Letters to the Sea | Luca x Alberto and Giulia x OCs | Chaos and Free Advice

Without

Alberto,

Only 57 more days and then summer! And then will never be apart again. Massimo told you about school and I know that it probably was not the best news, but I'll be so happy to see you! I've had a growth spurt too! You probably won't even recognize me. Giulia has grown too.

I can't put into words how much time I want to spend with you and just do random stuff together. This is so dumb but yesterday, I jumped off the high dive at school and imagined I was jumping off a cliff with you.

Once again, I'm sorry if school doesn't sound great. I know you're kind of being forced into it. Please try to understand.

And who knows, maybe if you really don't like it, you won't have to go at all. I heard that in America, kids don't get that choice at all until they are Ercole's age.

~Love,

...

Massimo sighed in defeat as he read the letter. It had been 3 days since Alberto disappeared which meant there were 3 sets of letters waiting for him. Well 2 now that Massimo decided to open one.

He did now want Luca to worry. If Giulia's mother were to find out that he lost his own adoptive son-

Giulia's mom was a good mom. But she was a self mom. She had told Massimo on numerous occasions that Giulia should live with her not only during school but also during the summer. Massimo would not have any of that.

You only use her for work! She needs to be here among more classed people. I know she has only one outfit over there. Ripped jeans! I send her there in finest clothes and she wears that!

Massimo was so relieved when Giulia was finally making friends. She was no longer a loner who put on a smile. She had under dogs like her.

For Massimo, that meant more years she would stay, more memories she would make. He knew the time would come when Giulia no longer would stay for summer. And that time would probably be sooner than 18.

She would get a job, probably. A job that paid better than the pennies he could give her from the fish.

Massimo dared not to open any of the letters Giulia sent to Alberto. They were private thoughts from his daughter. He always kept in the back of his mind that she might confide in Alberto about staying with her mother.

If Giulia ever asked, Massimo decided he would say,

"I understand. I love you. You know you can come anytime."

What if she forgets me?

For the majority of the year, Massimo was quite lonely. He had adopted a cat to remedy that but cats are also loners and quite independent. It wasn't the same as having Giulia around.

Now that Alberto had left- Massimo was now about to search the Island and nearby caves again- his thoughts had wandered back to how lonely he himself was feeling. And he felt so selfish for that. He should be worried that Alberto could be in trouble or that Giulia was going through all these physical changes that his ex-wife would then use to change who his daughter was. Make her more "proper" as she would say.

Massimo started making some Cioccolata. Once he was done, he placed the mixture in two cups and placed them next to two plates of Alberto's favorite meal, respectively. He sat, sighed to himself and buried his face in his hands.

He heard an odd noise at the door, but it was just Machiavelli- he got stuck outside. The cat purred and whined.

"I miss him, too." Massimo said, "We will look for him in a few minutes."