Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Pacing on Aria’s porch early the next morning, Alex tried her phone again when she didn’t answer the door.
He was afraid if he left her house to check her office, he might miss her return. Dialing her office, he hoped for the best.
“Good morning, Libre Stellari. This is Anna. How can I direct your call?”
“Good morning, this is Alex Rossi. Could I please speak to Aria?” he asked with hope in his voice.
“Oh, Mr. Rossi. So nice to hear from you again. I'm sorry, but Ms. Bianchi is out of the office today. May I take a message?”
“No, no. That's okay. Thank you so much,” he mumbled, his heart plummeting.
Pushing his hair back across his forehead, Alex started to feel hopeless. She hadn’t gone to work, and she wasn't at home. If she was at Corinna’s house, he didn't have their information.
When a text came from Bella, he ignored it.
He thought about Bella’s appearance the night before, how it solidified what he wanted for his life.
He dreamed of family dinners and birthday parties with his friends and Sofia and his dad.
Noisy BBQs on the beach like he had growing up.
His children going on adventures around the world, meeting people of different cultures, learning about their traditions, hearing their stories.
And he could see all of that and more with Aria. His mind wandered as he pictured all of it.
He had to figure out a way to win her back.
Unsure of his plan to wait for her there, he finally decided to sit on her wooden chair that flanked some potted plants. It had a cushion, but was small and barely contained his large frame.
Alex had no idea when sleep overcame him as he sat there, his eyes heavy.
He woke up with a start, and it took several minutes to realize where he was. Looking around, trying to reorient himself and shake himself from a dream that had felt so real, the dreaded realization washed over him.
He was still sitting at Aria's house on her porch. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the incredible dream he had just been having.
He and Aria were sitting on the sofa of their house with a sweet baby girl in his arms. Aria was looking at him with pure love in her eyes.
Then a flash and another scene of them in a beautiful bed in a cozy house with white sheer curtains blowing in the wind from the open windows. Aria was blissfully asleep while he and their two children sat on the bed whispering together.
“Papa, we're hungry. Please make us your special crepes with jam? Please?”
Alex's lovely dream recall was rudely interrupted by the poke of a wooden cane.
Recoiling, he looked up into the face of a tiny, but angry elderly woman. Dressed in a long black skirt, white blouse and a button-up black cardigan, she was barely a head taller than him sitting down.
Her white hair was offset by a deeply tanned and wrinkled face, eyes piercing his like fire. A small black purse hung from her forearm and swung with each impact of her cane.
“Hey, you. Why are you on Aria's porch? Don't you have a house to go to? Do I need to call the police?” the woman asked gruffly.
“What? Wait. No, no. I'm a friend of Aria's. I'm just waiting for her to come home,” Alex said, jumping up.
“I don't believe you. And I don't like your long hair. Don't you know any barbers? Now, come on, get up and go away or I will call the police. Don't think I won't do it. I live across the street, and I'll call them if you don't get out of here now,” she yelled, continuing to poke him in his leg.
Believing her and fearing the tiny woman, Alex tucked the scarf in his jean pocket, jogged off the porch hurriedly, got in his car, and pulled away.
Checking his phone for any word from Aria, he blew out a heavy breath as he headed for home. Once there, he threw his keys on the counter and headed to the shower, kicking off his boots on the way.
Determined to give her the rest of the day without his constant calls, he turned on the water as hot as he could stand it and prayed that it could ease the tension he felt not only in his tired muscles but his heart.
He didn’t have a choice. She obviously needed space, time, or both, and he feared if he pushed too hard, he’d lose any chance of fixing what was broken.