Love, Lies & Legacy 2- chapter 14

Chapter 14

“Natalya was born with a disease called erythropoietic protoporphyria or EPP disease. It meant she could not come in contact with sun rays. Even close contact with the rays from the sun could mean a lot of damage to her body. She never got to go out like a normal person. When she was old enough, my mother let her go out during the night,” he explained. Sienna listened carefully and realized that even thought Darius did not show any sign of a sad expression, his eyes said otherwise. His beautiful eyes were full of sadness.

“When I was 15, she was diagnosed with skin cancer and did not have much time to live. So I left school to go stay with her here, in this mansion. The weather here is not as sunny as France so my mother thought it was a good place to stay. The whole time I was here, she practically became my teacher. I was home schooled by her for a year. If she was still here, she would have been a great educator,” he said with a smile.

“So that is why you left Elexer Academy,” said Sienna, finally knowing the reason why he left.

“Yes….You must wonder about the racks of clothes she has. Since she never had a chance to really go shopping, my mother bought all those clothes and her walk in dresser became her private shopping emporium. She started playing the piano when she was 5 and taught me how to play. The song I played just now was the last song she made. She told me to play the song to someone really special someday. I chose to play it to you,” he said. Sienna placed a hand on the side of Darius face and leaned in for a kiss.

“Sometimes I feel like she wrote that song like she knew it was almost her time and she knew I was not going to handle her absence well,” he said after they kissed.

“I bet she made the song as a way for you to remember her,” said Sienna, her hands still around his neck.

“How can I ever forget her? She made such a big impact in my life. This song has never left my head ever since I heard her sing it. I remember that day so vividly. It was on a Thursday, she sat right here. Her fingers were dancing with the piano keys as she sang every word like it was her last. I remember the expression on her face, the sadness in her eyes and they way she tried to cover it up with her smile. She died the next day,” he said as he looked away from Sienna.

Sienna looked at the side of Darius’s face and then her focus shifted to a few pieces of paper that were on the stand above the keyboard. There were musical notes, hand written on the bars of the paper. On the very top written in beautiful cursive writing were the words ‘Still Here’ and below it was ‘by Natalya Cuza’

“I’m sorry,” said Sienna in a whisper.