Page 75 of (UN)Bounded

I love how he sees things in a different way. And he’s right. I can see it now. The forest, dark and heavy, with clouds full of water covering the sun, a small log cabin that seems to blend in and disappear into the forest. I can see it all. The strokes are thick but determined, reflecting the anger I felt while painting this piece. The colors are dark, but there’s a small ray of light. Gabo. He has been that little morsel of warmth and light that has transformed my life for the better.

“Maybe I need to see someone.” I finally say out loud what’s been on my mind ever since we got out of that forest.

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe I need to see a therapist. Cata said Matias has been seeing a therapist for a while, and it has helped him a lot. I know it’s for different reasons, but maybe I need to speak with a professional as well.”

“Hey, hey, come here,” he coos as he opens his arms, and I go to him without protest.

“If that’s what you feel you need to do, I fully support you. You know that.” I smile against his chest, a reassuring feeling in my chest that this man is it for me.

“I know there are still many emotions to process. Many memories, many things… it’s better to start now, Bella. Don’t suppress those feelings. If you think speaking with a therapist will help, do it. Yell if you need to, trash this place, we’ll rebuild. Do whatever you have to do to get those feelings off your chest,” Gabo says as he places a kiss on my head.

That does it. My tears start flowing freely, and I yell against his chest as hard as I can while gripping his shirt.

“That’s it, Bella. Let it out,” he tells me softly as he caresses my hair.

I continue yelling and crying, not sure how long we stay like this, but I’m so thankful Gabo is my rock. He’s been trying every single day to assure me it’s okay to do this, that it’s actually beneficial for me. It took me two weeks to believe him, but he never wavered. He was always kind and sweet, showing me his unconditional support. And if that isn’t love, then I don’t know what it is.

“I want to stay here with you, G,” I tell him with a watery smile. I lift my head from his chest and look up at those deep brown eyes of his.

“We’re here, love,” he tells me, a little confused by my words.

“No, I mean, I want to live here with you.”

Gabo lifts me from the ground and twirls us around the room. “Are you serious, principessa?” he asks, full of hope.

“Yes, I want to open a gallery in Bologna. I want to live here at the villa, at least during the warm months. I want to see you every single day, not just when I can travel here or when you can make time to see me in Chile. I want you, Gabriel Godoy. All of you,” I say, a crooked smile on my face.

“Fuck, yes. I want it all with you, too.”

We seal this promise with a kiss, our lives officially bound. Forever.

Epilogue

Isabella Bianchi

One Year Later

After another great day at the village market, I come back home with all the ingredients for dinner and a beautiful bouquet of flowers. I even got dessert—a gelato that Giussepe and Maria named in our honor: miscela perfetta, or perfect blend. That’s what they say Gabo and I are, the perfect blend, and I couldn’t agree more. He’s my anchor, and I’m his muse.

After everything that went down last year, I decided to focus my energy on the gallery instead of going back to finish the modern art class. I will officially open my gallery next week, and I’m so excited about it.

After a lot of back and forth, I decided to take Gabo up on his offer to design the perfect gallery for me. When he finished the palace design for the sheikh, he began working on my dream gallery. Not only did he create different spaces for me, but he also designed it to flow effortlessly. The transition from one area to the next creates opportunities to see more art. It starts with new artists, giving them the chance to wow potential clients first. Deeper into the gallery, the work of more seasoned artists is on display.

On the second floor, I decided to have a studio for when I work in the city or if a piece is too big for my home studio at the villa. This is also a multipurpose space where I plan to offer summer classes for kids and provide a venue for meetings or art clubs to meet and share ideas.

The first exhibit will feature all the art I’ve created since moving to Italy. It will include the paintings I made for Gabo, all the pieces inspired by my time in captivity, and the happier, more colorful art that came after. This exhibit is called Origins. It’s a story of new beginnings and self-discovery.

The entire family is expected to attend the inauguration, and I couldn’t be happier to have everyone in the same city—something that doesn’t happen often.

Gio is coming in from the States with his partner, Vicente from London with his family, and Cata and Matías are even coming from Spain. They've been living there for about six months since Cata became a player for the Bears, and I’ve loved having her only an hour and a half away—by jet, of course.

Luca, Karina, and Enzo are coming from Chile. It’ll be my nephew’s first trip across the ocean. We went to meet him last Christmas, and I think Gabo and I got baby fever, though we haven’t discussed it.

Even Gabo’s parents are scheduled to come; they’ve welcomed me into their family with open arms.

“Principessa,” Gabo greets me as I enter the kitchen, my hands full of bags and flowers. I kiss him when he gets closer to take the bags out of my hands.

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