Untangle Me

Chapter 57

Giada

The first thing that hits me when we push through the double doors of the airport in Sardinia is the scent of the ocean. The warm, humid air carries the salty flavor like a cloak and it nearly takes my breath away.

And if the scent doesn't do it, the view does. Sure, there are cars all around us but in between that, palm trees erupt from patches of grass. The sun is high up in the sky, almost still burning straight down on us this early afternoon. It kisses my skin.

The warmest welcome I've ever received.

I stop dead in my tracks, unbothered by the irritated people that push past me. I don't have eyes or ears for them. My senses are busy trying to take in my new surroundings, to memorize everything so I can tap into this memory whenever I feel down.

I can't believe I went without this for so long.

"What do you think?" Andrea asks from somewhere nearby. Judging by the tone of his voice, I'd say he knows. Of course, he knows, I must look like a moonstruck idiot right now.

And I couldn't care less.

"È magnifico," I tell him without looking at him.

(It's magnificent.)

It takes me several more beats before I finally let him lead me away. But only after he's promised that the view of our hotel room is even more spectacular. Plus, he said I'd see the ocean, not only smell it, on our way there which definitely helped his case.

The hours I spent looking at Italian beaches, especially the Sardinian ones, you wouldn't believe it.

I wait outside the building when Andrea gets our rented car but it only takes us a minute. Then we're sitting in a car way too luxurious for these poorly made streets. Again, I can't be bothered with it as soon as I catch the first glimpse of the deepest shade of blue I've ever seen in an ocean.

The pictures could never compare to the real view. Just like all the stories and movies couldn't do justice to the vibes you get over here. The people, sounds, and colors create an atmosphere I've never felt anywhere else. It's like you can feel the culture and history running deep in the ground, humming in the architecture and nature around us.

"We're here. I know you want to see everything right now, Baby, but you're tired and jetlagged and if we want to make it to dinner, we should probably get some rest," Andrea pulls me out of my daydreams.

"Isn't that the worst thing you could do when you're jetlagged? I feel fine, more than fine! I don't think I've ever been this awake," I insist, taking in the colorful buildings surrounding us. I'm already in love with this, the little alleys between the houses and the little balconies adorned with flowers and plants.

Andrea laughs, placing a hand on my lower back as he leads me to a yellow building with a fancy entrance. Not too much, nothing like an extravagant hotel in New York but it's perfect. Anything more than this wouldn't fit in here.

Thirty minutes later, we're all checked in and I'm standing on the balcony looking out on the waves crashing against the cliffs.

"Isn't time supposed to run slower in Italy? I thought people here were more chill with their work. How come we didn't have to wait for anything more than a few minutes?" I ask absently, running my hand over the warm railing.

"So observant. You're right, amore, normally we would still be waiting for our car right now. But traveling with me has its perks," he tells me, taking place behind me and pressing an affectionate kiss to my cheek.

Meanwhile, my mind is hung up on yet another nickname he has given me. Amore... Love.

He called me love once again.

I'm about to reply when something between two houses further along the cliff catches my eye. My breath hitches, my muscles tensing in surprise, shock, disbelieve, whatever. I lean forward, squinting my eyes against the bright light reflecting on the water but what I thought I saw is already gone, vanished.

"What? What is it?" Andrea asks, sensing the change in my demeanor easily. His arms are around me. Even though he can't see my face he must've felt me stiffen.

"Nothing." I shake my head to myself, trying to get some sense back. I'm clearly hallucinating. "I just thought I saw- Never mind. Nothing," I conclude.

It's silly. Completely nuts. An illusion brought out by being back in this country that I've associated with one person all my life. But it couldn't be her. Of course not. She's been dead for almost two decades.

Whatever I thought I saw wasn't my mother.

I'm tired and jetlagged as Andrea has pointed out. Besides, I only know my mother from old pictures. I'd mistake any other Italian woman that looks roughly the age she should have now for her.

"You sure?" the man behind me repeats.

"Yeah. Fine. I think I might be more tired than I thought." I turn in his arms, ignoring the wary look he's giving me and after a quick kiss to his lips, I walk straight to our bedroom.

He watches me as I shrug out of the sweats and shirt I traveled in; I know that without looking at him. Only after I've covered myself with the cool sheets do I turn. "Are you coming or have you changed your mind about the nap?" I ask him.

"You kidding? I'd never pass on an opportunity to keep you close. It's quite frankly my favorite thing in this cold world," he recites dramatically, throwing an arm over his forehead, leaning back and closing his eyes for a moment.

Only when I'm bursting out laughing does he look at me, a fond smile on his face.

Soon enough, he's cuddled up next to me, his firm body enveloping mine from behind. "Grazie," I mutter against his arm.

(Thank you)

"Nothing to thank me for. I'm happy you're here with me. Happy you like it," he murmurs against my hair, already sounding half asleep.

Despite our perfectly comfortable seats- or beds, whatever you want to call it- neither of us slept on our journey here. I was mostly gaping at the view, the sunrise and set, more specifically. So naturally, I kept Andrea awake by forcing him to take a look every few minutes. He in turn kept getting more creative on how to annoy me. I didn't mind, it was cute when he'd throw pieces of paper at me to get some attention. Not so much when he told the flight attendants all sorts of stories about me and some conditions I supposedly had but I got over that too.

We ended up having a good few laughs.

Now, lying on this comfortable bed I should be knocked out instantly, not unlike the man behind me. Instead, my mind is wandering back to what I thought I saw.

I know it was a mistake on my part. I mean, whoever I saw was quite far away, the sun was blinding me, and my head's all fuzzy from the exhaustion and all the new impressions I forgot about since I was five and moved away from here.

I didn't see my mother.

Of course not.

I mean, I remember her getting sick. And dying.

I remember a... a funeral or something. Okay, maybe not exactly but it was a long time ago so my mind probably pushed away those memories as a coping mechanism.

Right?

————————
This lowkey made me homesick😫

Anyways, hope y'all like this, ty for reading and don't forget to vote and comment if u liked this<3

Have a great day:))