Page 43 of Faking With The Frenemy

“It’s a beautiful day to be out in the garden, don’t you think, cara mia?”

The voice startled me, and I turned with shock to my side. My mother was leaning on the railing beside me, her eyes searching the narrow stream intently. I stared at her for a moment, taking her in. I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me, but she looked genuine enough.

I reached out and tugged the sleeve of her floral dress. The dress looked like silk but felt like cotton. She turned to me, beaming the warmest smile I had ever witnessed in my life. I could not believe what I was seeing, yet it felt so real. I slowly reached out a hand to her face and felt the smooth wrinkles that had formed there.

I jumped into her arms. She caught me with a beautiful laugh. I struggled to remember her face, but I never forgot her laughter. “Oh, Mother!” I said, sobbing into her shoulder. “Why did you ever have to leave? Why did you leave me? Do you have any idea how terrible it has been without you? Dad and Enzo… oh, Mother…”

The tears poured from my eyes freely now, soaking through my mother’s dress. She held me tight in her arms and gently stroked my hair. “I feared as much,” she said, exhaling. “I’m sorry, amore mia. Sometimes in life, things happen outside our control, sì? And what do we do when that happens? We suck it up and keep living.

“Leaving you was the hardest part of going away, cara mia. Those walks we used to take in the gardens, watching you grow. See how beautiful you are!” She raised my head and wiped my eyes. “Enough of that, my child. It’s time to let go of the pain and hurt and embrace a fresh path. Become the woman I know you can become. Can you do that for me?”

I laughed and choked back another bout of tears. I nodded my head and sniffled. Mother pulled me into another hug and then kissed both of my cheeks. “Correct all the mistakes that were done to you with that one,” she said, pointing to my belly. “I can already tell he’s going to be a special one.”

I spoke to her again, but she tutted sharply, cutting me off. “It’s time to forgive and let go, amore mia.” She held out a flower between us and blew gently on the petals. The petals dissolved into dust and blew into my nose, causing me to sneeze. “Ti amo, mia ragazza,” I heard her say from a distance.

I squeezed my eyes shut as I sneezed. When I opened them again, I saw Michael hovering above. He was crouched beside me, his eyes bloodshot. I wondered what had gotten into him; then I remembered everything that had happened.

My worst fear had become a reality like I had always imagined. I blinked rapidly, still slightly disoriented. Michael squeezed my hand and then hugged me passionately. I could tell he had been crying, and I began to wonder how long I had been out.

A strange man wearing a bathrobe exited the apartment quietly. I watched him leave curiously, wondering who he was. Michael squeezed me again, and it hurt only a little this time. “You need to let go, Michael; I’m not running away or anything.”

When Michael let go, he helped me into a sitting position. My head still hurt, and my ears rang mildly. I looked around me and saw my father and Enzo in a corner. Both men looked like they had just returned from a funeral. I felt anger build as I remembered what they had done.

I was done with them treating me like that. I was determined to put a stop to it for good. I felt hate and anger swell in my chest as I looked from face to face. It’s time to forgive and let go, amore mia. The words rang out in my head, and I realized what my mother had been talking about. How long was I going to resent them for holding me back and making me live a life of fear? What was the point of the anger when I finally had all I had ever wanted?

I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly and letting it go. It was much easier than I thought. I felt the calm fill me as the resentment, fear, and pain flowed out. Michael squeezed my hand on cue, kissing it softly.

“My child, I wish I had the words to express how ashamed of myself I am right now.” I turned to look at my father. He was walking toward me. “You really are a grown woman, Alessia. I am sorry I did not realize how terribly I had been treating you. I am sorry for disrespecting you as much as I did and for going overboard with my actions.”

He gestured around loosely. " I regret it happened, but I promise it won't happen again."

It hurt to see the weight in Father's eyes. Like he was struggling to let go of something he had held onto for so long. I gave him a smile. He was going to have to learn to let me go.

Enzo stepped forward, still looking chastened like a little child caught smuggling a cookie from the kitchen. "I'm sorry for being a jerk, baby sis. I don’t have any of Dad’s fancy words, but I’m sorry. I knew I was bad at relationships and didn't want you to be treated like crap. I know it's bad, but I'll work on it."

Enzo looked up at me, and at that moment, I saw the older brother I had loved and looked up to as a child.

“It wasn’t just me you hurt, though, was it?” I asked, looking at Michael. “I think Michael deserves an apology more than anyone.”

The men glanced at each other, and the silence stretched on for a moment before my brother broke it.

Enzo: "Sorry, man. I was outta line back there."

Michael: "You can't talk to her like that anymore. Not cool."

Enzo: "Yeah, I know. I get it."

Michael: "Don't let it happen again."

Enzo: "It won't. And hey, make sure you got time for her, alright? Don't work too much."

Michael: "I got her."

I stayed quiet as I watched them talk. I'd wondered too but didn't bring it up - my future with Michael was undefined. An inappropriate topic. Michael watched Enzo, then reached for his phone and put it on speaker. After three rings, the call connected.

“Hey, Mike,” a voice filtered through the phone’s speakers.

“Hello, Dad,” Michael said. “Is this a good time? I have something very important I’d like to discuss with you.”

---