A twist of Wheels and Fate

6.

*Giovanna*

It was hard for me to see Paola drive away.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Pierre with her. On the contrary. I knew he was a great father. And she would surely have a great time with him, but I would still miss her. I was so used to her always being with me that every separation was again, kind of weird.

We all stood in the yard and waved after the two of them until I couldn't see the car anymore.

I wondered if maybe I should have gone with them after all.

I felt Vale put his arm around my back "I know how it feels." he whispered and pressed a kiss to my temple.

I was just grateful to my big brother right now. He was the only one, besides me, along with Francesca, who understood how this felt. Only he could relate to how it felt to not see your child for a few days. And even though my daughter was older than his, it helped that I could share those feelings and worries with him.

Vale and I had had a very close relationship from the beginning. He had made me his sister so naturally that no one had asked further at that time. He had simply introduced me everywhere as his sister.

I had just always been with him, on the ranch as well. Also there no one had ever questioned that. I was just his sister and nothing else mattered.

It had been wonderful for me to grow up with an older brother like him, because I had always been sure of his support and backing. He had always been at my side, even if he had sometimes taken protecting me a little too seriously.

I had sometimes been really afraid to bring a friend home, because at the latest when the boys had to undergo Vale's questioning, they usually ran away.

Pierre didn't.

Pierre had put up with it and had been more relaxed than anyone else. He had impressed Vale a little with that, even if he had never admitted it. With Pierre, Vale had been okay. He had still raged when it had come out that I was pregnant. He had told Pierre that he had better take care of me and the child, or he would be in trouble, and in really big trouble.
When we had broken up, I had had to reassure Vale again and again that the breakup had been as much my doing as Pierre's, just to keep him from confronting Pierre.

But I loved Vale for that too. He was just the way he was and I could only love him.

After we had all finished breakfast, I had gone upstairs to pack my suitcase. Bez picked me up half an hour later, and then we were off towards Mugello.

I had lowered the window a bit and was enjoying the breeze blowing through my hair as I relaxed back in my seat.

"Bez? Can I talk to you about something?", I asked, because what Pierre had said to me wouldn't quite go out of my mind after all.

"Sure. What's up?", he looked to the side for a second, then looked back at the roadway. I knew he was checking out how bad it was and if maybe he should pull over.

"Well. I...I don't really know where to start," I mumbled a little uncertainly.

He looked to the side again "What's wrong?" he repeated, but this time his tone was much more serious.

I bit my lip. I didn't know why, but I felt kind of uncomfortable talking about it with him.

"Well Pierre asked me if I didn't want to go with him. I refused, of course, because I wanted to go to Mugello. But he said... he said he had thought a lot about us. So about him and me and Paola and that maybe all three he us should do more together again and he said that he wants to give us another chance and he asked me how I see it. If I wanted to give us another chance too," I could see Bez gripping the steering wheel tighter and tighter. His jaw was tightening.