𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐄 ; 𝑎𝑙𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑜

𝟏. 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦

"We have decided to send you to Portorosso for the summer."

It hadn't even been an hour since Serena Pearl Cavalluccio came home from school that day and already her summer was getting off to a bad start.

Serena's ocean blue eyes widened in disbelief, her gaze flickered between her mama and papà. "Tu cosa?! Why would you be sending me to Portorosso?! Of all places..."

"We know, but your therapist suggested that it would be a good idea to try out this new treatment called exposure therapy. We thought it could be worth a try," Papà explained.

Serena's papà was a man of few words, only speaking when something needed to be said. Mid forties, he had a large and stocky physique, coffee brown hair that was parted and combed-back, and had tanned skin. Most likely from all of those years of being outside in the hot summer sun when he used to live in Portorosso.

Serena frowned, seething in anger. "So that's why you wanted me out of the room that day we went to see my therapist last? So you all could plan this behind my back?!"

Serena's mama came over to stand next to her husband, her plump lips tugged into a slight frown. Her mama was the most caring, beautiful soul she ever had the pleasure of knowing. Being in her late thirties, she was fair skinned, curvy and short in stature. Often seen wearing her dark chocolate brown hair in a high bun, her bangs softly rolled and pinned up to the right side of her face.

While both of her parents had blue eyes, Serena's eye colour was closer to her mama's shade. Mama once said that her eyes reminded her of the ocean itself; Serena hated her eye colour.

"We didn't make this decision lightly, Serena," said mama steadily, "Your papá and I have worked tirelessly alongside your therapist for the last couple of years in order to help you get over your fear of the ocean. This is the only thing you haven't tried yet."

It was true, her parents had tried everything and anything in order for her to get over her fear of the ocean but their efforts were fruitless. But when a treatment actually involved going to Portrosso in person, that's when Serena drew the line. She didn't feel comfortable with the idea at all.

Serena shook her head stubbornly, "No! I'm not going, you can't make me go!"

"We're sorry tesoro, but it's already been arranged," Papà informed, "You'll be staying with your Zio Giovanni and Zia Francesa and you'll be leaving first thing tomorrow morning."

Serena's eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly agape. She couldn't believe that her parents were forcing her away to the main source of her trauma.

"B-But you can't send me to Portosso...it's a dangerous place!" Serena tried to argue in a desperate attempt to convince her parents to not send her away. "What if I fall into the ocean? When no one is around...what if I drown?! What if —"

"Serena, calma per favore!" her papà tried to soothe, "Nothing bad is going to happen to you, Portrosso is a safe place."

"We don't want you to fear the place you used to love so much. You used to love the ocean," her mama reminisced fondly, "You were always so captivated by it. You used to go down to the beach everyday and play in the water with all the other children until it was dark. You begged to be out on the sea in your zio and nonno's boat..."

Serena didn't want to admit it but she missed the days of her early childhood in Portorosso as well. Serena used to love the ocean but her love for it was replaced by a feeling of dread and caution. She didn't want history repeating itself so she stayed away from the ocean or any other body of water, in fear of drowning a second time.