Memories

"I want to be with someone, who dreams of doing everything in life, and nothing on a rainy Sunday afternoon"                                                     - Atticus

• Baby •

I woke up next to Vincent. Again.
I didn't know how I felt anymore
I wanted to try and give this a chance, to try and connect with Vincent... but my father
He was sick. Too sick
And I didn't want to miss quality time with him.

"Mm... morning" I heard beside me, I turned my head to look at him, he was laying on his side, looking sleepily at me
"Morning" I mumbled, looking back up at the ceiling
I felt his knuckles slowly stroke the side of my cheek, his rings grazing against me gently.

"Are you okay?" He asked
"No" I said honestly after a moment, he sighed
"Baby" he said, grabbing my other cheek to pull my face to the side again, making me look at him
"I think you're right. You should be in Italy, for your family" he said.

I couldn't help but smile slightly
"Really?" I asked in disbelief
He nodded
"Really... but..." his face dropped, he looked really worried to tell me something
"But...?" I asked, sitting up.

He sat up too
"I need two weeks, just two weeks to get everything sorted" he said
"Sorted?" I asked
"Well I'm coming with you" he said seriously.

"But... two weeks is-"
"I know. I know it's too long. So... you can go out at the end of the week. We'll spend a week apart but... you need to be with your family" he said
I didn't know what to say, so I threw my arms around him. It was a simple hug.

But to be able to be with my father in his final weeks. It was everything
So much so I couldn't help but tear up slightly
"Thank you" I whispered, he wrapped his arms around me, and we stayed like that for a few minutes
"They leave tomorrow morning?" He asked.

I nodded, pulling away
"Yeah... uh they fly out at eleven" I said, trying to compose myself
"Okay" he said, his hands gently grasping my waist
"Can I take you somewhere today?" He asked
"Where?" I asked.

"Can't it be a surprise?" He asked
"I've had one too many surprises the last few weeks. They never end well" I chuckled awkwardly
"Okay... I know it's too soon, and I'm not expecting you to be thrilled about it and pack your bags straight away... but I found a house" he explained.

"A house..."
"Yeah. For us" he confirmed
Already?
"Vincent I- I don't know if that's-"
"I know. I know Baby" he said, grasping my cheeks gently.

"We can take it as slow as you want. We don't have to move in straight away. Not for months. Years. But I just- I want to buy it now, while I can. And I want you to like it" he said desperately
"Vincent..." words faltered me.

I understand where he's coming from.
But going house seeing. Together... it was just... scary. Scary to act like an actual married couple
"It will only take the morning, then you can spend some time with your family before they go" he said softly, I nodded slowly.

"Okay" I said
"Okay?" He asked
"Yeah, okay... let's go" I said
He smiled
"Alright, you get ready, I'll have breakfast made and ring the seller" he said, smile never faltering as he placed a kiss to my forehead.

He left the room, leaving me with nothing but the sight of his bare tattooed back and then the closed bathroom door
I got out of bed, and went back to my room to get changed.

But as I was tying my hair up, I heard a soft knock on my door
"Come in" I called out, watching Lia come in with a hesitant smile
"Hey" she said
"Morning" I smiled.

"Are you... okay? I can leave you alone if you want..." she trailed off
"No no... sit down" I said, abandoning the dressing table to sit with her on the bed
"What's up buttercup?" I asked gently, making her smile.

Lia was so... innocent. In a good way
She really didn't belong in this kind of world. She has a pure heart.
"N-nothing. I just wanted to speak to you before we leave tomorrow" she mumbled.

"Are you sure? Because it looks like you're not telling me something" I said
She squirmed in her place slightly
"I'm sure" she muttered quietly
"Lia" I warned, crossing my arms
She looked at me worried, before her resolve finally broke.

"I- I... Hudson... kissed me" she mumbled at the end
"He kissed you?" I asked surprised, she nodded, her head ducked
But I could see a hint of a smile on her face.

"Was it the first kiss?" I asked, she nodded
"Ah Lia" I chuckled, pulling her into a hug
"I just... I really like him... but we're leaving tomorrow" she grumbled sadly.

"And you don't want to let him go?" I asked, she shook her head
"Then don't. If you like him so much then tell him" I said, she shook her head more frantically
"I can't do that! What if he doesn't feel the same?" She asked meekly.

"Trust me, keeping feelings to yourself doesn't help, it only builds the secrets and lies and they'll eat you alive darling. Just talk to him. He'll understand" I said

"I- I don't know. He's... more experienced, he's involved in this kind of world I just, I don't know if it'll work out" she pouted
"But you're going back to Italy Lia, if it goes wrong then you don't have to see him again" I said
"And it's better to admit your feelings, don't let them build up and explode. That's what Vincent did and look where me and him are now" I laughed.

She smiled
"I'll think about it..." she trailed off

•

After my talk with Lia, I went downstairs in search of Vincent, who I was told was waiting for me outside
He had a table set up in the gardens, with breakfast for the both of us as he sat in his suit.

• Baby •

"Bit hot for a suit isn't it?" I asked
He smiled, putting the newspaper down
"Making the most of it... Italy will be too hot for anything at all" he chuckled
I sat down, and we had a quiet... small talk breakfast.

It wasn't too bad. Sitting in the garden was nice, with the rising run and the flowers surrounding us.
But when we got into the car, I didn't know what to say.

We were going to see a house. For us. It was surreal
"You okay?" Vincent asked, placing a comforting hand on my thigh
"Uh... I'm fine" I said, shifting slightly away
He seemed to notice, and took his hand away, only making the atmosphere more awkward.

I didn't want to appear so... distant. But we agreed to take it slow. So I didn't want him to think we could just fall into the way of little touches just yet.

"We're here sir" the driver said
I looked out the window as we drove into the vast driveway. The house was... huge!
"Vincent it's... massive" I gasped, looking at all the windows, the archways, the gardens
He didn't say anything, so I looked over at him, and he was just sat there, staring at me with a smile.

"What?" I asked
"Do you like it?" He asked hopefully
"It's... it's lovely, but it's huge, we don't need all this" I said
"I know it's just us right now, but we need space for all the house workers, the family when they visit... children" he said hesitantly at the end.

The car came to a stop, I didn't know what to say back so I just got out, wondering slowly past all the flowers up to the door
"How much will this all cost?" I asked
"Don't worry about that" he mumbled, guiding me in with his hand on the small of my back.

I pulled back from him
"I'm not your doting housewife. I have my own business, my own money" I said
"I know Baby, but I want to buy this, for you" he said.

"Husbands normally buy their wives jewellery, not a house" I said, looking around
There wasn't any furniture yet it just looked... empty.

But it was so warm, so bright as the sun shone through the windows.

We looked around the rooms, they were so big
Everything was big. And eventually Vincent stood talking to the seller, so I wondered off to look around myself.
I ended up in a room with one piece of furniture still standing. A piano.

The whole place was... mesmerising.
So much that I couldn't believe I was actually going to live here
With a husband I barely knew
I sat down at the piano, and I began to play a melody
Anything to just get the thoughts swirling round my head out for a while.

My grandmother had taught me how to play, every summer when we would visit her for the holidays, and we'd sit in her conservatory, playing.

I'd look out at all her roses whilst she played the simplest of songs. But it was bliss
It was one of my favourite things to do
Until she died. And I was left without her
Ma and dad moved her piano into my room back home, and I know it'll be one of the most important things I'd need to be moved here.

I finished the melody, just as I saw Vincent sit down beside me, both of us sitting in silence for a while
"You're amazing" he said simply
"Thank you... I started whe-"
"When you were eight. I know" he said.

I looked at him. It was so... odd when he dropped information like that
Odd that he knew everything about me
He sighed
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I know it's... it's weird when you don't know anything about me" he said awkwardly, staring down at the keys.

"Then tell me" I said softly, he glanced at me, like he wasn't expecting me to say that
"What..." he cleared his throat, straightening up
"What do you want to know?" He asked
"Anything. Your favourite colour, your favourite book. Your... weird emotional childhood story" I chuckled, gesturing to the piano.

He chuckled as well, ducking his head as he thought
"Okay..." he said, looking at me determined
"My favourite colour is blue, my favourite book is the velveteen rabbit... and I have childhood traumas to last me a life time" he chuckled at the end.

"Why is that your favourite book?" I asked curiously, he shrugged
"My mother used to read it to me... and it's... sad. The rabbit only wants to be real. He can only do that if his owner loves him" he said
"Bit like us I suppose..." he mumbled.

"How?" I asked, waiting for a response as he looked ahead out the windows
"I'm... well I suppose the only word for it is lonely. I waited so long for you Baby, so fucking long it's killed me. You own me Valentina, every bit of me. You have my heart and... well I don't think I've ever really lived. I've never felt anything real, not unless you're near me" he confessed, staring down at the keys.

I- I didn't know he thought like that.
I make him feel?
"You make me alive Baby. I know it was executed in the worst way. I know I shouldn't of lied and I should have made you love me naturally. But... I spent every day of our childhood looking after you. Thinking about you" he said.

"I spent all day, every day training. Fighting. Pushing myself to be every thing I needed to be to run the mafia right. And I'd see you. Playing in the garden or beating the fuck out of Rocco and... it was the only time I was ever... happy. Only time I would ever actually feel like smiling" he explained.

I didn't know what to say. 
"You... you used to watch me?" I asked quietly
He nodded
"You'd sit in the garden and read, and you'd play with the corner of the page. Every time, without even realising" he chuckled, still looking down.

"Or you'd bake in the kitchen, when none of the maids were there and you'd hum a song, it was the same song every singly time... and you'd dance around as you mixed the bowl" he smiled, as he began to slowly press keys.

And that tune I would hum graced my ears
"You... that's how you saw me?" I asked
He looked at me, we were very close. The piano seat wasn't very big
"I only ever see you" he said gently, staring down at me.

Oh god... no one had ever... noticed me the way he did
I didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing
But I felt too caught up in the moment
Caught up in how close we were and the intense stare I was receiving.

Before he slowly moved in, and I felt myself moving in too...
We were inches apart, so close to...

"Mr Romano there you are" the seller of the house interrupted.
I moved back, looking down at the piano
We... we were about to...
I heard Vincent clear his throat, before he stood up, and followed the man out the room.

Vote and Comment
Thoughts???

•