Five Years Without You (HIATUS)

Chapter Nine

~Marissa~

It seems like a miracle I even get any sleep during the first night at the Romano mansion, since Sienna is up late talking to a friend late into the night. Fatigue due to jet lag overcomes my body, though, and I fall asleep with the sounds of Sienna talking in Italian and wind from the open window beside me in my ears.

I wake up by myself in the later minutes of seven. I groan and roll over in my bedspread, pressing the sleep from my eyes. Sienna is still in deep sleep, her golden brown hair peeking out from under her comforter.

I get ready quickly in Sienna's connecting bathroom. The Italian heat is relentless, even in the later days of August. I wear a chill outfit, just a slightly oversized t-shirt and loose sport shorts.

When I head outside to the huge backyard, I don't expect anyone to be outside since I didn't run into anyone walking through the house. To my surprise, Uncle Lorenzo and Florence-Ivy are outside, sitting with their feet in the water.

Uncle Lorenzo spots me. "Ah, Marissa! Come here, come sit!" he says enthusiastically.

I sit beside my uncle. He's in his mid sixties, and showing signs of aging. He is a very tanned man, with a few sunspots on his body and face. His once-brown hair is mostly overcome with grey, and his skin is becoming wrinkled.

"Hi, Uncle Lorenzo," I say. "Hey, Flo," I add, speaking to my younger cousin. Florence-Ivy, who insists on being called Flo because it's "cool", is ten. She is skinny, with long legs and arms, and has tangled, wavy brown hair and crooked, spaced teeth. Florence is also in a phase in which she makes sarcastic comments very often and also seems to have an attitude problem.

"Marissa, what are you doing here?" Florence-Ivy asks in that bratty voice of hers.

I fold my hands in front of me. "Well, Flo, I came outside to see if anyone was here, and you and your dad were. I wanted some company."

Florence crosses her arms and pouts. "Daddy, does she have to be here?" she complains to her father.

"Florence, principessa," Uncle Lorenzo says, placing a comforting arm around his daughter.

Florence hits Uncle Lorenzo's arm away rather violently, and yells, "NO!"

I am shocked and confused by her actions, but I try to keep my face neutral.

I'm not the only one in shock. Uncle Lorenzo is too, shooting a look at Florence-Ivy. "Florence-Ivy Gianna Romano, how dare you disrespect your father. How dare you disrespect your cousin!" he says, his tone strict.

"BUT I DON'T WANT HER HERE!" Florence yells.

"I'm going to head inside," I say quietly to Uncle Lorenzo. I meant to say it louder than it came out, but I guess my voice got stuck in my throat.

When I'm getting up, I think Uncle Lorenzo tells me he's sorry. He shouldn't be sorry, he did nothing wrong.

As I walk away, Uncle Lorenzo and Florence-Ivy are arguing in Italian.

-

Aunt Hanna catches me passing by the kitchen, and invites me in for breakfast. She serves me what she calls "a very Italian breakfast", consisting of cappuccino, homemade Italian biscuits, peach slices and cherries grown in the garden.

Aunt Hanna must see that I'm not in much of a talking mood after what happened outside, so even though she is always in a talking mood, she doesn't try to start conversation.

Breaking the silence, my thirteen-year-old cousin, Sicily, walks into the kitchen. Sicily didn't bother to get ready, as she is wearing a worn Brooklyn Nets shirt and navy star print pyjama shorts, her dirty blonde hair in a messy bun. My cousin still looks beautiful, though, as always. She was blessed with her mother's beautiful Dutch features and her father's dark, sun kissed Italian skin. I feel so ugly compared to her.