Memories In Italy

Chapter 34

"He took the letter carefully in his hands and without even reading much he looked up with a bright smile on his face. "Do you remember it already?" I asked, being very hopeful because after seeing him smile like that, there was no other possibility. He smiled playfully to me. "I suppose that's a yes?" I said, still not sure actually. "Dear Gianluca..." he said. "Let's start this letter by saying I actually don't know how to begin..." he continued without giving the paper in his hand one single look.

"Gianluca!" I said amazed, "is this really happening?" He nodded very proudly. "Are you really telling what's in the letter without even reading it?" I clapped excitedly in my hands and Gianluca continued quoting the words I had written down a long time ago. It were words from more than three years ago! "The truth is, I don't know anything anymore..." he said. "What?" I asked confused because he did remember the letter without seeing it and still said he didn't. "Oh wait, that's in the letter, right?" I giggled. Then he quoted the next sentences of the letter. "I often don't know what time it is. I forget to eat. I forget where I am all the time. This morning I even forgot the door of my hotel room wasn't entirely open, so I hit my forehead against it. And in the afternoon I was reading a magazine, but apparently I was holding it upside down." I was so happy. Nothing could make me more happy than Gianluca remembering my first letter to him. It has a very beautiful meaning.
"Come here!" Gianluca said. Wait, that was not in that letter? I looked confused but then I realized he wasn't quoting anymore. "Oh..." I laughed, "sure!" I sat closer to him and he put his arm around my shoulder and continued telling me what was in my own letter. Every feeling of sadness disappeared! How was it possible he could remember every single word of that letter? "It's like my body, my mind and my heart only live to think about you and aren't able anymore to function the way they did before." He paused and looked me into my eyes, so deep that I almost forgot what we were doing, but then he quoted the next wonderful sentences. The ones that made me feel amazed that I ever had written them down. So honest, so pure. I don't know how I ever dared to write this to a superstar? Perhaps it's because he isn't the typical superstar. Everyone knows he's just the most friendliest person on earth. So I know why I did. Because I had nothing to lose! And you see, it all was worth it! "It all has a reason." Gianluca said. "But I'm afraid to tell you in real life. That's why this letter was a better option. Because the real truth is..." He paused again, longer than the other time. I knew what sentence would follow but I still longed so hard for him to say it. "I'm in love with you...Aline De Smedt!" he said, changing his own name into mine. So sweet. He leaned in to kiss me. "Wauw! Gianluca, I can't believe you remembered that! It are details! Of all the things you had to remember about me, you remember this? A very wonderful detail! It's so much more worth than remembering... what we ate on my birthday for example."
"I know, I know!" he laughed. "Maybe that's the reason why I did remember this instead of other things?" I laughed. "But when I think about it..., no one remembers things like that if they didn't study them out of there head!" I said. "Oh, you got me!" he laughed. "Tell me...Gianluca Ginoble..." I said playfully, "...did you memorize that letter or not?"
"I admit! I did!" he laughed. "But it was unintentionally! I just did because I read it so much!" I only smiled with that, thinking about how special that was. "I know more about that letter then you do!" he then said. "What? How?" I asked confused. "The letter hasn't ended yet!" For a moment I indeed thought it was the ending of the letter but then I realized what other things I wrote to him. He started to quote my own letter again and it was just how I remembered how I wrote it.*

I remembered what I had written down at the end of the letter. Apparently Gianluca did remember that as well because he started laughing. "With love, Aline De Smedt, Sister from Jonas De Smedt" I knew why he laughed. "Why did you even write that last sentence there? Did you really think I already forgot about you so soon!" I lifted my shoulders to make obvious that I actually really thought I had to explain who I was in that letter. "I remember I had to laugh with it back then. I was having breakfast with the 'Ilvolo-family' in our hotel in Rome and I thought..."
"Wait...Gianluca! You are talking about a day from three years ago! About Il Volo and about me! Gianluca, this could be the best day of my life!" I screamed loudly after I quickly kissed his cheek. "It's happening! It's happening!" I said happily. "Yeah, I think you're right!" he said, being amazed he actually was telling stories about a few years ago like he never forgot them. "It's really true!" he said again, this time with a tear coming out of his eye corner. "I...I remember more things!" he said, his eyes very big, looking into mine as if he asked me 'is this really happening or am I dreaming!" The rest of the day we spent reading letters and reminiscencing about the first days, and all the other days, of our history together.

31st of December 2018

The doorbell rang and it made me think about the days before the accident. It seemed our daily life was coming back. "I'll go!" I said, running downstairs because we were reading letters again. "Me too!" Gianluca said. Okay we did even more together then we used to do. Chiara wanted to take my place but she made us even more 'connected' to each other.

A police officer with a large package in his hands stood in front of us. "Buongiorno!" he said happy. "I think this belongs to you!" I took the package out of his hands. I looked to Gianluca, but it seemed he didn't know what it might be. "Have a nice day!" the man said and then he looked to Gianluca. "I'm glad you're home again! My daughter wouldn't have survived if something really bad had happened to you!" He winked to me, hoping I would understand. Of course I knew other girls were dreaming to have a life with Gianluca like I had, I was...I am an Ilvolover myself. I know what it feels like. So I never really hated all the other girls who had a celebrity crush on Gianluca. I could only be happy. Because it meant he was a friendly person, not only to me but to the rest of the world as well. But I have to take back my words. I do hate one person who loves Gianluca! She's not even worth it to mention her name or think about her ever again!

"What's inside?" Gianluca said unpatiently. I put it on the kitchen table and opened it immediately. "The weddingdress!" I shouted loudly. "The tuxedo!" Gianluca said. "And of course, this sweet future friend for Viola!" I said cuddling the cutest teddy bear ever, the one we bought for Viola, who was healthy enough as well to go home with her parents already. "We give it to her tonight, right?" Gianluca asked. Because it was new year's eve. Soon it would be 2019. For me a year had never started better than that one. 2019! It would be the first new year together. "It's gonna be perfect tonight!" I said. "Are wedding is going to be perfect!" Gianluca said while rubbing with his finger over the details of the wedding dress."
"Talking about the wedding..." he said very seriously. "We really need to find a good song to..."
"Don't worry! I already found one!" I said proud. "Oh really! And are you going to tell me what it is? Okay, never mind, I can see it on your face. You'll never tell me before the wedding!" He looked a bit disappointed but he was right. I was very good in keeping secrets. Not that we had a lot of secrets for each other of course. Gianluca turned around and ran upstairs again. Halfway up the stairs, he stopped. "Are you coming? I want to read more memories!" And then he ran upstairs. "Be carefull!" I yelled. "You can still break the other arm!"
"True!" he said when I arrived in the room. "But..." he said playfully, with his finger in the air... "no matter how much I break body parts, my heart can never break!"

5 hours later

"Shouldn't you be practicing for the performance of next week by now?" I asked when I entered the room again. He knew I was right but he just said 'no'. He was busy reading another of our wonderful letters. "It's one of my own!" he said, lifting the paper in the air. "I can't believe I wrote this to you. I am a poet! I think I need to do it as a job!" I put my hands in my waist and nodded. "Yes, certainly if you don't practice your singing! Besides, I promised the doctor I would take care of you! You need to rest too, Gianluca!" He only read letters, for two days long now. "I'm not tired," he said like a little child that didn't want to go to bed. "You should rest now! Practice the songs tomorrow! Read the letters tomorrow. Now, go to bed and rest! Tonight is gonna be exhausting enough for you!"
"Okay..." he said, but it sounded like he had something more to say. "Only if you come with me!"
"Let me think about that first...eeeehm...sure!" I said smiling to him. Because it was going to be a long night for me as well of course.

2 hours later

We both really fell asleep. The last days, the last weeks, I didn't sleep a lot and Gianluca came out of a coma. Understandable that we were actually really tired. "Principessaaa!" Gianluca whispered with his singing voice. "It's time to go to the party!"

*Interested in the full love letter from Aline to Gianluca? Make sure you read 'Letters to Italy'! :)