Promises We Break

Prologue

Valentina Bella Moreno, 11 years ago

My mommy says that she needs to talk to me today and I make my way over to my backyard. My mommy is a very pretty lady, her blonde hair matches mine. She is smiling at me as I head over to her. She holds out her arms and I run the distance between us, jumping into her arms. 

My mommy places her hands across my waist and pulls me into her lap. I giggle when she starts to pepper her hands all over my torso. My mommy is a cheater; she hates it when daddy tickles her but she tickles me. Not fair! I cross my hands across my chest and my mom laughs behind me harder. 

She pushes my hair out of my eyes and keeps her hand on my cheek. "Some guy is going to go crazy with your attitude, Val."

I scrunch my nose at her and say, "Eww."

My mom laughs harder and the look in her eyes tells me she is going to tell daddy afterwards. She always told him everything. "I want to talk to you about love."

"Love?", I ask tentatively. I didn't know what she meant about that. 

"You know love", my mommy encourages me and I shake my head at her. "Mommy and daddy love you", my mom says and this time I nod eagerly. My mommy and daddy never failed to tell me they loved me and I never failed to believe them because they were the best. 

They loved me so very much. 

"Val", my mom says turning my attention back to her. I nod and she says, "What else do you know about love?"

I chew my bottom lip and shake my head, out of ideas. My mom nods and says, "You can love a lot of people, Val."

"Like Jude and Austin?", I ask with a toothless grin. My front tooth have been all falling out and I've been getting a lot teasing from a few people.

"Yes of course", my mom says and then brushes her hand over my hair. "Love is a very nice thing, Val. Love can make you forget about all of the pain in your life."

"Like daddy did for you?", I ask softly. My mommy told me that daddy saved her from her family when she was in high school; my daddy was her hero. He showed her a different love and it was for her. Mommy experienced love after a long time and it was so strong that I'm here now. I'm not sure what mommy means about the last part but I still smile.

"Yes, sweetie", my mom says and then smiles, her teeth showing. I wonder if my teeth is going to look as nice as hers in the future. "Love can be a lot of things and you're young now, Val, but I still think we should talk about it."

"Why?", I ask her, my voice filled with curiousity.

"Love is important", my mom says and then plants a kiss on my cheek. "Go on and play before dinner", she says and when leaves me in the backyard, confused.

What did she mean? I had to find out and if I didn't know about it, my best friend in the entire would could.

"Teo", I shout at the top of my lungs as I head over to the extended backyard the both of us share. My parents took away our fence so our backyards are right next to each other with nothing in the way.

"Bella?", a small voice calls out as I walk up the ladder Austin built for the treehouse both of our moms designed.  Our daddys built it. I smile as I find my best friend playing with a toy car. I try to get him to play with my dolls but he says they are for girls. I frown at times and he looks at it and drops his car instantly and plays with me even if I make him be a barbie. My best friend was very sympathetic.

"Hi", I say breathless as I sit beside him on the tree house. We have a lot of space around us and we loved to be up here the most. Especially on rainy days because it was a reason to go outside. My parents didn't mind since they would be in the kitchen watching us anyway.

"You are smart, Teo", I say in the way of introducing the topic. Matteo's cheeks redden at the compliment even though he tells me constantly that he couldn't blush because of his tan skin. It wasn't tan enough, I tell him and he shakes his head at me. My best friend looks up at me and moves his hair out of his eyes.

"My mommy talked to me about something", I say and he nods. "She talked to me about love."

"Love?", his reply comes back as confused as mine when I had asked my mom at first.

I nod and say, "She says that love is a strong thing."

"Oh", Matteo says and then looks down at the car he still has in his hand. I smile regardless and say, "She says love is like how my daddy and mommy love me. How my daddy and mommy love each other. How your mommy and daddy love you. How your daddy and mommy love each other. It is all—"

"I love you", a blurt interrupts my explanation and my eyes widen at the words. "I'm sorry?", I ask when I can't remember what was said.

Matteo looks up at me, his cheeks flushed and says, "If my mommy and daddy love each other and yours as well. Then I love you."

"What?", I splutter out, my cheeks starting to heat up. I'm probably more red than the car in his hand. "Ew", I say when I realize that he is looking at me. Looking at me, his eyes staring into mine. "No, uh, that's kind of—"

"It's true, bella", he says and adds, "You love me too?" The question is asked and the answer is right at the top of my head as soon as it is. "Yes", I say.

"We love each other", Matteo says smiling and grabs my hand. We have held hands a lot of times, practically have been doing it since we were born, but this is different. He places his thumb on mine and says, "That's exciting."

I feel a buzz of energy go through me. "Yes it is", I agree with a smile. Matteo smiles harder, his front tooth also missing and says, "We should promise each other something."

"Like?", I ask. Matteo picks up our hands and looks into my eyes. "We should promise to love each other as long as we live."

"That's a long time", I say giggling. Matteo shakes his head and says, "We have loved each other for as long as we have already lived, why not more?"

I place a hand on my heart and say, "Okay."

My best friend squeezes my hand and says, "We promise to love each other forever."

"Yes", I agree and repeat the phrase under my breath.

That was the first promise we had made for the future but after this, we kept adding. One by one, so many promises.

Promises we would hold because we would hold each other forever. Matteo and I were all we have known. We would continue on. What was the word my teacher told me in science today? Oh yeah...

Matteo and I would be infinite.