Instinct (the flashbacks)

Stefano's Death (Allonia)

December 10th, 2035

Today was Stefano's funeral. He had a stroke and no one knew until someone found him dead in his library a few days ago. I got the news last night after coming back from the forest with Lenna. I put on my black flats before smoothing my hands over my black dress. I looked at the mirror on my dresser. My curls cascaded just below my shoulders in tight ringlets. The dress hit just below my knees. It was a rather flowy dress. I am not exactly the dress type but my mom insisted that I wore it.
"Are you ready?" Alondra knocks as her and Lenna walk in.
"Yeah." I respond, placing my chapstick in my pocket.
When we made it downstairs my family was talking to Lenna's. Shortly after Lenna and I became close so did our families. Meaning they got just as close to Stefano.
"Are you girls ready?" Lenna's mom asks us. We all nod and we all proceeded to walk over to the church. We mostly walked in pairs Our moms and dads walked together, Lenna with me, Andreus and Lenna's younger brother Ceder, and Ancel with Alondra.

When we made it to the church there weren't too many people. Not many people really went to the library, or even enough to know him. Which was sad because he was a very good man. He came to this country to better his life and got trapped in this mess. He and his wife deserved better. They were too good for this world but they are together now. Hopefully, to be completely honest I was never into all of that stuff because who really knows what happens when we leave this world.
The church serves went by rather quickly. The pastor went through a few things but honestly, I wasn't listening. Does anyone actually listen to these? I am going to miss him. He was a very good friend who deserved a lot more than what this world could give him.
After the church serves we stayed at the church for a little while longer. Families were talking as I stayed off to the side by myself on the church step.
"Miss Allonia?" I heard a voice ask. I turned to see it was the pastor.
"Yeah?" I asked as I stood up.
"Stephano, God rest his soul, wished for me to give you this letter." He told me, placing the letter in my hand and walked off allowing me to sit and read to myself.
Dear Cacciola,
If you are reading this it means that I am not on this earth anymore. I am sorry that I had to go but it was my time.
I have always thought of you as the daughter I never got the chance to have. You have become a very strong young woman from the time I met you when you wandered into the library until now. I always knew you were destined for good things even if you did not see it just yet.
You have no reason to be scared of this world. Just as books are the way to escape this world, you will be your own escape from this world. I may not be there physically but I am always with you, remember that my little cacciola.
Now to the main reason I am giving you this letter. In my library there is a secret area in my office. There are some things I wish for you to have. There are some books as well as some things from Italy among other things. I wish you well Allonia. You will make all of us proud one day.
With much love,
Stefano
I folded the paper back and put it in the envelope as tears were running down my face. I just allowed myself to feel everything at least for a moment. Lenna, Alondra, Ancel, and Andreus had come over to me at one point to just allow me to cry on them.
It was a little past lunchtime when we finally started heading back home and that I finally pulled myself together. We walked past the library and I thought back to the letter in my hand.
"I will meet you guys at home. I have to do something." I tell them.
"Do you want someone with you?" Andreus asked me.
"No, I think I am okay," I state. They reluctantly let me go and I made my way into the library.
I made my way up the steps towards the office. I placed my hand on the doorknob but a wave of fear came over me. I don't know what is going to happen and I am going to have to let it all settle in that Stefano is actually gone. If I do this there is no turning back. I have to come to actual terms with this.
Hell, a part of me wants this all to be a sick joke and that when I open this door I will be greeted by Stefano again. Reluctantly I pull myself to open the door and walk into the office. It was just as messy as he left it. Papers all over his desk and floor books open everywhere. I walk past towards the bookshelf behind his desk. I moved the bookshelf, maybe it was going to be like all of those books and I move it to see a passageway. However, I was greeted by another letter and a key.
Allonia,
It seems as though you fell for the same cliche that I always told you not to. There is a key attached to this letter that leads to the back room. You may go in there and take what you wish.
Stefano.
I took the key and walked down the steps. Finally getting to the backroom door unlocking the door. The room was rather well kept, there was bed by the right wall. A bookshelf on the left wall. It had some books but it also had a few other things on it. Mostly pictures and drawings. I walked towards the bookshelf finding a sketchbook opening it to find a bunch of pictures from over the years. Pictures of mostly his wife and little love letters on the back of them. They were dated from the early 70s to late 80s. I couldn't read much of it because most of it was Italian but you could tell that they had a very strong love.
I looked over the pictures and there were many from what looks like their early 20's until roughly ten years ago. In each photo, he was looking at his wife with so much admiration and love. He never could take his eyes off of her. Lucia had the brightest smile on her face in each and every one of the photos. I hope I find what they had one day as well. If only things were different. I sighed to myself as I continued to go through the things. Some old journals, some more sketch books, books, etc.
I was beginning to make piles of things that I was keeping compared to things that would stay here. I mostly kept the sketch books and the journals, however I did include some of their pictures together. When I went through the drawers I found what seemed to be a wedding ring. It was a gorgeous diamond ring. The band was gold which complemented the clear diamond. It had "la mia amata Lucia" embroidered inside of the band in small print, it was in a pretty form of cursive.
I placed everything in a box before I locked the room door behind me. I let the memories wash over me for a few moments, the love and beauty that came from this place. The compassion Lucia and Stefano had for not only themselves but everyone that crossed their paths. This is the end of an era in my life and a new one will begin soon.