Luberto

Under the Fish

Back at Giulia's, dinner was filled with awkward silence.

"Alberto, what's wrong?" Massimo asked, Alberto just stared at his plate and didn't speak, when Massimo looked at me for answers, I just shrugged. It was Alberto's story to tell, not mine. The rest of dinner passed in silence, even when I let out a huge burp. Alberto finished his dinner quickly, stood, and walked outside. Giulia looked at me, eyebrows raised. I gave her a look that said, I'll tell you later.  She nodded slightly and went back to her dinner. When I finished my dinner I walked outside, looking for Alberto. As the door closed behind me, I heard Alberto's voice from out back

"Luca?" 

I walked through the back gate to see Alberto sitting in the treehouse. I climbed up the tree, remembering the first night we had slept here. When I reached the treehouse platform, Alberto was waiting for me. 

"Alberto?" he looked up at the stars.

"You know, Bruno is the one who told me that the stars were fish. So when you told me they weren't, I guess a part of me was still hanging on to my Dad. I wanted to keep one part of him in my life."

"And now?"

"I never want to see him again!" there was so much anger and force behind the statement that I jumped.

"Alberto, he is family..."

"Is he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is someone still family when they abandon you for years?"

"I-" I couldn't think of an answer, so I just shrugged, looking at the wooden floor planks. I'd betrayed him once too, what did that make me in his eyes? I felt Alberto's hand on my shoulder and I looked up, seeing the apology is his green eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I just-" I put my hand on top of his

"Hey, I know. Today had to be hard." He nodded

"This isn't the first time he's tried to reach out to me either. He sent me a letter last Christmas."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"What does he want?"

"He wants to be in my life again, to be a dad again."

"You aren't going to let him, are you?"

"I'm not sure." I looked up at the stars, and back at Alberto, their light glimmering in his eyes as he contemplated what to do. Trying to cheer him up, I changed the subject.

"You do realize that you and Giulia are going to be brother and sister now, right?"

"What do you-? OH CRAP!" He slapped a hand against his forehead

"Does she even know yet?"

"NO! We haven't told her yet."

"Told me what?" Giulia asked, walking into the backyard.

"Uh-" Alberto stammered. he looked at me, searching for what to say. I stepped in, saying,

"Uh- What happened earlier!" I looked at Alberto, slightly panicked. He looked surprised for a moment, then hesitantly, he nodded, and I continued.

"Earlier- " I sighed, "Alberto's dad, Bruno, showed up." While we were at school, I'd told Giulia how Alberto's dad had abandoned him when he was little.

"Really?" She looked at  Alberto, but he just looked off into the distance, watching the gentle waves crash against the shore.

"Yeah." I told her the story, and she stared at Alberto, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. When I finished telling the story, she asked,

"What are you going to do?" He finally looked her in the eye and said,

"I'm gonna go talk to him."