The Bright Side Of The Life - Stefanielle Love Story

Chapter 17

POV Danielle
I go back into the living room as Julia leaves. I make my way to the sofa from where a certain brunette is expectantly looking at me.
"I am sorry" I eventually say.
"It's okay," she says as she pulls me down for yet another kiss. "But you didn't tell me how hot she is"
"Are you jealous, beautiful?"
"Uh- no. No need to be, right?"
"None"
"Good- You wanna make the pizzas now?" she asks me with a bright smile on her adorable face.
"Yes"

"Where are these bags from?" I ask as I spot two middle-sized bags full of groceries on my kitchen counter.
"I put them here when I came"
"Really? I didn't even notice"
"Well, you didn't even notice that I was coming, how could you have noticed the foodstuff then?"
"Hey, I told you that I was sorry"
"I'm not saying anything, Danielle"
"I am sorry"
"Stop apologizing all the time, Bella"
"I'm-" I start as I realize what she just said. "Okay, okay. I can't help it"
"I know. You always do that"
"What?"
"Like apologizing million times"
"Oh, yeah. Probably got this from the times with my dad when I was a kid."
Stefania comes over to me and pulls me into a hug after I say this. I genuinely accept it and put my arms around her waist. I don't mean to cry and I do everything to hold the tears back because I don't want to cry in front of her. Plus, I don't want to spend my energy thinking about him. Because there's also no need to. And I am actually pretty good at suppressing my feelings. But it sucks how I still have to think about him once in a while and that it affects me like this no matter when.

"You can cry, Bambina. I'm here"
It's funny just as she literally knows what I feel. Like, how did she know I was trying to hold it back?
I let go, as quietly as possible. Single tears roll down my face and I notice how my body sags a little against hers. Stefania just holds me tight all the time and pushes my head closer to her chest while rubbing her free hand over my lower back.
"Sorry," I say again while letting go of her.
Stefania puts her hands on my cheeks and with her thumbs, she wipes away the last tears that make their way down my face. "Bambina, it's okay. I'm with you and I'm not going anywhere"
"Thank you. I don't know why I'm getting emotional about this again"
"It's good to let it all out, Danielle. It's important. You have to show emotions, it helps you. Not suppress them"
"Are you a therapist now?" I ask, forming a firm smile on my lips.
"Well, I actually did take some psychological classes in school"
"Why doesn't this surprise me?"
"Non lo so"
"batiami" I try.
"You mean baciami, Bella?"
"Uh- Yeah"
"Certo che posso farlo" (of course, I can do that)
Though I have no idea what she just said, Stefania slowly leans down to give me a gentle kiss.

"We should get starting now, okay Bella?"
"Certainly"
"So, the blue bag is yours"
"That's my favorite color"
"I know"
"Uhm- how?"
"I'm a good watcher. Also, your whole kitchen and living room and bedroom is actually built upon a blue color base"
"Well, okay, that's about true"
"Ok, no talking from now on. Good luck with your pizza, Danielle"
"What? We can still talk"
"You'll most likely ask me for advice then"
"Me? I wouldn't dare. Also, I am super prepared"
"Mhm. Of course you are"

It is going better than I expected, the dough I just prepared really looks like dough. I am not entirely finished though, I still have to knead and put in more flour in after and after so it's not sticky anymore.
"Stop that," I say as I feel Stefania's gaze on me. Of course, she has been finished for a bit already but I really try to not get deflected by the brunette.

"What?" she asks back, accompanied with a little giggle.
"Looking at me"
"I am allowed to look at whatever I want"
"But that's distracting me"
"É anche meglio" (that's even better)
"That sounds nice"
"Mhm. When are you finished?"
"Only one second, hold on" I put the dough in a high and big bowl, sprinkle a little bit of flour over it, and put a kitchen towel on top. I then grab the bowl and put it on the floor so that my underfloor heating gives it the best condition to grow. "Okay, see, I wasn't that bad"
"You were fantastico, Bella. I'm impressed. Chi ben comincia è a metà dell'opera"
"What does that mean? You can't always do that to me, Stefania"
She giggles a bit which makes my heart stop a beat. She's too adorable. "So, that's like an idiom. It means like who gets off to a good start is half the battle. But that doesn't make too much sense in English"
"Okay, yeah. You know what?"
"What?"
"I am happy that you are here. Like really, really"
"Me too. But do you know what I am even happier about?"
"What?"
"That you kissed me that night"
"Well, basically, you kissed me."
"Basically, you lead everything to it"
"I still can't believe that I was brave enough to do that"
"Me neither" she laughs as she says this.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're a softie"