(How lucky you guys are to get two long authors notes from me in one chapter! Here I am with yet another apology. This is even more overdue than usual! But exams are starting (tomorrow) and after working on a chapter for three weeks it is finally done. You will probably not get another chapter until around the 24th of June. I finish exams so I will be free. I want to write during the exam period but I write every single day, and some days I write two exams and life decided to throw Father's Day in the mix. I just can't. So apologies! And, my thirty minute breather after every exam will be a run; so absolutely no time to write. I'm deeply sorry! That aside, enjoy this chapter!)
I BARELY REMEMBERED this room.
Everything was clean yet it looked untouched. Books were still neatly placed in the bookshelf above the desk, the desk itself still had books on the top right-hand-side corner. The duvet cover was still blue, the Hulk stuffed figure was still in the middle of the bed waiting.
But everything still felt different. It lacked the proper warmth that a room should possess, you could tell that nobody has been in her for a long time. The curtains were drawn, and I could tell they hadn't been opened in years. The room was stuffy, it hadn't been aired out.
It had been twelve years.
Twelve years.
I let out a shaky breath and move towards the window. The first thing I do is pull the curtains, light shines in through the windows and the room feel different. I open the window and a rush of air enters the room letting it breathe.
Luca still stood in the doorway, his eyes fixated on the bed. He hesitantly moves inside, trails his fingers across the spines of books, then across the desk. His eyes were conflicted, he couldn't figure out whether he should run or not.
But this was my only chance. My only chance of getting our family to act as a family again.
We were all frustrated with each other. I was still slightly irritated that they didn't trust me to tell me about Diego from the beginning and secondly because of Luca and their behaviour since he had come back home again.
Luca still held a grudge that they sent him away because of his sexuality, but who wouldn't?
They were angry at me, I was being childish by avoiding them because of a (in their eyes) minor problem. They were angry with Luca because he was back, and they were still having trouble grasping the fact that he wasn't straight.
You could feel the tension in the room. We were silent, the imply sound was my mother shifting on her feet. I spin around on my heel and look at them.
For the longest time all I had wanted was for us to act like a normal family again. No, not act. I wanted us to be a normal family, feel like a normal family. I wanted us to be altogether again.
"We need to talk," I finally say, breaking the ice.
"Yes we do," My father says. His voice was firm, something mine wasn't.
"Luca. . ." He starts, the pauses. "My son," He finally says and I see Luca's lips tremble.
"We are sorry," They finally say.
Luca wanted to crack, I could see it. He so badly wanted to crack, to finally break down the walls that he had built so high. To collapse into his parents' arms and let them hug him.
But he didn't. Not yet.
"Why?" He asks simply.
"It was frightening," My mother starts, "knowing that your son liked other boys. We just never thought that our own son would be like that. So we acted on impulse out of fear. We thought sending you away would not only give you the space you may have needed to figure out what you were really wanted, but also to give us the breathing space to think as well."
"The three of us needed to think. Even if it meant you going to a boarding school very very far away. And while we thought we may have been doing the right thing, for Violetta as well–" Luca's eyes flicker towards me.
"–we just felt guilty. She didn't stop asking for you, for at least a year. But we were afraid. Afraid of what other people might say. We have always cared about what people think, and at the time being gay was not exactly popular," My father explains.
"We were protecting you from the hate of others, from our hate. We were protecting ourselves from the embarrassment we thought we were sure to get if the word got out. We protected Violetta from following in your footsteps. We tried to do what was best," My mother continues.
Luca takes a step back and grabs onto the bed frame. It was almost as if he was steadying himself. These were the answers he wanted for years, but he couldn't tell if it was the answer he wanted yet.
I could tell, whenever we talked that he wanted to hate them. There was a difference, possibly a thin line, between hating somebody and wanting to hate somebody.
They sent him away to boarding school, that should be enough to hate somebody right? That should be enough to label them as the bane of your existence right? It should be enough. Luca should hate them. He's wanted to hate them for so long.
He needed this answer to simply be because they loathed him. Then there would be nothing holding him back from truly hating them. But that wasn't the answer they gave.
And the fact that they threw my name into the mix made it even more difficult. Luca had always told me that I was his soft spot.
"We do not hate you Luca. I promise you we do not hate you," my father says gently.
The doorway to a person's heart is their eyes, and it is the heart where love lies. You can always see the intensity of love through somebody's eyes, whether it's even real love. The eyes show everything that the heart tries to keep a secret.
My parents had tried so hard to convince everybody that they loathed Luca. And I believed them. I felt like I had spent the last decade oblivious. How did I not notice? Were they looks? Whispers?
Luca's lip trembled. He wanted to crack. He so badly wanted to crack. He wished to be that five year old boy who could easily run into his parents' arms and let them hush the cries away.
On the other hand he was hesitant to believe them. Who could blame him anyway? They practically disowned him. The past few months they treated him like dirt and now they apologised. Despite the sincerity there was still hesitance.
There were unspoken words hanging in the air between them. We were so broken, but perhaps all it took was a conversation to fix us?
They just need to express everything. That was all. Talk can always help people get through things. A decade-long grudge as well.
Who could blame them?
"We're sorry," My parents say gently.
That's all it takes.
Luca finally crumbles and a tear slips down his cheek. My parents run to his side and hug him, a tight long-overdue hug. Relief flooded through me.
We weren't brand new. There were too many things that had happened to this small family to be perfect.
It was like a broken mirror, you could put the pieces together but the cracks will always be in between the shards. The picture would always be a little distorted.
We weren't perfect.
But probably as perfect as we'll ever get.
DIEGO WRAPPED HIS arm around my shoulder as I sat down on the couch next to him.
"How did it go?" He asked, concern across his expression.
"It went well," I breathe and he smiles.
"Vilu!" Savannah cooes.
Oh what now?
"Your boyfriend was just telling me all about him! He's so successful!" She gushes.
"Husband," I correct and she waves it away.
Diego just being my boyfriend made it easier for her to try and make a move on him. She had done this before.
I dated this guy in high school, he was quite sweet actually. A bit of a boy-next-door vibe. Well I thought so. I don't think the boy-next-door cheated on his girlfriend with her (more attractive) cousin.
They only dated for a week, she moved on quite quickly. It was in her nature.
"Why didn't you tell us about him?" Savannah demands. Diego stiffens next to me. It had been a while since we had been asked these kind of questions about our relationship.
"Your turn," He whispers. I discretely elbow him in the ribs.
"He is a famous person. We thought we'd come it under wraps," I say.
I could see the cogs turning in her head. She didn't believe me. But then again I probably wouldn't have believed that excuse.
"I don't know why you'd hide the fact you're dating that!" She gestures to his body.
A smirk graces his lips. He always enjoyed being complimented, especially when it was about his muscular form. He thanks her, his smug grin still on his face.
She swoons again.
"Dating somebody isn't about showing off," I tell her and she ignores me. Too busy ogling my husband.
"Aw," Diego whispers and I elbow him again. "You're bruising me love,"
A few hours later I was catching up with my aunts. They were thoroughly interested in my sex life and whether there would be baby Violettas soon. I considered telling them about the pregnancy scare from a few days ago but decided against it.
They would probably go a little insane.
"Babe!" I hear him but don't see him.
"Diego? Where are you?" I shout as I stand up.
"In the playroom!"
When my aunts both had children my parents changed a small study into a playroom. We had a mini table and chairs, some foam bats, dozens of floor puzzles, and many other kinds of practical games. Not to mention the torn and ruined books.
I walked in and burst out laughing. Diego was on the floor and somehow the table was on top of him, and laces were used to tie his feet together and another lace to tie his wrists. He also had colourful patterns on his face. What made me laugh harder was the snickering trio in the corner.
"Guys! That's my not-as-handsome-anymore husband!" I playfully chided them.
"We couldn't help it! We asked him if we could tie his wrists together and he said yes!" Tristan explains.
"Silly billy," I wink at Diego.
"Help?" He says.
I hold up my finger, take out my phone from my clutch and snap a few pictures. I send it to Marco before tucking it away.
"That's not cool," Diego says dryly. I walk over and pick the table up easily.
"We need to clean your face," I tell him as I untie the knots.
For kids who hadn't even reached double digits yet they were shockingly good at tying knots. Diego rolls his wrists around once their freed. He kisses me shortly earning disgusted shouts from the mischievous trios.
"Payback!" He sticks his tongue out childishly. He gets up and helps me up. He turns to me.
"Clean my face please," He begs and I groan.
"Don't be lazy," I say and he gives me a puppy-dog look.
I groan and pull him to the closest bathroom around the corner. He leans against the basin and I grab some paper towels. I wet them a little under the tap and start to rub it against his face. Through the thin towels I could feel the shape of his cheekbones and jaw easily.
You could feel how handsome he was.
His breath was hot on my face as I dabbed at his tanned face. It was hard to concentrate under his heated gaze. I tried to focus on the different colours of fine liners.
"Thanks for playing with them," I say softly and he smiles against my fingers.
"They're cool. Except for the whole kidnapping me thing," He says and I giggle.
"They're skilled," I tell him and he shrugs in agreement.
I throw the stained wet paper towels into the bin and Diego grabs my waist. He flips us around and traps me between his arms.
"Diego. . ." I trail off and he grins.
Not now.
We can't possibly make out now.
"Why not? We are married. I am permitted," He says.
"What if my parents walk in," I reason and he shrugs.
"I think they know we're fucking," Diego says crudely and I flush.
He starts to lean in but of course we're interuppted. By none other than Savannah. A small smirk of satisfaction crosses her lips.
"Vilu!" She cooes.
It was like every single time she spoke to me she had to say my name that way. It was terrible.
"The boys are here!" I didn't know who she was talking about until I heard a country accent.
"Where is Violet?"
Shawn.
And Luke.
Who are they? You'll find out in the next chapter! I quite liked it and I added in a DIELETTA moment you are very welcome! He's great with kids!!
Like I will definitely add another moment of him with the trio.
And her family matter is finally resolved! There's still much more to come for this family weekend!
And new cover! It was meant to be the other one I showed, those were in the mix but they take forever because I have to expand the background to add my text, and then the text is even complicated. These take like two or three minutes each, which is way easier! These won't be here for a long, well hopefully not. I will work on other covers (after exams of course)
Thanks for reading 🙈 Sorry for any errors 💚 And again, sorry for the long wait and sorry in advance for the long waits to come!
~Lexy 😈