Chapter Four

Lily • Rosa • Jeanine • Park

We were sitting outside, on the terrace of the restaurant we were having breakfast at, with Nana, looking at Matteo speaking to some girl. It was weird and exciting at the same time, because we had so much fun with Nana, taking a little glimpses to their direction, whispering while deciding about a reason for their 'inconspicuousness'.

~a few minutes ago~

As we were slowly and peacefully eating our breakfast with Matteo and Nana, while adding some quick conversations and talking about the time we weren't together, a young, elegant brunette approached us, looking at Matteo, and started talking to him. After a quick glance he took at her, he instantly looked at me and excused himself, stood up, and walked a few steps away from our table with her, immediately starting a conversation.

After our suspicious consideration about them, in a little while, Matteo headed back, together with the young brunette, causing us to watch them, slightly surprised, with a questionable look in my eyes. They came near the table and Matteo stood right next to her. We sat there, waiting for Matteo's explanation.

"Remember Vivienne?" He asked, looking at me, then looking at her. Nana also looked at me, me being taken aback from the question. I sat there, shocked, my mouth slowly started to open. Because I immediately recognized her.

"Vivienne?" I said, unsure whether it's actually her, not believing that it is actually her; that I actually met her. "Yeah," she confirmed me. A smile appearing on her face. I slowly started to get up from the chair I've been sitting on, being careful not to fall from excitement.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it." I stood up and took her hands into mine. "How've you been? You grew up so much, I didn't even recognize you at first!" I asked, very excited. Maybe even too much.

"I have been great, but how about you? And where have you been all those years? And how come you're back? For how long will you stay?" I saw that she was also taken aback.

"I'll tell you everything, but let's take it slowly, let's take our time" I answered, slowly, carefully but sure.

• • •

And so I spent the whole week in France with Nana, Matteo and Vivienne. My 'lost' childhood best friend, and also, surprisingly, Matteo's girlfriend!

• • •

"Why am I the only one that didn't know? Why am I the last one to find out?" I asked, my eyes wide open, absolutely stunned about the information of Vivienne being my brother's girlfriend.

"Well, before I found out about you leaving and having only three months left, I visited France already a few times. At that time, I didn't know when you were supposed to leave. I started visiting France about 10 months ago," he admitted, but before he could continue, I yelled at him;

"What?!" I asked, shocked. "10 months ago? What-; Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, already starting to be mad. "No questions." Matteo stopped me. "I'll tell you everything" he added, causing me to listen.

"As I said, I started coming 10 months ago, and that was when I met Vivienne" he said, looking at Vivienne, their eyes meeting in sync. "After that, granny found out; she was actually the first one to know. And after a month, I started dating Vivienne," he continued. "So I told mom, and she came here, to meet Vivienne," he looked at me, curious if it hit me.

"Wait, was it the time when you told me that mom needed to go to the spa because of her muscle pain and that you needed to accompany her?" I asked, shocked, my mouth opening.

"Yeah," he admitted, feeling guilty.

"You are actually good at lying, you know that?" I admitted, still not believing it.

"Then, after a few months, I found out about the time of your leaving, and it hit me; I'mma take you traveling in Italy, and then when you'll think it's over, I'll take you to France to 'meet granny', and into that, inconspicuously, bump into Vivienne, and introduce her as my girlfriend," he said, finally getting to the point.

"That was my plan," he continued, me being absolutely stunned by what he said.

"And that's how you stayed the only one remaining for me to say it to." Him finally answering my main question.

"I...I don't know what to say," I admitted, giving up on everything I wanted to tell him.

"Well, it did work, didn't it?" I asked, defeated.

"To the every step, perfectly" he said, satisfied.

"You-" I didn't hide it in the end. I laughed the soul out of me. Together with Matteo, Vivienne and even Nana started laughing at me, as if the world didn't exist.

"I mean... you're already 27...it was already time for a relationship, don't you think?" I smiled the soul out of me.

• • •

Life. Full of unexpected revelations, truths and unpredictable events.

• • •

After a week spent with Nana, Matteo and Vivienne full of all kind of fun, it was time for us to come back to Italy, well at least for me. For me to pack all my things and to manage to do everything on time, before me leaving to Korea.

• • •

"Get home safe!" Vivienne said her goodbye. Nice, but also full of tears, because she knew that we wouldn't be able to meet for a long time again after I leave to study.

And the same thing continued with Nana. We had quite an emotional moment with Nana, full of every kind of emotion, but that's also the part of staying loved. Of staying in each other's lifes and hearts.

• • •

After a long goodbye, we very hardly, but still, managed to get to the airport and get on the plane. And after that, everything came rapidly fast. The week before my leaving didn't last very long, and yet, another goodbyes came into the way.

'I love you' and 'I'll miss you' were heard as the most spoken sentences.

And out of nowhere, I found myself on the plane to South Korea.

Then suddenly, as I was peacefully sitting on my seat, reading a book, I spotted Léo; Anne-Marie's brother, which was also studying in South Korea. For a surprise, at the exact same university as I was going to start studying at, only with a tiny difference; he's studying a year longer that me. He's in the second year, my senior.

As I was looking at him, he spotted me and immediately recognized me. He started to wave at me, so I waved back at him, him signaling me to stay on the phone. That he'll reach out to me.

I nodded, but as I was being distracted by Léo, and me being slightly turned towards the aisle between the seats, a flight attendant tripped over my foot, causing her to fall down on the floor. But that, caused a tall, black-haired man behind her, to trip over her too, falling directly into my lap, as he wanted to soften the fall, which caused his legs to make its way between my legs. But it didn't help him a single bit.

My cheeks slowly turning crimson. Panicking and not being able to move a tiny bit, I sat shocked, under the big body, like a captive.

• • •

Life. Unpredictable. Hard. Beautiful.

To be continued...