il mio primo e ultimo amore

Lull Preceding the Tempest II

The whole week goes by peacefully with events and get-togethers as its the last days of everyone in Malta together.

The week unfolds serenely, marked by gatherings and events, as everyone in Malta prepares to part ways.

For a few days, there's no business done or talked of.

It's a collective pause-meaning all activities grind to a halt, before life resumes its bustling rhythm.

For the better, it's a break for everyone and for Vincenzo, himself too.

Things especially, the matter at hand had been taking a toll on him.

Soon, the day comes when the Family is to depart from the island to their respective cities where they reside in late afternoon.

It's early in the morning, and Vincenzo's eyes blink open.

He moves himself to envelop Cha Young tightly and that's when he realizes that Cha Young is just too soft...

He distinctively moves his hand to caress her long hair only for the hair to be...gone.

Opening his eyes he realizes, it's a goddamn pillow he's clutching.

He hurls the pillow aside and sits upright.

With bleary eyes, he rises from his bed and strides toward the curtains. The morning light spills into the room as he pulls them apart.

The faint rays of sun pierces his eyes and he winces.

The sun is rising, meaning it's not even six in the morning.

Suppressing a shiver because due to last night's activities, he isn't wearing his nightwear and it is cold in the room, his eyes trace the dance of sunlight upon the sea—the water mirrors the dawn and it looks like a canvas painted with shades of amber and russet.

His eyes remain still for a moment before they move to the vast shore, the grainy sand and it is there he finds the person who should be sleeping with him in bed.

He smiles, gaze fixed on her and intently watches as she crouches down, disheveled hair dancing with the wind's whims and hands skillfully sculpting sand.

And before realizing what she's up to, he sees Anna, Sofia and Gabriel around her.

One collecting seashells, another coming back with a bucket of water and patting her shoulder with her tiny hand and one deftly patting the crafty mount of sand.

He smiles one more time before moving to their dresser, searching for a hair tie and after finding one moving to the door before realizing he is only wearing a boxer.

His hands withdraw from the door handle as he moves to pick up his clothing from the floor, wearing it in record time before finally moving out.

Barefoot, he steps onto the sun-kissed sand walking towards the four of them,air humming with sounds of faint chatters and a whole lot of giggles.

He chooses to discreetly sneak up on them from behind but Gabriel is observant and his "Zio 'Cenzo!" ruins his little plan and he couldn't care less as he sees all four smiling at him blindly.

He ruffles Gabriel's hair before scooping Anna and Sofia in his arms and chooses to settle down beside Cha Young, with the two in his laps, who's tending to her sandy canvas.

"Placing a pillow in my arms and deluding me into thinking it's you I am carrying is the worst kind of betrayal, cara." He says as he watches Sofia and Anna pick up shells in front of him and place it on the well-sculpted sand castle.

She grins widely and looks at him.

"Owww, mio cornsalad got betrayed." She snickers and runs her wet sandy finger along his nose.