If I Could Dance With You Again

IICDWYA: 24

Chapter 24

The lunch was so sudden but beautiful. Soonyoung and Aaliyah looked like couples on a date. The food was the most surprising part for Aaliyah. "How was it?" Soonyoung was confident when he asked the lady the question. He also observed her reaction very well.

On the other hand, Aaliyah could not believe how familiar the taste was. The lady shook her head as if she had just proven herself wrong. "I am sure. It was a real Italian food. This is how I remember foods in Italy taste like," Soonyoung informed Aaliyah.

"It is good," Aaliyah then approved. "Have you been to Italy?" Aaliyah asked a very lame question. "I am sorry that was a funny question. Of course, you have been to a lot of places already. You are an artist," Aaliyah immediately retreated her question.

Soonyoung sneered. He nodded. "Yeah. It is part of our job. But most of the time we're there for work. We sometimes don't enjoy the place itself since we are mostly preoccupied. But yeah, I have been to Italy. Luckily, it was a work slash vacation," Soonyoung informed Aaliyah lightly. "Have you been there?" Soonyoung curiously asked.

"I haven't been there. However, I have a friend who has been there many times. And she also keeps bugging me to visit Europe again," Aaliyah informed the guy.

"Go back to Europe? You have been to Europe then," Soonyoung concluded to the lady.

"I was born in Moscow. I lived there most of my teenage years until my mom decided to give me to dad so that she could earn more money for my college fund," Soonyoung was stunned to hear a personal story from the lady. But he somehow likes it as the lady opens up.

Aaliyah was also stunned to open up just like that at Soonyoung. A guy. A man whom she had known for a bit now. She was not expecting it.

"That explains the blue eyes," Soonyoung whispered and Aaliyah chuckled.

"Yeah. My mom is Russian and my dad is a mix of everything. They met in Rome when my dad was on vacation. Mom said she was also on a vacation back then," Aaliyah informed. 

"Then mom told me about how dad was persistent that he extended his vacation for her so he could be with her longer," Aaliyah chuckled. "I was made. They got married in Russia. I was born there. Then we live there for years. However, my dad was a busy man so he also keeps going back to his country because of businesses that he has there," Aaliyah opened up totally.

Soonyoung was listening to the lady. "Then things didn't go well. The long-distance relationship didn't work. My mom had to prioritize my well-being. And so she could bring her normal self back which she had lost when she had me. So, she had to give me to my dad because she said I could live a better life with him," Aaliyah sounded a bit bitter there. But she still continued...

 "She went her ways. She began to travel the world because of her new job. She became a couch anyway," Aaliyah said. "My dad took care of me, too. He gave me everything that I needed. Even supported me with my wants, hobbies, and all. I have lived a good life. Until my mom passed away," Aaliyah said the last sentence slowly.

Soonyoung was shocked. "I am sorry to hear that," he said.

Aaliyah was relaxed telling it now. And somehow, she was proud of herself. She smiled at Soonyoung saying, "It is fine now. We should eat before things go the wrong way and become a drama," Aaliyah joked.

Soonyoung chortled but also agreed. He doesn't want to force the lady to do something uncomfortable. Soonyoung thought that Aaliyah would tell him the rest later on. 

The two finished the food and they also talked about more random stuff.