𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞

Trigger Warning: Mention of Sexual assault 

♥ ♥ ♥

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞

Dear Diary,

Today is March 7th, 1997.

It's been a couple of weeks since Alessio's death. I've gained the strength to push through. Getting up each day knowing someone you love won't be there feels impossible. It feels like a chore. Putting Alessio to rest broke me. I didn't want to accept that he was dead. I didn't want to live every day without him.

Hestia has made waking up each day easier. She has become the fresh air I needed after drowning in Alessio's death. She's the best thing that's happened to me. Without her, I wouldn't have made it this far. She's my salvation.

Sei il mio migliore amico fino alla fine dei tempi, Sia.

You are my best friend until the end of time, Sia.

♥ ♥ ♥

I closed the journal as Hestia parked the car beside the beach entrance. We decided to go night swimming. The beach gave us a sense of comfort. It became a second home to us. Sia pulled the key from the ignition. She glanced at me. She gripped the steering wheel, and Sia exclaimed, "We're going swimming and ending the night with a couple of drinks." I chuckled, "I don't know if letting go is that easy."

Sia wrapped her arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to her. She whispered, "It's not letting go of Alessio. It's letting go of the grief that's consumed us. Alessio would want us to live life for him. He always wanted to go night swimming, and here we are. The alcohol is to celebrate letting go." A smile grew across my face. She mumbled, "We'll be okay. I love you, Blaire."

"I love you too."

Hestia pressed her lips against my temples. She released her arm from around me. She blurted out, "Now let's go." I let out a deep sigh of relief and got out of the car. Sia and I exchanged glances before we jumped over the small wooden fence in front of the beach. Before we reached the shore, we stopped. Hestia glanced at me. We both tossed our transparent dresses onto the sand. We bought these before coming to Sicily. But we never got the chance to wear them until tonight. We've spent two years focused on our careers. We never stopped living life. Life's short, and we don't have time to waste. The clock will run out one day, and everything will be over.

We sprinted into the cold, icy water that sent a chill up my spine. As we got neck-deep into the water, I admitted, "It's freezing." Hestia chuckled, "You're dramatic, Blaire." Sia laid back in the water. Her body was floating just above the surface.

She confessed, "Alessio would've loved this."

I responded, "He would've tried to scare the shit out of us." Sia chuckled. Tears filled my eyes. I felt my heart race. Goosebumps trailed up my arm. Maybe it was the thought of Alessio or the cold water. Hestia admitted, "Alessio is probably laughing at us right now."

"He'd be proud that we made it this far into the water."

"Alessio is proud of us. He's watching from a distance, but he's still there."

Sia swam towards me. She wrapped her arms tightly around me. She mumbled, "We were his peace, and he'll be okay. He wants us to be happy, even on bad days. Alessio will always be there for us. We stick together. Until the end." Tears poured down my cheek. I never enjoyed being vulnerable or letting my guard down, but Sia is the only person I have left. The world stops spinning once she enters the room. She holds herself firm.