The Search

Chapter 30.

Sophie

Day 12, Evening

I sit at my desk crying as I stare down at my wrinkled and smudged essay papers.  Everyone is busy doing something and I was promised no one would bother me while I tried to figure things out.

I only wish I didn't decline my Dads help, I'm stressing myself out by trying to be independent. 

At first I was angry at Ollie but then I realized he's still young and at that age I ruined many of moms designs.

I had thought I could draw some pretty colours into her dresses.  What looked gorgeous to me was a bunch of scribbles to her. She wasn't too happy about that, but she forgave me, so I forgave Ollie. 

A knock sounds at the door and I quickly wipe away my tears plastering a smile on my face.  "Come in." I call out and my uncle Luca opens the door.

"Hey Sweetheart, how are things going? Your mom told me what happened." I shake my head frowning, because I know if I speak I'll start crying. He sighs softly, "oh Sophie."

I place my elbows on my desk and put my head into my hands. "I don't know what I'm doing." I cry.

He pulls up a stool beside me and hugs me trying to push all of my hair out of my face because it's sticking to my. I lean into his chest and I notice this is the first time I've openly excepted the embrace.

I've always felt awkward by them, but I guess we are all getting closer.

"I can help, can we do this together?" He asks and I lean up again to look at the papers, I nod right away feeling defeated.

"Okay." He clasps his hands together, "I'll read it out and you write it down, and then if I can't find what the word is we'll work together or make a new one." He smiles. 

I nod, "sounds good" I grab my pencil and notebook and we begin.  I should have made a copy on the computer, then again it would have been a waste of time because my teacher only allows hand written copies. 

We get through a lot, sometimes we have to stop and take a look at missing words.  We usually come up with them or we just find new suitable ones. 

"I think this says something involving nationalism," he suggests, "it could be 'in their patriotic point of view'."

I smile, "that sounds better, let's use that." He laughs as I write it down.  I think he's been doing this a lot as well, helping me rephrase things so they sound a bit more appropriate in the sentence. 

Towards the end I was feeling a lot better, happy to almost be done.  As I was writing the last sentence my smile widened.

"And period." He finishes places the last spoiled paper in the bin.  I place my pencil down, my hand is aching. 

But I leap up and hug Luca, "thank you so much." It's due tomorrow and I don't know what I would have done without him. 

He rubs my back and kisses my forehead, "of course Bambina."

I raise an eyebrow confused but I'm too excited to care about weird nicknames.  I staple all of the pages together and put them in my binder and straight into my backpack so there are no repeats of the incident.

We head downstairs and grab something to eat.  I grab chips and Ice cream, wanting a treat after everything.

Luca looks shocked at my choice, yeah usually people are creeped out.  "You and I have the same snack choice,"

I look down at the food and eat a spoon full of ice cream and quickly eat a chip after I have swallowed, "it's just the perfect combination between savoury and-"

"Sweet." He nods, "yeah I've been eating it since I was a kid.  Tucker thinks I'm weird because of it."

I laugh because Tucker walks in right as he is saying that, "what do I find weird?" He asks grabbing a bottled water from the fridge. 

"Oh nothing." Luca winks at me but changes his face into one of sadness. "You find my food choices weird and it breaks my heart."

Tucker laughs, "get over yourself old man."

Luca stands up head locking Tucker and reels back a fist, faking that he's punching his sons side.  Tucker shifts to the side trying to get away from the fists that's hitting his pressure point, lightly but painfully at the same time.

He taps Uncle Lucas shoulder twice and he lets go.  Both of them are heavily breathing with huge smiles enveloping their faces. 

"God you guys are weird." I shake my head still eating my weird but amazing snack. 

They both smirk each sharing a look and I run out of the kitchen before they can act on the plan brewing in their minds.  Right after they prance towards me, trying to catch up. 

Eventually they do the same to my sides and I can't stop laughing because it's lightly hitting that pressure point.  I can't tell if it hurts or tickles. 

We lie down on the couch and I lean into Uncle Lucas side closing my eyes.  By this point I'm just ready for a good nights sleep.