UPSIDE DOWN

~ 19 ~

Sylvie

I feel Andrea stiffen next to me with his eyes fixed on his phone screen. Before I could peek and see what it was he shut it off and put it back in his pocket. 

"What's wrong?" I ask, clearly something has happened, maybe related to the mafia. Looking at his reaction to that text, it sounds like something serious. 

"Nothing, just some random fuss happening at the warehouse" He shrugs it off, but I have a feeling he's hiding something from me. Before I could question him further, "Me and Aurelio need to go check somethings in the office, we'll be back a little late" He announces. 

"Francesco I need you to keep your phone close to you, and I need you to handle everything at home until I'm back" He says in a rushed voice, pulling out his car keys and going towards the basement. 

"Yea, don't worry about that" Francesco yells back to him as Andrea and Aurelio disappear into the staircase, worry settles into my stomach. 

"They'll be fine Syl, probably some document mix up" Matteo say, clearly sensing my nerves, "What do you want for dinner, today I'll be cooking" He announces standing up. 

"How about Oscar picks, since it's his first family dinner at home here" Francesco suggests, "Oh how about you make that chicken piccata that you had made last summer?" Oscar replies.

"And I can help make some salad on the side as well" he adds, "Sure, come on in kid" Matteo pulls Oscar towards the kitchen, both indulging in a random talk about food. 

"Ok, what do you want to do until dinner is ready?" Francesco asks, now turning his attention towards me, "Can we just read in the library for a while?" Luca pulls me into his arms as he carries me over to the library. 

Once we reach, I point towards the books I want and Francesco pulls them out for me until I decide on one book that I want to read. Talk about being treated as a princess. 

I can't believe I missed this all these years, I push away those thoughts as Luca places me down on the couch near the windows, and takes a seat nearby pulling out one of his own books to read.

 All three of us sit reading for a while with slow jazz music playing from the record player in the corner. 

"Dinner's ready" I hear Matteo's fain call over the music as  I snap out of my book and look outside. When I started the book it was sunny outside and now it's pitch black and the moon is already out. 

"How long have we been here for?" I ask looking at Francesco, "about... 2 and half hours" he says looking down at his watch. 

Damn. I didn't think all of us could sit in silence for that long, but turns out, the library and books could do that to us. 

I hear soft snores echo through the room as I find Luca passed out on the couch next to mine, with the book still in his arms.

I pull out my phone, quickly snapping a picture of him to blackmail him with later, before me and Francesco wake him up making our way to the kitchen. 

The amazing smell of butter and seasoning fills the air as I enter the kitchen, finding Matteo and Oscar setting up the table, they look up once they notice us at the entrance. 

"Take a seat princess," Matteo says pulling out a chair for me as Francesco lowers me down into the seat from his arms. "Thank you" I say, where is all this coming from. 

I'm not complaining about this though, I'm loving every moment of this. 

We begin to have our dinner as I take my first bite of the piccata, and to say it's good would be an understatement.