Hope everyone is enjoying their summer, keep enjoying, keep reading!

-Gabs

"So now your mother hates me too?" Valentino says, he's on the ground helping Etienne put on his new boots, provided by Whitey.

"She doesn't hate you, at least not like Nonno."

Valentino chuckles. "Lucky me."

"You know how she is, she just think you're being silly with school, she doesn't believe racing is a good career."

"Yeah man!" Angelo agrees. Etienne and Angelo's little brother are going to have a go around the track together today.

"Just look at me, my parents are ready to ship me off to law school anytime soon."

I pat Angelo's shoulder with remorse.

"Is Nonno coming today?" Etienne mumbles through his helmet.

"Yeah, is he?" Angelo turns to me anxious.

"No, him and Whitey are out getting supplies, making sure you'll have everything you need for your first competition in two weeks." I say excited. Etienne smiles with his eyes. Part of me wished for Papa to be here, so he could see Etienne begin his journey.

"Can we hurry, I've gotta go meet up with Mama for our spa afternoon."

Valentino whines like a puppy, rising from the ground, " I thought we were gonna hang after this."

I smile at him wanting to "hang" with me. "I don't know if I can make it, I'll call you."

Valentino blows up his cheeks like a chipmunk. "Key."

I cup his cheeks in my hands, "Key." I repeat before our lips lock.

"Ergh!" Etienne groans disgusted.

"Okey break it up, so we can head to the track." Angelo hiss.

It's clear that Michelle is the more experienced rider, the way he tackles the corners without wobbling as much as Etienne, still Etienne is not too far behind.

"Give him a ride home will ya?" I have to leave while they're still out on the tracks.

******

Mama and I spend the whole afternoon soaking in hot pools, toasting in steamy saunas and finally getting rubbed down by two lovely polish masseuses.

"And then I go, sorry miss, but I'm fully booked." Mama laughs at herself. Lately she has developed this laughter that posh people has. I believe it came with the money.

"Mama you should really take it easy with work, you have basically been working 16 hours a day." I say concerned.

"Don't be silly honey, how can I be working 16 hours If I'm always home in time for dinner."

"Mama, do you know how many times I've found you passed out in your office, you don't even go to bed anymore."

"It's the cost of success honey, sometimes you've got to make sacrifices, so you can give it your all."

"Gee where was that energy when you heard Valentino dropped out of school." I mumble.

Mama pulls her towel over her breast as she hastily sit up, her masseuse sighs. "Look, that is different."

"Different how?" I too sit. Our masseuse exchange looks then heads for the door leaving us alone. As the door shuts, Mama reaches for my hand. "Alessia, haven't I taught you better, haven't my life taught you better."

"What do you mean?"

"If it wasn't for you being bound to move to Paris next year, I would never allow this relationship to even happen."

"Mama!" I gasp, my tongue is in my throat. "This is Valentino you're talking about."

She squeezes my hand. "Don't get me wrong, he is a lovely, but when I see you and him together, I see your father and me, when we were young, with two kids, struggling to make ends meet in that moldy apartment in Flaxwere."

"I can't believe it." I make her let go of my hand. "Now that we have more money you think that we're somehow better than them." I hiss. I start walking towards the glassdoors.

"Alessia, that is not true."

I stop, door handle in my grip. "God, you sound just like Alicia, all of this, you deserve better talk, it's sickening." I swing open the door.

"Alessia!" She shouts running after me. We stop as she get a hold of my arm. "You must understand that all I want is the best for you and Etienne."

"Are you sure about that." I snap, some Lady in the hot tub looks our way, I give her a mean stare though, which makes her turn her head.

"Alessia, you don't get to speak to me that way, I have sacrificed so much to give my children everything, I've worked to the bones for you to have every opportunity handed to you. Is this the thanks you want to give!" She shouts.

"Yes, thank you Mama, for keeping this family together, by driving Nonno away to live in the woods all alone, a place we never visit by the way."

Mama's lips trembles "Y...You know why." She stutter.

"Because he's afraid of you, because he feels guilty for his son causing you all this pain, yeah I know."

I thank god we were in public, I know she wanted to slap me then and there.