M+E: Snowflakes and flames (Book 1)

Chapter 1

I love Italy. Perhaps, I would never be able to love it as much as I love Bulgaria, but still – I love it. From the bottom of my heart. And this love has nothing to do with the fact that I am half Italian. In fact, I've never been there before until I turned 18. Ever since then my father gave me permission to fulfil one of my biggest dreams – to arrange a trip to Italy. And, by saying "he gave me permission", I mean... he literally gave me one. My parents are divorced. He's Bulgarian, she's Italian. They fell in love at the university. They studied for four years at Cambridge University (where, to be honest, they put their biggest efforts to put me in, but, well... you don't always get what you want, you know), my mom dropped out two months before graduation and... This story is kind of weird, if you know... Well, no, I don't think you know what I mean, so let me explain it. I'll try not to be way too descriptive, just the basics. Mom and Dad studied together. Their thing was love at first sight. They met at the commencement of the academic year. She was born in Milan, Italy, and he was born in the ancient town of Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria. It was their first day – both in a foreign country and at the new university. They fell in love and it was really deep and passionate... until my mom got pregnant with me. She was afraid that my grandpa and grandma would force her to marry my dad and that's why she ran away and never returned to their house. That's how my parents stayed in the UK and decided to move in together. And, in fact, their plans were this would last forever. None of them wanted to get married by that time. However, my mom had to drop out of university two months before her graduation because she had to look after me. My dad, of course, supported her in every possible way he could do it. This gained him the rage, and, I guess – the hate, of my grandpa and grandma. Actually – the rage and hate of all my granddads and grandmas. Both Italian and Bulgarian. And, left all alone by their parents, my parents moved in. Dad managed to graduate – finance and investment banking, while mom was taking care of me. They lived this way for several years. Only my dad worked then, but it was a really nice and well-paid job. They didn't have to worry about money at all. I must have been five years old – here I have to trust my grandma Elena's memories, because I can't remember clearly, although I have my reasons to doubt them – my mom decided to find a job despite my dad's disagreement. They fought a lot about this. They fought even more because of the type of job she wanted to sink in – she wanted to be a model, an actress, a singer... or whatsoever. She wanted to be constantly under the light of cameras, in media, even in people's mouths. And this is something that I've totally disapproved ever since. And I don't need my grandma's memories and stories to believe it. My mom, in the other hand, is really beautiful and astonishing woman. And I'm not saying it because, well, she is my mother, but because she really is. Unfortunately, I can't say I look like her. All I have are my father's hazel eyes, his pale skin and raven-black hair which reaches my lower back. My mum had quite good opportunities right from her first audition. It was on the set of a new reality TV program – there she met Simon Williams, my stepfather.

Well, I think I promised not to be way too descriptive about my parents' background. Excuse me for letting my emotions take control all over me. So, back then, Simon was the producer of the TV show, my mom auditioned it and.... Can you imagine – the audition got cancelled right after her performance and she was chosen to be the host of it?... She became really close friends with Simon afterwards, who, by the way, is three years younger than her. They began spending too much time together until the day when paparazzi took a really disgusting photo of them. My dad saw it, of course. I was 6 years and a half old when they got divorced. And the reason was not that much because of the picture. It was more because of the fact that mom got pregnant. Again. From Simon. Twins...