Alessia woke up to his familiar scent, this time it wasn't just the room. Valentino's slow breaths caressed her ear, his warm skin under the bedsheets rubbing against her own naked skin. She was naked. Alessia stirred recalling last night's events.

Valentino had returned around midnight.

"Where's Esmeralda?" He had muttered, finding Alessia alone in his old bedroom. On the walls, posters of his racing hero Kevin Schwantz were still plastered. He was fourteen when he snatched them out of the magazines sold at the motorshop.

"Upstairs." Alessia had said without meeting his eye. He followed her tilting head to the sealing, then he asked, "Can I sleep in here or do you want me on the couch?" He stood at the edge of the bed, Alessia already tucked in between the sheets, a magazine covering the bottom half of her newly washed face. Her shape underneath his covers brought him lustful thoughts of when they first laid together.

"I don't know Vale, it's your room." She shrugged.

Briefly Alessia met his eyes. She watched the damped water on his forehead dry with the warmth of the room, he had been out running. Once she hid her face behind the magazine again, she heard him sigh.

Valentino accepted the challenge and went to turn off the lights. Once he had located the bed in the dark Alessia had already made space for him.

They lay in silence before he hears her inhale. "Vale you reek of sweat, go take a shower first."

"You go take a shower."

If the lights were on she'd find him grinning from ear to ear.

"Vale, I'm serious."

It was the contact of skin that had started it all, Alessia kicking and pushing in an attempt to roll him off the bed. It all ended once Valentino decided to roll on top of her, feeling her whole body stiffen beneath him. For a second he worried it was fear, feeling her arms pulling him closer made him relax again.

It was angry sex, all of it angry, but decpite the tosseling around he had kissed her just the way she liked it. His lips slowly tracing the line of her jaw, stopping at her chin where he would move upwards to lick her bottom lip. Hearing her moan into his mouth made the last of the anger go away, just like that all was forgiven, they were together again.

"What time is it?" Valentino mumbled, his soft lips caressing the sensitive on Alessia's neck.

"Nine, why?"

Valentino slowly stirs, his grip around her waist tightening.

"I've got a call."

"Sophia?"

Alessia anticipates the sigh, which comes after his grip around her waist loosens. She turned around to face him, Valentino's smokey eyes staring back at her. They lay there, just staring for a while. Alessia is the first one to break as her cheeks bend into a shy smile.

"What you're doing to me..." Valentino runs a hand through her hair, untangling his fingers as he repeats the movement. "...Lessy you're making me break jaws for you."

She frowns. "You didn't break his jaw."

"I could have, for you." He ensured.

Alessia chuckled. "How sweet."

Their lips collide and for a minute the world around them disappears.

"Vale, I'm worried for Esmeralda."

Valentino sighed at the sudden interruption, he had already woken up stiff.

Alessia comforts him by placing a hand close to his growth.

"What's gonna happen now?"

"To who?" Valentino frowned.

"Us, to Esmeralda, everybody knows now."

"So, I don't care, you shouldn't either." Valentino's words were as serious as his gaze. Alessia sighs. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to our family."

Somewhere in the distance the joyeuse laughter of Esmeralda is heard echoing from the kitchen. Alessia looks at Valentino who is smiling at her.

"Our family is fine." He whispers and once again their lips collide.

Around the kitchen table, Mrs Rossi was seen feeding Esmeralda some porridge, whilst Luca had his eyes on the TV, attempting to eat his breakfast at the same time.

Valentino and Alessia entered the room, hand in hand.

"I see you've kissed and made up." Mrs Rossi smiles.

"Mama" Valentino muttered. Beside him Alessia crumbled with embarrassment.

"Care for some breakfast?" She gestures for them to have a seat around the table. Outside, the sun was shining, casting a warming light through the kitchen window, onto the breakfast table. Valentino goes to tousle around Luca's hair before plotting down beside his little brother. Alessia bends down to plant a kiss on Esmeralda's cheek before taking a seat herself. She is left wiping porridge off her lips.

In the hallway the phone rings.

"Vale, could you get that?" Said Mrs Rossi.

Alessia watches him rise to his feet. He throws her a wink before disappearing out in the hallway.

Alessia has a hard time eating her breakfast. Hearing the hushed voice of Valentino echoing in the hallway somewhere, has her distracted. Mrs Rossi throws her a sympathetic look, it tells her not to worry. Alessia gets to take a bite of her toast, however, before she gets a chance to swallow, Valentino returns to the kitchen, a troubled expression roaming his face.

Alessia made sure to wait for the right moment before she asked: "Who was that?"

Valentino shrugs. "Just Uccio telling me that he is on his way."

She notices how he fails to meet her eye. "And Sophia?" She said, raising a brow.

"What about her?" Valentino stretches for some toast and butter.

"Wasn't she supposed to call you today?"

"I dunno babe, maybe she'll call me later in the afternoon."

Luca's gaze left the TV, just like Mrs Rossi, he too sensed the erupting tension.

Mrs Rossi clears her throat. "I think this would be a good time for you two boys to clear all that junk your Uncle left behind in the garage."

"Not today Mama." Said Luca. "I've got to get to the track this afternoon."

"Great! Then you and Vale both have all morning to clear out the garage."

Their sighs are simultaneous.

*******

Alessia stood leaning against the surrounding fences overlooking the track, no idea on why she had agreed to tag along the boys that afternoon. Her little brother Etienne had homework, so he wasn't coming down to the track today, still, Alessia had decided to come.

She had soon come to realize that what had once exited her every nerve, what had once awakened her lust for speed, was no longer there.

Was it possible? A love so strong simply vanishing without a trace of ever existing within her?

Alessia's thoughts are interrupted by the worrying coughs of her grandfather.

"Nonno, are you sure you're alright? You're sounding worse than the last time."

He waves her words away. "You and your mother are alike." He said, finishing off the cough with a light pat to his chest. ".....And like I told her, I'm just fine."

Alessia doesn't know how she feels being compared to her mother, they were nothing alike.

In the distance, hills made out of pebbles and dirt stood in the silhouette of the afternoon sun. Valentino is seen descending the top on his humming motocross, not far behind him, Luca, the back wheel of his motocross tossing gravel as he made his way down the hill.

"I've still got a couple months, you know." Alessia wishes to tune out Nonno's gut piercing words. ".....I wanna make the best of them, with you, your brother, my grandchild and your mother."

Alessia denies it, not letting it trouble her thoughts just yet.

"Do you think Esmeralda will grow to love motorbikes like I did when you and Papa used to take me here?"

Nonno accepts Alessia's way of dealing with it, it's different for everybody.

"I think she'll grow up to love whatever has brought her the most joy as a child, just like you did." His answer was simple ,but enough.

"Good." She nods.

For the first time Alessia felt afraid to turn her head, meet the eyes of someone she'll soon only hold close in memory. Nevertheless, she moved close enough for them to reach for each other, Alessia putting her hand in Nonno's.

******

Picturing the day to end with a lovely dinner, a table surrounding the people Alessia loved the most, quickly dissolves on its own, seeing Uccio's broken down car parked up the driveway to Valentino's house.

"Your mother had to help me push it up the driveway." Uccio laughed, not bothering to close his stuffed mouth. They all sat gathered around the kitchen table, Mrs Rossi's special Lasagna served for dinner.

Alessia watches on with utter disgust.

"Why didn't you buy a new car with the money you won in Brno?" Said Valentino, nudging Alessia for her to pass him the bowl of pasta. She does so reluctantly.

"Lost it all during your last race, remember? You didn't start."

Valentino dares to glance at Alessia, luckily her gaze is fixated on her dinner plate.

"By the way, you owe me money for that, a new car even."

"You should have put money on the fight." Luca suggested, This had them all laughing, all except Alessia.

Uccio looks to wonder what if. "I would have made millions," he said dreamingly. "Valentino had Biaggi running back for his mother in Rome."

The laughter was loud, too loud for Alessia to hear her own thoughts.

"Where are you going babe?" Valentino was quick to ask, seeing Alessia rise from her chair.

"I'm gonna call Alicia." She mumbled.

"Now?"

Silence around the table as all eyes looked to Alessia.

"Come on, sit down. You can call her later, not while we're eating." Valentino pulls her a chair. Alessia remains on her feet. Utter disgust roamed her face, seeing Uccio still digging in like a pig.

"So this is how it's going to be huh?

Smothering silence. Esmeralda, the only one making noise as she sat strapped to her stool.

"We're all making jokes about the fact that Valentino' career could be over."

"Lessy." Valentino sighed, bringing himself to stand. "It's going to be alright, Sophia said the team is cleaning up the situation as we speak."

"By cleaning up, you mean...?"

"I dunno." He shrugs. "Press things."

"It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Alessia chuckled, "What about the fact that Biaggi knows about us+"

"Not this again." He sighs.

"It's all going to be different once they let you back, don't you realise that."

"Alessia honey." Mrs Rossi's calming voice spoke. "We are all here to make sure that nothing changes for your lives, for Esmeralda's life." She snaps her fingers in remembrance. "What is that saying that Valenitno's grandmother use to say." Mrs Rossi looks around the table for aid. Uccio is seen shrugging his shoulders "I dunno?" sauce dripped down the side of his cheek.

"Don't overcook the pasta?" Luca frowns.

Alessia felt a smile twitching her lip.

"No not that."

Valentino tries: "No shoes in the house, you little shit's?"

"No." Mrs Rossi sighed, "Nonna used to say....."

"Problems are for tomorrow." Alessia Smiled.

"Problems are for tomorrow." Mrs Rossi repeats.

In unison, a moment of appreciation for Nonna happened around the table. Valentino gestures for Alessia to sit back down, kissing her temple as she does.