After I came home from my thinking session in the park, I was met with my mother in a panic, wondering why I was out for so long after rehearsal and also why I was drenched. I couldn't even explain before I collapsed into a ball of tears, hugging her tightly. When she was done screaming, vowing to destroy whoever it was that had done this to me, I was able to tell her everything that happened. I told her about what happened at the theatre, how they all confessed to me, and how I realized I really loved Lucio, but I couldn't let him know my true feelings without ruining our friendship. As she listened to me, her face remained neutral. When I was done, she just reached over and wrapped me up in a big, comforting hug. It was what mothers did best. "I knew something like this would happen. That's why I told you to be careful." I nodded. "I know, you were right. As always." 

She looked back at me, sighing. "So, what do you want to do?" I sighed. "I want to focus on my singing. Everything else is secondary to me." Although, this wasn't exactly true. It was scary how important Lucio was becoming to me. But singing was still number one to me, and that's what I was going to focus my heart and soul on. My mom nodded. "You do what you feel is right, mia figlia. I know you have good judgement, and you always make the right decisions." She smiled at me encouragingly. "And you know if you ever need help with anything or if you just need someone to talk to, you come to your mamma. With anything. Got that?" I smiled, appreciatively. "Got it. Grazie, mamma." We embraced in another supportive hug, which lifted my spirits immensely. I spent the rest of the day working in the restaurant and practicing my piece. Definitely not thinking about Lucio at all. 

A week passed and I still didn't respond to the guys' texts. I felt bad, but at the same time, I had no idea what I would say to them. Hi Cosimo! Sorry, I don't love you. Hi Amedeo! Sorry, same thing. Hi Lucio! Let's get married!  I cringed even thinking about saying these things to them. It was already the day of another rehearsal, and instead of being excited, I was dreading what it would be like to walk into the theatre and have to face Cosimo, Amedeo, and Lucio again. Would things just be back to normal, like nothing had happened? Would they hate me and refuse to have anything to do with me? Would they still consider me their friend? I drove myself crazy with these thoughts. I decided to just distract myself with more work and practice, ignoring whenever my phone would buzz with a text from one of the guys. 

Soon, I was standing in front of the Solstice Theatre yet again. I felt nervous and anxious going in, not because I was intimidated by the immensity and grandeur of the theatre, but because I was nervous about seeing and talking to the guys for the first time since they confessed their love to me. I took a deep breath and exhaled, trying to calm myself down. I puffed up my chest and brought a spirit of determination upon myself. All this was for the opera showcase. It was for Italy. It was for my dreams. I tried to ignore the thoughts in my head and my heart, reminding me of how Lucio was sitting right behind those doors. I walked into the theatre and into the auditorium, bravely. 

This is where I wanted to turn around and leave. I could spot the three guys sitting in the audience, but they weren't sitting together. Cosimo was sitting in the front row, Amedeo was towards the back, and Lucio was in the middle. They were all far apart from each other, not talking to or acknowledging one another. I felt my heart sink to my stomach like a stone. Were my worst fears coming true? Was the friendship between them really over? Was I the cause of it? I didn't want to think about it. I tried to give myself a mini pep talk before I walked down the aisle. As soon as I reached them, all eyes turned to me. Cosimo, Amedeo, and Lucio all stared at me. None of us were smiling or frowning. It was the feeling of seeing someone after a very long time and not knowing what to say. I decided to try and be the bigger woman. "Ciao, guys." I waved shyly to them. No response, except for the same stares and the little wave I received from Lucio. I looked over at him. How badly I wanted to sit down next to him and hold his hand in mine. I looked back at Cosimo and Amedeo and frowned. How badly I wanted to sit with everyone and have everything go back to normal. 

But that wasn't going to be possible, not today. I walked away from them and sat behind them all, staring down at my hands that were folded on my lap. I tried to go through my song in my head, practicing it mentally and correcting the mistakes I kept making. This avenue of distraction didn't last long before I felt someone's presence as they filled the seat next to me. I looked over and was shocked to see Cosimo sitting next to me. He tilted his head, looking at me with concern. "So, did you go to Alaska for the week with no phone service or do you just hate me that much?" I nearly went into a coughing fit. "No, of course I don't hate you, Cosimo! I just didn't know what to say after..." My words trailed off as I spoke. Cosimo seemed to understand anyways. "I see." He said, staring out at the stage. He smirked at me. "Don't think I'll give up on you." I tensed. I slowly looked back over at him. He was still smirking. What did he mean by that? 

"Don't bother her, Cosimo." I looked up to see Amedeo looking at the both of us, angrily staring down Cosimo. "She obviously doesn't want to be around us right now." I groaned. I guess I was putting out some hostile signals here. "That's not true, Amedeo, I just feel a bit awkward right now." I was very honest with him. Amedeo frowned but took the opportunity to spring to action. He walked over to the seats, sitting in the one directly in front of me. He turned around to face me, a pensive look on his face. "You don't have to stay with us if you don't want to, Daniela. I would understand." I just stared at him, blankly. If he thought this and really understood, why did he come to sit near me too? I looked down at the ground. "It's okay, you can stay." I whispered. I looked out and saw that Lucio was still seated in his seat near the front of the stage, but he was looking back at us. He gave me a look that told me he was worried for me, but I didn't know how to respond to him other than with a concerned frown. 

The coordinator announced the start of rehearsal, to which I breathed a sigh of relief. Now, the guys would have to be quiet and pay attention, right? Apparently, I was wrong. Throughout the first few performances, Cosimo was doing all he could to distract me. He would stare at me, he would try to whisper in my ear, and just be close to me. I guess he really wasn't kidding when he said he wasn't going to give up on me. Unfortunately, this wasn't making me love him back, it was just making me uncomfortable. Simultaneously, while this was all happening, Amedeo kept turning around to reprimand Cosimo, saying he needed to give me space and kept asking if I was okay. To this, Cosimo would argue back with him. It was getting quite loud in our section. I could tell the coordinator was looking over at our section with impatience, and I was terrified that a repeat of last week would happen. I tried my best to sit and pay attention to the performers, but between the distractions of Cosimo, Amedeo, and my own thoughts, it was no use. 

That is, until my name was called. "Daniela, you can perform your song next. I want to mix things up today." The coordinator was looking at me and the boys, communicating an I've got you look to me. I could have hugged her right then and there. I had never felt so relieved to perform in front of others. I hurriedly rushed out of my seat, nearly knocking a surprised Cosimo and Amedeo over on the way out. As I walked down the aisle, I glanced over to where Lucio was sitting. He was giving me a kind smile and two thumbs up. I wanted to cry all over again. He didn't hate me and he hadn't forgotten me. He just didn't want to make me uncomfortable. And this is one of the reasons I loved him. It was just too bad he couldn't know that. I smiled back, somewhat halfheartedly, and walked up to the stage to sing my song. 

When I stood on stage, I had only now noticed that Cosimo and Amedeo had moved from their seats next to mine to sit closer to the stage, only one row in front of Lucio. They were staring at me intensely, waiting for me to sing. The nervous feeling returned to my stomach and my heartbeat started beating more rapidly by the minute. I looked back at Lucio, trying to channel his calm energy into me. Unfortunately, doing that made me feel even more nervous when I noticed how upset Cosimo and Amedeo were as they Lucio and I looking at each other. I looked away, remembering my resolve to focus just on my singing. I turned my attention to the coordinator and then realized she had been sitting there, just waiting for me to start my piece, along with the rest of the audience. "You may begin, Ms. Barrelli." She said loudly, gesturing towards me. I nodded and the piano accompaniment for my song began to play. 

As I sang, I wanted so much to retreat into my head and picture myself on the stage of La Scala in Italy, singing to a huge audience that was all there to appreciate my hard work. But for the first time ever, this proved to be impossible. All the words I was singing and all the emotion I had put into the piece was now backfiring on me. It made me think of Lucio. The emotion, instead of being too little, became too great to take. I couldn't stop myself from drifting to look at where the boys were sitting. Amedeo looked on in admiration. He wore the same look that he did when he confessed to me. It was almost like he wanted to hear my answer right then and there. Startled by his intense look, I lost my way. My voice cracked and went out on a very easy note. Horrified, my eyes went wide as the piano accompaniment slowed for a second. I tried to steady myself and get right back on the horse, gesturing for the accompanist to keep going. Focus, Daniela. Focus on your voice. Focus on your dream. 

But I couldn't. Against my will, I was forced to look at Cosimo, who was staring at me with fierceness in his eyes. He stared at me so intensely that it startled me, making my voice falter once again. I wanted to cry. I had never performed this badly before. I gave the audience and the coordinator, who was wearing a look of confusion, a sincere look of apology. Once again, the accompanist had slowed down to try and guide me through the song. I nodded at her and she continued playing at normal speed. I tried breathing deeply before I sang, trying to calm myself down. But then, I looked at Lucio. 

There he sat, looking at me with encouragement. He wore a smile, but it seemed like the smile was masking something. It was masking what he was really feeling in that moment, but I couldn't tell what it was. He was putting all his feelings aside to focus on me, trying to make me feel better. He nodded his head, smile bright, and gave me another thumbs up. It was then and there that I found my new focus. No longer did I go into my head, ignoring the people in front of me as I sang. Now, I sang for Lucio. Everyone else in the theatre disappeared as I sang my words to Lucio, almost like there was a spotlight on him. He noticed the change in my focus and how I was only looking at him. The look on his face was enough to make me break out in a humongous smile. He stared at me, a grand smile of happiness and adoration on his face. He leaned forward, soaking up every word I sang to him. For once, I felt like the emotion was really coming through. It was all true, I could feel it. This love song was now a love song to Lucio. 

The song ended, and everything came crashing back down to reality. I lingered looking at Lucio, but when I shifted my gaze, I noticed that Cosimo and Amedeo were staring at Lucio with realization and jealousy. They looked back at me, both of them having disappointed looks on their faces. Somehow, I knew this wouldn't be the end. I realized I was standing on the stage way too long and the applause was starting to die off. I took a small bow and looked at the coordinator. She didn't smile. I felt my heart sink. She sighed. "Daniela, the emotion you showed today was the best I have seen you display in all the times you have performed this piece. You did amazing." She tilted her head. "But what was going on in the beginning?" My heart pounded. "I'm sorry, I was distracted." I apologized, meekly. She nodded. "Well, work on that. Other than that, it was a beautiful performance. You can return to your seat." 

I rushed off of the stage, passing all the boys by as they looked at me walk by, craning their heads towards me. I sat where I originally was sitting, but this time nobody followed me. I caught them glancing at me as the rehearsal started coming to a close. I tried to focus on the ground, but I couldn't help making eye contact with Lucio once in a while. He was communicating so many things with me solely through his expressive eyes. I looked back at the floor. I knew I had just sang a love song for him, but I couldn't let my guard down and become distracted with him either. Look at what happened to me when I just looked at the boys' section while I was singing. Besides the ending, it was quite possibly the worst performance I had ever given. 

After everyone had performed their pieces, the coordinator came up to the stage, giving us all a round of applause. "Well done, everyone. You are more than ready for the performance in two weeks. I am very proud of how far you have come. Continue to work on the little critiques I gave each of you." She smiled, pleased with us. "I know you'll all make the Solstice Theatre proud." The air in the auditorium lifted, and we were all pretty pleased with ourselves too. The coordinator smiled, excitedly clapping her hands together. "Now, for some exciting news. Tomorrow, the Solstice Theatre will be hosting a dance for all the opera showcase participants. It will take place in the grand ballroom. You can bring a date and come to enjoy a night out; you all deserve it. Rehearsal dismissed and thank you all again." Another round of applause filled the auditorium. Everyone started buzzing around with excitement at the thought of going to a dance. Truthfully, I would've been excited too. But when I thought of my situation with the boys, I didn't see how I could go and have a good time. 

As I was getting ready to walk out the door, I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I turned around to see Cosimo smiling at me. "Your performance was beautiful as usual, Daniela." I now felt a bit uneasy around him, but I still appreciated the comment. "Thanks, Cosimo." He smiled, putting his hands in his pockets. "So, the dance? That's cool, huh?" I shrugged, looking at him. He chuckled. "Well, I think it's cool. So cool, in fact, that I would love it if you would accompany me as my date." My eyes widened. I didn't know what to say to him. "Uh..." Before I could formulate any words, Amedeo had come up and stood next to me as well. "Daniela, are you going to the dance? If so, would you please go with me?" Cosimo looked at him, angrily. "I was just asking her to the dance, Amedeo." Amedeo glared back at him. "Can't we both ask and she can decide who she wants to go with?" Amedeo looked back at me, hope in his eyes. "If you aren't already going with someone, would you go with me?" I looked at him with nervousness. Thinking about what I was going to say filled me with such anxiety. It was just then that I noticed Lucio had joined us, listening to Cosimo and Amedeo ask me to the dance. 

Before Lucio could say anything to me, I looked at the boys. I slowly shook my head, directing my attention down to the floor. "I don't think I'm going to go at all." Silence filled the room. "Not go?" Cosimo crossed his arms. "Is it because of us?" Amedeo frowned. Lucio stayed silent, giving me a look of both disappointment and pity. I nodded. "I'm sorry." I apologized so much these days. I turned away from them and raced out the doors, almost like a repeat of what happened when the boys had confessed to me. It felt just as bad as the last time. 

I spent the rest of the day working in the restaurant and drinking coffee with my mother at night. I decided to take the day off from practicing my singing. I felt a bit too despondent to practice my song of love. I would just think about Lucio, and I didn't need that right now. I went to sleep, thinking of the upcoming dance and of the invitations from Cosimo and Amedeo. I also thought of how I left before Lucio could say anything to me. Would he have asked me to the dance if I had given him the chance? I felt bad. I felt like in my quest to not hurt them by favoring one of them over the others, I was still hurting them by ignoring them. But I just didn't know what to do. When my mind finally stopped racing, I was able to fall asleep. 

The next morning, I decided to go for a walk to clear my head and resume my morning routine. I got up, got ready, greeted my mom at the door, and went on my way to get a cup of coffee from Caffè e Dolci. Even Mario could see how despondent I was. He had asked me what was wrong, to which I just mustered up a smile. I took my coffee from him, sighing a little. "It's a long story." Mario just gave me a sympathetic nod, and also a biscotto on the house, which I ate in a heartbeat. 

I decided to walk around the city with my coffee to clear my head. As I walked through the dense, San Francisco fog, the cool wind sent a chill through my body. I took a sip from my hot coffee, feeling it warm me up inside. Even in this setting, I couldn't stop thinking about the situation with the guys and my feelings for Lucio. What would it be like to go to the dance with Lucio? Would he pick me up at the restaurant, dressed in a nice suit? Would he bring me a bouquet of flowers like he did for me that one night? Would we dance the night away, listening to romantic music play solely for us? Would we share our first kiss under the moonlit night? No. We wouldn't do any of that. I wouldn't go, I wouldn't tell him how I felt about him, and that would be the end of that. Still, what could've been made my heart ache.       

As I continued walking, I noticed a familiar silhouette standing in the middle of the sidewalk, staring at me. I squinted through the fog, moving closer to this mysterious figure cautiously. When I recognized who it was, I stopped in my tracks, eyes wide and lips parted. 

"Lucio?"