The Return

Two

Luca, Giulia, and Signora Marcovaldo arrived home after coffee, the two kids dashed into the house and up the stairs to their bedroom where they began packing for the trip.

"Kids, slow down so I can help you guys!" Signora Marcovaldo called.

But of course, the rambling of clothes and feet only concluded that they weren't listening. She sighed and walked up the steps, entering the room.

"Ok, ragazzi, let's do this."

"Mamma, seriously, we got this." Said Giulia, rolling her eyes.

"Are you sure, figlia?"

"Yes! Look! You can even see for yourself! Toothbrush, toothpaste, t-shirts, pants, shorts, skirts, my beanie, towels,-" Giulia got interrupted.

"Ok, ok!" Signora Marcovaldo chuckled. "I trust you! Mamma Mia! Luca, sweetie, would you like any help packing?"

Luca glanced to Signora Marcovaldo innocently. "Oh, um, no thank you, Signora Marcovaldo."

"Alright then. It's not like you need me anyway. You got Giulia, hahaha!" Signora Marcovaldo laughed.

Luca and Giulia were caught by the contagious laughter, and couldn't help but to laugh as well.

"Make sure to go through everything and check carefully that you have all that you need. Alright?"

"Yes mom." Said Giulia.

Signora Marcovaldo left the room and left the two kids to it. Giulia gathered the last of what she needed and jammed it into her suitcase, luckily everything fit, before closing it.

"Packing officially done!"

Luca was so busy making sure he had all of his belongings that he didn't reply to her.

"I'm so excited to get back to town tomorrow. I really missed Papà and Alberto so much."

"Same here, Giulia." Luca finally replied to Giulia, turning towards her direction and closing his case.

He softly frowned, but she caught on.

"Hey, Luca, are you ok?" She queried.

Luca sat on his bed next to his suitcase, Giulia taking a seat right next to him.

"I'm ok Giulia, I'm just hoping that Alberto isn't too upset with me..."

"Why would he be upset?"

"Remember when we talked about our dream to get a Vespa and to see the world together?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, see, it was both of our dreams at first, but then when we met you and you taught me so much about Saturno, and space, and the stars, knowing you learned all of that in school, I just really wanted to go too....but now looking back on that, I must've really ruined our plan. I knew how much Alberto wanted to do it, and I just turned him down."

"Well, Luca," She put her hand on his shoulder. "I'm not taking sides here, but if going to school was what you really wanted, then you made the right choice. At the same time if you wanted to travel the world with Alberto, that would be the right choice, too. Of course there is no real right or wrong, but the entire point of living life is to follow your dream and do what you gotta do to make it happen. You gotta do what feels right in here." Giulia pointed to her heart. "And it said 'I want to go to school'."

"But my heart is also saying 'travel the world'."

"Then do that, too. We have plenty of summers to still do that, Luca. Non preoccuparti."