Disappeared once or twice

10. The aftershock + conversations can't be avoided

"You guys!" Alberto jumped on the boat as fast as he could. Storming the cabin in, "I swear someone is following us." He put his hands in the air. Luca and Giulia shot up, they were both relaxing on the couch. Strangled in a deep and long conversation about something incredibly boring. 

"WHAT." Was Luca's first reaction, "Who could it be?" Giulia was collected, as always. "They were greenish blueish and had tails and..." Luca facepalmed. "Alberto, were they my parents?" It was silent, deadly silent. Only the sounds of the ocean could be heard. "Now that you mention it. That might be a possibility." 

"What may be a possibility?" An unknown voice shouted towards the three kids. All of them were visibly startled. A man with a large mustache covering his lips completely and a woman with lovely eyes and cheeks that always seem to blush entered the room. "Well well well, what have we got here. If it isn't our lovely son!" The lady exclaimed. 

"MOM! DAD!" Luca basically ran over to them, launching himself in his fathers surprisingly skinny arms. "I missed you guys so much." He turned to his mother, also pulling her into a big and loving hug. She tightly hugged him back,"I missed you too Luca." She softly stroked the hair of her son.

"We haven't seen you all year, why didn't you go greet us?" His father questioned him as Luca and his wife let go of each other. "I-" Alberto interrupted this special moment with a small cough. "I feel like it's something for, y'know, family stuff and shit. So I'll head outside for a bit." He exited the small cabin. "Yeah me too." Giulia followed his example. They were lucky the sun was shining. 

They both sat down next to each other on the deck. It was quiet, very quiet. Almost awkward but not quite. None of them could hear a thing other than the sea until Giulia spoke. With a very soft voice she said: "Hey, I'm sorry to be asking this, but... Isn't it incredibly hard to see families like those." Alberto didn't reply at first, he just thought thoroughly about his answers. Giulia didn't dare to ask another thing in the meantime, afraid she had somehow offended him. 

"Yes and no." 

Giulia jerked up by this sudden answers, she looked at him with big question marks representing in her eyes. "What do you me-"

"Yes because I will always miss some part of me. My father, my mother. I don't remember who they are, if I have siblings somewhere around the globe. Are they alive or dead. I miss the homie feeling of being all together and feeling united. I miss the feeling of coming home to a lovely homecooked meal and the daily routine of asking how everyone's day has been. I miss out on a lot."

"Alberto I never knew this fell so hard on you, I wish I-"
"You wish you could what. You could fill the role of my mother." Giulia's expression immediately darkened. "I'm sorry I didn't want to come off that way." Alberto quickly apologized. "I like being on my own too, you know. It made me who I am. It made me capable and responsible, even when I don't act like it. And between us, I really appreciate the effort your dad makes to make me feel at home. He's an amazing father."

Giulia grins, "He's the best." Alberto nods as he stares into the distance, if he could only have someone to do fatherly shit with too. "Do you hope that Bruno-type is your dad?" "I don't know, I would like to have a dad. However is he is my father I need to know why he left me. Why I wasn't good enough for him. Why he thought of me as inferior. Why-" Alberto was abruptly stopped by Giulia, who had put her arms around him. "I'm sorry I got carried away." He said. 

"Nothing to apologize for, I don't understand what your life has been like. But I have lost a parent. And I'd like to help you in any way I can." 

It may sound silly but Alberto suddenly started to tear up. Sometimes people who seem strong need reassurance too. "Thank you." He muttered and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Tear after tear flowed. They stayed like this for a while. 

In the meantime Luca was convincing his parents he really wasn't avoiding them. Well yes he was, but he had his reasons. He told them that it would break his heart to leave them a second time so soon. That he'd rather see them for two weeks straight than a few days every now and then. That he thought he did this to benefit them. It ended with a lot of 'I love you-ing' and I miss you's 

His parents understood, they caught up with him. What had been going on for the past year, how were the fishes doing? Was he happy? Was he doing well in school, made any friends? The typical aunt on Christmas day type of questions. 

They even offered to pull the boat for a little bit, before they decided to get home. Of course Luca accepted, they still had a whole journey ahead and every little bit of help would get them closer to their goal. 

When the young boy took a look outside he saw his companions all cuddly and cozy, he felt a stab in his heart. Unsure of where it came from or what is was. That was the least of his concerns now. His priority was getting safely to Encanto, from there he would decide what to do furthermore.