Alessandro |18+|

30

ARIA

I sat up straight, wiping my palms on the hem of my dress as I gazed out to my two-storey home.

It had only been a year and I don't know why I was expecting it to be any different. Even with the short period of time I was away, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

Sandro parked in front of the closed garage door, turning to me for just a moment. I gave him a reassuring smile and he gentle took my wrist to lay a kiss on the back of my hand.

He always did that, and I wondered if perhaps it was his own way of comforting himself. Calming himself. I didn't think about for it too long, too excited to see my parents.

I stepped out of the car, instantly absorbing the heat of the sun. It was scorching out, and I was reminded of one of the reasons I left.

Too fucking hot.

There wasn't a cloud in sight, and I gained the urge to jump in our pool. I winced, pulling my purse over my shoulder. Sandro closed the door behind him, and I waved at him to leave the luggage for later.

We walked up to the porch, glancing at each other a few times. My finger hovered over the doorbell, and I took the moment to look at Sandro. He stood next to me, nearly reaching the doorframe and of course, I had to soak in how good he looked just standing there and existing. I shook my head, pressing the button and a few seconds later, I heard footsteps approaching.

When the door opened, I couldn't hide my surprise. My brothers brown eyes landed on mine, and a grin spread across my cheeks because I hadn't seen him in ages and I missed him. He was sixteen, but he ran into my open arms as if he were a toddler.

He had gotten so much taller – so much bigger and his curly hair was grown out. Curly on top and faded on the sides; he looked like a typical teenage boy.

"If mama wasn't here, I would have cussed your ass out for not visiting me," he murmured quietly, only for my ears to hear. I chuckled through my teary eyes, giving him a small punch on the arm. Aiden scowled, swatting my hand away and that's when I turned to Sandro.

My eyes widened, seeing him embraced in one of my mother's hugs. He had the widest, most beautiful smile on his face as he wrapped her arms around her.

"It's so nice to meet you, Alessandro," my mother said sweetly, letting go of him. She spun around and her soft eyes met mine.

"Come here, baby," she said, opening her arms and I stepped into them. I hugged her tightly, burying my face in her shoulder and breathing in her familiar smell of coconut and vanilla. It felt like home, and my tears threatened to fall once again.

"He's handsome," she whispered, and I let out a small laugh. Being with family was the comfort that I didn't know I needed. When we let go, Sandro and Aiden were shaking hands and introducing themselves to each other.

"Where's dad?" I asked.

"Hospital. He wanted to be here but you know how work is," my mother said, and she sounded disappointed. I offered her a comforting smile, wrapping my arm around her back and letting my head rest on her shoulder.

All of a sudden, Aiden breathed in a long and dramatic gasp. He was looking over Sandro's shoulder, his gaze fixated on the car parked in the driveway.

"No way. Nah. Is that a – is that a GTR?" Aiden asked, and then his head snapped into my direction. "Aria, do you know what that is?"

I shrugged, "Not a clue."

He gasped again, holding his chest. "This girl. She's joking, right?" He looked at Sandro. "Is that yours?"

Sandro nodded, chuckling at my brothers antics. "It is."