This morning, instead of taking my time, I rushed through my morning routine. I had so been looking forward to practicing the duet with Lucio ever since he asked me to a one-on-one practice session at dinner. So, this morning, there was no time to loaf around. I rushed while getting ready for the day, rushed to Caffè e Dolci for my morning coffee, rushed back to work my shift at the restaurant, and rushed through my commute until I was finally standing in front of the Solstice Theatre. I took a deep breath before walking in through those majestic doors and into the heart of the theatre. I turned down the hall, walking down the practice room corridor, until I saw one of the practice room doors open halfway. I leaned forward, carefully peering into the room. Lucio was there, sitting at the piano bench, plucking out a few notes on the piano. He must have sensed me there, because he turned around and we made eye contact. His face lit up as he smiled at me.

"Daniela, ciao! Come on in." I walked into the practice room, leaving the door open. Lucio pointed to the door. "You can close it." At hearing what he said, his eyes went wide and he started babbling. "Not in a weird way! Just so that we can practice in peace and not be a nuisance to others and, um, yeah." At the end of his stilted speech he sighed, putting a hand to his face. "I'm sorry." I giggled, going to close the door. "Don't worry, I knew what you meant." I shut the door and walked into the room. I slung my purse across an empty chair and sat down across from Lucio. We both smiled at each other. "You look very pretty today." Lucio complimented, unexpectedly. I had to stop myself from giggling like a schoolgirl. "Thank you. You look nice today, too." Lucio laughed a little, folding his hands together and looking at the piano. "Should we start with warmups?" He offered. I nodded, standing up and joining him near the piano. 

He played arpeggios, scales, and other warmups on the piano, us following along with our voices. I felt a bit self-conscious singing in front of him. I wanted to sound good for him like I wanted to sound good for any audience, so I started holding back a little. I didn't want my voice to crack or to make a mistake. After about a minute of warmups, Lucio came to an abrupt stop. His fingers paused on the keys as he turned back to face me. I stopped singing immediately, feeling a bit nervous. I raised a hand to my throat. "Did I sing something wrong?" I asked. Lucio shook his head. "No, that's the problem." I raised an eyebrow. "You want me to sing wrong?" He laughed. "No, but I can tell you're holding back." I gulped. How could he see right through me? 

He smiled. "I know because I'm the same way. I hold back when I sing in front of others so that I don't sound bad or mess up, but it really impacts my performance in a negative way. I'm not able to be as expressive or even as strong with my voice and performance." He reached up and grabbed one of my hands, making me blush a little. "You have a beautiful voice, Daniela. Even if you're scared your voice may crack or falter, it's better to sing with all your heart than to hold back. Believe me." I absorbed all of what he was saying. It made perfect sense. With how kind and supportive he was being, he brought me out of my comfort zone a little. I nodded. "Okay, I won't hold back." He smiled. "Good." He dropped my hand and went back to the piano, resuming the scales. This time, I listened to him. I didn't hold back. 

Once we were finished warming up, he turned back to me, a delighted smile on his face. "See? What did I tell you? Don't hold back and you'll sound amazing, like you always do." That tugging on my heart came back. It was even stronger now that I knew the reason for feeling this way; I liked Lucio. Although, I had to keep fighting my feelings so that I could concentrate on the song, especially since that's what we both were here for. He stood up, picking up his phone and scrolling through it. "I have the track here." He said, scanning YouTube. He found the track and pulled it up, pausing it before it could start playing. He looked at me, and he seemed a bit nervous. "I worked really hard on my part, so I hope you'll be happy to be singing with me." He was so nervous, it was sweet. "I was happy from the moment they assigned us to duet together." The brightness from his smile was enough to power the whole city. "I was too." 

He looked at me, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand awkwardly. "I think we should try to do what the coordinator told us." I thought hard, trying to remember what she said, when it finally hit me. I looked at him, an involuntary blush spreading across my face. "You mean, act like we're in love?" He smiled shyly, nodding. I smiled back. "I think we should try it too." For the song, and possibly for real. No, Daniela, focus! We looked at each other, not sure what to do next. "Well, I guess we can work on looking at each other when we sing." Lucio suggested. I laughed. "That would be a good idea." He smiled. "We can also try romantic gestures. Like, we can hold hands during certain parts of the song. Only if you feel comfortable with it." I would love to hold his hands, but I'd probably also explode from the butterflies rioting in my stomach. But if it meant making the performance better, I was willing to do whatever it takes. At least, that's what I kept telling myself. "I'm okay with that." I told him. 

Without another word, he pressed play on the song. He took a moment to prepare his voice before he sang, looking down at the ground. Then he looked at me and switched to performance mode. His voice was strong as usual, but the way he was singing was different. His voice was filled with romance and passion. He stared into my eyes, his big and beautiful, the fiery specks of gold shining with passion as he sang. This display, paired with my existing feelings for him, was making my heart combust. I nearly missed my cue to sing. I began, trying to copy his style, being romantic in the way I sang and looked at him. It proved to be more difficult a task than I thought. As he stood, looking at me with a handsome smile on his face, I started to imagine what it would be like to tell him these sayings of love without the pretense of acting. How would he react? Would he reject me? Would he reciprocate my feelings? For once, I didn't think about Amedeo and Cosimo. I thought solely of Lucio. 

We started singing together, feeling more and more comfortable performing the song. That is, until he reached over, beckoning me to take his hands. With a blush, I reached out and took his hands. He squeezed mine and stepped closer to me, looking into my eyes with the sweetest smile spread across his face. My breath halted and my voice nearly cracked when I sang my next line, but I had to get used to the closeness. After all, this is what the coordinator wanted - feelings, emotion, no more robotic singing. It was impossible to be robotic when Lucio was standing less than a foot away from me, holding my hands in his tenderly. As the song came to its close, we amped up our voices, hitting the climax notes strongly. Then, we both tapered off gently, singing about how we would live for each other.

When the track ended and we had stopped singing, we didn't let go of our position. We were stood there, frozen in time, staring into each other's eyes and holding each other's hands tightly. I marveled at the beauty of his voice and his face as he stared at me intently. Lucio shifted his attention down to the ground for a minute, the smile disappearing from his face. He looked back at me, a serious but tender expression on his face. "Daniela, I know this may sound weird, but I can't help it. Daniela, I think I lo-" Interrupting the tender moment, Lucio's phone went off with a text message. We stopped, Lucio looking a bit annoyed at the interruption. He let go of my hands reluctantly and sighed. "I'm sorry." He grabbed his phone and checked it, frowning once he read the message. 

"It's Cosimo. He's asking where I snuck off to." He looked at me. "I didn't tell them I was coming here to practice with you. I was worried that he and Amedeo would be..." He stopped himself before he finished the sentence, even though I probably could've finished the thought for him. I nodded. "I understand." He smiled appreciatively at me, before sighing. "I guess I should go before he sends out a search party." He joked, but I could tell he was disappointed to leave. I was disappointed too, especially since I didn't get to hear the rest of what Lucio was about to say. I wouldn't be able to stop thinking about what he could have said for the rest of the day. 

Lucio came up to me. "Thank you for coming to practice with me, Daniela. Your voice is beautiful, and I know we're going to perform great together." He smiled sincerely. "You'll definitely get to Italy as a succesful singer." His voice was so confident, like he was stating a fact. It eased all the doubts in my head and overall made me feel so much better. I couldn't control myself. I wrapped Lucio in a big hug. "Thank you, Lucio. You don't know what that means to me." I could tell I had surprised him with the sudden contact, but soon he hugged back, tighter than I could have imagined. It was like we were two people who had been apart for years and were finally reuniting, but in reality, it was just a hug between one girl who liked a guy and didn't know if he liked her back but was too scared to like him because it may mess up their friendship, as well as her friendship with the other two guys. Sounds complicated, huh? 

We pulled out of the hug, and it looked like Lucio wanted to say something, but he stayed quiet. Instead, he smiled cordially. "I'll see you at the theatre in a bit, Daniela." He squeezed my hand before he walked out of the practice room, disappearing down the hall. I stayed alone in the room for a minute, trying to shake the blush off my face. I grabbed my purse and walked outside of the practice room as well. Maybe I could go home for a bit and help out more at the restaurant, or maybe I'd grab another coffee from Caffè e Dolci. As I was walking out of the theatre, I was surprised to see a man in a leather jacket standing outside the theatre, back turned to me. He seemed familiar. I cautiously approached and finally saw who it was. It was Amedeo. 

I startled a little but smiled. "Amedeo, hi! What are you doing here? It's not rehearsal time yet." He didn't reciprocate the smile. He turned around to face me, slowly. This is when I noticed the tears in his eyes. "Daniela." He breathed my name like it was his last word. My face fell and I immediately moved closer to him. "What happened?" I asked, scared. He turned away from me, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I thought you might be here. Were you with Lucio?" His voice was shaky, and his breath was labored. I frowned but nodded. "Yeah, we practiced the duet this morning. Now tell me, what happened?" He turned back to me, his eyes dark and pained. He couldn't hold it in any longer. "My nonno. He passed away this morning." I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands. "Oh, Amedeo." I whispered, breathlessly. 

Amedeo looked down at the ground. I didn't know what to say. It was like the wind had gotten knocked out of me. "I just wish I had more time." He lamented. I reached out and took his hand, trying to show him I was there for him. "I'm so sorry. I can't even imagine how painful this must be for you." I tried to think of something encouraging to say, but I recognized that sometimes you just needed someone to express your grief with. I wanted to be that person for Amedeo. "I'm sure you were an amazing grandson and that your nonno loved you very much." Amedeo looked me in the eyes. I couldn't read his face. I breathed in hard. I hope I didn't say something that offended him.

Without another word, Amedeo pulled me in close and hugged me tightly. It was such a different feeling than when I hugged Lucio. Lucio always made me feel safe and protected when I was in his arms, and it felt familiar yet exciting. This hug was different. Amedeo made me feel like he needed me, like he was grasping onto me so that I wouldn't leave. His body leaned against mine, and it felt like he could fall over at any minute. It was so desperate and pained. I hugged him back, feeling like I was propping him up. "I'm so sorry." I told him. I could feel his body shaking as he cried into my shoulder. He reached his hand up and cradled the back of my head with his hand. "My nonno, I wish he could have met you, Daniela. He would have loved you." It seemed like there was more he wanted to say, but he kept quiet. I smiled at the touching sentiment. "I would have loved him too." 

Amedeo didn't want to let go. After a long time, he finally pulled away, but not completely. He still had one hand resting on the back of my head and another around my back. "Thank you for being here with me, for making me feel better. You can't begin to fathom how much I appreciate it." Even in mourning, he was poetic. I smiled. "I'll always be here for you, Amedeo." He looked at me and, for the first time, smiled. "You don't know how much you have made me feel better. Just to be able to talk about this with someone, even in a few words, makes all the difference. Especially when that person is you." I felt so happy I could be that person for him. "Thank you, Amedeo, that means a lot. I'm glad I could help you." 

Suddenly, the air changed. Amedeo looked into my eyes, baring his soul to me. He stared intently at me, his gaze smoldering. "Daniela, your face...it's beautiful." He brought a hand up to my face, but rested right next to it, hovering it in the air. It was like he was afraid to touch me. He stopped himself and returned his hand back to his side and also let me out of the hug. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped back. "Thank you. I'll see you at the theatre in a few hours." He turned around to leave but, before he walked away, turned back to look at me. He didn't say anything else. He just looked at me with longing in his eyes. Then, he went on his way. 

I was left standing there, alone and confused. Why did he make that comment on my face? Why did he nearly touch me and then stop himself? Why did he seem so different overall? I didn't want to admit what I already suspected and concur with what my mom had told me. I decided to shake it all off and just keep walking in the direction of Little Italy. I decided I would go and help my mom out at the restaurant, even if it was just for a few hours. 

Once I arrived at the restaurant, I was prepared to greet my mom and start work, but I was stopped in my tracks by the presence of another familiar face. Cosimo was standing at the counter, talking with my mom. He turned back to me, a smile brightening his face. "Daniela." He cooed. I was surprised at his presence, but still mustered up a smile. "Cosimo, hi! What are you doing here?" My mom answered for him. "He said he wanted to see you before your rehearsal today." Cosimo gave her a loving look. "And your mom has been so gracious to keep me company and also feed me some of the best tiramisu on the planet." I noticed the empty coffee cup and sporadic tiramisu and chocolate crumbs on the empty plate in front of him. I chuckled. Classic Cosimo. 

He walked over to me. "I heard you were at the theatre with just Lucio?" Uh oh. I felt the start of a grilling session. I nodded. "Yeah, we worked on the duet together." Cosimo smiled, but he seemed a bit annoyed. "Ah, I suspected as much. Man, you and Lucio these days. It must be that duet that's making you all close like that." My heart pounded against my chest. He just laughed. "It's all good. I'm looking forward to hearing you sing, Daniela." I noticed he didn't mention Lucio. He turned back to the counter, handing my mom the dirty dishes that she took to wash. "Grazie, Signora Barrelli." He said, before walking back to me. "I just wanted to tell you to break a leg on your songs at rehearsal today." I smiled. "Thanks, Cosimo. You too." 

He looked at me, staring into my eyes. He leaned forward, crouching down to meet me at eye level. "You know, Lucio's really lucky. You have such a beautiful voice. I would die to sing with you, Daniela." From anyone else, it would sound like a flattering exaggeration, but from Cosimo, it scarily sounded serious, like it wasn't beyond what he would do. I tensed a little at the intensity of his voice, but still tried to smile. "Thank you, Cosimo. Maybe we can sing together one day!" His face remained serious, but a small smirk spread across his lips. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, just like Lucio did at dinner that one night. "It's a date." He stood up and opened the door. Before walking out, he turned back to me and smiled. "I'll see you later at the theatre. A presto, Daniela." The door closed behind him as he walked out into the city. 

I reached up and gently touched the cheek he had kissed. It didn't feel the same as when Lucio kissed me. It almost felt like a possessive kiss, like he was claiming me as his. I didn't know how to feel about it. I looked at my mom, who wore the same look of confusion on her face as I did. Again, I decided to shake it off and put it out of my mind. "Let me help you until my rehearsal, mamma." She decided to not press me on what had happened, which was surprising, but nonetheless I was very grateful for. I grabbed my apron, looking down at it. I sighed.

Today would be an interesting rehearsal indeed.