A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER XX

As Matteo stepped inside the cozy restaurant, the warm ambiance wrapped around him, but the weight of his unspoken past lingered heavily on his heart. The dim lights and soft music provided a comforting backdrop, yet he found it hard to focus. He wanted to tell Isabella everything—their shared childhood memories, the feelings he had buried deep down, and the darkness of his current life that threatened to overshadow their budding relationship.

They were seated at a small table near a window, where the city lights sparkled like stars against the night sky. Matteo watched as Isabella look in her surroundings, her eyes shining with excitement. She seemed so at ease, and he couldn't help but admire her spirit.

“This place is beautiful!” she exclaimed, glancing around. “I’ve never been here before.”

“I thought you’d like it,” Matteo replied, forcing a smile even as his heart raced. He shifted in his seat, the conversation feeling more daunting than he had anticipated.

The waiter approached, and they ordered their meals, the brief distraction providing Matteo with a moment to gather his thoughts. He couldn’t let this opportunity slip away. He needed to be honest with her, but the words felt stuck in his throat.

As they waited for their food, Isabella leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. “So, how was your day?” she asked, genuinely interested.

“It was good,” he replied, forcing himself to focus on her question. “Busy, but good.”

“Busy is good! It keeps your mind off things,” she said with a laugh, her enthusiasm infectious.

As the evening wore on and the soft glow of the lamp illuminated the cozy space, Isabella took a deep breath, feeling a shift in the conversation. She wanted to share something that had been weighing on her mind, a reflection born from her experiences at the hospital.

“Matteo,” she began, her tone shifting to something more serious, “at the hospital, I had a moment that really got to me.”

He looked at her, intrigued and concerned. “What happened?”

Isabella shifted slightly on the couch, her expression thoughtful. “I was in the emergency room when a young man came in after a severe accident. He was so full of life, and yet, in an instant, everything changed for him.”

Matteo felt a pang in his chest, understanding all too well the fragility of life. “That sounds so hard.”

“It is,” Isabella nodded, her voice steady but filled with emotion. “It just reminded me how quickly things can change. How we take our lives for granted, thinking we have all the time in the world. But we really don’t.”

Matteo reached for her hand, squeezing it gently, wanting to offer comfort. “You do so much for people every day. You give them a chance to hold on to life, to fight for it.”

Isabella smiled sadly. “I try. But sometimes, no matter how hard we fight, it feels like death is just lurking, waiting. I watched as the doctors worked tirelessly on that man, and it was heartbreaking to see that even the best efforts couldn’t save him.”

The weight of her words hung in the air between them. Matteo’s heart ached for her; he could see the passion and dedication she had for her work, but also the toll it took on her. “That must be incredibly difficult for you,” he said softly.

“It is. I wish people would take life more seriously. I see so many people coming into the hospital who don’t appreciate what they have until it’s too late. It makes me want to shout at them to live fully, to embrace every moment. I hate people who risk their life only for their own deeds without thinking about their own life.”