"Tino? What is it?" Thelma whispered to her husband but he did not reply.
“Grayson, what happened?” Valentino asked his brother over the phone.
"I-I-I-I- need your help-" Grayson spoke sounding distressed.
“Who is it?” She whispered to Valentino again and he did not respond. His quietness proved something was wrong but Thelma was left in the dark wondering the severity of the situation. 
After a brief discussion with the caller Valentino ended the call and ran up the stairs, a few minutes later he was back and fully clothed. He frantically searched for his car keys as Ella watched in confusion and Thelma felt ignored.
“Valentino, I don't like this new attitude. Can you stop moving around and tell me what is going on?"
"I need to get somewhere, it's urgent." He barely answered in a whisper while looking around for something.
"Don't I have the right to know? I am your wife Tino!” Thelma expressed her dissatisfaction with Valinetino's behavior, she was getting annoyed with his attitude.
“Grayson needs help, he is stuck somewhere in the city.” He quickly explained but did not stop what he was doing. 
'This is crazy!' Thelma thought, Grayson never liked Valentino and he knew this.
“Valentino, why don’t you just call the emergency service they can reach him in time and it's blasting snow outside!” She tried telling him.
“No, I can't abandon him out there, he is my brother and I have to help him.” He insisted and grabbed a coat from the coat hanger, then tucked his car keys into the pocket. When he was at the door he looked back at his wife. “Thelma-” 
Thelma's chest heaved from deep emotions, her eyes welled up with unshed tears. She was hurt and felt ripped apart but could not bring herself to yell out. “I love you." He whispered to her and left the comfort of their house to an unknown destination.
His last words felt like a breaking point in her heart and the slight crack on her wall gave way, bringing her to her knees.
Thelma dropped to the couch sobbing, she rolled and fell to the ground hugging herself for comfort. She had a terrible feeling in her gut after the strange call from Grayson, if only Valentino would listen to her concern. Grayson might be family but he cannot be trusted she learned that when he set naked wires in Valentino's bathroom a day before their wedding, Valentino would have died of electrocution and people would think it was a minor home accident if she hadn’t come there in time and saw him doing it.
“Mama? Why are you crying.” Little Ella asked her mother, she was so young, so innocent she had no idea what might happen. She is unaware of the dirty tricks life played in their lives.
“Nothing my love I am not crying.” She tried to divert her daughter’s attention from what was bothering her so Ella did not have to worry herself.
“But you are Mama, I see tears in ya ryes.”
“It is nothing baby, I was only practicing for a new role.”
“Are you mad at papa?”
“Where did you get that from darling? Why will I be mad at your father?”
“Papa and you are fighting and I don’t like it.”
“No we are not.” She smiled at her.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Thelma reached out to hug her daughter encircling her hands around her small frame, she inhaled her hair which smelled of rose to comfort her.
 
‘It’s going to be fine, Valentino is fine’ She kept repeating even though her heart told her otherwise.
It feels just like yesterday this whole brother drama started. Thelma can still remember some of the events in the past which she thought would never interfere with their marriage. 
~~
Some flashes relating to Thelma and Valentino...
Thelma had just finished an evening class and was walking to a new shop selling cooking items when she accidentally sneezed on a random person.
"Gross! What the heck!" A man shouts and Thelma instantly begins to apologize.
"I am so sorry I did not mean it." She used the back of her arm to clean his shirt to get rid of the saliva but it seemed to be spreading irritating the man further. 
"You should have had some sense to cover your mouth before sneezing."
"I don't know what came over me sir, I am deeply sorry. It happened so fast, I couldn't control it."
"Get your hands off!" He angrily pushed her arms away even when she was genuine about accidentally sneezing on him.
Thelma stepped back a little confused and slightly vexed, she was only trying to show amends he didn't have to be rude. For the first time, she looked at him and challenged him.
"What is your problem, I was only trying to be nice." She snapped but he didn't respond immediately.
His irritated expression suddenly turned to surprise with a hint of nervousness. This put Thelma in a confused state but she continued to voice her displeasure with his attitude.
"Hey, mister! I am talking to you." She snapped her fingers in his face.
"Ur- I am so sorry, I didn't know it was you." He spoke like he knew her.
'you didn't know it was me?' She ponders.
"Have we met? Now you are creeping me."
"You really should be careful where you sneeze." His nervous behavior changed suddenly and Thelma is taken back.
"Who the heck are you and what is wrong with your brain?" 
"Very funny. I do not tolerate unsensible talks with outsiders, you better get going or you will miss your cooking class." He said and walked away.
Thelma was conflicted. She tries to round her mind on what was happening and how in the world did he know about her cooking class. Indeed when she checked the time it was five minutes past the time of the cooking class.
"Screw that idiot for wasting my time!"
For Thelma, things took a different turn when she reached the class and found the man as one of the students, she was in awe. He waved at her when she noticed him chatting with the other students, and Thelma decided to teach him a lesson as his teacher.