Page 102 of My Heart's Doctor

“I didn’t know that,” he said, looking at me with surprise. “I’m healthy too. The only time I did it without protection was when I conceived Aurora, and actually I used a condom, but it broke. I still get regular check-ups and I’m healthy.”

With great delicacy, he withdrew from inside me, lay down beside me and pulled me close to him. We were embracing and very close together because we were still on the couch where we didn’t have much space. I felt him tense the arm with which he was embracing me to bring me even closer to his body.

“I want to sleep with you tonight,” he said, and gave me a kiss on the head.

“I like you staying,” I affirmed, and that time it was me who gave him a kiss, but on his chest.

“‘Dulce,’ I can’t stay because I have to go back home to Aurora. The lady who stays with her during the day can’t stay at night.”

“That’s right, I didn’t remember. No problem, another time.”

“No,” he said, looking at me seriously, “I want you to sleep in my bed tonight, in my arms. Devon, come home with me,” he said, and it seemed to me that after saying it he held his breath.

“William, I don’t know if that’s best. Aurora…”

“‘Dulce,’ you’re my girlfriend. From now on, Aurora will start to see you as my partner and, if you want,” he said, and I noticed that he swallowed before continuing, “you can stay every night. Let’s live together.”

I looked at him and sat up on the couch.

“Are you serious?”

“I would never joke about something like this. I want you in my days and in my nights, I want to share everything with you and for that I need you by my side, in my house and in my bed.”

“William, I’m not sure that’s best,” I said, taking my blouse and covering my breasts because I felt uncomfortable having this conversation while naked. “Aurora might…”

“Aurora will be happy,” he said, interrupting me.

“But if things don’t work out between us we might…”

“Things will work out between us and, if we ever decided to separate, I suppose you could still stay in contact with her because I imagine your relationship with her will be for life. What do you say?”

“Can I think about it?”

“You can, but tonight you sleep with me,” he stated, leaving me no option, though I wanted it too. “You owe me many sleepless nights and I need to sleep, and I can only do that if I have you with me.”

“All right, I’ll sleep at your house tonight.”

His face lit up with a beautiful smile and then he stood up and stretched out his hand for me to take it. When I did, he pulled me toward him and hugged me tightly.

“Now let’s go to bed because I’m going to make love to you again,” he said, and began walking toward the bedroom.

We made love again slowly, sweetly, passionately, we intertwined our bodies and melted into each other until we cried out in pleasure. We gave each other kisses and caresses without rest. William couldn’t stop telling me how much he loved me and asking me to say it back. Every time he heard me say it, he smiled and kissed me more fervently.

A while later we had lunch and in the afternoon we left for his house. We went in his car. I felt happy, happier than I had ever felt, but I don’t know why, during the journey I began to feel nervous. I knew clearly that if our relationship didn’t work out, it would be very difficult for my heart to heal. I feared that everything I had at that moment would vanish, giving way once again to loneliness. In that moment I understood that what I felt for him couldn’t be compared to what I had once felt for Lino. With the latter it had been a youthful love and I had married him following the plans he had made. At that time, what Lino offered me was much more than what I had at home. The affection he gave me, because after we separated I realized that it wasn’t love, was a thousand times greater than what I received at home from my mother and sister, and that confused me and led me to think it was love. Now I understood that it hadn’t been. Love was what I felt for William, a limitless feeling, so pure, so wonderful that it seemed my heart wanted to leap out of my chest.

When we arrived at his house, he surprised me by taking my hand. The employees greeted us and didn’t hide their surprise at seeing us together, but he walked without letting go of me and ignoring their curious looks. When we reached Aurora’s bedroom, we found her playing with her dolls while the woman who was looking after her watched and read a book. William put a finger to his lips asking me to be quiet and made the same sign to the caretaker, who left the bedroom. Her father approached her quietly, crouched beside her, spoke softly and with a big smile.

“Hello, daddy’s princess.”

“Daddyyy.”

Aurora dove into her father’s open arms as he stood up and hugged her tightly.

“How have you been, little princess?”

“Good. I’m playing with the dolls. This one is calledDivon,” she said, showing him a doll she had in her hand.

Witnessing that homey and familiar scene, and hearing what Aurora had said, filled me with tenderness and my heart beat to a different rhythm, the rhythm of absolute happiness. William looked at me and smiled. All his love overflowed through that smile and those beautiful blue eyes.