Chapter 44
Chapter Forty-Four
A few days later, Aria and Alex walked hand-in-hand along the coastline, chatting about art and music. They had spent every spare moment together and she was happier than she’d been in so long.
She knew that he was waiting for details for his next assignment to come through. She went to ask him a dozen times about any updates, but could never get the nerve to do so, fearing what was to come when he did have to leave.
“You’re far away,” he said, looking down at her as he brought her to his side.
Inhaling sharply, she said, “Just something that’s been on my mind. I wanted to ask—”
Just then her phone rang with a special tone, alerting her that a video call was coming through.
Digging through her purse, she saw that it was her mother.
“Oh, hold on just a minute, Alex. It's my mom,” she said as she walked away.
Thinking she’d seen disappointment flash in his eyes, she grimaced at the thought of having hurt his feelings. She just wasn’t ready to tell her parents about him yet.
“Hey, Mama. Wait, why are you calling me from the car?” Aria asked, confused when she saw her father at the wheel of his car, buildings buzzing past them.
“Because we're on our way to see you. Surprise!”
“Maria, she keeps telling you that you don't have to yell,” Aldo said, keeping his eyes on the road.
“You're on your way here? Now? To Positano?” Aria asked in shock.
“Yes. You won't come to us, so we're coming to you. It's been too long, daughter. We’ll be there by dinnertime. Don't worry. I'll cook once we get settled,” Maria said.
“Oh, okay, Mama. Drive safely. See you in a few hours,” Aria said as she ended the call.
Standing still for a moment trying to adjust to the news, she looked at Alex. He smiled weakly at her as she walked back to where he was standing.
“My parents are driving in from Rome as we speak. I had no idea. I'll have to take a raincheck on our plans for the next few days. I don't think they'll stay past the weekend, but I'm so sorry to cancel on you like this,” she said sheepishly.
“I understand. I know you've mentioned how much you miss them. It’s great they're coming to visit you. I'll see you once they leave then.”
He put his hand on her lower back to steer her toward his car. He was quiet and Aria tried to find the right thing to say.
“Alex, I haven't had a chance to talk to them about us, yet. Please don’t be upset. I need to figure out what exactly to say to them. And I have no idea how they’ll react. It wasn't something I wanted to do over the phone.”
“I understand, Aria. I told you I’d give you time for all of this. You’ll let me know when you’re ready.”
The drive to her house was silent and tense. Aria kept turning to him to say something, but abandoned the thought and turned back to look out her window.
Pulling up to her house, Alex got out to help her down as he always did. Walking her to her door, though, she noticed that he didn't take her hand.
Without thinking too hard about the implications, she blurted out, “Let me have dinner with them tonight and talk to them. But would you come for dinner tomorrow night to meet them, please? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I’m not hurt. I understand. It’s a big step.”
Taking his hand, she said, “Alex, please come to dinner. I really want you to meet them. I’m ready. I wasn’t sure before, but I am now.”
“If you’re sure, then I'd love to meet them. I'll see you tomorrow evening,” Alex said as he kissed her cheek, and she watched him get into his car and leave.
Once inside, the decision was made, Aria knew it was time. Her parents loved Nicholas, but what concerned her more than their reaction to her dating again was their overprotective nature. They hovered over her all her life, but it intensified after Nicholas died.
This was good, though. Telling them in person was better than on the phone.
Freshening up and changing into a sundress, she looked at the time. She had just enough time to run to the open-air market near her home to see what was fresh that week.
She called Corinna to let her know they were coming.
“They're what? Oh, my goodness. I mean that's exciting. I miss your parents, but are you going to tell them about Alex?” she asked.
Aria told her everything that happened after the unexpected call.
“I think you did the right thing, girl. You guys have been spending a lot of time together. I'm kind of jealous,” Corinna said with a chuckle. “No, seriously. Your parents need to know about him. He’s made it clear he’s not going anywhere.”
Aria furrowed her brows and switched the phone to the other hand so she could get her things.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Oh well, he—shoot, sorry, love. I’ve got to take this call, it’s work. Let me know when I can come by and visit your parents. Love you. Ciao.”
Aria opened her mouth to speak but she was already gone.
Grabbing her purse and keys, she hurried down her porch steps, heading to the market.
She just made it home and put away the fruit and vegetables she had purchased when she heard her parents pull up with a quick honk.
She dashed out the door to greet them, running into their waiting arms.
“Oh, it's so good to see you,” she said.
“You look good, my daughter,” Maria said as she kissed Aria.
“You both do, too,” Aria said when she gave her dad another hug and stepped back to look at them.
She didn’t realize how much she missed them until she was in their loving arms.
“Come on in and relax. I can’t believe that you're here,” Aria continued.
“We couldn’t wait anymore, my angel,” Maria answered. “You’ve seemed so much happier the last few times we've spoken. It made us want to see you in person even more.”
“Yes, we needed to see it for ourselves,” her dad said as they walked in the door.
Aldo sat their suitcase out of the way in the living room.
“Sit down. Can I get you something to drink? I bought that sparkling water you guys like,” Aria insisted as they all sat around the living room.
“We stopped in Naples, thanks,” Maria answered as she took Aria’s hand.
“You keeping up with your doctor’s appointments?” Aria asked her father.
“He's sneaking pastries again and you have to convince him to have some self-control, daughter.”
Aria and her dad just chuckled like they were keeping a secret.
They sat and caught up on the neighbors and friends back in Rome, laughing about the antics of the older ladies.
“And the restaurant. You said you’ve been busy.”
“I wish your dad would consider cutting his hours,” Maria said, her face showing her concern.
Waving away her worry, Aldo said, “If I stop working, what will I do with my time?”
“Could you hire someone to help out a few days a week?” Aria asked, noticing the fatigue he had probably been trying to hide.
“My cardiologist says to stay active. Work keeps me active. But your mom wants me to try yoga. What am I going to do, go to the gym in those tiny shorts?” he joked, causing Aria to laugh.
“No one wants to see that,” Maria deadpanned with narrowed eyes. “Okay, enough talk. Let’s get dinner started.”
When Maria headed for the kitchen, Aria gave her dad a side hug.
“Don't worry, Papa. I hid a few pieces of doctor approved dark chocolate for you when I knew you were coming. But just a few, okay? I want you to be around for a hundred more years.”
Delight skittered across his face. With a wink, he grabbed their suitcase and headed to the guest room.
While Aldo rested, Aria joined Maria in the kitchen.
Aria started the homemade pasta and Maria got out the ingredients for the simple pesto.
For the next hour, they cooked together, Maria sharing her recipe tips with Aria.
Their conversation was interspersed with laughter and the familiarity of being together doing something they both loved.
“So, tell me what’s going on in your life, angel,” Maria said as grated the fresh parmesan cheese.
“It’s been busy at work, like I told you. But I’ve been getting out more. To the movies, dinner with the girls. You know, out,” Aria said not wanting to have the discussion twice.
She planned to tell them both after dinner.
“Joy is written on your face, daughter. I like this. Now that I’m seeing it for myself, my heart is lighter.”
“I am happy, Mama,” Aria answered as she dropped the fresh pasta into the boiling water.
Aldo sauntered into the kitchen, his hands rubbing together. “Smells amazing in here.”
“Perfect timing,” Aria said, cutting the focaccia, glad for the interruption. “Time to eat!”
Dinner was noisy and fun, and it made Aria grateful to have them with her. But she knew it was time to talk with them and was preparing for whatever would come.
“Why don’t you guys take your drinks into the living room. I’ll put these leftovers away and be right there.”
She laughed when she looked at the huge container of leftover pasta. Her mother insisted on cooking for a crowd. She always used the excuse, “You never know who will stop by.”
When Aria joined them, Maria was looking intently at something on her shelf near her decorative bottle collection. She pointed to the cobalt blue bowl with gold painted throughout it, and turned to look at Aria.
“I don’t remember this from our last trip. Is it new?”
Recognizing this might be her opportunity to bring Alex into the conversation, Aria explained about the bowl and the history of the Japanese legend.
“That's beautiful,” her dad said. “The bowl and the story.”
“Yes, it is. Actually, it was my friend Alex that took me to the class,” she said tentatively, looking between her parents who were eyeing her curiously.
“Oh, really? So, have you been seeing this friend Alex? I thought you said he was just here visiting his family,” Maria asked, when they were all seated.
“I have. We've been spending some time together during his visit.”
Aria picked at the fringe on one of the decorative pillows now in her lap.
Aldo asked, “So he does live here in Positano?”
“He has a house here, so he calls it home, but he travels a lot. He's a professional photographer. A famous one at that. His dad and sister own a cosmetic business here in town called Aura,” Aria answered, trying to ease into telling them about their blossoming relationship.
She could see her parents exchanging looks she couldn’t decipher. She shifted in her chair, crossing and uncrossing her legs.
“Will he still be here while we're visiting? We wanted to stay until Sunday. Maybe we could meet him,” Maria said, watching Aria closely.
“Actually, I invited him over for dinner tomorrow night.”
Maria sat her glass on the table in front of her and beamed. Aldo sat frozen.
The silence was deafening, and Aria knew it was now or never.
“He, he would like to meet you as well.”
Clearing his throat, Aldo spoke, his words cautious. “Are you, are the two of you dating?”
With a quick inhale, she nodded.
“We are, Papa. I wanted to tell you in person. We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now. We knew each other back in school. We weren’t exactly friends, but I spent time at his house with his sister Sofia. You remember her, right? We studied together a lot.”
Aldo nodded. “I remember her, but I don’t think you mentioned Alex back then.”
Aria went to answer him, but Maria interrupted.
“I knew it! I knew it the day I saw that bouquet. My bones are never wrong.”
Aldo chuckled as he regarded his wife before moving to the chair next to Aria.
“Is Alex the reason for the smile on your face?”
“Yes, he is. Him, and the fact that I’m finally facing some of the things I’ve been holding inside. His reappearance in my life has forced me to dig a little deeper. I’ve discovered some things about myself that I want to heal, change.”
“Aria, this is wonderful news. We can’t wait to meet him,” Maria said, her hands in the air as if praising the heavens.
“You’re not upset? I know how much you loved Nicholas.”
Aria looked between her parents, her eyes filled with vulnerability. With his eyebrows pinched tightly, Aldo held her hand firmly.
“Aria, yes, we loved Nicholas. And we have grieved his loss but more than anything, we want our little girl to shine again, laugh again, and even find love again.”
Wiping a tear from her cheek, Aria nodded, laughing through her tears.
“Have you? Found love again, angel?” Maria asked, joining Aldo next to her, sitting on the ottoman in front of her daughter.
“He told me he’s in love with me. He confessed that he had a crush on me in school but didn’t ever ask me out. Said now that we’ve met again, he doesn’t want to miss the chance to see what could be. It’s all happened so fast, it’s left me breathless.”
“And are you in love with him?” Maria asked, leaning in to lay her hand on Aria’s shoulder.
Nodding, she answered, “I haven’t told him that I love him yet.
But yeah, think I am. We share this connection that’s hard to explain.
Like we’ve known each other all our lives.
He’s patient and understanding. It’s overwhelming.
I’ve fought it, but I can’t seem to convince myself to do that anymore.
I like how I feel when I’m with him. We just, we just fit. So perfectly.”
Aria was smiling, though a few tears fell, and both Aldo and Maria joined in with happy tears.
“Then take all the time you need. If he’s a good man, he will wait.”
“He’s a good man, Papa. The best.”
“Tell us all about him, then,” Maria said, wiping her own tears.
The three sat up until late into the evening, Aria sharing with them all that had transpired since Alex stepped back into her life.
She was overwhelmed with gratitude that they were so open to the idea of him.
When they finally said goodnight, she felt as light as a feather. She couldn’t wait for them to meet.