Chapter 11.

A look.

Patrick had begun to try to resign for a while from his profession, this was not at all pleasant for the Ministry of Health and Women's Welfare, since Patrick was not only an obstetrician-gynecologist, but also had many shares and private clinics around the country; and the fact that he was trying to resign for a while, made not only the shares in the medical society go down, but even the media wanted a report on it, because he was practically considered a celebrity in the world of medicine.

The newspapers were filled with headlines, some mentioning that he would surely marry his partner in private, others saying that it could be due to the controversies of the last trial that tarnished his almost impeccable image, everyone absolutely did not want to know the truth about why he was resigning, but he refused to give any kind of statement, so the harassment of journalists was undeniable... some parked outside his property, others followed him and it could be said that he had almost no social life, because nobody wants to leave home when everyone has their eyes on you and this was something that all the media took into account, although the reality was totally different: he had become infatuated with finding the source of immortality, he had studied the phenomenon for some time and until now he only had a serum to keep his children, his sister and his colleagues in mischief Brianna and Ritchthofen safe.

He knew exactly how bad Brianna had been during this time; adapting to the change in DNA was practically a very painful process, not to say agonizing... he even found it hard to believe that Mark hadn't noticed what was going on around him, but of course, Patrick knew that he wouldn't pay the same attention to her even though they were married, which somehow made Patrick's heart feel some hope of at least getting her to look at him with different eyes, but Brianna was stubborn, untamable, ungovernable, she was even freer than the wind, so if he found the source of immortality it could be said that Mark Lynn would be nothing more than an old memory in her memory for the rest of her life...

Ritchthofen, for his part, had avoided keeping any contact with Patrick not because he didn't want to talk to him, but it was more than anything to stay away from controversy, he didn't want to have to deal with the yellow press and the gossip tabloids, he didn't want to go through the embarrassment of his life again.

He still saw that tabloid article with a couple of photos that had been taken of him and Patrick leaving a bar a few years ago. 

People went crazy over those articles; and at this point, with the witch hunt that was going on for Patrick, if they were seen together, it would mean that the ashes of the past would rise again and bring back that embarrassment.

Just thinking about it made him dizzy, so going down the stairs of his property he found Anne Lucia in the living room more radiant than ever, it seemed that her beauty was frozen in time, the difficult days in the waning quarter had already passed and she was stable, but there she was dancing alone in the living room with her eyes closed and her dress making waves with her clumsy steps…

Laughing under his breath he approached behind her and hugged her playing along with her movements, one might think that a person like him would have no feelings and much less a soul, but there she was showing that even the darkest being has a weakness, she was his weakness.

Only he knew that he was willing to burn alive anyone who tried to breathe even in the same space as her.

It could be predicted as if it were an obsession: they had not been together since she was five, now she was a fully grown woman, she was able to tame his inner demons and bring peace to his soul, even though she herself could not tame herself and  every quarter waning.

Then a soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and when he opened his eyes she had already stopped dancing, had turned around and was staring at him, in the complicity in their gaze you could feel that mischief that gave a touch to their chemistry…

At that moment, she told him in a very low voice almost like a lover: before, when I went out I saw a girl, she was so beautiful and at the same time so pitiful, I would like to see her again and not just once, if I could be her mother I would feel complete, then he told her: whatever you want you will have; ask me for the whole world and I will give it to you at your feet, neither of them said anything again, but it was not necessary, because with that answer everything had been said without saying anything.

He was willing to create that little girl with her, if that made her happy, the answer was yes…

Two days later the couple was leaving in his car while she showed him exactly which places she had been the day she got lost; the radio was on low with totally old songs, melodies that were probably in fashion long before they were both born, but which truly implied feelings and nostalgia in their lyrics.

They both laughed, he found it funny all the places where she had ended up, until they finally got to the park, it seemed that no one had cleaned the place since she had come, then he saw exactly the paper still under the tree where she had left it the other day and she said to him stop here, she would recognize that folded piece of paper.

He got out of the car and went there, picked it up and took it to her, she recognized the handwriting and said to him: this is the address that the girl's teacher gave me, ¿do you think we can go see her?

He said: We will go, but we cannot do it at this moment, as there are still more urgent matters, but I promise you from the bottom of my heart that I will ask for the documents that are required to adopt the girl.

 You have already told me that she is blonde, with blue eyes and about three years old. I will recognize her as soon as I see her because I will not see her with my eyes but with your eyes, because I will recognize the brightness that you will have left in her, then I will bring her home and she will be our most precious treasure.

She, with crystallized eyes, said to him: ¿Do you promise me with your body, soul and heart?, And he told her: You have bewitched me from the beginning in body, soul and heart. 

My whole being belongs to you. I live to adore you and take care of you like a queen. I will not let the world harm you, but you have to promise me that you will always be by my side no matter what storm is coming…