Thy Will, Not Mine

Chapter {41} Destiny

Sienna seemed to be at a loss of words, "Wow... Uhm, I'm all this will pass, your friendship is stronger than this." Who was she encouraging herself or me?

There was no coming back from such a betrayal.

****

"She said you deserved someone better than me?" Nio reiterated what had just left my lips as I just nodded my head.

"Amore, forget about her, you have got me right and you have many other friends. You don't need her."

He pulled me into his shirt, as sobs racked through my whole body.

"Nio, how can I forget my best friend? She is the reason I even came to Italy in the first place. She is the reason I was able to recover after my father's death," I stammered as I held onto his damp shirt for dear life.

"She played her part and now she has left. Certain people are not meant to be part of our destinies and are only meant to stay for seasons so maybe it's for your own good that she left your life," his words carried so much wisdom that I was left awe-struck.

"When did you develop such a positive outlook?" I asked, raising my head from his wet shirt and gazing into his grey eyes.

He responded with a blank expression, seemingly surprised by my question.

"I've always been optimistic," he replied, gently wiping away my tears and holding my hands. "And remember, you have me by your side."

We sat in comfortable silence for a while as I was in his warm arms, "I think we should invite my family, Avelina, Giovanni, Lucia, Margaret, Susan and even your friend, Sienna for dinner."

He displayed such a profound level of interest and involvement in my life that he even about my other friend other than Thato. It was worth noting that they hadn't even had the opportunity to meet each other.

"Okay, thank you for being here with me," I hugged his shirt-clad chest.

"That's my job, you don't need to thank me for doing my job," he mumbled against my kinky puff adorning the top of my head.

"I love you," I expressed, getting lost in his grey orbs that never failed to captivate me. They were a swirl of the colours black and grey. Simply mesmerizing.

"Mhm," still the typical Nio, hardly ever voices his thoughts and feelings. But his eyes spoke what his words could not.

****

"You climb taxis to get to places?" Giovanni asked as he chewed on the lasagna Nio had once again surprisingly made.

"Yes, it's like a norm. The person that sits in front of the taxi collects everyone's money and counts it and gives change to whoever needs it before giving the money to the taxi driver," I explained the whole systemic way in which taxis worked in South Africa.

"What if you do not give the money to the driver?" Giovanni decided to ask with an innocent glint in his eye, but his question was far from innocent.

"Only Giovanni would ask such a question," Margaret commented with a roll of her eyes as everyone followed suit with their own roll but that did not discourage Giovanni as he waited for the answer with high anticipation.

"Then, you would butt heads with the taxi drivers, that would not hesitate to remove you from the taxis and embarrass you in the middle of the road."

"Okay," was all he said before we moved on to other conversations.

"Destiny?" Avelina's adorable voice called out to me as I turned to look at her honey-doe eyes.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I could see Nio smiling a tad bit at the term of endearment that I could not help but utter to the little girl who happened to be my boyfriend's only sister.

"Are you and my... Fratello going to get married?" I tried to remember what the term meant as I watched the whole table cough dramatically.

Then it struck me, it meant brother!

We had not even gotten to that stage, sure I loved him to the moon back but I don't think we knew each other enough to spend our whole lives together but if he were to propose today, I would agree and hold out the wedding to at least when I would be done with my studies.

But before I could answer, Nio beat me to it, "Cara, we will get married after we are done with school."

It was as if he had read my mind. I smiled at him as Avelina gave us a toothy grin looking ecstatic, "I love Destiny. I want her to become my sister," she commented, surprising everyone. She was usually a shy girl, especially with me but she was opening up to me and that was all I could wish for.

"I love you too, sweetheart," I replied, my heart swelling with love as I rounded the table and pulled her into a loving hug.

She cried into my chest, "I always prayed for a mommy, but God gave me a sister and I am happy now."

A tear slid down my cheek, I loved this little girl. I'm sure she had gone through a lot growing up without her mother yet she was still a ray of sunshine.

I had lost a friend but in return gained a beautiful, loving and kind sister, boyfriend and family. What more could I ask for?