Marina & Stefanielle one shots🫶🏻

Happy Birthday Bella (Stefanielle)

I gaze out of the window looking back at the airport we are currently departing, the plane stills for a moment before the rumble of the engine begins and we speed off down the runway. Placing my headphones on I select a playlist to pass the first few hours of the 12 hour flight ahead of me. This is the first time I am doing a long distance, international flight on my own but it will all be worth it to see the look on Stefania's face when I arrive in Italy for her birthday.

We only met a few weeks prior to COVID lockdown last year and as we were unable to meet and bond face to face, we spent hours talking on FaceTime and she instantly became my go to person. Our chemistry and connection was clear from the day we met but that only grew as time went on. During the hardest time in so many of our lives, we were each others shoulder to cry on, person to vent too, the one we came too when we needed to laugh, to forget about the mess of a world we lived in and was the first person I met with when restrictions allowed and the first person I hugged when restrictions allowed.

As soon as restrictions eased we became the others bubble with her family being in Italy and mine further than we were allowed to travel. I think covid impacted our relationship hugely as we were both so deprived of things we'd normally receive naturally. For me, it was physical touch and for Stefania it was freedom, so when we could come together, I craved human contact which she was incredible at giving me every time I needed it, even without me asking, and I was able to give her the freedom of not being confined to her own four walls and having a second space at my place when she needed it.

We built not only the most incredible relationship with each other but also with our fans online, we had time to go live, tweet, post videos, answer questions in a way that our schedules would never normally allow.

But four weeks ago, Stefania was able to return home to Italy for the first time in over a year to see her family. We had returned to work last October with social distancing in place but travel was still very limited specially travel to Europe and then when travel did allow, filming commitments didn't, and visiting home was so important to her as she hadn't been able to see her family for so long.

The last four weeks had gone by slowly, after going back to work in October, Stefania moved in with me due to essential maintenance work in her building and once it was completed, she decided to stay. We had our own little routine, we had our work home life balance and we loved each other's company, what I did not love was driving her to the airport so she could go to Italy for two months and then coming home alone. Of course I was so happy that she was getting to see her family, but selfishly, I was sad she was leaving. Something I was not use to as I had been spoilt with her time, her company and cooking skills. I missed her meals, her laugh, I missed our cuddles on the sofa after a long day. I missed her coming into my room on a Sunday morning and laying in my bed while we ranted about the week we'd had or the week we had coming up, I missed everything about her presence.

It only took a matter of days after she landed in Italy for our video calls to begin, we spoke when she had landed and again the next day when I spoke with her parents but these were calls for no reason. She'd call me when she woke up and was getting ready, I'd call her in the evening when I got home not to talk about anything specific but just to have each other's presence. Her family had picked up on it quickly, every time they entered a room and greeted Stefania, they would also greet me assuming I was there. They would often speak in English instead of Italian to include me in conversations despite me having learnt a lot of Italian from Stefania during lockdown.

So why am I on this plane you might ask? Well a few days ago I had a message from Daniela, Stefania's sister to ask if I'd like to visit and surprise Stefania. She told me that she knew Stefania was happy to be home but she was missing me, apparently she had said the trip would be perfect if I was there with her. I agreed instantly and an hour later I had booked this flight which would allow me to arrive on the afternoon of July 16th, the day before Stefania's birthday.