Chapter 26

Heather

"I have never been to Italy," I stated as we walked with our bags to the airport check-in.

"I know, I did do some of my research, just ask your brother." I stopped walking, wait don't tell me. My brother gave Gabriele dirt on me. I'm killing him when I get back. I hope he didn't show him any baby pictures; my mother bugged me to bring Gabriele to dinner so that she can properly get acquainted with him, and I'm sure somebody showing him my baby photos are inevitable.

"Don't worry about it. I promise you it's nothing like a deep dark secret." Luca held my hand tightly looking around at the people.

"Heather, I've never been to Italy too." He smiled at me.

"Is that so?" Gabriele eyed him as he smiled at me trying to make me feel better about it. I knew he has gone to Italy many times before.

I had a carryon bag and Luca had his backpack with him after we sent our bags down the conveyor.

"So, four hours in the air. It gives you more than enough time to describe my surprise to me." We continued to walk to a coffee shop at the airport.

"You do know what the word surprise means."

"I'll tell you! My daddy is going to..mmh mmh." Gabriele placed his hands over Luca's mouth giving him his well known 'stinky eye' as Luca put it.

"You can't tell her. She must not know under any circumstances, it's a big secret."Luca nodded and looked like he remembered something. Ooh, these boys were up to something. The excitement was bubbling up inside me.

"Pretty please." I tried to give him my best puppy dog look but he just kissed my pouting lips and whispered into my ear with a low growl.

"Nope, don't pout like that, this is a public place and I feel too inclined to you know what on the table and do you know what with pouty lips." My eyes widened and I turned red. Luca was just staring at us very confused.

We got a table at the coffee shop .

"Are we going to stay at uncle Stanza?" Gabriele nodded.

"He's staying in the main chateau and we're getting the other one on the other side of the estate." Two chateaus on either side of an estate. I'm guessing this uncle is very rich because damn, I didn't think I'd ever spend a night in a chateau.

"Who's this uncle?"

"He's actually my mother's sister's husband...my uncle, not Luca's, my grandfather lives a few miles from there so I think you'll meet him too."

"Talking about family, my mother asked that you attend dinner with me when we get back. We can bring Luca."

"I'd love to go, seeing as they might be my in-laws." The waiter interrupted my semi-shocked expression by taking our orders.

"In-Laws? You're moving really fast, 6 months and you already want to marry me?"

"Actually I've wanted to marry you since the first time I kissed you. I'd love you to be my wife and the mother of my future child."

"You do not want to know what I've been dreaming about since I saw you in a suit at the wedding for the first time." His eyebrow shot up. He leaned closer that I could whisper into his ear.

"You, and I and that purple tie, that has already realized but I'd love to replay that." He sat back into his chair as our orders came and took a huge gulp of his coffee. I wickedly smiled, that got him riled up.

Luca was occupied by his thick chocolate milkshake and a coloring page the waiter bought over. Gabriele just continued to stare at me over his cup of coffee, his eyes reflecting the same mocha color as the coffee. I purposely didn't look at Gabriele and helped Luca with coloring in the cartoon characters.

Steadily we boarded. I walked to the economy class but Gabriele continued to walk. I looked at him with a frown.

"Where are you going?" I held Luca's hand tightly and he held mine, I think he was trying to comfort me about flying. He was so cute in the way he tried to help me.

"Our tickets are first class." He stated simply, I followed him until we were in the first class cabin.

We took our very comfortable seats.

"Why did you book us for first class?"

"I always do it with all my flights; it's about a four-hour flight we have. Better comfortable than stuffed into an uncomfortable seat."

We took our seats in the cabin, it had luxurious seats that could recline back and a whole lot of space since there was no one else here, just us. I sat beside Gabriele and Luca sat beside him.He was busy on his laptop and Luca was playing a game on his PSP. I reclined back into the seat, adjustin myself so that I'd be able to take a nap.

I quickly drifted off into a not so peaceful sleep, like most nights the scenes of the car crash replayed itself in my head, the way my vision blurred and the feeling of falling into a very deep pit. I felt like I was numb, the way I felt when I died. Not many people can describe how they died but I could. The terrible feeling of knowing you were dead once and that by some divine intervention you were revived. The ache kept flowing through me. I couldn't look at myself because I'd see a hollow person. Yes, I tried to drown myself after the accident. I shouldn't be alive and I thought I'd correct a wrong.

Some would think that I need to be thankful I was given a second chance when some don't get one, well I know I should be but knowing that you were dead, you died and now you're alive was awful. Knowing you were meant to not exist anymore.

The feeling kept nagging at me. I knew Gabriele knew I was going through this pain, most night I'd wake up in a cold sweat, my heart racing and tears streaming down my face. Other night's I'd be sobbing relentlessly.

He and Luca have been going to therapy but I declined. His nightmares weren't as bad now but I couldn't take them anymore. Therapy really helped Luca process what happened and I am so thankful that he has someone to talk to. But we don't talk about therapy. It hits a nerve when I think about it.

A friend in my psych class explained to me from the little I told her that I might be going through PTSD. It made sense but I just couldn't talk to someone about it all-not even Gabriele because he still blames himself. With all of this I decided that after graduation, I would take a break from all of this. I need space to breathe. I'm going away, away from Gabriele and Luca.

I sat up straight in my chair, looking around rapidly as my heart continued to echo in my ears. I swallowed hard and ran my hand through my hair. My breathing steadied. Luca and Gabriele weren't there, just as I stood up Gabriele and Luca came through the door.

"Oh, you're awake." He bends down to peck a kiss on my cheek.

"Yeah, how long has it been?"

"About a good three hours. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."Luca sat down beside me.

"I just talked to the pilot..." He continued to babble on about the pilot he talked to. I found out that the pilot he was talking about was a friend of Gabriele's.

The next hour of the plane ride went by in a flash; Luca played games and drew pictures telling me a story every now and then. Gabriele was busy with work on his laptop and I had a book that I wanted to read.

The plane landed around noon Italy time, we walked through the terminal and collected our bags from the conveyor. The ride to the chateau where we'd be staying was eerily quiet. We stopped at a large house, it was painted in a beige color with a red roof. Vines ran up the side of the house and roses were spread out in a garden in front of the house. Gabriele helped me out and Luca took my hand sternly pulling me to the gate.

"Uncle Stanza!" He squealed as a man came out of the house.

"Ah, Luca." The iron gates opened, Luca ran to him, he lifted him up and gave him a hug. The man, Stanza was very tall. He had the same features as Gabriele and the men I saw in his family. The brown eyes, rich brown hair, and angled jaw.

"Mio nipote , mi sei mancato ." Stanza greeted Gabriele.

"Non mi manchi" They both laughed and I just looked at them, frowning.

"My uncle asked daddy if he missed him, and daddy said no," Luca explained to me.

His uncle enveloped me in a hug and kissed me on both cheeks. "You must be the lovely lady Gabriele mentioned, nice to finally meet you, Heather, I'm Stanza." He smiled at me.

"Your aunt is around here somewhere, oh...no she told me she was going out shopping." He said frowning. He picked up Luca and kissed him on the forehead, "I want to show you our new fish tank." Stanza took Luca inside. Gabriele took my hand.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm unveiling my first surprise to you." We walked along a path that was cobble stone paved with red and white flowers strewn along the path, the sweet smell drifted around in the air. "Why did your uncle build two houses across from each other?"

"Actually I built them. I gave him one and he does maintenance on the other one that I usually use when I'm in Italy or rent out when I'm not." The house was a replica of the other one, I looked at the house. He unlocked the door, our bags were still in the car and he told me the driver would bring them in. I looked at the house taking in its size. Gabriele's house wasn't big compared to this. He pulled me into the house, the entrance was cream colored and vintage pieces decorated the foyer. I followed him upstairs as he never let go of my hand. He stopped at the top landing covering my eyes with his hands. I was about to protest but he interrupted me.

"I don't want you peeking my dear, this room is always under lock and key and I am the only one that has the key to it. It's not every day that I get to show someone this place."

I felt him shifting his one hand over both my eyes so that he could open up the mystery door. I heard the door swing open. He slowly took his hand off my eyes. I actually wished he didn't. My eyes widened at the scene in front of me, my jaw hung open a bit.

"Oh my..."