NOT GIVING UP ON FOREVER

Chapter 77

Anna woke up with a terrible headache. Loud music until the morning caused her migraine. It needed no alcohol to understand the hangover of a person on the morning after the party. However, she set her alarm for 7:00 a.m. to spend maximum time with the guys before she flew away. It was her last day in Milan, and the 4:00 p.m. flight reminder was instantly depressing.

Teo was not in the room. Anna hurriedly dressed, applied exquisite makeup to cover the fatigue, and went in search of him.

He was outside with Ricardo in a mock fight. Leticia was arranging food on an open table. As soon as she saw Anna, who was still looking slumberous, began to cheer:

"Good morning! You're so scary-looking! Come for breakfast!"

"Thank you, Leti. You know how to support. A real friend," Anna joked.

"Stop fighting, y'all!" Leticia attempted to separate the boxers. "Like little children, really!"

Teo and Ri pulled away after a good battle, sweating and puffing, and walked over to the table. Teo beamed as Anna stood up:

"Up so early?"

"Today is an exception! I want to spend as much time with you as possible. I mean, all of you." Anna admitted.

"Cute!" Ricardo nodded, hugging both ladies at once.

The company began to eat. They talked about Anna's plans because, most likely, she has been axed. In her heart, Anna laughed it off, although she believed that she expected only good-old-friend unemployment.

Teo was in good spirits, joking a lot and trying to keep everyone positive. But the general mood showed sadness for Anna's departure. Ricardo was worried about Teo, Leticia was concerned about Anna. And the four of them had become superb friends during Anna's time in Milan.

"So, are you ready for it?" Teo asked. "There might be traffic."

Anna nodded weakly. There was an undercurrent in everything. A sense of strange deplorable ignorance made her uneasy. She finished her meal, thanked Leti for her concern, and, having hugged Teo and Ricardo, went to the house's bedroom to pack her suitcase.

As she was busily engaged in arranging her clothes, there was a knock at the door. It was Ricardo.

"Anna," he began.

"Yes?"

Randall called.

"What? Whom?" Anna shivered.

"Now to me. At first, he'd been bugging Teo all day and been carefully sent away. But he had the nerve to call my phone, too."

"What did he want?"

"What do you think? To talk to you! But I told him to forget you, that you're happy with Teo, and that you're leaving back home today anyway, so you're not up to his dramas right now."

Anna gasped at Ricardo's answer.

"Nice. Thanks, Ri."

"Nice?"

"Yes. You said it perfectly. Even too gently. You should have sent him away."

Ricardo frowned incredulously.

"Anna, is that you?"

"It's me, me," the girl smiled. "I can't be a venturesome fool forever."

"That's what I like to hear! That's my Anna!" Ricardo beamed, hugging her. "You deserve the best treatment for such a pretty face!"

Teo came into the room.

"So, here you are, touching my girl!" he jokingly lashed out with his fists on Ricardo. "Hands off!"

Again the battle began. In the process, they crumpled and messed up all things Anna prepared for packing. She fiercely joined the scramble to give them a good dressing-down. Leticia came in with a pot of spaghetti and, realizing she was wasting precious time, threw herself on top of them all, rewarding them with a generous shower of pasta.

And they say too much laughter leads to tears...