2 in 1

Part 16. Lie Down. Try Not to Cry. Cry A Lot

Author note: (Casually slipping angst in the story)

The young man dodged the car and fell down. The man in the vehicle was yelling at him, but Doppio paid no attention to it. He was glad the frog was safe and did not get squished. It would be a disaster otherwise.

"Do you like frogs?"

He heard someone ask him a question. Doppio looked up to see a pretty young woman standing in front of him. She wore an orange midriff with yellow lace and a dark green checkered skirt. Her big blue eyes blinked at him.

"I like frogs, too. I hate bugs, though. I also don't like guys who smell."

She turned around, watching the vast ocean in front of her. "I hate everything that's not beautiful."

He still sat down on the ground until she looked back at him. "Are you from here?"

"Y-yeah..." Doppio was a bit startled but answered her. He stood up immediately and spoke to her. "Say, it's a bit hot out. Want to get something to drink?"

"Well..." She walked around him to judge his appearance. Doppio swallowed his own saliva, hoping she would accept his offer. Fortunately, she smiled at his invitation. "That's not a bad idea. Then I want sparkling water. Hard water from France. I hope you're treating."

It was his first meeting with Donatella Una. She had been living in Sardinia for a while. The young woman was popular with the locals. She was a friendly, confident and bold person. No one understood why such an outgoing woman went out with him. He did not get it either.

"Why do you like me?"

The question surprised her. However, she laughed in response. That woman tucked a strain of hair from his face. "I think you're a gorgeous man. I really love your eyes. "

The Stupid Boy. The Coward Man. The Devil Child. He received a lot of nicknames during his life. Their insult or humiliation eventually died on his ears. He ignored and never bothered to fight back. The Priest was kind enough to adopt him. Doppio simply did not want to create a ruckus for the old man. Besides, he always knew a way to take care of his problem.

That was why her answer made him stunned. It was the first compliment he ever received regarding his look. No one in his life ever told that he was beautiful, let alone liked his eyes.

That man never thought he could feel something.

He smiled at her reply. She looked up to him as he caressed her face. Their kiss felt sweet and warm. The meeting under the sun eventually became a sleepless night under the stars. Donatella was happy with their relationship. She saw a bright future together with him.

However, such a thing would never come true.

Their relationship was built on lies. His identity, his façade and name were fake. That man had done unforgivable deed and sin under a pretentious mask. After an incident that almost revealed the truth, he left without a trace. Solido Naso disappeared as he never existed.

Donatella Una never met him again. She was busy searching for him to no outcome. Why did he go? Did he hate her? Did he forget about her? She could not even contact him about the child on her stomach. Her love turned into scorn, filled with curses and hatred solely dedicated to a man who abandoned her. She no longer cared about him and focused on raising their daughter. Despite her parent's disagreement, Donatella insisted on keeping the baby. She eventually got disowned by her parent.

Her life was lonely until Trish was born. They were not rich, but they were not downright poor either. Donatella managed to put food on the table and fulfilled their needs. Donatella loved how she grew to be a lovely little girl.

Her anger and fury subsided and healed over time. Despite the heartbreak, she still wanted to see him again. She realized everything were a lie, but his feeling for her was real. Donatella Una wanted to stare at those eyes for the last time.

A wish that never got fulfilled until the end of her life.

There he was, standing in front of her. She had a weak smile on her face. A single tear fell on her cheek. That man knew it was nothing but a dream, but he wanted to hold her.

"Bella, why are you crying?"

She turned around and walked away from him. He tried to grasp her figure, but she was far away from his reach. A swelling feel of unknown guilt swirled in his chest. He kept calling her name, but she never looked back.

"Doppio, wake up!"

The young man opened his eyes and fell down from his seat. Since Diavolo's job was not over, he received an order to look after Trish. They stayed in Italy for more few days until the situation was clear.

Both visited the beach since Trish got bored coping inside the hotel. She did not understand why Doppio wore a long shirt in such heat. Nevertheless, they had fun playing on the beach. After building a sandcastle, Trish swam on the sea. Doppio was supposed to watch her, but the little girl caught him slacking.

He scratched his head. "Sorry. I fell asleep. The sun and the wind feel nice."

She looked concerned. "That's not it. Why are you crying?"

He touched his cheek. Doppio did not realize tears fell from his eyes. "I have a dream, but I can't remember it."

"Really? Are you sure you are okay?"

He reassured her. "I'm fine. Do you need any help?"

"Can you take a picture for me? I want to remember this vacation."

"Sure! Let me take the camera first."

Trish stood with the sea as background. When she was smiling, Doppio saw a translucent figure resembling her expression. The young man wiped his eyes, wondering whether his sight went bad.

He had a feeling he had done the same thing in the past.

Trish frowned when she saw the result. Doppio noticed her annoyance. "Do you want me to take another shot?"

"No, you take a good photo. It's just the picture looks lonely." She was thinking about how to make the image better. One bright idea came to her mind. "I know. Let's take a picture together!"

They put a timer on the camera. It took some failure to take a photo since Trish was out of the frame, and Doppio tripped when he ran. After a few attempts, they finally got a good picture. He kneeled next to Trish while the little girl hugged his neck. After she was satisfied with the portrait, they returned to the hotel. Both held each other hands on their way back home.

That happy moment made him forget about his sad dream.