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MARIA

A week had flown by since Romeo had arrived. We spent time together playing games, watching classics past midnight, and doing activities outside. Romeo was a fun person to be around, and I was glad we had gotten to know each other a lot better during that time.

Vincenzo had come over to take Romeo back home since it was his last day with us, but since Amalia was teething, she had been a lot more teary. Vincenzo took over comforting her after I had spent some time trying to get her to sleep; she had been upset ever since Leonardo left earlier that day for an urgent meeting at work. Leonardo and I continued to share a room and had actually gotten a lot less awkward because of it. But I was still maintaining the boundary I set before for our own sakes.

Romeo and I had just finished watching Rocky, and the plan was to get him home straight after that. He gave me a coy and sad look, "I don't want to go yet. Can we play another game?"

I chuckled as he took out his Nintendo Switch. Leonardo was keen on getting Romeo away and already told his mother that he'd be going home that day. "Your mom has been expecting you," I reminded him, my eyes going towards the hallway as Amalia's cries weren't ceasing. "You have a table booked for dinner. If it wasn't for that, you could've stayed a little longer." I even felt bad about reminding him of leaving. It was nice having someone more lively in the house.

My mind wasn't at ease hearing Amalia continue to wail for her father. I stood, pinching Romeo's cheek as he continued to give me his usual puppy eyes. "Choose a game, and we can play one more time before you go home."

Romeo exclaimed a cheerful 'yes!' His excited eyes glued back at the screen as he searched for a game that would let him win. The time I had spent with him made me realise that I was a lot better at games than expected. I smiled, beginning to make my way to see Vincenzo.

My tracks slowed as I heard a familiar tune.

Clair de Lune.

It had been a long time since I had heard Debussy's Clair de Lune played.

The soft music played from Vincenzo's phone and had the effect of quieting Amalia's cries. My eyes slowly moved upwards, recognising the alluring sound of one of my favourite pieces. A sudden empty and desolate feeling filled me as I was reminded of the ballet shoes I had kept aside and avoided seeing for many months.

Being unable to dance was hard to accept. I could feel the difference in my body over the weeks, becoming stiffer and less energetic. Having to be restricted in what I could do was difficult, especially in the early days when I came home from the hospital. I had never cried that much for so long in my life. Something that was my life had been ripped away from me so quickly without a choice. I wished I had never wanted to quit ballet.

I could still remember all the fun I had at Dream, a place where I actually wanted to dance. The laughter, the tears, the achievements—all of them were memories I both loved and hated. But it made me who I was. I felt like nothing without ballet. The constant need to do something or occupy myself with was the only way I could temporarily fill the empty void inside me that ballet used to permanently fill.

I hadn't realised that my eyes were welling up with tears until Vincenzo asked, "What's making you upset too, crybaby?" His hazel eyes analysed my face. I knew he was concerned but still being playful. I gave him a small and silly glare before shaking my head. I quickly wiped my eyes before any tears could slip out and exhaled. I came closer as I gazed at the two of him. Somehow, my heart calmed down as I looked at Amalia resting her head against Vincenzo's sturdy shoulder.

"Nothing. I just..." I wrapped my arms around myself and exhaled with a small nod. "I just miss the past." I gave him a small smile, more to comfort myself. "I wish I could dance one more time."

Vincenzo's hand was slowly rubbing Amalia's back as he warmly looked at me, those green specks in his eyes glistening under the sunlight. "The good thing about memories is that you can make new ones," Vincenzo softly comforted me. "And better ones," he added, his words simple but reassuring. I nodded in agreement, feeling the heaviness on my chest ease slightly. I knew that, but I needed to hear it from someone to feel more confident.

I smiled a little. "You sometimes come out with things I didn't expect you'd keep inside that silly brain of yours." Vincenzo held his usual smirk, and I knew then that he was about to say something to ruin the moment.

"I have many talents, Maria, that—" he smugly began as my eyebrows raised in amusement as I laughed before giving him a playful glare. My eyes lowered, watching Amalia's eyes become droopier. They expanded slightly at the sight of me, recognising my presence before slowly opening and closing as she lost the battle against sleep. I smiled, gently rubbing my finger against her cheek.

"You're really good with her, Vince," I kindly admired. He had managed to get her relaxed after what felt like hours of trying to get her to sleep. "You seem like the type who'd have a lot of kids."

Vincenzo's eyes widened as he gave me a horrified look. "I live without stress for a reason, Ria." I chuckled as he continued, "The good thing about having a niece is that you can give her back by the end of the day. That's you and Leonardo's job." It was my turn to be shocked. I shook my head, the idea of having one filling my mind.

I quietly replied, "Leonardo and I aren't together, Vince, and I don't see that changing anytime soon." Vincenzo tilted his head to the side, giving me a wary look. A lot had happened, and therefore a lot couldn't just be swept under the rug so easily.

"You guys have too much history together to stop now," Vincenzo empathised, "he's not going anywhere. That's obvious. Leonardo might not admit it, but you're his rock." I sighed, my chest feeling heavy again. Leonardo's and my lives had been intertwined for a long time. Maybe that was the problem.

I slowly said, "You haven't asked me anything about it." Vincenzo looked confused, gently bouncing Amalia to sleep. I hesitated before adding, "You haven't even been angry at me about it. About...Sienna."

"Why?" I asked in a low voice, my lips curling inwards as a sense of nervousness ran through me.

Vincenzo's face didn't change. He held a genuine smile as he responded, "Because I don't blame you or feel negative towards you." He exhaled, shrugging a little. "You had valid reasons, Maria." Did I? I looked down, still feeling guilty. What I had kept inside for a long time had affected the whole family, not just Leonardo. I knew Vince was being truthful, but I still felt bad. "I have more questions for her than you, Ria."

He gave me an optimistic look, "Leonardo will come round. He will."

The front door opened, and Leonardo walked in, slightly breathless. He must have taken the stairs up. He looked ravishing with his black shirt showing off his muscular torso as he held his blazer in his hand. He had a confident stride as he entered, his alert eyes landing on us before they ran across my face, making my breath hitch. I deeply inhaled before meeting Vincenzo's eyes briefly, a sign our conversation had ended.

"Good, you're here. Let's get Romeo home, then head to the base," Leonardo said to Vincenzo in an uplifted tone, looking like he was ready to go. My eyebrows narrowed at him as I couldn't stop myself from saying, "You've just come back. Did the meeting not go well?"

Leonardo's eyes looked entertained, a stupidly attractive smirk creeping up on his face. "Why? Miss me already?" My eyes widened a little as my lips parted, slightly stunned by his teasing response. He looked hot and even sounded enticing. I blinked rapidly, focusing my eyes on everywhere else around me but him. Romeo came in with a big frown, practically glaring at his older brother.

"Hey!" He whined, "Maria and I were going to play another game. I can't go now!"

Leonardo gave his brother a look before saying, "You've played a year's worth of games in the last week, Romeo. Go put your shoes on; your mum has waited long enough for you." He huffed, looking at me. I couldn't save him there. I chuckled, ruffling his soft hair before he practically stomped to go put his shoes on and get the rest of his stuff.

I looked at Vincenzo again. "You can put Amalia on the sofa but surround her with pillows on the floor so she doesn't roll over and hurt herself."

Vincenzo gave me a curious look. "Why not upstairs?"

"So she doesn't climb down the stairs."

"So she doesn't fall down the stairs."

Leonardo's and my eyes met after simultaneously speaking. He smiled as I felt my face grow warmer. His eyes then looked back at Amalia, looking glad that she was finally sleeping. Vincenzo glanced between us before giving me a knowing grin. I glared at him through my eyes before he made his way to the living room.

I then remembered that Bear was in desperate need of a bath. "I noticed an old crib in the storage room. Is it damaged? I wanted to put Amalia in it while I sorted out a few things."

Leonardo thought for a moment, looking clueless, before I described to him what it looked like, and then he remembered the crib in the midst of all the boxes stacked in that room. "You can use it; I never did because it was too big for her, but it's covered in stuff. Don't carry any heavy boxes."

I waved my hand. "I'll be fine."

He then decided to say, "We'll get gates in the new house."

My face turned into a warning glare with my eyebrows knitting together as I looked at him. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" It had been the topic of the week—the new house. Leonardo was on a mission to convince me. It would be nice, admittedly, living in a new place with him as we planned to do before. But I knew it wasn't a good idea considering how unstable we were. "Of course not," he pressed, a playful glint in his eyes. It was nice seeing that side of him again. He had really warmed up in the last week.

Leonardo grinned as I shook my head at him. "You already know my answer!" I replied in a sing-song tone as I started to walk away.

"I'm sure it'll change!" He shot back, reciprocating the same tone.

After I had said my goodbyes to Romeo, the three brothers left, and I was feeling a lot more satisfied with Bear being clean and the apartment looking a lot tidier. The last thing I wanted to hear was Leonardo's nagging about keeping the space tidy. I didn't believe that I was as messy as he made me out to be.

I found myself in the large storage room, lunging over boxes. Leonardo was a hoarder. The rest of the house was minimalistic and organised because he shoved everything else into that room. Almost everything in there was unnecessary: letters, items he had convinced himself he could fix but never did, broken devices, and endless books. It was probably something he'd only sort out when he moved out.

I did find Amalia's old crib all the way at the back. It was perfect for daytime naps. I realised that I should've started with the storage room first before doing everything else, but thankfully, she was still sleeping. The crib was covered in her old baby clothes. As much as they were adorable, I questioned to myself why Leonardo hadn't gotten rid of them yet. I smiled as I folded them into the box they had fallen out of. She was so tiny. I detoured from my initial reason to go into the room, flicking through Amalia's baby photo books, looking at her little teddies and toys. They were cute; I found myself smiling a lot. I noticed that all her pictures were of her by herself, not a single one with Leonardo or Elisa.

I wondered what things were like back then, the three of them. Did Leonardo really not have any feelings for Elisa? Especially after Amalia's birth? I sighed as I closed the books. Thinking like that wasn't going to get me anywhere. I focused on cleaning the crib. I reached up to put the books away when I noticed a purple box on one of the shelves. It was the only coloured box, small but unique, standing out from the rest in the room.

My hand slowly brought it downwards to me, and as Bear sauntered in, I sat down on the edge of the bed, curiously staring at it. I knew it was wrong of me to peek in places I didn't have permission for, but I let it take advantage, slowly opening the box. Bear sat down by my feet, making himself comfortable by rubbing his head against my leg.

A string bracelet sat at the top and caught my attention. I immediately recognised the handmade blue bracelet. It was mine; I had made it for Leonardo when we were kids. My eyes widened at the sight, surprised that even I had remembered it. He had kept my gift after all those years. I softly gasped as I recognised more, my necklace that I was sure I had lost as a teenager and the wood carvings Leonardo used to make. I was shocked; I gasped softly again as I realised what was underneath it all—letters. The letters that I had sent to Leonardo all those years ago after I left, thinking he hadn't received or read a single one. They were open; Leonardo had actually read every single one. There was a whole pile of them kept together by a rubber band.

He kept them after all that time. Did he care?

I slowly exhaled in surprise, holding one up and recognising my own handwriting through the coloured ink, all addressed to Leonardo. They were all still in good condition, carefully stored. I opened it, realising that it wasn't a happy one. It must've been my last one before giving up on contacting Leonardo. I was mad at him for not replying, upset that he had left things that way.

I frowned, remembering the hurt I felt back then at his lack of communication, the feeling that I had lost my best friend and he wanted nothing to do with me. I questioned why he never replied; was it his father? I felt my heart twist inside at the feelings hitting me all at once. That little girl back then, hurt and confused, was coming back inside me. I never would've expected back then that things would have turned out the way that they did.

I looked through a few, discerning that they were all in order of when I had sent them. The most optimistic letter is at the bottom. I felt like I had found something out about him I never would've known if I hadn't gone into the storage room. I thought about him, how he was back then, how long we had known each other for. Our relationship was a rollercoaster we endured.

Slowly, I closed the box, taking a few moments to take in what I had just seen. I felt emotional, and straight away, I put the box back to stop myself from feeling nostalgic any longer. I suddenly missed him. I hated that I felt that way. I had questions I wished to be answered, but I knew that if I brought them to him, it would open a whole new opportunity for us to talk about our current stance on each other. I wasn't sure if I was ready for that.

I continued to move the stuff off the crib, thinking that a lot of what was in the room could have been easily taken out. He really was a hoarder: old blankets, baby shoes. I was finally getting somewhere when I picked up a box full of unused nappies, moving to place it on the floor when I accidentally knocked off a larger box that was on the edge of another. I quickly moved away as it landed.

With a groan, I placed the box I was holding down, sighing as I went down to my knees. My back was starting to hurt, and I needed to clean the cot before Amalia woke up. I must have paused when I realised feminine clothes had fallen out of the box. My eyebrows knotted together as I came closer; Bear was already sniffing through them.

I picked up a maxi dress, some jeans, and a blouse. I was utterly confused. Then I noticed an expensive purse. It had to be Elisa's stuff. No one else would be the owner. I almost scoffed at the sight. Leonardo had moved after Elisa left, meaning he took that box with him when he moved places. I didn't want to feel jealous, and I didn't need to. But I couldn't stop the irritation running through me as I shoved the stuff back in. I started to question a lot, which I hated about myself, being an over-thinker. Did he keep it all for memories? Why hadn't that box been the first thing he got rid of? I sighed loudly as I moved his ex-wife's stuff, feeling bitter. All I wanted to do at that point was lie down for a few hours.

I went to lift the box until a few letters slipped out of it. I held in a groan and bent down to pick them up. A lot of them were unopened letters addressed to Elisa. Why hadn't he burnt them away? I could've ripped them apart for him there. I unclenched my jaw as I tried to collect myself, knowing there was no real reason for me to get annoyed. They weren't together. We weren't together.

A particular letter stood out from the rest, though. A letter from a fertility clinic.

It was sealed shut. As nosy as I was, I began opening it, sitting on the floor with Bear still sniffing around the stuff. Some of the clothes had a distinct scent of strong perfume despite being stuck in a box. It was a slight struggle to unseal it without ripping the white envelope. I was curious to know why she had been to a fertility clinic; Amalia wasn't planned, so I questioned if she had a condition. I made myself feel better opening it by believing she no longer had rights to the letter she probably didn't come back for.

I yawned as I casually read through, expecting to read some basic information, not anticipating anything to really pique my interest. My hand ran through Bear's soft fur as I did so.

This letter comes as a final method of contact following a series of failed attempts to update you on the sample submitted four months ago...

I tried to guess what kind of gynaecological problem she might have as I continued to read before my eyes expanded, and I loudly gasped, sitting up straight. I clutched onto the paper, re-reading it over and over as I ensured I wasn't going crazy or reading any of it wrong.

"Oh. My. Gosh..." The light inside me switched on as I brought my hand to my open mouth, utterly stunned and speechless. There was no way. I had found something out that was completely unintentional and life-changing. A letter that would shape the rest of our lives. A million thoughts ran through my mind as I stared in horror, completely astounded by what was before me, my heart racing as I felt stunned, unable to move.

It was a paternity test. One without Leonardo's name anywhere.

Instead showing a 99.9% chance that Amalia Cecilia Romano was Vincenzo Romano's daughter.

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~ Author's Note ~

I'd like to say things go up from here but that would be untrue...

Could the letter actually be correct? Is it fake?

What is Maria supposed to do with information like that? A secret she was never supposed to find out. Another burden has been placed on her.

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