De Luca

𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧

It was safe to say, dinner was a bit awkward. After what the events today had caused for me I had been too nervous to talk or even so much as glance at Elias. He was content with the silence that I gave him but Maria on the other hand liked to tease about my apparent 'blush'.

Maria and I stayed up late that night to have a bit of wine together as we went through Elias's baby photos.

"He's so adorable!" I said as I leant down to study the photo even more. It was held in a photo album that was placed on the wooden coffee table in the lounge room.

"I know" Maria said with a smile.

"Look at his chubby cheeks! Aww he's so cute" I said with a small laugh.

After telling me the stories of all the photos on that page, she flipped it which now showed an older Elias compared to the other photos before, and what was definitely a younger Andre.

"Is that Andre!"

Maria nodded her head "Elias and Andre were about eleven in this photo, the two had been working on making a short walk way on a Lake nearby"

"They looked... happy"

She nodded "indeed they did"

I looked at the next photo, this time it had a girl in it. Specifically the girl that I had seen in the portrait that was hung up in the abandoned side of Vanessa's house, just younger.

"Who is she?" I asked pointing to her

Maria's smile was immediately wiped off of her face "little Anna... oh poor sweet girl"

"Who was she?"

Maria's thumb rubbed the photo slowly and gently. It showed Anna beaming brightly at the camera in a flowery dress with the two brothers having a water fight in the background.

"Anna was Elias's sister. Elias, Andre and Anna were basically inseparable, they always went everywhere together"

"What happened to her?" I asked looking all the happy photos that were taken that day. It seemed that they were having a picnic day out with Vanessa, Maria and surprisingly Mateo.

It was strange seeing a genuine smile on his face instead of the evil grin he always had on.

"That is something you should ask me" Elias's voice appeared from behind me.

I jumped slightly before I whipped my head around to see him standing in the doorway with a blank expression, his voice calm and controlled.

I bit my lip "sorry."

I didn't want him to yell and me again, and I guess he deserved to seeing that I had over stepped my boundary. I shouldn't have asked such a personal question in the first place.

"It's time for bed Grace, we have to wake up early tomorrow."

I sighed and nodded.

"Goodnight Maria"

"Goodnight darling"

Gulping the rest of my wine I placed it on the coffee table, leaving Maria to mourn over the old photos.