KORNELIA

The whole evening was shrouded in joy and laughter. Me, Olivia, Arthur and his younger brother Jeremy were sitting together again as before, having dinner and discussing everything, joking and just enjoying each other's company. Laughter filled the air like a magical sound, lifting the mood and washing away all sadness and anxiety.

It was only at that moment that I realized how much I missed such moments, how much I missed feeling at home. Since my father died, the feeling of loneliness has never left me. Every day was filled with a painful emptiness and an extraordinary silence. But now, sitting in the kitchen of Arthur's apartment, completely filled with sincere conversations, friendly laughter and the affection of family ties, I felt that I had a real family again.

The evening was coming to an end, Olivia and Jeremy were standing in the hallway, ready to go to the hotel. The empty kitchen was slowly enveloped in silence, and my heart began to contract at the thought that these precious moments would soon remain only memories.

"Are you sure you don't want to spend the night at my place?" - Arthur finally asked, turning to his mother and brother with a glance.

"Arthur, dear, you are already thirty-four years old. You're too old to live with your mother," - Olivia replied with tenderness in her voice. Jeremy, as always, picked up on the mocking note and laughed out loud, and I just giggled a little. Arthur paused for a moment, rolling his eyes, but a sincere and kind smile flashed across his face.

Olivia went up to Arthur, hugged her son goodbye and lightly kissed him on the cheek. Then she turned to me and my arms wrapped around her in a gentle embrace. It was an exchange of love and acceptance, as if I had become her own daughter again.

"We've missed you very much," - she whispered in my ear so that no one would hear the mysterious thread of sincerity and tenderness in her words. "Arthur've missed you very much," - she added. I answered her only with a warm and pleasant smile, because words have not been needed for a long time to express our mutual love and boredom.

We said goodbye to Olivia and Jeremy once more, and their footsteps faded away down the hallway. The solitude enveloped us, creating a special atmosphere full of mystery and intimacy. There was silence inside the apartment.

We returned to the kitchen, and I began to clear the dishes from the table. "I'll help you clean up, and then I'll leave right away," - I said, not looking up from my work. Arthur came close to me, blocking the way, and then calmly took the plates from my hands and put them back on the table. "Leave it," - he said. Suddenly it became very quiet, and the tension began to build up.

Arthur seemed to want to say something to me, but it was as if he didn't dare, or was trying to find the right words. I froze, not moving, watching him intently.

"I'd like to give you something. Let's consider this a parting gift," - Arthur said. His voice was filled with tenderness and excitement. I just nodded my head approvingly.

He gently took my hand and led me to the farthest part of the apartment. We entered his office. I looked around. Everything was done in minimalistic tones, with low-key accents and an unsaturated style. It was a bright room filled with air and light, giving a feeling of lightness and cleanliness.

One detail immediately caught my attention. A large painting that hung opposite the table took up half of the wall. It multidimensional strokes and color images hid the whole essence of my soul, my emotions and feelings.

"I remembered the first time you brought me to the art gallery," - Arthur began, as if plunging into memories. "You talked so deeply about each painting, introducing me to the artists and their creative path. I thought then how amazing it was that in these multicolored strokes and canvases you could see whole destinies, life stories and the deepest moments of being."

My eyes did not leave the canvas, I pierced it, as if I were looking for answers to all my questions. And Arthur's palm, holding my hand, gave me warmth and confidence.

Arthur hesitated a bit, trying to find the words, "I've never understood art. You always looked at the canvases with such admiration, and I looked at you with admiration. You were my personal art."

Arthur paused for a second, as if he expected some kind of response from me, but I stood motionless, absorbed in his magnetic presence. It was a moment when time stopped, and we both felt that intense silence between us.

"I was at the auction. And when this painting was exhibited, I suddenly remembered how you said that you would like to have it in your personal collection one day. To look at it every day, making your heart flutter with excitement, like the first time," - Arthur continued. "And I bought it for you!"

I was stunned. After all these years, he remembers. He remembers everything, every detail, every word. He did everything to show me how important every thread of our connection was, every single thread that at times seemed unsolvable. He was doing this to get back to us, to our story, which was not yet complete. "Why?"- I asked in a whisper, feeling my voice crack a little.

"It's all for you, Nella," - Arthur just shrugged his shoulders imperturbably. "Business, money, foundation, even this stupid picture. I did everything because of you," - his voice became a little excited. But Arthur took a deep breath to calm down a little. "Because I knew our story wasn't over yet," - he added.

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Thank you so much for finishing this chapter. I really hope you like it.
I'm looking forward to see you in the next one!

~ NALI

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