16. ENZO
16
ENZO
I retreat to the pond underneath the tree where Valentina and I carved our initials.
It’s the place I go to whenever I needed some peace from the chaos in my life.
To say that I’m in shock that Quinn is Michael’s daughter would be the understatement of the year.
When I tried running after Quinn, he stopped me and told me to stay away from her.
Michael is one of my closest friends, and our relationship is in jeopardy over what happened.
He’s had some time to calm down, so I dial his number again.
We really need to talk this out like adults.
“Hey, it’s Michael. Leave a message.”
Voicemail, again.
It’s the same answer each time I try to reach out to him. At this point, I don’t even know if he’s still in the country.
I don’t even bother dialing Quinn. She’s ignored every single one of my calls.
And strangely, I’m glad because it gave me more time to decide my feelings about the situation.
What am I even going to say to her? Am I ready to offer a relationship to her? A commitment isn’t something I’m keen on being a part of, but the idea of her leaving my life entirely isn’t something I can accept either.
I close my eyes, and her face flashes in front of me.
Quinn and I, sitting by the water, my arm around her.
I can live with that if we somehow manage to resolve this situation with Michael.
But then, the image disappears as I remember my children.
Am I willing to risk disappointing them just because I want to pursue Quinn?
I have never been one to second guess myself, but with Quinn, I’m so torn. I can’t fully be with her, but I can’t bear to imagine being without her either.
And right now, it seems like she’s slipping out of my grasp.
“I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Luciana taps me on my shoulder, and I quickly replace my brooding expression with a smile.
“I just came out here to get a breath of fresh air.”
She smiles at me, glancing at the tree before wrapping me in a hug. “I miss her, too, Dad. We all do.”
Guilt pangs inside of me. She doesn’t know that it’s not her mother that I’ve been thinking of.
“Did you have something to tell me?” I ask, hastily changing the topic.
I can’t lie to my children, and I’m afraid of being caught if we dwell too much.
“I just wanted to spend time with you.” She shrugs. “I got my tickets today.”
“Already?”
Luciana’s enrolled in college in the U.S and has been visiting for the summer. It feels like she only just arrived, and she’s already gotten her tickets to go back.
“I know. Time flies. It’s just that I’m starting Junior year next year, and I need to be back early to enroll in my classes.” She frowns. “But we still have a few weeks together.
“That’s a big year.” It feels like yesterday she was just a little girl playing with her dolls, and now she’s all grown up.
“Tell me about it.” She laughs. “My friends are already stressing out about internships and landing the best roles.”
“If you want, I can pull some strings and get you some interviews at some of the top companies in the country. I have some contacts in high places in corporate America.”
“Oh, no, please.” She shakes her head. “I have no intention of joining the rat race.”
I look at her with curiosity. She’s enrolled in one of the top business programs in the country, where acceptance is less than 5% every year.
“You can always come back and join the family business. That’ll always be an option for you.”
She bites down on her lip and hesitates for a moment. “I think that’s always been more of Valentino’s thing.”
“So, what is Luciana’s thing?” I raise my eyebrow.
I’ve never pressured any of my children to do something they didn’t want, but I’m genuinely curious.
She’s always been the brightest out of the three of my children, and I have no doubt that she’ll excel in whatever career she’ll end up choosing for herself.
“Do you remember how, when I was young, you once caught me in the kitchen covered in flour while trying to make a cake?”
I smile at the memory. “You looked like a ghost.”
“Well, I’ve gotten a little bit better at that over the years,” she admits. “Especially since I started following Mom’s recipes.”
Valentina had loved to bake. She’d spend weeks perfecting her recipes and compiled them all into a handwritten book she’d titled ‘Sweet Valentina’. I told her time and again she should publish it, but she’d always refuse, saying that she’d pass it down to her children instead. She passed away not too long after Luciana was born, and though they didn’t share the world long, Luciana is the one who picked up her mother’s cooking and baking passion.
Luciana feels enough of a bond to honor her mother’s memory through her recipes.
“I’m sure she’s really proud of you.” My throat closes up slightly.
“I want to do her memory justice. She’d really poured a piece of herself in those recipes, and I want the world to try them.” Luciana’s face lit up. “So, that’s what I want to do when I graduate. Open up a little bakery to honor her memory.”
I’m touched by how thoughtful that gesture is, and wrap my arms around her, kissing the top of her head.
“You know, I think she would have loved that if she was here.”
“I already know what to call it,” Luciana continued. “Can you guess?”
“Valentina Sweets?” I smile. “Sweet, just like your mother.”
“Exactly. I knew you’d be able to guess it straight away.”
“If that’s what you’re planning on doing, then you have my full support.”
She looks relieved.
I took Valentino under my wing as soon as he graduated college to work at the vinery, and she must have thought that I expected her to do the same.
But Valentino wants to do this. And no two children are the same, so it would be unfair to impose my wishes upon them.
“Thanks, Dad.” She smiles. “You’re always there to support my ideas, no matter how crazy.”
“As I always say, the best ones always are.”