Timeless Ties || Volturi Kings

41. Ordinary World Pt. 1

Fear today, forgot tomorrow
Ooh, here besides the news
Of holy war and holy need
Ours is just a little sorrowed talk

— Duran Duran

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Alessia spent the Saturday packing her suitcases, meticulously deciding what to bring and where to place each item. With every fold and zip, she also worked on mentally preparing herself to face her father. The prospect was daunting — everything about the upcoming reunion felt uncertain. It had been so long since she'd last seen him that the thought of spending a week with him filled her with a mix of anxiety ̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶e̶a̶r̶. She couldn't help but worry about how he would react and how they would interact after all this time apart.

Throughout the day, her mind raced with the possibility of staying in her apartment. She came up with various excuses she could tell her father to avoid the meeting. She considered saying that university obligations had come up, that the bus had broken down, or that she had suddenly fallen ill. She even considered more elaborate stories, anything that might sound convincing enough to explain her absence.

Despite her apprehensions, Alessia knew deep down that avoiding the meeting would only make things worse. She realized she would have to return to her father's home for the holidays at the end of the year, and prolonging the separation would only increase her anxiety about their inevitable conversation. This week with him would be like a small dose, a way to ease into the unavoidable longer visit. The consequences of not seeing her father now far outweighed the comfort of staying home. She didn't even want to think about the belittling and curses she would face if she didn't go after being told to.

To bolster her resolve, Alessia dived into the positives, reminding herself of the things she genuinely enjoyed. She loved visiting Aparecida and looked forward to going to the beach every year. These were traditions she cherished, and she couldn't let her problems with her father hold her back. She knew that if she allowed her unease to win, she would never forgive herself.

Therefore, Alessia continued packing, determined, hoping to make the most of the trip.

She decided to carry her tasers in the backpack she would keep with her rather than in the suitcases that would travel in the back of the bus. She cleaned her house as thoroughly as she could, then replied to a message from Julia, assuring her that she was fine going home and that everything would be okay. Alessia also sent her father the expected arrival time of her bus, politely asking if he would pick her up or if she should take an Uber home — most likely the latter. She even searched the internet for a list of things to take to the beach, determined not to forget anything since her father would definitely not buy anything for her. Alessia wouldn't even be allowed to buy a mug this year, which further dampened her already not excellent mood.

The morning passed rapidly, and about forty or fifty minutes after having lunch — a Parmigiana she ordered through a food delivery app — Alessia had to go downstairs to receive the package for Helena. The package was heavy and cumbersome, making the trip back upstairs quite an ordeal. Alessia couldn't help but think that Helena really owed her a batch of macarons for the trouble and effort it took to carry the package up to her apartment.

When Helena had asked Alessia to receive the package for her, she hadn't mentioned that it was a 1m x 50cm heavy painting. Alessia assumed it would be something manageable, like a small box or an envelope. Still, when the two delivery men took the artwork out of the van, Alessia was caught off guard. The package was so well-packaged that she didn't realize what it was at first. The men, seeing her confusion, made sure to inform her that it was a painting.

The sheer weight and size of the artwork stunned her. As soon as it was handed over, she felt its heft and awkward dimensions. Trying to be practical, Alessia asked if the men could carry it upstairs for her, but they politely declined, explaining that they weren't allowed to enter the building. Understanding that it wasn't their job, she didn't argue further.