PresentDecember 2016I had woken up to the news that my mother was dead.I couldn't stand myself, so much so that we had to go to an inn and that night, I had to go for a walk or I would go completely crazy.It's already dark and I decided to go for a walk to clear my mind.A well-known whistle made me spin and my face lit up when I saw my grandfather, calling me so I ran hard and gave him a big hug."You're beautiful! I didn't believe the fool Luc you were here. If I don't see you, I think you're an apparition.” I laughed wistfully at the compliment. “I found out that your mother died yesterday... I'm really sorry.”"You don't have to," I said and shook my head."It must be hard for you to lose your mother, and well— What happened to your father in prison. I know they weren't the best with you, but life hit them very hard since you left my girl and they more than paid for their bad decisions.”The information threw me off."What do you mean by my father there?" I asked with genuine
PresentDecember 2016We shared the walk-in silence and arrived at a small café three blocks from the park."Good evening, welcome to Britton's café." What are they offered?” The young man asked politely."Hot chocolate and crackers," I replied, wanting to eat something to alleviate the cold I felt, winter in Dakota could be very hard."Anyway," Luc replied and looked at him amused."You're more polite than that."True, only the kid looks at you like a fool."She denied amused."You ever looked at me that way," I said, it was true.We plunged into comfortable silence.He looked at me, wanting to break the silence and I feared for it."I confess— I had the intentions of looking for you, but it cost me a lot, maybe too much and I... I was an idiot to you for attacking you at the time I met you with Enzo, what are you doing now?”"I understood that you saw something the night before that took you out of the concept you could have kept, I don't blame you for that..." I stopped being a cha
PresentDecember 2016Our mouths kept pace with our heartbeats, and the impulses of meaning made me react aggressively.I felt jelly in his arms and everything came out of me like a volcano, came out to hit me like a stampede and I started crying. As if sensing what disturbed me, he embraced me with a tenderness that left me without arguments."I'm here for you, honey.” He kissed my forehead with intoxicating devotion. “I won't leave, I'll stay as long as you want to.” He said in such a sweet tone of voice."Why did it all happen that way?" I asked to nothing, contemptuously, before exhaling wearily."I'd like to know the answer," he replied appreciatively, in the same weary tone I'd used. “I can only say that we are stronger now, and that we owe each other a goodbye. You... You're my heart, Emma. If in the end you don't want to be with me, you have the right to choose.”"Would you do that for me?" I asked fearfully."I'd do anything for you," he said with such conviction in his words
Part VII. OpportunitiesPresentAugust 2017Time was ticking, maybe too fast.Eight months have passed since Mrs. Isabella was buried. Seeing Emma's reactions, seeing what she suffered from her mother's indecision, was like looking at myself in a mirror, extrapolating it, comparing it, and evaluating myself from the inside.The circumstances that he had to go through were unfair and he had desire, motives and a lot of love for that to change, so I waited. I want to make her happy, she deserves to be happy."Even in the nebulae?" My sister asked."You know what I'm thinking, Giulia.”"Be content to know he's fine," she said, and I snorted because he'd been telling me that for the past three months. “Emma is an intelligent woman and if she loves you as I believe, know and trust her to, she will come for you when she feels ready. Her life was not easy, adapting suits her well and even if you look at things from her needs, I understand her perfectly. He wants to feel at peace.”That was
PresentAugust 2017"Say what you have to say.""My cousin will never forgive me, and I'm aware of that.” The phrase made me hesitate, especially because of the perennial lament she had. “I want to tell the whole truth once and for all.”"What are you talking about?" I asked, not understanding anything.She avoided the gaze as if she had a hard time holding it."When you guys started dating, things changed a lot for me. Emma was all about her family and she was immersed in the love they feel... That made me feel displaced and I made stupid things because of my jealousy that affected both of us.”"Why tell me and not her?""It's something I'll do in due course, when he's able to hear me... Now, I know it's not the time and I must tell you something that involves you. That's why I came to you first, Luciano.”His tone of voice was weak, but the firmness in the last few sentences was all seriousness."I don't know what you mean by telling it now. What makes you think I want to know anyth
PresentAugust 2017"I'm all ears," I said with difficulty."Things have become difficult for me in these months. I'm not going to lie to you, it's still hard to understand everything, but now I'm coping calmly and the therapies help. Opening up was something I always wanted and didn't imagine it would be so painful.” His voice cracked a little, and I held back. “Now I see events more clearly and I am able to accept my mistakes.” He smiled with a bed. “It's up to me to give myself the opportunity to supplant hatred with love, to recover the illusion of the uncertain and to believe in what is really worthwhile.”"That's good..."It was unmatched."Yes, it is. However, it's not an easy thing to do, saying it motivates you, but doing it is taking it to another level. Continuing in pain won't do anything for us and I want to remedy that.” The understanding of his words showed me the clear and stark reality of us. “Your life went on after you left Britton, it's such a different one... Whic
PresentAugust 2017Guido was a demented one."Please don't do anything stupid, murdering a billionaire like Luciano Basciano will put a target on your back, you won't be able to live, you won't be able to run away easily," I said in an attempt to negotiate with him and touched my earrings, begging Enzo to pick up the signal."Don't want to see my idiot face, just... Don't do it, it's your fault that I already have that bullseye on my back," he explained cheerfully."You're not thinking with your head, release him before the FBI sneezes and does an unprecedented search," I offered, and he laughed."Emma," Luc said a little nervously."Just be crafty, if you leave Luciano near the road, he'll pay you a lot for me, use that, give you anything to free me later...""Shut up! You talk incessantly and if you don't want me to lose patience with both of us, just shut your mouth," he blurted out furiously and I restrained myself.”He kicked the seat and I squealed with some drama that made Luc
PresentAugust 2017"I wondered if you would follow the route of the road, but no, I thought that the best thing you could do was to seek help," Adriano said mockingly as the six men around us laughed."Don't do this, Adriano," Luc muttered clemiciously."Of course, I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it very well, so well that I'm not only going to go get you, but I'm going to make sure that Giulia and Enzo suffer a lot," he blurted out angrily, and I watched as the dogs we heard came out from behind the trees."Put me down so I can help you," I said softly to my beloved, and he ignored me."Separate them," Adriano ordered, and that made Luc squeeze me much tighter.The men came over and the dogs growled, that's when I knew it would all end badly, so badly that my tears came out without any filter. I was thrown at the feet of Mr. A, who bent down to see me with a wicked smile."What I'm going to do with you will be the funniest thing, Emma.”I swallowed hard and restrained myself fro