The Road Less Traveled

Chapter 5

"You mean, you don't remember any of us?" Damiano asks, then shakes his head. "No, of course you don't. I mean, you were a kid. Barely a toddler. Of course you don't remember." His head turns away for a moment, but not before I catch a glimmer in his eyes. Tears.

He wipes them quickly before turning back to me, a large grin on his face. He tries his hardest, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "Well, I'm your favorite brother, Damiano. I'm 22, really into computers, and the twin to that loser," he says, his thumb pointing back at his look-alike.

The "loser" in question growls, before looking at me, murmuring "Valentino," and walking away. Well, clearly that one is friendly. Tbh, I'd probably react that way too, if I was struck with the idea the sister I hadn't seen in years had both reappeared out of nowhere, and had absolutely zero memory of me. Can't blame him.

There's a beat of silence, then the youngest takes his turn. He hadn't said anything yet, understandably so, but now he bounds toward me. He leans to the side, examining me, then to the other. We're the same height. Surprisingly. Don't teenage guys usually get taller than the girls?

He leans toward my face, looking me in the eyes as I lean away from him. A grin explodes onto his face. "You have no idea how much I've wanted a sister. I mean, I kind of knew you existed, 'cause I'd catch a comment occasionally about you, and we still have some pictures of you here and there, but I wasn't sure you'd ever actually end up coming here. I mean, it's been, like, twelve years since you and mom left, and I'm still not exactly sure why, because no one ever tells me these things, but–"

"You might want to slow down before you scare her off, Piano Man," one of them interrupts. It's the first time this one's spoken, too. The one with the grey-blue eyes. The smile on his face is kind, caring, and filled with love for his brother. He looks at me. "I'm Lucca. As I'm sure you can guess, this overly excited musician is Adriano, your twin."

I give him a small smile, sticking my hand out for a handshake. "I'm Serafina Floquet, age 15. And, I guess, the youngest of the siblings."

His hand grasps mine. Lucca hesitates, excitement sparking through his eyes. "May I hug you?" He asks. I pause for a moment. Well. I mean.

I step forward, gently and awkwardly wrapping my arms around him. His arms quickly envelope my body. I can feel how much he's holding himself back, being careful. His body is practically trembling. I quickly step back, breaking contact. I hide my trembling hands behind my back, hoping they don't see. My eyes dart to the side, not wanting to see the hurt on his face. I catch the faintest smile on his face, soft. I don't remember the last time someone looked at me like that.

The bookworm steps toward me again. He's a good bit taller than me–taller than everyone here–but he crouches a little. "I'm sorry about earlier. I'm Dante. 19. I know– I know this is probably a lot for you, but I'm here if you want to talk–about anything. I know you don't really remember any of us, but you were always my favorite. Even as young as you were at the time, you were my favorite. I'd like to be closer with you again, but I want you to be comfortable enough with me first." His hand reaches behind his head, and he averts his eyes. "Is that okay?"

I smile, letting out a breathy laugh, before responding. "Yeah, that's okay." His face lights up.

"Really!? I mean, of course you mean it, I don't think you'd lie to us– not that it's bad to lie– I mean, not that I think you'd lie– I mean– Sorry. I'm not very good with words. Um, so, I know you've been traveling with them, but I doubt they properly introduced themselves. That's Alessandro," he says, pointing. "He's the oldest, at 27." He leans toward my ear, whispering loud enough for everyone else to hear. "He likes to pretend he's the boss of us, but none of us actually listen to him."