Choices

A Push

'Anyone can hide. Facing up to things, working through them. That's what makes you strong'

*Edited

I wake up to the sun shining and birds chirping. I slowly open my eyes and see Stefano looking at me.

"Morning beautiful." I grab onto him when he pulls me on top of him. "What am I going to do for three days without you?"

"What did you do for 29 years before meeting me?" He let's out a laugh.

"Come on smart ass." He picks me up and carries me to the kitchen. Nico hands me a cup of coffee and kisses my forehead.

"Morning Nico." I go to help Nonna Rosa, but Luca pulls me close.

"I'm being selfish this morning." I hear Nonna Rosa let out a laugh and I could feel my cheeks start to heat up. "Are you sure you don't want to go back with us?" I look at Luca and see the pleading in his eyes.

"Luca, I am sure." I lean in close and whisper in his ear. "When you come get me, I promise you can do whatever you want." I hear him let out a groan.

"Just you wait. Nikola, we have plans to make." I look at Nikola with a dangerous smirk on his lips. I look back at Luca. We eat breakfast and I walk them back to the boat with Nonna Rosa.

"Be safe." I watch the boat until it's out of sight.

"Come on angel, let me show you around my home." We walk to the village and the first place is a bread shop. "Carlos!" Rosa calls out and a man walks from the back.

"Ciao Rosa, who is this?"

"She's a friend of Stefano's." They give each other a look. "Carlos, this is Jess. Jess, this is Carlos."

"Ciao Jess." Carlos says with a smile.

"Ciao Carlos." He wraps me in a hug.

"Best bread, he makes rolls in exchange for some peppers to make spices." Carlos hands us three bags of rolls before we leave. The next shop is a butcher.

"Alfonzo is the best butcher on the island. We trade meat for..."

"Love." Alfonzo comes up and gives Rosa a kiss. "Who is this, amore?"

"This is Jess, Stefano and them brought her here for a surprise vacation and they had to go back." Nonna Rosa says with a smile on her face.

"They let you stay?" I laugh when I see the shocked look on his face.

"Not without the help of Nonna Rosa." He let's out a laugh.

"Stand your ground with them. They can be hard at times, but deep down they're just big softies." I let out a laugh. Alfonzo hands Nonna Rosa some meat before we go to the last shop. A flower shop.

"Oh wow." I look around at all the colorful arrangements. "It's so beautiful."

"Lillian does magic with flowers."

"A gift I got from my Nonna." I see a beautiful woman walk from the back. "My mamma killed anything green that she touched." We all let out a laugh.

"We'll see you at dinner Lillian." We walk back and put things away. "I'll show you how to make cannolis." I watch her, she cooked with so much passion and love. "I made Stefano help in the kitchen, don't ask him to bake anything. He'll burn it." I let out a laugh.

"No wonder why he wouldn't make me brownies."

"You like them?" I feel my cheeks start to heat up. I let out a deep breath.

"I do." I could feel my cheeks heat up, would she judge me?

"Be patient with them." I look at her, she wasn't giving me any looks of judgement, or disgust. "We love who we love angel. What about your parents?"