Dancing Through Love

0.18

December 24th 1987

Dom and I hadn't really talked since getting back, my mom had wanted me to come back home for a few weeks, and he had decided to stay with his family.

I had decided that I was going to stay with my mom for Christmas eve, then I was going to stop by Amelia and Amélies house and get their presents then drive down to our apartment.

"Quin do non hai davvero parlato delle persone in tour, erano gentili? (So you didn't really talk about the people on tour, were they nice?)" My mom asks, walking into the living room with two cup of hot chocolate.

"Sì. C'è un'altra ragazza, avremmo suonato la chitarra insieme ma uno dei ballerini si è ritirato e io sono intervenuta. Beh, qualcuno mi ha offerto volontario. (Yes. There is another girl, we would have played the guitar together but one of the dancers withdrew and I stepped in. Well, someone volunteered me.)" I say, accepting the cup she was handing me and smiling at the memory of Dom telling Michael that I had dance experience.

"E chi era quello? (And who was that?)"

"Dominic, quello con cui ho condiviso la stanza. (Dominic, the one I shared the room with.)"

"Due letti? (Two beds?)" I stay quiet, sipping my hot chocolate. "Isabella!"

"What? I can't help if there was only one bed!" She sighs, muttering under her breath. I smile slightly into my hot chocolate, remembering our first reactions when we saw the one bed for the first time.

"And did anything happen between the two of you?"

"No, well we kissed once." She shakes her head, muttering under her breath again.

"So are we opening presents tonight?" I ask, checking on the plans we had made earlier.

"Well that depends, did anything else happen and you're not telling me?"

"No mamma. Ti ho detto tutto quello che è successo che è importante. (No mom. I told you everything that happened that is important.)" She sighs again and walks into her room, getting my presents. I walked over to where I had brought out her presents and my cousins, though I hadn't talked to them in a few years.

We swap and open them. She had gotten me copies of Moby Dick, Lord of the Flies, and The Catcher in the Rye, along with a new guitar pick and some clothes.

"Grazie mamma. (Thanks Mom.)" I say, hugging her. She waves her hand and opens what I had gotten her, some CDs from Japan, some small tourist gifts from Australia, and a box of new teas for her to try. She thanks me and we stay up for a while longer, Her listening to the CDs and me reading Moby Dick.

I woke up early the next morning and said goodbye before heading to Amelia and Amélies house which was a short drive away. I give them the presents my mom and I had gotten for them and they practically forced me to stay for breakfast.

After we eat they give me their gifts for the girls and I'm on my way back down to Hollywood. I get back home around 2 in the afternoon with all of the traffic and pay the taxi driver before making my way up to the apartment.

I let myself in and groan at Amélie's decorations. She had gone all out, tinsel everywhere, lights, dumb little rain deer everywhere. I see them look over and the next thing I know Amelia is hugging me tightly. I gently set the bags down before hugging her back.

"Okay let us say hi." Amélie says, laughing and pulling her sister off me before hugging me as well. I finally walk in after Chessa hugs me, and I set the bags that have presents in them by the small tree.

"Let me just put my bag in my room and we can open them." I say, nodding at the presents. They nod and I walk off, slipping my suitcase into my room before walking back out.