Soon enough, Luca found himself back inside the Marcovaldo residence. He entered the kitchen very quietly, subconsciously aware that Giulia could be watching him. She was waiting for him after all, so they could "talk".
Oh bastoncini di pesce, Luca what had you gotten yourself into?
Giulia jumped up from the dining room table as soon as she saw Luca enter the room, a bright pink tinge on her cheeks and the widest, toothiest grin fueled by the butterflies she could feel threatening to fly out of her stomach.
Keep it fredda, Giulia. She thought.
"Luca, ragazzo pesce, where have you been! I've been waiting for you forever!!"
"Sorry Giulia, I went for a swim, I had to clear my mind." Luca said, he pressed his lips into a tight line.
"Oh no worries." Giulia's smile faded a bit, Luca could tell she was catching on to his cold attitude. "Why did you need to clear your mind?"
"Giuls..we should really talk."
Giulia's faded smile turned into a look of worry and confusion.
"Okay." she replied, folding her hands into her lap.
"Listen Giulia, what I'm about to say might ruin everything between us, but I need to say it." Luca closed his eyes, he couldn't bear to look at her expression right now. Giulia was so important to him, he couldn't lose her too.
"Luca I'm here, I'm listening." Her tone was sincere, it was one of the things Luca loved most about Giulia, how sincere she always was and how her heart never had bad intentions. She just loved really hard.
"Giuls, I was thinking while I was swimming and I came to the realization that I don't see you that way. Don't get me wrong, you are so so important to me. You're one of my favorite people but I love you as a friend."
Giulia looked down at the ground. "I knew it was too good to be true. Luca, I know you only see me as a friend but sometimes the best love stories start out as friendship, that could be us."
"It's not just that." Luca kept his focus on one spot on the table, not moving his eyes. He was gonna have to tell her, it was only right.
"Then what is it?"
"It's..Alberto."
Giulia looked genuinely confused. "What about him?"
"I.."
Giulia placed a gentle hand on Luca's shoulder. "Come on Luca, you can tell me anything."
Luca took a deep breath, there was no going back.
"I love him Giulia, I am in love with Alberto."
Luca shut his eyes, preparing himself for the worst.
He felt a pair of arms slide up and around his shoulders. He opened his eyes. Giulia was hugging him.
"Listen Luca, I had a tiny feeling that this might be the case. I mean you and Alberto just fit so right togther. I always joke about how you and me could be a better duo, but at the end of the day, you and Alberto just..fit."
"You mean you don't hate me?" Luca asked.
"What? No! Of course not, I will be honest, I don't know much about being gay. I mean I've heard of it and understand the basic concept. But I'm open to learning more about it. And Luca, nothing could ever change the way I love you. My love for you is unconditional and even though you don't reciprocate my feelings, I'm fine with that. I can easily be friends with you because that's what we were before. And now that I'm seeing the whole picture, I truly believe in my heart that you belong with Alberto and I will do anything I can to help you."
Luca felt tears welling up behind his eyes. He couldn't keep it in. Big, fat, heavy tears started falling from his honey brown eyes, staining his cheeks tinges of green and blue as they got wet. Luca just hugged Giulia. He couldn't imagine this situation going any better. He was grateful for his friend.
"Thank you Giuls, thank you so much."
Luca buried his head in the crook of Giulia's neck. They stayed there, just hugging and trying to digest everything that was just said.