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The limited minutesoffered by time were never enough during daylight with him. So I focused on myself. It helped to pass time, but the more changes occurred during his absence, the harder it was to ignore the anchor that weighed between us.
A piece of the Vitelli that had left Italy returned with every change. But today, I felt proud because I’d finished the paperwork to launch my brand. Today, I had accomplished everything necessary for it to be sent for licensing.
Yet, Lucca kept me from doing so. Afterall, it involved possible meetings and face to face deals. Safety risks.
As confident as I was for what I’d accomplished, I worried about its outcome.
While I waited for the sun to go down, hoping today could be the day to catch him long enough to talk and discuss my proposal to work, I looked over one last time the envelope I held for dear life.
The evening came and passed.
Lucca remained nowhere to be found.
Funny how time worked. How it could fly with no change and leave you behind if allowed. Or how you could get stuck in its minutes, reliving the past and watching it sweep by into your present. Or suck you into the never-ending routine of déjà vu.
For me, it felt like time had slipped through my fingers mockingly. Waiting for the night as it delivered silence and Lucca’s warm body near with my hand over his frame. Because as the sun awakened, so did I, alone.
TODAY
“Slow down, Wex!”
My order was as weak as my breathing. But it was the one command he disobeyed time after time. Wex had no regard for the cool down period after a run. It was all or nothing for him.
Vino panted by my side, watching his brother trot in the distance.
Eventually, Wex would return, as he always did.
Lucca’s property was large enough to run one lap around its perimeter and call it a full workout. In today’s excruciating heat that reminded me of the time changing and the season nearing to an end, my legs shook from overworked muscles. I lay down on the manicured grass, promising it would only be for a second to catch my breath. Vino didn’t relax. Instead, he sat in the shade I had missed by inches. His pants were erratic, and before my muscles could lock up, I rose back to my feet.
Miami’s summer would be cruel.
Summer.
I let go of the thought and looked up at the sun. Bright and unforgiving, I squinted my eyes to watch its set position. Its location said it was between the hours of ten and eleven, and we’d been out in the sun longer than usual.
“Let’s head back, Vino. We all need water.”
As we crossed straight through the backyard, Wex met us eagerly to trade us for comfort and air conditioning.
We passed by the tempting pool until we reached the back door kitchen. I opened the door and waited for the boys to go in before walking inside.
The kitchen was crowded, and when I took my earphones off, I listened to the commotion of pots, pans, and furious whisks jumbling in loud chaos.
“Oh, thank goodness, you are back.” Mrs. Greco exhaled, wiping her forehead against the towel over her shoulder.
Confused, I continued on the path to the fridge, picking out a bottle of water and a few ice cubes from the dispenser.
“What’s the occasion?” I asked.
Talia kneaded dough by the corner. Strands of hair fell from her loose ponytail as she worked quietly, making herself small and far away from everyone’s fast pace. She was lost to the music that surely blared in her ears.
As I waited for Mrs. Greco’s reply, I walked over to Wex and Vino and dropped the ice cubes into their bowls.
“Family lunch.”
Stunned by the deep and cold tone, I quickly turned to face its owner.
Dressed in the most casual outfit I’d seen him in, dark aegean blue-colored chinos and a white polo, Lucca stood tall in his cloud of malice. I stared, appreciating the ink his arms carried out in the open.
