Harlow
YOU WHAT!
I can see it now—her wide eyes, wine glass mid-air, probably pacing her kitchen in fuzzy socks while Melanie screams in the background.
I take a deep breath and keep typing.
Me
I was in the convenience store picking up some things, and he was there. As I was leaving, he asked me to come with him to the water park, only to clarify.
Melanie
Annnndddd did anything happen?
I pause for a moment before replying. How much should I tell them? Should I tell them how Gabriel reacted to being near me in the pool, how he was hard the entire time, or how my heart almost stopped when he invited me to Italy? Probably not. I’m not ready for that…oh, screw it.
Me
Well, he was hard the entire time we were in the water. And on the way home, he asked me to go on their family trip to Italy.
Harlow
Wait–he asked you to go to ITALY with him?!!! What did you say?
I take a moment to think. The words I’ll think about it feel right, but they don’t fully convey everything I’m feeling. I’m dying inside to say yes, but there’s so much I haven’t processed yet.
Me
Well, I said I’d think about it. I don’t want to get into anything more tonight, girls. I’m going to head to bed.
I’m not really going to bed yet—it’s only nine—but I don’t feel like dealing with their interrogations right now. It’s overwhelming enough as it is. I need a moment to breathe, to think, and to let my heart catch up with my brain. How do you even process something like this? How do you evenpreparefor something like this?
I’m not just deciding whether to go on a trip. I’m standing on the edge of something that feels huge. Something terrifying. Something… real.
I close my phone and take a deep breath, my mind racing. Gabriel asked me to go to Italy. It feels like a dream, but is it? Do I really want to leave everything behind just for a chance at something…more?
I know one thing for sure. Iamgoing to Italy.
There’s no other option. How could I turn down an opportunity like that?
It’s not really about the trip. Or even Italy. It’s about him.About Aura. About this life I’m slowly falling into—the one that feels more real than anything I’ve ever known.
And maybe—just maybe—it’s about me, too. Choosing something for myself for once. Letting go of the past. Saying yes, not out of fear, but out of hope.
My phone dings again, and I glance down. It’s another text from Connor. I ignore it, letting it sit there unanswered.
For the first time today, I don’t feel the pressure of his existence in my life. For the first time, I can only think aboutwhat comes next.
And what comes next? Italy. Gabriel. Aura. And the chance to be a part of something bigger than myself. A new chapter. A new life.
Maybe I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I’ll get there. And somehow, I know that this—whatever this is—is only the beginning.
From Pasta to Passion
GABRIEL
One monthafter water park day
