Hysteria..

As Lorenzo descended the staircase, the late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the polished marble floors when he arrived at the living room. The air that was bustling with hushed murmurs and laughter, was strangely silent.

"Where did everyone disappear to?" Lorenzo muttered, a furrow appearing in his brow. A faint medley of sounds, a mix of delighted squeals and frustrated yells, drifted in through the open French doors leading to the manicured gardens.

His curiosity piqued, Lorenzo cautiously approached the doors. He pushed them open a sliver, revealing a scene of pure, chaotic joy. In the center of the sprawling lawn, a blur of blonde hair darted around, chased by a smaller figure with pigtails that bounced with every giggle. 

Giovanni, a mischievous glint in his golden eyes, held a human skull – Lorenzo recognized it with a jolt – tightly in his small grip. Giovanna, her face flushed with exertion, chased after him.

"Don't let Zio Enzo catch you!" she shrieked, her voice laced with playful malice.

Enzo, lumbering after them like a disgruntled bear cub, growled in mock anger. "Give it back, you little rascal!" Despite his feigned fury, a hint of desperation glistened in his golden eyes, usually so composed. Giovanna lunged for her brother, but Giovanni, nimble as a cat, weaved out of her reach, holding the skull triumphantly aloft.

Lorenzo stood speechless, his mouth agape in amusement. The sight of the usually stoic Enzo, his hair disheveled more than usual and his face creased in concentration as he chased the kids, was both comical and endearing.

He glanced to his left and saw Valentina seated elegantly at a white round table positioned beneath the shade of a large olive tree. A steaming cup of chamomile tea, its delicate aroma wafting through the air, rested in her hand. Her lips were curved into a gentle smile, a hint of amusement sparkling in her golden eyes. She watched the children's antics with a detached serenity, as if completely unfazed by the chaos, or perhaps, secretly enjoying their energy.

An impish thought flickered across Lorenzo's mind. 'Perhaps a little disruption wouldn't hurt,' he mused, a sly grin spreading across his face. He sauntered towards Valentina, his steps purposely loud on the marble floor.

Valentina turned her head, her gaze meeting his. A flicker of annoyance, quickly masked by a steely glint in her hazel eyes, crossed her features. "About to ruin my afternoon amusement, Lorenzo?" she inquired, her voice dry. 

Lorenzo, feigning innocence, raised his hands in mock surrender. 'Ah, I completely forgot she could read minds,' he chuckled internally.

 "Merely offering my company, bella Valentina," he replied, his voice dripping with exaggerated charm. He lowered himself onto the chair beside her, the metal groaning slightly under his weight.

A sardonic smile played on Valentina's lips. "Oh, how kind of you," she drawled, a hint of sarcasm lacing her tone. "But I believe I already have all the entertainment I require."

 Lorenzo's smile, which had been as bright and fleeting as a hummingbird's visit, dissolved.

"That stings, cugina," he said, his voice dropping. "Truly, it wounds me deeply." He gestured dramatically at his chest.

Valentina, her golden eyes catching the sun like a halo, set her own cup down with a delicate clatter. Her eyes narrowed with a icy glare, " what do you want?" She asked. 

 "You've been a tempest in a teapot ever since I arrived, caro Valentina. Enzo's animosity, that much I understand. But you?" Lorenzo's voice trailed off.

Lorenzo uncrossed his legs with a flourish, the air ruffling his carefully packed silver hair. "But of course, Valentina! I would never hate you." He spread his hands, a picture of wounded innocence. "Though, perhaps enlighten me. What heinous crime have I committed to deserve your icy stare?"

A tense silence stretched between them, broken only by the screams of Giovanni and Giovanna. Finally, Valentina sighed, "You honestly don't remember?" she asked, her voice laced with a bitterness that sent a shiver down Lorenzo's spine.

His carefully constructed facade faltered. "Remember what?"

"Missing my wedding, Lorenzo," she said, each word a tiny hammer blow. 

Lorenzo's face drained of color. "Wedding? Your wedding? Heavens, Valentina, I had no idea!" He scrambled to his feet, knocking over his chair with a crash. "There must have been some terrible misunderstanding! An invitation lost, perhaps? A pigeon with a faulty homing instinct? I—"

Valentina watched him, a ghost of a smile playing on her lips. Then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished. "The date, Lorenzo," she said, her voice flat. "You even forgot the date. A real charmer, aren't you?" Her jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in her cheek.

Lorenzo threw his hands up in exasperation. "But Valentina, surely you can't believe I would intentionally—"

She cut him off with a dismissive wave. Her gaze shifted to Enzo, who was sprawled on the grass, playfully wrestling with their ten-year-old twins, Giovanni and Giovanna. Giovanni was shrieking with laughter as he clutched the skull

"I want to keep it!" he declared, his voice high-pitched. "It's mine now! You can't have it! Mamma won't let me keep dinosaur bones, but this is way cooler!"

" Giovanni! How many times do I have to tell you dinosaurs are extinct and some of their bones are in the museum, that's why you can't have them , what you're holding is a human skull ! " Giovanna said in between laughs.

Enzo, his own laughter tinged with a hint of sadness, managed to pry the skull free amidst Giovanni's squirming protests. A flicker of something dark crossed his face, a shadow Valentina knew all too well. 

"Not this time, piccolino," Enzo said, his voice rough with emotion. He clutched the skull to his chest, his knuckles white. 'I'm acting like a child in front of my big cuginos, but it's not my fault... I can't let go of this skull,' he thought to himself. He felt like crying at how pathetic he was being.

Just as Valentina rose to intervene, she saw Giovanni and Giovanna approach Enzo, their faces etched with concern. They understood, with a child's uncanny intuition, the depth of Enzo pain. Having seen it in their mother when their father suddenly disappeared. They understood how much the skull meant to him, and seeing him hurt had hurt them too.

In a simultaneous move, they wrapped their arms around Enzo, their soft voices a soothing balm. "Don't cry, zio," they whispered. "We're sorry we took it. We didn't know it was special."

The darkness receded from Enzo's eyes as he held the children close. He released them with a watery smile. "It's alright," he rasped. "But how did you—?"

They giggled, poking his cheeks with their fingers. "Silly Zio! You're acting like a five-year-old!" they chorused before racing back into the villa, their laughter echoing through the air.

Enzo groaned, burying his face in his hands. Valentina knelt beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Forgive them, cugino. They mean well, but their methods are... unique."

Enzo managed a weak smile. " I understand, Cugina, But how did they know about... my hysteria?"

"They have a gift," Valentina explained, her voice soft. "They can sense emotions, and sometimes, even influence them."

Enzo nodded in understanding and Lorenzo ruffled Enzo's hair. "I can't believe you almost cried in front of ten-year-olds," he flippant remark hung in the air, heavy and unwelcome. 

"Not cool, Lorenzo," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous. A vein throbbed in his temple.

Lorenzo, however, remained unfazed. He had a sardonic smile playing on his lips. 

"Oh, come on, Enzo," he drawled, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Don't tell me you can't take a little joke. Besides, those little ones were practically wrestling you to the ground over a skull. Not exactly the picture of stoic masculinity, now is it?"

Enzo clenched his jaw, his gaze hardening. The playful banter they used to share as children had soured years ago, replaced by a deep-seated animosity that simmered just below the surface. He saw it reflected in Lorenzo's eyes, a flicker of something cold and calculating.

"Shut up, Lorenzo! No one asked for your opinion," Enzo replied, fuming.

The two cousins began to argue. Valentina shook her head, tiredly yawning. 'I don't have time for this,' she thought to herself.

Turning around, she walked towards the table, picked up her teacup, and headed towards the front door, entering the villa and leaving the arguing cousins alone.