Marina Stories

Chapter 8 - Un Piccolo Lupo

She checked the time, it was late afternoon, and she was still at the office, finishing some last papers and suggestions when Amelia burst inside.

"Still here?"

"Si, just finishing up"

"Have you eaten anything all day?"

"Hmm" Carina thought. "I think a toast with my coffee. It's ok I am gonna grab dinner when I leave for home"

Amelia looked at her friend. She was tired, lost some weight, her face looked a bit tortured.

"Have you decided what are you doing for Christmas? We would be happy to ha..."

"Amelia, I told you, you don't need to invite me, I can spend one Christmas on my own, I am going to rest, eat, think, maybe travel to Miami, take a few dips, it's ok"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, don't worry I am not a child"

"Andrea seems to be having a nice time with..."

"Maya" Carina said.

"Yeah"

"How do you know"

"Well, you forget I follow him on Instagram"

"Well, I do too" Carina said.

She wasn't such a fan of social media but lately she was using Instagram to check on her son. Semester was over and he came to the house, for one day, he grabbed some things, and he informed his mother that he would spend Christmas with his other mother. Carina didn't say anything. She understood, she was the bad guy now, she had to give him time, time to salvage his relationship with Maya, time to think things over, time to maybe forgive me. After their first talk they haven't talked much, both avoiding the issue, before he left, he asked her if she had planned something for Christmas, and if she wanted to join him for a couple of days, they would book their own little cabin, but Carina knew the invite was just out of courtesy because usually they would spend holidays together.

"Where did you see him? He hasn't posted anything" Carina said.

"Oh, well"

"Maya's?" Carina wasn't following her ex-wife's account, but she was checking that too and didn't see anything.

"Actually no."

"Amelia?"

"Well ok, you know, there is a great small Italian restaurant in that town your crazy ex is living and the owner and cook has Instagram, she is really popular and..."

"Italian? What's her name? And what does she have to do with my son?"

"Well, she has posted a few videos and..."

"And?"

"Andrea is in them and your ex and her daughter and they are kinda cooking, she posts Italian recipes, she is really hot, apparently she was living in NY but left the big city, she was a therapist and psychologist and she moved and opened a small restaurant and..."

"You seem to know a lot about her"

"Well yeah, she is hot" Amelia said.

"Hey, you got Kai, what are you doing drooling over other people?" Carina joked. "So, what's her name?"

"Dorotea Mercouri" Amelia moved and showed Carina the woman's Instagram. As she scrolled, she saw pics, videos, posts. Among them, in a couple of recent ones, her son.

"Do you want to check them out?"

"No, I don't have time, I need to finish and get home, get some rest"