You wipe the sleep from your eyes and groan, Ready or not the day is here and you need to get dressed. You shuffle through your bag trying to find something nice, packing quickly while tipsy probably wasn't the best idea. You pull out a beautiful all black cami maxi dress and grab your sneakers, not that anyone would see.
You apply some mascara and put on some black lipstick, you look like you're going to a funeral.
"Perfect!" You mumble under your breath. You take one last spin in the oversized mirror and turn on your heel. You stop in your tracks. You bring your eyes up to find Luca leaning against the doorframe, you didn't hear him open the door.
"Natalia, you look so beautiful... You need to eat. Come, I've made you breakfast." Luca says as he extends his hand to you.
You grab his hand as he guides you to the kitchen where there is a plate full of food and coffee waiting for you. You sit down going for some coffee, you are surprised, it's just how you like it.
He takes notice and responds with El told him how you like your coffee, extra sugar and milk. You responded with of course.
'Are you nervous?" He asks.
"That's one emotion I'm feeling, among many others!" You tell him.
You take a few bites of the eggs and bacon trying to stay cool, but you just can't eat right now. You drink your coffee and head to get more. As you sit back down you notice Luca watching you with an intense face, a face you're unable to read.
As your eyes meet one another's he finally musters out "I'm sorry Natalia I never meant for any of this to happen, But I know your mother, father and you have no idea the kind of pain your mother went through losing you, losing Flora! We grieved together, that's a bond I'll never forget. I made 2 promises that night, and I keep my word!"
You listen, you feel his pain. Before this, that was the only life you knew, you didn't have to grieve losing a mother, sister or lover. You're still upset with him for deceiving you but you can't be upset he's reuniting you with your birth parents.
By now it's around 5 and you are getting anstier by the second, you two are getting ready to head out to an Italian restaurant where your parents are waiting. Before you leave El grabs you and pulls you in the toughest bear hug you've ever had, she whispers in your ear "I can't wait to hear about it when you get back, remember please be patient with him" she kisses your cheek and your on your way.
Luca uses one of Marks nice cars to escort you there, it's quiet for the first few minutes. Luca breaks the silence "Just a heads up, We've rented the back so we have some privacy" You nod to acknowledge his words, he grabs your hand and brings it up to his lips and gives it a soft kiss.
You feel a bit at ease, but you're still shaken up, more nervous than you've ever been in life. A few more minutes pass and you're finally here. Your heart is thumping so hard it's almost like the cartoons you watched as a kid. Luca pulls up to the entrance as he gets out and heads to your door. He helps you out and gives the valet a crisp bill and the keys. He grabs your arm as you two head inside.
Following his lead, you two make your way to the very back, it's large and away from literally everyone else. It's a very private area, very elegant, you feel under-dressed. As you approach, you take notice of the couple sitting at the table, as they see you they stand up, the woman already has tears streaming down her face.
You feel like you just got a hard punch in the gut, a lump fills your throat and before long you too have tears streaming down your face. Your mother is the most beautiful woman you've ever seen. Long curly black hair, honey eyes and curves. Your father is a tall, orange haird man with bright green eyes.
You take a note of how much of them you really are. As you reach the table your mother is bawling uncontrollably but she cups your face and pulls you in for a long hug while your father has to pull her back. The four of you finally sit down.
"Kenneth, it's really her, our baby girl, she's finally with us again!" Your mother cries out.
"Yes, Isabella, but don't frighten the poor girl!" Your father said back to her.
"Luca, grazie mio caro ragazzo" Isabella says to Luca.
"Nessun problema, signora Arthur. Il bastardo è il prossimo!!" Luca responds.
"Where's KJ?" Luca asked while pouring the bubbly champagne for everyone.
Kenneth responds telling him he's running late but will be here shortly.
"Amorè, I must know, are you okay?" Your mother asks you.
Tears come down again as you quickly wipe them away, Luca grabs your hand and squeezes. He softly says "Be honest tesoro mia!"
"No, no I am absolutely not okay!" You express with a deep sorrow. "My life..... Has been full of pain and trauma, but to be honest.... seeing you, mom, dad, is the happiest I think I've ever been.. Somehow I think I've always known, I look nothing like my mom, I mean Sofia.." Before you can get another word out you hear your mother slam her fists onto the table mumbling what you assume are curses.
"Quella stronza malvagia!" She spits.
Your father grabs your mother's hand and places a kiss on there, giving her reassurance. Your father turns to you to say "You're safe now sweet lass, You're home and we will get justice! We are sorry we couldn't protect you but you just know we will spend our lives making it up to you dear!"
A newfound warmth fills your heart. You have never had warmth with your drunken mother who never expressed anything but vile word venom. And that was when she was actually around, sober or not that woman was just cancerous.
You smile at your parents as they flag down the waiter, the four of you order some food and engage in small talk, mostly about your life, you try to keep the bad trauma to yourself. There's no need for them to feel even worse about the fucked up life of their stolen kid.
Luca excuses himself for a moment as he gets up and head out. Having another glass of bubbly, you and your mother are now in lighter spirits. She looks up at you and says "Cara, has Luca talked to you about.... your sister?" She says with a sad tone.
"A bit, just that her name was Flora and that they we're betrothed." You respond. You continued "I look just like her, it's scary!"
Both of your parents chuckle, you gulp down the other half of the shute, and pour another. You keep the part of you two wanting each other out but ironically your mother does ask.
"Do you like Luca? Has he been good and kind to you?" She asks. You nod your head yes. "Good honey, we owe him a great debt for finding you and bringing you back to us!" Your mother says.
You think to yourself that not so long ago Luca was a stranger, one you doted over, a mean dangerous fighter, and now you see him as he is, broken and fucked up just like you. As much as you don't want to you still like him, he's been nothing kind, generous and protective of you. You have never felt safer than you do with him.
"Mom..... What all has Luca said to you about us.. me?" You ask.
"Well that he found you, and that you look just like your sister of course, is there something going on between the two of you?" She asks.
You take a deep breath and quickly explain your version, how you admired him, had a bit of feelings for him ect then how he told you everything. You admitted that you care for him quite a bit. You pause reading their faces. They're strangers so you're not quite sure how to read their faces.
"Well, Cara, in your defense you didn't know! We don't get to choose who we fall for.. Your father and I, that was definitely something else!" Your mother says.
You smile, as your father adds "He's a good lad Natalia, you will be safe with him!" You are pleased to see that they approve of him, but you think to yourself about how customs must be different there. You half expected them to be surprised at the fact you two have been teetering on lust.
Luca is finally back and seated, shortly after the food is brought, there's a group of waiters to bring everything in. You take notice of a cake being brought in as well. You elbow Luca in the arm, prepping for what's next.
The staff present the cake and sing the restaurants personalized birthday song to you. You hate this, it's always been an embarrassing thing to you, but El has done this to you countless times because your reaction is always hilarious to her. Especially the time the staff followed you to the bathroom as you tried avoiding it. That was a fun night.
Luca places his large hand on your thigh, rubbing up and down slowly as they walk away. After the noise dies down the four of you engage in small talk and your dinners.
Your mother turns to you and says "Honey, your birthday is tomorrow, what are your plans?" You turn to Luca, "Well before everything went south, Luca said he had something nice planned."
She turns to Luca with a smile and says "Make it special please Luca!"
"As you wish Mrs. Arthur!" He responds.
The four of you eat and laugh for the rest of the time. You've spent only a few hours with these people and you have never felt more at peace and more at home than you do now. It just feels right, complete. You take notice of a tall, lean man making his way to the table.
"Mama!" You hear the man say as he reaches the table. He kisses Isabella on the cheek and grabs Luca by the hand and pulls him up into a big.
"Lucaa, my man how've you been?" He asks "I been good KJ!" Luca responds grabbing your hand and bringing you up, "Natty, this is your brother, KJ!" The man pulls you quickly for a tight hug.
He pulls back to look at you taking in your face, "Nice to finally meet you sister!" You respond with likewise and a giggle.
He sits down next to your mother, across from Luca and grabs a slice of cake. "Luca, I found him. He's with a woman, I think it's Sofia!"
You verbally gasp. My mother you ask him! Visibly confused KJ looks at you, "You're mother?" He asks. "Yes, my mother's name is Sofia! Whose with her?" You ask him.
"Antonio, the rat bastard!" KJ said. Your breathing gets heavier. "He is!" You blurt out. Luca turns to you and asked how you know. You tell him.
"Yesterday, when I called my mom, a man was in the background, he had an accident, I don't know how I didn't put it together!"
"Are you sure" Luca asks, You nod. He turns to your mother and says "Vengeance will be ours, but I'm going to take Natalia back to Mark's, we have a lot to talk about!"
The five of you move out from the booth and say your goodbyes, exchanging numbers with your mother as she squeezes you like she never wants to let you go. She tells you she'll see you again soon. Luca grabs your hand and holds it as you two head to the front door.
The ride back to Mark's is silent yet calming. You don't know what you expected to happen but it really wasn't that. You're not sure if Luca is your fate, but the love and longing for him is beginning to form and you can't help but think it couldn't be too bad, to have him as your other half, lover, protector.
Every man in your life has been shit, but he's different you can feel it do in your heart. All your life you never wanted to keep going, you hated life. You've known this man less than a month and he's already changed everything in your life... for the better.
You grab his hand and kiss it. He grins while peeping you while keeping focused on the road. You never thought true happiness was in the cards for you, but here you are HAPPY!
Finally you two are back in the driveway. He shuts the engine off and turns to you, Cupping your face in his hand he says "I've never been so happy as I am with you I really hope I made you happy tonight!"
You look him in the eyes and express how happy you are by pulling him closer and kissing him, he grabs your head gently pulling you even closer. You two are making out at this point, he pulls you into his lap, with the steering wheel pressed against your back it forces you two face to face.
Continuing the make-out session he places his hands on the small of your back, gripping your sides. The two of you spend the next 20 minutes in a steamy lustful tongue tie before you hear a knock on the window. You see Ella's face, opening the door she giggles as she grabs you to pull you inside to get the tea. She tells Luca "You can wait lover boy, she was mine first and I NEED to get the deats!" Luca rolls his eyes as he follows you two inside.