The Secret Between Us
Chapter 50

The next day

Saying goodbye to Mateo in the hospital has not been easy, but that was “the rules of the game” as he called them, and this is the end of his part in this story, as he explained to us. From now on we are in the hands of the witness protection programme and he won’t even know about us, which makes us a bit sad as it means being away from absolutely everyone we know. Mia hugs him, says goodbye and makes him look at our daughter one last time so that I can do the same and then we leave, guarded by several men who take us through a back exit of the hospital as if we were two of the most important politicians in the country or something like that. I just look at our daughter in her arms and although I am still a bit convalescent, I try to be as helpful as possible with the things we have to carry, or rather, with what we were allowed to carry so as not to arouse suspicion.

Quickly they make us get into a van and as soon as we are all on board, the driver takes off so that in a few minutes we are at the private airport in Las Vegas -Are you scared? she asks me and I know we can’t say much about all this because we don’t know who we have around us.

-But for her and for you, it’s all worth it,” I continue and smile at her because there are no truer words than what I have just said to her.

-But for her and for you, it’s all worth it,” I continue and smile at him because there are no truer words than what I have just told him.

-I love you,” she says more relaxed and smiles.

-I love you, do you think we should go,” I ask and she nods.

-Let’s go,” she agrees and at the sound of these words I open the door of this van to be the first one to get out on what is this airstrip and help him down to her with our little Zaria in his arms.

The driver kindly helps me to unload the little we have brought and passes it to the captain of the plane who is waiting for us and who welcomes us while the flight attendant who will accompany us helps Mia – This way please – he announces and sometimes I feel that paranoia wins me making me feel that all this could be a trap, but I must trust Mateo, he assured me that his niece, my daughter and I would be fine if I helped him to make everything go as we had agreed and so it was, wasn’t it?

Trust Izan” I say to myself as we go to finish boarding the aircraft and as we do so we meet another man who seems to be an agent just like Mateo. “Welcome Gian, Alessia, I hope you are doing well,” he greets us taking us by surprise and Mia and I look at each other confused.

-And you are?” he asks.

-Of course, why did they forget who they were and who they knew just a few hours ago? He questioned us and he and I looked at each other and then looked at our son.

We know that this day has come and gone at some point, that we are happy but the only solution is the only solution, but we all know that it is very different – Preporodos – We say ol unison being aware that we have to forget our real names.

Today I begin our new life, we are the three of us because of what is left of our comino, I am not today more beautiful, powerful, uncles, cousins nor any other than what we knew, we are only it, me, and our son… we are afraid, of course, but we also know that it is the best thing that can happen to us because the world that surrounds us is not good for us and that after what I did to them, it only puts us in more danger.

-And you are? she asks.

-Agent Fernandez, Witness Protection Department. I’ll be escorting them to their new home and making sure everything is in order.

-And that place is? I interject.

-Palermo, Italy,” she announces and this takes us by complete surprise.

-Are you really ready to forget who you were and who you knew until a few hours ago? She questions us and she and I look at each other and then at our daughter.

We knew that this day was going to come at some point, that happily it was the only solution, but knowing a reality is very different -Ready- We say in unison being aware that we must forget even our real names.

Today our new life begins, it’s just the three of us for the rest of our journey, there are no more brothers, parents, uncles, cousins or anything else we knew, it’s just her, me and our daughter… it’s scary, of course, but we also know that it’s the best thing that can happen to us because that world that surrounded us didn’t bring us anything good and that after the betrayal I did to them, it only puts us in more danger.