Come back

Chapter 13

Emilie's P.O.V.

I sat there looking at the people passing by. I smiled sadly, thinking about how I shouldn't be here alone. About how I should be here with her. I looked down at my coffee and stifled my tears. I was not going to cry here in public. I was stronger than that.

Looking around, I waved at the waiter, signalling that I wanted to pay. He smiled at me and left to fetch the check. When he came back he gave it to me.

"Here it is signora," he tried speaking English for me, seeing that I was a foreigner and not knowing that I could speak Italian fluently.

Thinking about this killed the smile that had appeared at his thoughtfulness. It was Leonora that had taught me Italian, insisting that it was the most beautiful language in the world and that I should really learn it. So she'd spent everyday since we'd started being friends teaching me Italian, sometimes even forcing me to speak Italian to her. I had continued practicing Italian after it, not wanting to forget her, wanting to be closer to her. I must have looked liked I'd seen a ghost, because the young man looked at me worriedly.

"Signora? Everything good?" Why did he have to sound so worried? He didn't know me. I was a stranger to him, and he was a stranger to me. And once I'd paid my bill, we'd never see each other again, and we'd forget about each other, and we'd remain strangers forever.

I nodded and gave him a weak smile.

"Sì, tutto va bene. Grazie."

He looked at me, an eyebrow raised, and apparently not believing my lie that everything was alright. I tried making my smile bigger but it just ended up in me crumbling and starting to sob. In the midst of too many people.

What a great way to end my trip to Italy.

I quickly pulled out my wallet and took out there money to pay for my food. I then hurriedly left, not giving the waiter any chance to speak. I didn't want to hear the pity in his voice while he tried to make me stop crying; it would only hurt me more, and I didn't want that. What I wanted were Leonora's arms around me, while she hugged me tight and let me know that everything would be alright and that she was there for me. I wanted her to come back.

I walked further and further into the city until I reached a park. I then sat down under some lonely tree and let my tears flow freely, not having the strength to even try holding them back. Not that I had managed to hold them down at the restaurant or while walking away, but now I didn't even want to try. I was alone, or as alone as I could be hidden under the tree in the middle of the park, and I could drown in my sadness and grief.

Several hours passed and I had finally calmed down when my phone started ringing. I ignored it, not wanting to speak to anybody but it continued ringing. After some time of the ringing getting louder and louder, I realised that it was the ringtone I had set for Hiroki and Shania, and I hurriedly took my phone out my bag. Checking the display, I saw it was Shania calling. Was there something wrong? Why would she call me? She usually never did.

"Hello?"

"Hi! How are you? How's Italy?"

"Italy's okay, and I guess I'm holding up. What about you? How are you?"

"I'd be better if Hiroki were here, but I guess I'm holding up as well. Now, before you interrupt me, I have something to tell you. I ha-"

"Wait, hold on. Hiroki isn't with you? Where is he?" Why wasn't Hiroki with her? Had he left her after what had happened? Had something bad happened? Was he..? No. I shouldn't be thinking about that. He was okay, he was just in the shower, that's what Shania meant.

"Emilie?? Hello??"

"Sorry I zoned out. Could you please repeat what you said?"

"Hiroki went to his parents' home because apparently he can get better there."

"His parents? But I thought he had no contact with his family except the family lunches he went to with those distant cousins of his that lived close by?"

"I know, and he didn't. But he decided to go back there. And who am I to stop him. Anyway, stop distracting me. I have something important to tell you."

So she did call for a reason, and it clearly wasn't just to chat. "What?"

There was a small silence on the other end of the line, giving me ample time to worry, before Shania decided to answer, with the four words I never thought I'd hear and didn't want to hear either, especially not now.

"I found your father."

🥢🥢

Hello there lovelies!💖

How are you all? I hope that you're all okay, and that life's been good to you.

What did you think of this chapter? I'm sorry it's not that it's not that good, but, I have to be honest with you, it was really hard to write, and I think my heart has just broken all over again😢💔

Now, I know that I said something a month ago about publishing something a couple of days later. I'm really sorry that I didn't, please don't hate me too much😢 I promise I'm gonna try to be better with my updates, and more regular. I know how horrible it is when the author doesn't update for a long time. I'm so sorry.

Did you like having Emilie's P.O.V? Yes, no, why?

Have a nice day/night/evening!💖