chance to meet her...really. I'm very sorry about your sister," she replied honestly but surprisingly, Patricia just shook her head.

„It's okay. I mean, it's been over a year. I'm kind of used to her being gone. I know that sometimes it seems like I don't miss her anymore...I really do because Sofia was always there for me but I can't live in constant pain and anger because of everything that happened. I feel like we should all just move on, you know. Sofia is dead and nothing is going to bring her back. I know she wouldn't want us to feel so much grief over this. Life is too short for such things and therefore, I'm so happy for Dan having you."

Nikki raised both eyebrows, surprised.

„He told me everything about you today, about how he teaches you to surf and how you're the first person he had told his story to. He trusts you. You mean a lot to him, Nikki...because he has you by his side. I can see it in his eyes, although we both know he'd never admit it."

The other woman's face immediately became softer, a smile returning on it.

„And he means a lot to me too. I'm happy to be able to help him," she said briefly, not verbalizing how she really felt. Patricia's gaze stopped on Nikki's eyes, trying to read her thoughts. After a few moments, both women were snapped by the sound of the door opening. Zamira entered the room.

Patricia moved away from Nikki, wanting to say something, but her mother's sudden move toward the table had silenced her.

„Did you touch the photo?" the older woman asked, somewhat angrily.

„I just dropped it on the table," Patricia explained but Zamira just straightened the photo again, as her daughter rolled her eyes.

„Don't touch your sister's things," she warned, picking up the box from the middle of the floor. „I just came to take these things for Daniel."

Zamira found her way out but this time Patricia was following her, pulling Nikki with them.

„Mom, I'm not sure this is a good..."

„It's okay," her mother interrupted her and kept walking.

Nikki concluded there was a lot of butting in in this house. Zamira was upset and sad. As if everything the woman needed now was someone who would talk about Sofia with her.

The three women returned to the ground floor, seeing Daniel and Arnold playing chess in the living room.

„Daniel, come here," Zamira called him, putting the box at the nearby table. The tall man looked up and then approached them.

„Here are the things I mentioned before," she said, pulling out something similar to the photo album. „Sofia was filling it with your pictures. She once told me they are arranged chronologically."

He took the album but there was a frown on his face. It seemed as if one look at the album was causing him pain. Arnold stood in front of him, looking angrily at his wife.

„Why did you bring this?" he hissed through gritted teeth, but Zamira ignored his question, pushing him to get to Daniel again.

„Open it. You'll see how beautiful the photos are," she said.

„Zamira...return these things where they came from...now," Arnold was slowly losing patience. His wife still didn't listen but continued to dig through the box. That was obviously the last straw.

Nikki stopped breathing at the sight of Arnold grabbing Zamira for both shoulders and shaking her. Patricia immediately meddled in, trying to separate them.

„Return those things where they came from! Return them to her room!" enraged Arnold was shouting furiously, while Patricia held him. Daniel was so confused and frozen that he was just staring at the photo album. Nikki approached him, taking the album in her hands but not opening it.

Meanwhile, Zamira's face took a very angry expression.

„If you've already forgotten about Sofia, our daughter, it doesn't mean I have to do it too, Arnold," she said in some inhuman voice, looking at her husband angrily. Arnold was even more upset now. Nikki was beginning to fear that he would physically harm Zamira. But the older man just pointed his finger at her.

„Don't you dare to tell me I've forgotten about Sofia...don't you dare!" he yelled. „I was by her side since she was born until the last minute of her life. I was by her and our family's side in the toughest moments. I was there when she was hurt and when she couldn't breathe. I was watching her die but do you know what my daughter said to me? She told me not to be sad. She wouldn't want us to live in misery. It's been over a year, Zamira! I have to continue to live my life, even though Sofia is gone. You want to be captured between these four walls? Be my guest, but I won't. I'll fulfill my daughter's wish and I'll continue to live for her. Because she didn't get that chance."

His hands were shaking, angry tears falling down his face as he was screaming at Zamira, whose condition wasn't much better.

„I want a divorce!"

There was a total silence in the house. Patricia, Daniel and Nikki's eyes were wide open, while Zamira's jaw hit the floor. The crying woman wasn't moving. Arnold, on the other hand, seemed to be a lot more on ease, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

„I want a divorce," he stated more firmly, sure of himself. „I won't let you pull me in your blackness. And I won't let you do it to Patricia or Daniel. I hope I'm clear!"

Patricia approached her, now a more calm father, shaking her head.

„Dad, no..." she started but Arnold just raised his palm and headed to the door.

Still, he hadn't got far, because Zamira pulled him by the hand and slapped him hard. Apparently, that was what startled Daniel, who immediately jumped forward, grabbing Zamira around the waist.

„You bastard...you're giving up on our family, you gave up on Sofia! You gave up on Sofia!" she shouted at him but Arnold hadn't faced her again. He left the house, closing the door.

„Mom...calm down!" Patricia said in trembling voice, trying to calm down a frantic woman who tried to pull away from Daniel's grip with all her strength and go after her husband.

„No!" she shouted. „He gave up on Sofia!"

„Mom, there's nothing to give up on. Sofia is gone. She's dead!" she finally fired with a raised voice. Zamira froze on the spot, looking at her other daughter, tears streaming down her face.

„No!" she repeated. Daniel let her go, knowing she is too tired to do something stupid. Patricia grabbed both of her upper arms, forcing her to look into her eyes.

„Yes, mom...Sofia is dead! It's over, she's gone. And you have to accept it. You have to stop talking like she's still here. You don't just make your life a living hell but also mine, dad and Daniel's. Ask yourself why is this the first time I came home after a year? I can't be here, seeing you destroying everything around you. Dad's right, mom. Sofia would never want it. I love my sister with all my heart but she no longer exists. Stop pulling Dan into all of this. Don't you see how he looks like?" Patricia was explaining, gesturing toward visibly upset and distressed Daniel. „Do you see what you're doing to him, constantly mentioning Sofia? He'll never move on because you're the first one, who's acting like she's still here. Cut it out!"

„Patricia!" Daniel called her quietly, as Nikki jumped a little. This was the first time since the fight had started that the tall man had spoken. „Take Zamira in her bedroom, okay? And give her something to calm down. I think we should call it a night and I'll take Nikki home."

Patricia just nodded, helping her mother to sit down in one of the armchairs. An upset woman was just staring blankly into space. The Latina then pulled Daniel into a firm hug.

„Are you okay?" she asked. He nodded in confirmation but didn't say anything. She greeted Nikki in the same way.

Nikki faced Daniel, who was already looking at her, almost pleadingly. Knowing what he wanted, she grabbed him under his arm and took him out of the house. As soon as they left, Daniel took a few deep breaths of fresh air, as if he couldn't breathe.

Both of them went to his car in complete silence but they were suddenly stopped by a hand on Daniel's shoulder. The tall man turned around.

„Son..." Arnold started. „Please, don't be like Zamira. Sofia loved you so much and I know she wouldn't be happy to see you so miserable. I know my wife is trying to call you at least once a week. She thinks I haven't figured it out but I know everything. Please, don't answer her calls. Don't let her pull you in her depression. You're a very good boy and you deserve to be happy."

Arnold sounded so sincere that Nikki almost started crying, while Daniel just looked down.

„What's gonna be with you?" he asked, as the older man just shrugged.

„I have an apartment in town, so I'm going to spend the night there. In the morning, I'll go to my lawyer to apply for a divorce."

Daniel looked him in the eyes.

„You really won't try to save your marriage?"

Arnold shook his head firmly, patting him on the shoulder.

„Remember what I told you, okay?"

Daniel and Nikki greeted Arnold and went to his car, so he could drive her to the hotel. They were driving in silence, both of them captured in their own thoughts. They were almost in front of the hotel when Daniel finally spoke.

„I'm so sorry for this. I can't even imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for you to listen to everything that came out tonight," he said, trying to apologize.

Nikki took his hand, squeezing it gently in support.

„It's okay. I should ask you if you're okay."

Daniel parked in front of the hotel, shut down the car and then leaned against his seat, sighing.

„I haven't visited them for too long," he replied. „I had no idea that so many things have changed. I was sure they were both still very sad."

„And they are sad but Arnold has decided that he no longer wants to live immersed in it. He's not acting like Sofia is still alive," she explained and Daniel looked at her, not lifting his head from the back of the seat.

„You think Arnold is right?"

„Yes!" she confirmed immediately.

There was a silence for a few seconds.

„Zamira could be right too. I mean...Sofia is their daughter. They can't act like she had never existed. I understand Zamira," Daniel interrupted the silence. Nikki sighed quietly, noticing how he used is instead of was.

„Look...I can't do this anymore," she fired, not thinking what she was going to say.

Alarmed, Daniel quickly straightened up again, gently grabbing her arm.

„Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

She looked at him, trying to find answers to her questions. At least what remained of these questions.

„I have to tell you something but, please, don't be mad about it," she said, swallowing a lump in her throat. Daniel was even more concerned now. „I'm such a mess right now and I really don't know where to start. I don't know how this happened but you've always been somehow mysterious, which was dragging me to you and when you started to open up little by little, I've realized there are so many nice, wonderful things behind these walls you've built up around you. Though you don't see it you're a really wonderful man and Arnold is right, you deserve all the happiness of this world. A lot of bad things happened to you but I didn't for once doubt your ability to move on from them. You see, when you give me just a small smile, my world is much brighter, Dan! You don't even know what kind of effect you have on other people. I can see it, even more than anybody else. More than Brian and Marina, because none of them looks at you the way I do."

Daniel's mouth was wide-open in total shock at the bunch of words that fled from Nikki's mouth. Nikki was talking so fast that Daniel had to listen well, in order to get everything she was saying. And...he managed to get it all. But it guided in the direction Daniel wasn't sure if he wanted to explore it.

Considering that Daniel was silent, Nikki lost a little bit of courage that had previously spilled on the surface.

„I have to go," she said quietly, leaving the car. Just when she was already halfway down to the entrance to the hotel, Daniel jerked and jumped after her. He was standing outside of the car, calling for her. Nikki stopped but didn't turn around.

„We should talk about this," he said, yelling so she could hear him. For a hundred time tonight, there was a silence, while he waited for her reaction but after a few moments, Nikki just continued on her way to the hotel, not answering. Daniel didn't go after her. Instead, he leaned against the car trunk, shaking his head.

„No...no, I'm imagining it. She certainly didn't want to say that," he said to himself.

Then, he found Brian's contact on his phone and decided to call his friend. He was close to Nikki and Daniel was sure he knew what's going on.

Brian: „Dan...it's kinda late."

Daniel: „Where are you?"

Brian: „In the apartment. Why? Has something happened?"

Daniel: „I'm on my way to yours. I'll explain everything when I get there."

The man interrupted the call, not waiting for Brian's answer. Instead, he jumped back into his car, driving fast toward his friend's apartment. As he was pressing the accelerator pedal nervously, Nikki's words were still racing through his head. He couldn't forget them and the uncertainty of their meaning was killing him. Soon he parked at the empty parking space, in front of Brian's building and ran inside. He was so distracted that he forgot to use the elevator. When he finally got to the fourth floor, he was barely breathing and firmly baning at Brian's door.

The other man opened them soon.

„Hey, is everything all right?"

Daniel practically fell into the apartment, leaning his hand against the still open door.

„Where's the fire?" Brian asked confusedly.

The tall man was trying to get to the air.

„In which way Nikki looks at me?" he asked between deep breaths, as Brian's forehead wrestled.

„I don't understand," he replied confused, pulling Daniel further into the apartment and closing the door for them. Both friends sat down on the sofa in the living room.

„After the dinner at Patricia's I've returned Nikki to the hotel when she suddenly asked me not to be angry. Then, she told me a bunch of things about me and finally, that she looks at me differently than the rest of you. Brian, I know you know what this is all about. I need you to tell me how she looks at me and that I'm just imagining it."

Brian's face was totally astonished. He couldn't believe that Nikki had admitted how she felt about Daniel.

„Brian?" he called his friend. „Please...tell me."

Brian rubbed his forehead and cleared his throat.

„You're not imagining," he said briefly, as Daniel folded both hands in his hair, wanting to pull it out. „Nikki has fallen for you."

-

Author's note:

First things first, this story went over 200 views and I'm so, so grateful to each and every one of you, who decided to check it out or give it a chance. You're warming my heart every day.

This was the part two. You've got a little glimpse of Sofia's life and her world. And Daniel finally found out the truth. So, what do you think will happen next? which will be his reaction? This chapter was pretty strong and hard for me to write but I really like what I've come up with.

If you liked it, feel free to vote or comment. I would respond to you. Next update: Friday!

As always, stay true to yourself and have a nice day!