by Serena Light
"About what?" She asked, wracking her mind to try and remember what had happened but it all came off as a blur,"
"Well, our usual flirting, with you knocking me out of the park with your beauty and me saying 'run away with me and we'll catch the next flight out and spend the rest of our lives there',"
Serafina couldn't help but chuckle at him since something like that seemed very characteristic of Alessio and the man himself grinned with wide eyes to hear the sound of her laughter.
"Are you like that with all women?" She looked up at him.
"No, just special ladies who catch my fancy," He winked causing her to roll her eyes as a light shade of pink overcame her cheeks.
"Want me to make you something?" Alessio inquired, ducking down to meet her gaze. "Try and get a bite?"
"Will you eat if I will?"
"Yeah,"
"Then yes,"
Nodding, Alessio got out of the bed, slowly making his way down and getting his bearings. He wasn't in that good of a state to make her a lavish dinner, so he opted for a much simpler dish: French omelet at 10 p.m. with sprinkled cheese inside before he made his way upstairs again.
"God, I feel old," He groaned, feeling a little flustered at the top of the stairs. "And I could bench press 230, easy,"
Stepping into the room, he found Serafina seated upright in bed - a significant improvement from lying - and looked out the window at the view. Settling before her, he made a bite with the fork and held it out to her. Looking at the food, she contemplated not eating but then caught sight of Alessio's paling face and opened her mouth instead, slowly chewing as he gave her a bedazzling smile at the progress. She urged him to take a bite if he wanted her to eat, and he couldn't help but chuckle at her.
She forced herself to eat half the omelet while he ate the other half, and once she finished, she felt better, less tired and overwhelmed. But that was it for her for the day, she couldn't eat much as of yet, and Alessio knew that, but he was glad that she ate something nonetheless.
"Try and get some sleep, yeah?" He suggested, standing up to leave. "I'll be downstairs if you need me,"
"Cupcake," She halted him with the nickname she had for him, causing him to turn around and give her a questioning nod. "Can you stay here with me? On the bed?"
"Uh..." He hesitated, somewhere in his mind knowing he wasn't allowed to do that, but not remembering why. "Sure...let me just put this downstairs and then I'll..." He trailed off, walking towards the door blindly and bumping into the wall with an 'oomph'.
Taking a step back, he realized the door was to his right before giving her a sheepish smile and walking downstairs. Eventually, he returned in a faded grey t-shirt and sweatpants. Getting under the cover, Serafina instantly snuggled close to him as the ocean breeze blew into the room.
"Sleep now, I'll wake you when I'm awake."
"What if..." Serafina squirmed. "What if I have nightmares?"
"Then I'll fight them away tonight," Alessio grinned down at her. "I'll fight them away tonight and every night that follows,"
Chapter XIV: Sunset Beaches
His new starvation technique had Serafina eating. She didn't eat as much as she used to, but at least she got something down. Initially, Alessio made light things for her like soups and such, slowly nursing her back to health and letting Salvatore know she was getting better. The older twin had once asked to speak to her and Serafina had told him about what she felt was wrong, and that maybe she needed a trauma council.
"I could have one arranged for you here for when you're back, or should I look for one in Brazil," He inquired after being brought to speed with her emotional turmoil. "It's situational depression and trauma, what do you say?"
"I think..." Serafina looked up to see Alessio standing by the window and looking out, his memory of his father's death returning to her and forcing her to swallow the dryness in her throat. "I think I'll meet with someone once I'm back,"
"When will you be back,"
"I don't know yet...I don't...I don't have to rush to come back, right?"
"No, not at all." Her brother assured. "Just please call mom and dad to let them know you're doing better, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling better," She nodded, glancing towards Alessio who had walked out on the balcony now.
"That's good," She could hear the smile in her brother's voice. "If you ever need me to come down there just let me know, yeah?"
"Okay,"
"I have to head off now, but before I leave could you hand the phone to Alessio?" Wordlessly, she made her out the bed and on the balcony, the ocean breeze blowing back her hair as she tapped on Alessio's shoulder, forcing him to turn around and handing him the phone.
"Yes, sir." He walked away as Serafina lingered on the balcony, taking in the beauty of the sight before her.
Beyond the glass railing, she could smell and hear it.
The waves were neither the gentle kind that rolls up on the beach like an overflowing bathtub nor the crashing kind that turns murky with golden swirling crystals. They move with force but die within a few feet. From them comes the salty smell, that fragrance that conjures fishing fleets and nets of sun-bleached blue cord hanging out to dry. But above all, it is the fantastic coloring of the beaches that as an image overpowers the minutiae. Above the tide-line, the grey rocks are splashed gorse-yellow with close-growing lichen, and with others of blue-green and salmon pink. Beneath them are the vivid orange-brown and siennas of wrack-weeds, the violet of mussel-beds, dead-white sand, and water through which one sees down to the bottom, as though pale green bottle-glass, to where starfish and big spiny urchins of pink and purple rest upon the broad leaves of the sea-tangle.
Inhaling deeply, Serafina could not believe the beauty of the scene before her, so much so that her heart jumped to life in her chest, resuming its lively rhythmic beat. She wanted to walk on the sand, feel her toes beneath the water.
Reentring the confines of her bedroom, she didn't see her guard at first, and looked around her as if through her eyes had opened for the first time. She took in the interior of the bedroom, the four-poster bed, the two wall windows, and the niche covered in cushions to sit on and look out from. Serafina caressed the engravings on the wood as she walked downstairs, the marble beneath her feet feeling cold before coming to rest on the wooden flooring of the ground floor.
The ground floor was brightly lit with numerous windows and looked elegant with beige sofas and velvet-backed dining chairs, dark wood furniture and a fireplace. The kitchen was an open concept with white tiles and marble counters, a large fridge, and stove, and oven, everything that one might need was already stocked for them.
Walking across the floor, she found herself out on the wooden patio, two cane chairs placed in one corner - Alessio seated on one of them- with the other housing a hammock. Standing from his seat, he didn't question when her as she made her way across the sand and down to the water's edge, feeling it all around her.
Serafina whispers into the breeze, her eyelids fluttering closed and breathes in the briny aroma. Scrunching her toes, she felt the softness of the sand, still damp from the retreating tide. She wiggled as a shiver cascades down her spine and her eyes burst open. The sand blurs out in a blissful trance, the shore fading into liquid gold, vivid in the brilliant light. Her pale lips curving upward.
With every step, the sand shifted. With every motion forward, there was some backward and down, just like walking in freshly fallen snow. Yet, unlike the crystalline blanket of white bequeathed by the wintertime, the fine grains underfoot give her warmth from the sun's rays. Like their sky-bound benefactor, they are yellow, as if the sunshine itself is trapped inside these unmelting crystals of silicon and oxygen. Despite the heat, Serafina found herself frozen in place once her eyes took in the ocean.
The waves rolled in white-tipped, spreading themselves like fine lace over the beach after they crash in their soft way. There is nothing noisy about them, yet they have sound. Perhaps to her, it i
s more like the music of her childhood summers so long ago with the people she has loved and lost. Serafina knew, if she closed her eyes she could hear her mother calling out for lunch, the camera whirling in her father's hands as he snaps a picture of the scene before him. In her closed hand appears a red bucket and spade, there is nothing to worry about her, no fears.
A sudden laugh burst through her, a hand on her chest to feel it all again.
Walking closer to the water's edge she peeled off her shorts and t-shirt, discarding them in the sand and dived into the water in nothing but her undergarments, swimming out into the ocean with the cold sensation enveloped her body, forcing a gasp from her, but she laughed nonetheless. Serafina laughed up at the sky before diving into the water again, too much joy to be contained.
Alessio watched from the patio, a soft smile on his face at seeing her and her eagerness to get in the water. Taking the opportunity, he decided to fix up the room by changing the sheets and laying out clothes for her, something pretty to make her feel good. He even decided on what to make for dinner before laying out the things and grabbing a towel and venturing out on the sand to retrieve her.
Walking down the beach, he stood where her clothes had been tossed haphazardly, picking them up, he waited at the edge, seeing her a little way off with her head bobbed with the waves. He watched her swim back to him, laughing breathlessly when she stumbled onto the shore, her blue eyes shining and wide with mirth and her slim body shivering in the cool air of settling dusk. Wrapping the towel around her, he offered her a smile before leading her back to the beach house.
"Go on upstairs and shower, dinner will be ready by 8," He lightly nudging her ahead as her feet left wet splotches where she walked.
Going to the room, Serafina peeled off her wet undergarments and stepped into the steaming shower, the warmth of the water bringing back the color in her skin. Washing out the sand and the smell of the sea, she took note of the clothes laid out for her. Pulling on the navy blue and floral V-neck split hem dress before combing out the tangles in her hair and let them air dry.
Stepping out of the room, the lavish fragrance of the dinner wafted around her. Moaning at the smell, her stomach grumbled in hunger causing her to patter down the stairs, seeing Alessio cooking dinner with the sleeves of his white button-up rolled back and an apron over his clothes.
"Smells delicious," She leaned on the marble counter as he glanced over his shoulder.
"Let's hope it tastes as good as it smells."
"What is it?"
"I thought I'd make mama's onion soup and dinner rolls as appetizer and chicken chasseur for the main course."
"And for dessert?"
"I was thinking about chocolate soufflé,"
"Sound great," She stepped away from the counter with a grin and grabbed her phone, calling her parents.
"Hey baby," Her mother's voice greeted on the other line.
"Hi mom," She smiled softly, feeling a longing pang in her chest. "How are you?"
"The real question is: how are you?" Her father's voice asked. "Everything alright over there?"
"The initial two weeks or so were horrible," Serafina informed with a shrug, settling down on the sofa and staring out at the night covered beach. "But then around the third-week things began to get better."
"That's good to hear, and now?" Her mom probed.
"Now, I'm good, I still get a little sad every now and again, and there are the nightmares, but it all seemed to have settled down once I had all the events of the day. I had just remembered what had happened, but I couldn't remember the events leading up to it or the ones after." She sighed, running a hand through her damp hair, a blush forming across her cheeks at the memory of the events after. "It took me some time to be able to speak about it, but then it became easier every successive day."
"Are the therapists there any good?" Her father asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"Yeah," Serafina chuckled, glancing over at Alessio who was cutting up something with deft fingers and precision. "My therapist is good."
They talked a bit more about how she was doing before Serafina began to gush about how beautiful it all was here with the house and the beach and the sunset. She loved where she was, just not the situation that led her here. The topic changed to how everyone was doing, and how they all asked about her: Arsenio and Angelica, Marco and Piero and the such – Salvatore obviously remaining updated on it all and passing the information onto his parents, but there was a certain kind of reassurance to hear it from the person themselves.
Eventually, she concluded the call when she caught sight of Alessio setting up the table. Walking over to him, she helped him before they both sat down to eat.
Serafina could hardly contain her moan when she had taken a bite, the lavish taste exploding across her tongue as Alessio chuckled at her, watching her eat it all like a famished woman. She finished all that was given to her and even asked for seconds and Alessio very gladly gave her more, realizing that he might have to make more food the next time he cooks.
The two ate and talked about mundane things as he asked about her swim in the ocean, earning a laugh from her before she told him about it and how much she enjoyed the cold sensation of the water against her skin.
Later that night, Serafina insisted on watching a movie, so the two of them sat down on the couch and watched whatever had been picked out. They began with both of them sitting at opposite ends of the corner but by the end of it all, they lay cuddled on the couch, Alessio having fallen asleep behind her halfway through, but Serafina watched till the end.
Hearing his gentle snores, she suppressed a smile before slowly slipping out of his hold. Apparently, that had him wake up and forced him to look around in panic: searching for a non-existent threat, and relaxed when Serafina leaned down and cupped his cheek into her hand.
"Shh, it's alright, nothing is wrong," She assured him, rubbing her thumb over his cheekbone, looking into his moss-green eyes that regarded her with sleepiness. "I'm just heading off to bed, you fell asleep watching the movie."
He nodded at her drowsily, muttering something incomprehensible before shuffling on the tight space and closed his eyes. She watched how his large frame dwarfed the sofa and wondered if he was actually comfortable sleeping like this, internally questioning why there weren't two bedrooms in this house. Sighing, she stroked his hair, placing a kiss on his forehead before covering him with the blanket before turning off the lights and locking all the doors.
Making her way up to her bedroom, Serafina got changed into a pair of sweatpants and a cotton crop top before lying down in bed, staring out the window and allowing the sound of the waves to lull her to sleep.
Halfway through the night, she awoke with a gasp, her breathing uneven and erratic, staring around her in the darkness and feeling the presence of a being in the corner of her room. Turning on the light, her heart pounded at seeing no one there. Stumbling out of the bed, Serafina made her down the stairs and towards Alessio, seeing him falling off the couch with the blanket thrown on the floor. Grabbing hold of his hand, she pulled at his arm, effectively awakening him
"What?" He asked drowsily, stumbling off the sofa with his mind still asleep. "What?"
She didn't say anything as she dragged him upstairs with her, allowing him to get under the covers as and snuggled into his chest, resting her head beneath his chin as he promptly fell asleep again. Serafina inhaled his familiar fragrance and closed her eyes, reminding herself that nothing would happen to her as long as Alessio was there beside her, her heart content with his frame beside her.
Chapter XV: Unvoiced Desires
Serafina awoke alone in bed, moaning as she stretched across space like a cat, before sighing in content. They had been here almost a month now and Serafina felt a lot better than when she had arrived. Smiling some even laughing at Alessio, she even resumed calling him by his nickname: 'cupcake'. Since most nights she woke in fear, she had Alessio sleep beside her, that way she
felt safe and he got to sleep in something that wouldn't cause his back to break.
Rolling out of bed, Serafina pattered across the floor, washing her face and putting her hair into a messy bun before making her way downstairs in a pink cotton bra and a pink, turquoise and grey sweatpants, a light cardigan on top.
"Morning," Alessio's voice called from the kitchen when he caught sight of her.
"Morning," She yawned, giving him a soft smile when he placed her coffee on the bar counter. Taking a seat on the stool, she sipped it in silence and watched him work around the kitchen, noticing how his shirt was inside out, the tag sticking in the air. "Cupcake, your shirt is inside out."
"Oh," He looked down at the black jeans and grey t-shirt he wore, noticing the inseams before chuckling at his mistake. Turning towards her, Alessio gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry,"
"No, its alr-you're taking your shirt off, oh okay," Serafina blurted out when she saw him pull at the back of the neck, pulling it off his body and exposing his toned and muscular upper body. His biceps flexing with the action of pulling it back on. "I did not-"
"-Breakfast?" He smiled nonchalantly, holding out a plate of Raspberry and Ricotta cheese stuffed French toast with powdered sugar and Raspberries sprinkled on top.
"Sure..." She took the plate along with the fork and knife handed to her before digging in, chewing slowly as she watched Alessio make himself the same before coming to sit beside her, both of them eating in silence.
"Hey, want to go swimming?" He was the first to break the silence, sipping his coffee and glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. "I mean, if you want to,"
"Sounds like a plan," Serafina shrugged, finishing her food before going to settle down in her favorite spot by the window looking out at the ocean and called her parents, Alessio sitting in front of her staring out at the view.