Can You Keep It Saintly?

Year 2024 Tick tock tick tock tick tock The only sound breaking the silence that night was the faint ticking of the wall-mounted clock. Tick tock tick tock The room was shrouded in an impenetrable veil of calm as the shadows grew longer and quietness began to creep in. Atlas sat silently, gazing out the window at the black horizon from the outside, as she was lost in her thoughts. The space of her small was serene, and the stillness that pervaded it even had a slightly comforting quality, yet there was also an oddly unnerving quality about it. She was finishing the last episode of the new season of her favorite TV show called Lost In Love In Sequoia as she was glancing at the time, she noticed that it was already twelve oh four in the morning. Her phone lit up and it was a message from her estranged mother, Charlotte Richards, who texted her, “Happy birthday my dear Atlas! Simon says hi, and Lilac misses you! We all miss you so much. You can always come and visit us anytime you want to.” Atlas sighed heavily through her parted lips after reading the message with her eyes as she typed the words, “Thank you mom. Send my regards to Simon and Lilac. I will fly to–” She stopped typing and deleted the last words she typed and just sent the words, “Thank you mom.” After being married for five times, Charlotte Richards has been married to Simon for eight years now, with whom she has a second daughter named Lilac, who was six years old. As a way to deal with losing the love of her life and her first love, Atlas’ father Rene passed away from a heroin overdose when Atlas was only five years old, Charlotte went through several marriages and a several divorces as well before she met Simon. Apart from the fact that Simon was wealthy, he had no past of marriage and was a single man, thus when Charlotte first met him, they clicked and she stayed because of Simon’s kindheartedness and how he understood and accepted Charlotte. Simon was determined to marry Charlotte, even though his sister, Emily, disapproved of the relationship. She warned him about Charlotte’s past marriages, each one ending in divorce. But Simon saw something special in Charlotte, and he pushed through the objections and pursued her relentlessly. Despite his sister’s warnings, Simon was convinced that Charlotte was the one for him. He was drawn to her confidence and independence, and he loved the way she made him feel alive. In the end, Simon and Charlotte’s love prevailed, and they were married in a beautiful ceremony surrounded by family and friends, though Atlas did not attend, Simon still wanted to be a father to Atlas. Atlas grew up with a sense of instability and unpredictability in her home, moving from one house to another, meeting a new father figure whom her mother just left. Her mother, Charlotte, was constantly jumping and moving from one relationship to another, and Atlas never had a chance to form a strong bond with a permanent father figure in her life since those guys her mother was with were either focused on Charlotte and did not really want the responsibility of having someone else’s daughter. After the passing of Atlas’ father, Charlotte sought comfort in romantic relationships. However, her actions came at the cost of neglecting her daughter, as she found it difficult to look at Atlas, seeing her late husband’s features in her. Charlotte’s coping mechanism, albeit unintentional, left Atlas feeling neglected and longing for her mother’s presence. The emotional distance between the two widened when Atlas grew into her teens and adulthood, as Atlas craved the maternal love and attention that was difficult for her mom to provide. Even though Charlotte only wanted the best for Atlas financially, Atlas still felt this emotional neglect causing her to feel lonely and unmoored, leading her to build walls around her heart and become fiercely independent. Atlas placed her phone down, “Happy 30th birthday Atlas.” She told herself in a soft voice while staring at her hands as she knew that she had been through a lot in life, yet there she was sitting in her room with a plane ticket in front of her and her passport. Over time, Atlas had lost interest in celebrating her birthday. For her, each year seemed to bring more disappointments and heartaches, and the thought of commemorating another year of pain was simply unpalatable. Instead of joy and celebration, her birthday served as a bitter reminder of the struggles and unhappiness she had endured. As a result, the once-special day had turned into a source of sorrow and melancholy, a stark contrast to the youthful excitement and anticipation she had experienced in her earlier years. How many years has it been? She wondered and thought to herself, oh yeah, three. Three years and she continued to wonder if he had ever thought about her after Pine Ridge. With a sigh, Atlas turned away from the window and looked around her small flat once again. It was silent and warm but at the same time cold and lonely since she was alone, though she has been used to it, it still feared her since she had gotten so used to it that maybe she would end up feeling alright with being alone. The ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound, the silence of the evening hanging heavy in the air. She was alone, as she usually was, and the solitude was starting to make her feel uncomfortable and absolutely more worried. Atlas stared at her plane ticket and passport, a mixture of excitement and apprehension filling her heart. She yearned to break free from the monotonous routine of her existence and embarked on a journey to escape the despair that had enveloped her. She knew deep down that this was a significant life-changing step, and despite the fear and uncertainty, she felt a sense of empowerment and optimism coursing through her veins. Atlas was driven by a desire to reclaim her life and create new beginnings, and with a resolute determination, she prepared to undertake the journey ahead. “Italy, huh?” She muttered to herself and chuckled, “I can not believe I am chasing you all the way there.” As soon as the plane touched down, it was already four in the afternoon, Atlas felt her heart racing inside her chest with excitement and anticipation. As she stepped off the plane and took in a deep breath, the air seemed to dance around her, filling her lungs with the fresh scent of foreign surroundings. Ah, Italy! A country popularly renowned for its stunning landscapes, very rich culture, delicious cuisine and vibrant history. “Wow I can not believe that I am finally in Italy,” she whispered to herself, the realization sinking in. The hustle and bustle of a new country surrounded her, and she felt a surge of energy as she took in the sights and sounds of her new environment. She was ready to embrace the unknown and dive headfirst into the adventure that awaited her in this beautiful and unfamiliar land. As soon as Atlas stepped onto the bus, a rush of excitement washed over her. She was on a much-needed vacation, and as the bus glided through the city, the sign of the hotel name on the board caught her eye. As she boarded the hotel bus alongside other guests from her flight, Atlas could not help but take in the luxurious surroundings of the beautiful luxury hotel. The stunning view of the sea only added to the beauty of the place, and she noticed the beautiful vineyard and wine tasting shop within the expansive grounds of the hotel. She could not wait to immerse herself in the luxury and beauty of this Italian getaway. Upon reaching the hotel, and getting her hotel room, she placed her things down and headed outside, it was the same time that the tall man with sharp piercing eyes and an air of confidence walked on the lobby. Her eyes spotted him, I mean, who would not? He was like a model on a runway, standing out from everyone in the lobby, even the female staff and the other female guests were looking at him, Tatum Van Saint, a dangerously handsome man that projected confidence from his every action and the way he looked with his towering height of six feet and four inches. She walked down the main staircase crossing path with Tatum who was heading up while four of his security guards sandwiched him in between. Tatum’s honey brown deep seated eyes glanced at her as his wavy sandy blondish brown hair was well-coiffed that matched his black suit and black leather Italian shoes. His manner and presence was calm and collected, but everyone around him always found a sense of an underlying presence of power and authority, as if he knew exactly what he was doing and would allow nothing to distract him, not even the beautiful American lady with a beautiful flowy yellow Sunday dress with a long dark blond hair and baby blue almond eyes that he was crossing path along the stairs as they headed opposite direction. As Atlas reached the bottom of the stairs, she did not look back at Tatum, remaining unfazed by his presence despite everyone else being completely fascinated by him. Tatum, turned his head around, looked back at the beautiful radiant woman, causing his security to look back as well. To the security, maybe Tatum wanted to check the woman’s ass, though Atlas did have a round shaped rear formed under her beautiful yellow dress which made the security smile. Without knowing that Tatum always had a thing for yellow, it was his favorite color, he ignored the woman, not allowing her quick presence to destroy his focus right now, and looked further ahead again. “You came here for business.” Tatum told himself mentally. His expression was usually neutral, but there was always a cold detachment in his eyes as if he saw everything around him as being mere tools to be used or obstacles that needed to be removed. Yet Tatum noticed that Atlas’ eyes were innocent and large for her small face. As Tatum ascended to the second floor, his gaze slowly drifted downstairs towards the woman in the yellow dress once more. Her long blond hair swayed in the gentle breeze, and her yellow dress danced gracefully as she moved towards the hotel’s entrance. As she pushed open the door and disappeared into the day, a sense of determination filled Tatum’s heart. She was seizing the day, and he could not help but be impressed by her spirit and her beauty. As he turned away, his mind was already focused on the tasks ahead, but the fleeting image of the captivating woman in yellow remained etched in his memory. “It was definitely the yellow.” He muttered softly to himself. “Did you say something, sir?” The security asked him politely. “Vittorio is already in the suite?” Tatum asked coldly, almost not interested in being here. “Yes, sir.” The security answered while gripping tight on the black briefcase as his life depended on it. As Atlas stepped outside and felt the breeze of the afternoon caress her face, a rush of adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her heart race with excitement. She could not believe the rush of emotions that had overtaken her earlier, so she shook it off and set off on her own, exploring the city as if she were a local. As she walked and walked, she eventually found herself standing in front of a lovely winery, just a few steps away from the hotel. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside, where a warm and friendly Italian woman welcomed her in English. With no specific plans in mind, Atlas felt a sudden urge to indulge in a wine tasting experience. As she stumbled out of the winery, the effects of the wine tasting experience became increasingly apparent. She felt lightheaded and struggled to walk in a straight line, erupting into uncontrollable giggles as she held onto the small canvas she had filled with a painting during the drunken painting session after her wine tasting experience. The colors on the canvas blended together in a chaotic and abstract way, reflecting the state of her mind after indulging in the delightful wines of the winery. The sun was setting now as her feet dragged her towards the view far ahead, “Oh, a vineyard.” She mumbled to herself as she kept walking, and once she arrived at the vineyard, she was in awe of the peaceful place. The vineyard was a sight to behold, with row after row of grapevines stretching out as far as the eye could see. The vines were planted in neat, even rows, trained to grow in a V shape to maximize exposure to the sun and air circulation. The leaves on the vines danced in the breeze, their vibrant green color contrasting with the deep gold of the ripe grapes that hung in perfect clusters among the leaves. As the sun began to set and cast its golden hue over the vineyard, the air filled with a heavenly scent of ripe grapes and the gentle buzz of bees flitting from flower to flower. The sound of chirping birds added to the serenity of the atmosphere, creating an enchanting setting. Standing in the midst of the vines, Atlas watched as the sun dipped below the horizon, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her knees buckled, causing her hem to touch the ground, leaving smudges of dirt on her dress and on her knees. Her heart ached with a heavy burden she could not explain as she gripped her dress over her chest, she missed him. So close, yet so far, and she was feeling more hurt in her heart. “Didn’t you see the sign? No trespassing.” She pulled her head up when she heard that cold and monotonous voice. Tatum.