Easter Dinner

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..."Your voice does to me, what autumn does to trees. You call to say hello, and my clothes fall naturally."...

...~Rupi Kaur...

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...V I C T O R I A ...

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Upon reaching my destination, I switched off the engine and glanced at myself in the mirror. I saw a girl with blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, looking stunning in her royal purple knee-length satin dress.

I locked eyes with my reflection, the blue depths mirroring the vastness of the ocean, and I let out a sigh of exasperation. My parents had plans to travel to Europe, but I couldn't accompany them.

I always wanted to visit Paris, the city of my dreams, I wanted to travel the whole world, but I can't because of this stupid stupid stupid Aqua phobia.

Doing a self pitty session I stepped out of the car and quickly made my way inside the restaurant, I feel a little embarrassed at the thought of facing Dominic right now. After all, interrupting someone during séx can be quite embarrassing for anyone.

Upon reaching the top floor of the private restaurant, I was greeted by the sight of everyone's radiant faces. They all seemed so genuinely happy, and despite my earlier mood, a smile involuntarily spread across my lips.

"Dio Mio!" Aunt Isabel exclaimed as she approached me, enveloping me in a tight hug. "Sei così bella stasera, tesoro."

Not understanding Italian, I only caught a few familiar words like "bella" and "tesoro," meaning beautiful and sweetheart. "Thank you, Aunt Isabel," I responded with a smile, appreciating her kind words despite the language barrier.

I returned Aunt Isabel's hug and kissed her cheek before she pulled me towards the table. My mom greeted me with a smile, and I reciprocated with a kiss on her cheek as well, exchanging pleasantries.

Glancing around, I noticed my dad and Uncle Martin engrossed in a political conversation.

I shook my head and engaged myself in a conversation with Aunt Isabel and my mom, suddenly a familiar, deep velvety voice caught my attention.

"Ciao a tutti, piacere di conoscervi," Dominic greeted, his Italian accent adding charm to his words.

Turning around, I caught sight of him—dressed in an off-white, perfectly tailored suit with a crisp white shirt underneath.

"Brat... You're late," Aunt Isabel scolded him, playfully tugging his ear.

"Ouch mom... It hurts," he complained, his tone playful yet tinged with embarrassment.

I couldn't help but smile at his theatrics. "He's such a drama queen," I thought to myself.

"I was in a meeting... Mom," he explained, but as he met my gaze he coughed awkwardly. I quickly averted my eyes feeling a flush of embarrassment on my cheeks. Huh... Meeting... Liar.

"By the way, Mom, you are looking gorgeous tonight," he complimented, his tone sincere. "And Aunt Grace, oh my my, you look stunning," he continued, directing his praise towards my mom.

Mom and Aunt Isabel exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter.

"And you, mi tesoro," he added, turning his attention back to me with a warm smile. "Sembri una dea stasera," he said in Italian, causing me to look at him with confusion.

Mom and Aunt Isabel were already seated and engrossed in conversation about their upcoming trip. As I took a step towards my reserved seat, he suddenly grabbed my hand but I unintentionally jerked it away.

He frowned, his brows furrowing in confusion, and I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze.

"What, sweetheart? I already washed my hands," he said, his words catching me off guard.

As the words escaped from his lips, my eyes widened in surprise, meeting his stormy gray gaze.

"I... I didn't say anything," I stammered, feeling a rush of heat on my cheeks

"I know you my whole life, Victoria, I know why aren't you taking my hand." he said softly, direct looking into my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking," I replied, my voice wavering slightly.

Avoiding his gaze, I glanced around the room, feeling a sense of discomfort settling in. A sigh escaped my lips as I noticed two empty chairs side by side. Yes, I may have feelings for him, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to let him into my personal space.

"But do I have a choice in this? No, absolutely not," with another sigh, I made my way toward the table. "Come, they're calling us," I said to him, gesturing for him to follow.

With that, we took our respective seats. The rest of the dinner was filled with teasing, laughter, and light-hearted chit-chat, as we all enjoyed each other's company.

After dinner, I cleared my throat and grasped everyone's attention.

"Guys," I began, feeling a surge of nervousness as all eyes turned towards me.

"Yes, sweetheart?" my father's encouraging voice reached my ears, offering support.

"We are listening," my mom said with a warm smile.

"Actually... umm... I..." I hesitated, feeling the weight of nervousness settle in as all eyes turned toward me. Summoning my courage, I took a deep breath and blurted out the words that had been lingering in my mind.

"I like someone," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.

A hushed silence filled the room, everyone become stiff, specially the person sitting beside me.

"Who?" His voice broke the silence, and everyone's eyes wide with curiosity as they eagerly waited for my answer.

"Who, Victoria?"

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...End of the chapter...

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