Belonging Season

02

Ambar's phone rang, the screen displaying her godmother's name. Picking up the call, she heard Sharon's voice on the other end.

"Ambar," she said, her tone cold and emotionless. "I have something important to tell you."

"Yes?" Ambar responded, her curiosity piqued.

"Stella is coming home," Sharon announced.

"What?" Ambar exclaimed, her shock and surprise evident in her voice. "Why is Stella coming home now? I thought she was supposed to finish her last year in Italy."

Understanding her confusion, Sharon responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I've made the decision," she said without hesitation. "And it's final. She's returning home because it's what's best for our family. Family should stick together."

As Ambar tried to process her thoughts, her godmother's next words silenced her.

"That's all I have time for." Her godmother's brusque tone made it clear that the conversation was over. "I have to go. I'm very busy."

The phone call ended abruptly, leaving Ambar speechless. She hung up the phone, her mind in a whirl. Her godmother's cold demeanor was nothing new, but the news about Stella's return had caught her completely off guard. She wanted to ask so many questions, but her godmother's dismissive attitude had shut her down.

With a deep breath, she put her phone down, trying to make sense of the situation.

She was happy her sister was coming home, but something about her godmother's explanation didn't sit right with her.

Despite her lingering doubts, Ambar's excitement about her sister's return overshadowed her concerns. The idea of having Stella back home was simply too enticing to ignore. She didn't want anything to dampen her joy about reuniting with her sibling.

Deciding to trust that her mother knew best, she pushed aside her worries. The time for questioning would come later. For now, all she wanted was to relish the impending return of her darling sister.

With her mind still buzzing with the news, Ambar scrolled through her phone until she found Matteo's name. Despite their breakup, they still shared the bond of their connection as childhood friends.

Ambar's fingers hovered over his name on her phone screen. Their breakup still weighed heavily on her, but the news of her sister's return was too big to keep to herself, especially considering Matteo's past closeness with Stella. 
She let out a sigh and pressed the call button, the dial tone echoing in her ear.

After a few rings, Matteo's voice greeted her from the other end of the line.

"Hey," he said, his voice warm and familiar. "What's up?"

The casual warmth of his greeting took her off guard. Despite her growing indifference towards him,  he still treated her with familiarity.

She swallowed, her heart a little hardened by their past. 
"Hey," she replied coolly. "I need to tell you something."

He picked up on the coolness in her tone but remained undeterred.

"What is it?" he asked, a hint of curiosity laced in his tone.

She drew a deep breath, steeling herself for his reaction.

"My sister is coming back," Ambar said, her voice betraying a hint of excitement despite her attempts to remain detached.

There was a moment of silence on the other end as Matteo processed her words. The news clearly caught him off guard.

"Stella?" he asked, a mixture of surprise and disbelief in his voice.