Chapter 1 - The proposal
Celestine felt devastated, her father had already left for the war. Sylvia had completely changed, her cheerful and humorous attitude shattered. When Celestine burst into tears, she turned away from the balcony and went back to her room.
Then there was lunchtime. The only sound was the clatter of utensils against the plates. Cesare sat next to her as usual, looking at her with pity. The mothers didn't speak, they were acting as if nothing had happened.
After lunch, she knocked on the door to Cesare's and his brothers' room. Thomas opened it, looking at her with confusion. "Why are you here?" She answered, "We should pray together. You know how it's said in the Bible? Where two or three gather in God's name, there God will be with them." Thomas wasn't exactly into Christianity, he just went to church because of his religious parents. So he rolled his eyes but let her in.
When she stepped inside, she saw Damian again, studying, this time more intently, and Cesare staring up at the ceiling. As Damian noticed her entering, he straightened his slouch. "What are you doing here?" he asked, genuinely curious. She began, "Can we please pray together? I'm worried about my father." Cesare turned his attention to her. Damian simply listened in silence. Thomas barked, "Our father is also going to war! Don't act like you're the only one suffering!" Damian snapped, "Don't shout like that! She just wants to pray!" Cesare got up from his bed and began speaking. "Stop, you two. She is right. At times like this, when we're unable to do anything, we should pray and worship our God." Damian nodded before apologising for his behaviour. Thomas just flopped into his armchair. "We should stand up for prayer," Cesare said, so Thomas sighed and stood up. And so they all prayed together, for the war to end and for their father to be safe.
If any part of the story seems unclear, I recommend reading "Glacial Dreams" first, as it's the beginning of this story.
