Love Conquers All

Chapter 51

Lizzie's POV

Five Years Later...

"Maria!" I shouted.

"Yes?" she yelled from the kitchen.

"Did Fabrizio call yet? He was supposed to confirm an hour ago," I say shouting at first then lowering my voice as I walk into the kitchen.

"No not yet, I called and his son answered and said he was busy with another client," she said wiping the counter top off.

"Ugh! He's gonna get here and there will be nothing set out," I complained. I leave the kitchen and start setting the long table in the dining room.

My dad has been in a special rehab institution. They specialize in patients that are more than likely to relapse. He was able to visit twice a month but he basically lived there for the past five years. Last week they did an evaluation and decided that his mind is stable enough to be released. Each time he came to visit he seemed to be more and more stable.

I was so happy that he was getting some closure. He said that the therapist he was seeing told him the pain from losing my mother was the root of his relapses. He kept that part of his feelings bottled up, the crippling sadness of losing the love of his life, and blaming himself for her death. He needed an outlet for those unexpressed emotions, so he turned to alcohol. So he needed to find another outlet, I was so proud and somewhat amused to know his first outlet was fencing. He has been doing that for about three years. He has now taken up boxing and swimming. All the 'positive' outlets he has, has actually helped in other areas too. His health has improved substantially, like his high blood pressure and cholesterol. He has lost his beer belly too, thinking about it makes me chuckle. He looks so much younger now, too. 

Now that the weight of the world has been lifted off his shoulders he looks like a totally different person. He looks younger and more fit. I am genuinely happy for him.

So now that he is finally out, for good, I'm planning to throw him a party.

Once I finish setting the table I stand and look it over to see if there is anything out of place, "Everything looks great," Madison says kissing the top of my head. My heart flutters every time he touches me. I turn to look up at him.

"Does it really? I want everything to be perfect. I want him to know how proud I am of him for sticking with this," I said.

"I should hope he stuck to it. I costs an arm and a leg," he rolled his eyes.

"Play nice," I warned. He starts to say something but is cut off by Maria.

"Lissie!" Maria's thick accented voice calls from the hall as she rushes in the dining room with the home phone in her hand.

"It's Fabrizio," she whispers.

"Oh! Good," I hold my hand out and she places the black and grey phone in my hand.

"Ciao, Fabrizio, a che ora arrivi?" I asked him. (Hello, Fabrizio, what time will you be here?)

"Alle sei e trenta, signorina" he responds sounding kind of rushed. (At six thirty, miss.)

"Ok perfetto ti vedro allora," I say in a much more relaxed tone knowing he will be here before my father. (Ok perfect, I'll see you then.)

Fabrizio is a caterer. He is the one that prepares all the food for big events that Madison and his 'people' host and attend. He owns a restaurant too and one day that my father was visiting we treated him to dinner and he love the food so I decided to have Fabrizio prepare the food for today. He's a very busy man, working with demanding and temperamental people so I try to calm the frustration I feel from him not confirming he was on his way earlier.