This Love

“Mio caro, here’s your order.” My favorite server at Caffé Reggio came with my order as I was just signing the design I was drawing on my iPad. Giancarlo works at Caffé Reggio for a long time, and I’ve only been coming here since I was a kid. Of course, they just don’t serve their famous cappuccino, they also have some drinks without caffeine and food. Yeah, he’s been working here since before I was born. Giancarlo also knows my parents very well.

“Grazie, always love the smell of your coffee.” I said with a smile while Giancarlo placed the plate of stuffed croissants and a cup of their famous cappuccino on the table.

“Another busy day I, see?” He asked as I sip my first coffee of the day. I nodded at his question. “Everybody wants a summer wedding. That I don’t understand. IF I’m getting married, I would like a fall wedding, not too hot and not too cold.” I continued, “And of course, you have to walk me down the aisle, Mr. Petrillo.” The thought of my wedding was nerve-wracking.

My father died four years ago, from a heart attack. It was so sudden that I didn’t have the chance to say goodbye to him or my siblings. My mother was with him when he passed away and even my mother was shocked. Although we siblings know our father wasn’t that healthy and we already know the possibility of him having a heart attack, but it was too sudden.

Giancarlo sighed, “You know I’ll be there, Dahlia. Eat up, so you’ll have the morning with energy.” He smiled at me, and I nodded. I followed him with my gaze as he walked back behind the counter and into the back room of the café.

Once he was out of my sight, I went to sip from my cup again. It was a normal Monday morning for me and the rest of New York when my iPad, phone and watch started beeping. The curse of the Apple products when you have them all was that they sync to each other. I peek at my phone and a facetime was incoming. I grabbed my bag from the chair beside me and looked for my AirPods, once I had found them, I quickly wore both pods. Stand the iPad in front of me and answer the call.

“Dahlia!” Said the boisterous Lily from the other side of the screen.

Lily Fidelio is one of my best friends and is the daughter of an Italian Ambassador to the United States. Although living in the States, she goes back and forth to Italy for work purposes if she was needed in person. But it seems today she’s in the country and needed something from me.

I took a bite of my croissant before speaking. “Lily, nice to see you again.” I joked. Lily had been MIA this weekend while the rest of the gang were in the Hamptons.

Lily groaned while she rolled her eyes at me. Does it seem Ms. Lily had a thing or two happen to her? “Come on, spill it. I know why you called me. You’re in trouble and you want me to save you from it?” It seems I’m the adult in the group whether with alcohol in the system or not.

“I think I might have gotten married in Italy.” She said in a matter-of-factly manner.

I, on another hand, was silent at what I uncovered from her. I took my half-full cup of cappuccino and gulped it in one breath. I want to understand what was just said, did I hear it right? Did she get married?

“Wait, did you just say you got married? In Italy?” Oy Vey! This will be a long week for me and the rest of the group.

“I just saw this in my luggage while I was unpacking.” Lily was holding up an Italian marriage certificate. I might not understand the language but it’s obvious what ‘Matrimonio’ means.

I was thinking about what scenario would make this happen but then my phone rang. The caller ID made sure that my boss’s name was stamped across the top. I didn’t want to hang up on Lily but duty calls.

“Why don’t we go over this again later with the girls? Let’s say we meet at Gavino’s tonight? I’m so sorry, I have to take this call.” And without making her object, I ended the call with Lily, and accepted the call from my boss, Arianne Corbeau, through my iPad.

I erased my shocked emotion from my face and softened it to make my voice calm. This is becoming a bizarre Monday for me, what else is going to happen? My ex who disappeared five years ago would just pop up? I laughed on the inside as I thought about it.

“Helloooooooo, Dahlia?” I snapped from my daydreaming as I heard Arianne’s voice from the other line.

“Yes, I’m here. I’ve finished the venue design for the Kramer-Maxwell wedding. All we have to do from the list is cake tasting and flowers. Gina had taken care of the Videographer and Photographer.” I double-checked the list from my phone as I told her which was done.

“Okay, good job. But I have to reassign you to a new client. I’ll let Gina take over the Kramer-Maxwell profile. Send the venue design to her.” I can’t believe what I was hearing. Reassigning me to a new client while I have hopes to see my project get to the finish line.

I sighed loudly so she could hear. “Really? After I’m almost finished with this project then you reassign me. Arianne, the wedding is in a month. I can’t be reassigned.” I did my best to get out of the situation I was in. I love my job, and this might not be my first project, but I love seeing my clients walk down the aisle.

I could tell Arianne didn’t like the situation either because of how I can hear her seat from the background. I’ve worked for the woman since I graduated college, and I think I would know her nervous ticks. “To be honest, Dahlia. I’ve explained to this client that you’re not available, but they still insist, and I can’t do much about it. Besides, this will be your first time working with a very well-known person.” Arianne explained.

My jaw just dropped at the mention of a well-known client. Does she think I’ve never met a famous person before? I, who had been invited to the Met Gala numerous times. It was the perks of being the daughter of a Hotelier and Restaurateur, I had the life of a Paris Hilton before I decided I want a career of my own.

“Okay, I’ll take this one but next time whether they’re famous or not tell them I’m already working on another project. Email me their details and have they scheduled an appointment?” I agreed but with terms the next time this happened again.

“Umm, yeah, about that appointment.” She sings songs in her words.

“Arianne, seriously. I’m at the south end of Manhattan. Don’t tell me they’re there already?” As I said this, I was already packing my phone and iPad into my bag. Took my last bite of the croissant I ordered when Arianne started talking again.

“I’ll just let it rip and say they want you to come to Martha’s Vineyard tonight.” I could hear her nervous laugh from the other line.

She was lucky I was still chewing my food and didn’t go hysterical. Should I hang up and end up being fired or should I just go? The questions keep coming to my mind.

“Dalli? Are you still there?” Arianne asked.

“I’m still here,” I said after all the food in my mouth had gone down to my stomach. “You’re lucky I’m not a bitch that’ll leave you high and dry, Arianne. Send me the client’s number and I’ll message where to meet them at the Vineyard. I swear this better be the last surprise you’ll ever do to me.” I hung up without saying goodbye. I didn’t want Arianne to add more demands from this clientele.

After the whirlwind of conversations from both Lily and Arianne, I went to get my phone again to message my middle brother who’s a private pilot and owns a small aircraft plane. Explain to him what’s in store for him this afternoon.

By five in the afternoon, I met Noel at JFK International Airport. The FBO people came to the security to pick me up. We’ve always had instant clearance as Noel always arranges everything quickly. Although this trip is only for a few hours, it will still cost me a debt from my brother.

Arriving at the tarmac where the plane was parked and ready to go, I saw Noel doing his usual pre-flight checks. “I see Lucy is being taken care of. Have you been to Las Vegas again?” I jokingly said. The SR20 Cirrus Aircraft was usually at the hangar, only taken out when Noel goes to Las Vegas for business and let’s just say pleasure as well.

My brother rolled his eyes at me but smiled afterwards. “No, I’ve just been flying lately, and I don’t have to fly to Las Vegas as frequently as it used to be. I’ve hired a regional manager.” Noel explained being defensive as usual.

“I’m kidding, Noel. Anyways, I will just be there for a few hours. You didn’t bring a bag, didn’t you?” I asked. Noel Gavino has always been into perfection, he doesn’t like an oops in a plan. Everything must be perfect from flight plans to hotel reservations and food.

The man raised the papers he was holding up. I raised an eyebrow, I know they were the flight plans. “And you must have not heard that there will be a thunderstorm later tonight. You were so vague in your message earlier. Sis, call me when you need something and not message me ‘Can you fly me to Martha’s Vineyard?’ I assume we’re staying for the night. I have my flight plans for today and tomorrow. I got a hotel room for us as well.”

“Uhuh …” I trailed off because I have no clean clothes with me. My bag was only this big because of work stuff in it.

Noel groaned. “Mama knew this would happen. She packed you some clothes.”

“You told Mama we will be at Martha’s Vineyard. You idiot. She’ll think I miss him and decided to go there for a memory stroll.” It’s been five years, but the memory of that summer night was still kicking at the back of my brain.

I shook my head at Noel and decided to put my things in the baggage cargo. The door to the baggage opened suddenly, a keyless feature from the maker of the plane. “Show off.” I mumbled under my breath as I shoved my things inside and closed the baggage cargo door. The flight from JFK to Martha’s Vineyard isn’t that far away, I had taken the route before with my parents and brothers.

Sat in the passenger cockpit, I waited for Noel to finish his pre-flight checks. It was a time not wasted on my part as I messaged the client where to meet them. The back and forth messaging between me and the client went smoothly and by the time we finished, Noel had gone inside the left side of the cockpit and wore his headphones on. I did the same and turned my phone into airplane mode. The best practice while on a small plane.

Noel turned on all the instruments as the ATC tower gave directions on which runway Noel should take. The man drove the plane like a pro on the runway and wasn’t fazed about the big jetliner that was waiting to depart right after him.

“JFK, November-two-eight-tango-whiskey, ready at runway 13 left.” I could hear my brother’s almost autotuned voice from the headphones.

“November-two-eight-tango-whiskey, runway 13 left, cleared for take-off.” The ATC person confirmed that we were allowed to take off at the runway we were on.

“Roger that!” Noel replied. I watched as my brother maneuvered the small plane on the long runway. He throttled the right speed to get us up in the air.

I could still hear the ATC talking to other pilots on the comms making sure to make a gap between us and the big jets that were taking off after us. I would like to get to Martha’s Vineyard in one piece and alive. About ten minutes into flying, my brother got my attention.

“Dalli, you know it’s okay to not forget even if it is five years ago.”

I looked at him with a bitter smile on my lips. To be honest, I’m not mad about the guy leaving me. It was the manner he left. He left without a goodbye or a letter. He and his family just disappeared. Who wouldn’t be mad at that?

“I’m trying to forget for the sake of my sanity. I don’t think you want to repeat the days and weeks I was just nothing?” I reminded him of the first months of his leaving me. No one can make me get out of my apartment. I became an introvert and didn’t want to be with anybody. It lasted for quite a while, but I had the guts to wake up my subconscious and realized I had better things to do than mop around.

“Haven’t you heard the stages of grief? It takes a while to come out of it. Look at Queen Victoria, always grieving for her husband.” Noel tried to convince me, but the tears were enough not to go back to that stage again.

I took a deep breath. “I know you mean well but I’m okay. I can go back to the place where it all started and ended. It’s just for one night. No big deal.” The blue water below us glitters at the almost setting sun from the horizon, but as I looked at the flight deck and saw the destination meter go down, a nervous tick started happening that I haven’t done for five years. I started twirling a strand of my hair. I could feel an impending situation coming and it seems I could never get out of it.

We arrived at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in an hour and eight minutes. The landing that Noel did was smooth compared to commercial jetliners. The ATC at this airport was already close by the time we arrived, and Noel solely relayed at the after tower hours. But the FBO at this airport was 24 hours.

A car was already reserved for us, and we decided that I would drive this time. Transferring luggage and a tired passenger, I punched in the address of the resort the client wants us to meet at. Fortunately, it was the same resort we were staying in for the night as well. It was about 14-minutes from the airport, an easy drive.

The drive was fairly quiet, and I didn’t mind it, I still remember the road and the vast greenery. I smiled to myself, only remembering the good times.

“Tomorrow, you want to eat at our favorite restaurant?” Noel asked out of the blue.

I looked at him briefly before looking back on the road.

“Really? Because I’ve been craving them.” I excitedly said. Maybe that’s just what I needed for, a nice Bobby B’s pizza.

Noel chuckled and the rest of the drive was silent again. My brother can be annoying sometimes but I know he cares a lot like our older brother Dustin. They might be opposite in some respects, but they rarely fight. Our age gap isn’t far off anyways, we were built to be siblings.

Arriving at the resort I parked and let Noel go inside to check us in while I retrieved my iPad from my bag. The client supplied a map of the resort and circled the private home they rented. It wasn’t that far from the front of the resort, it was two houses down the road. I started walking in that direction when my phone rang. The caller didn’t have a name and was only a number, I answered it with my usual greeting.

But no one was answering, although I know someone was on the other line because I can hear talking in the background. I pressed, repeating my greeting. But then I heard another person in the background say. “She’ll come, Matthew, she’s on her way now.” My eyebrows furrowed. Matthew? What? I thought to myself. Was this some kind of joke Arianne had planned?

I hung up the phone and confirmed to the client that I’m only five minutes out from their rented home. As I turned to a long driveway, my heartbeat started hammering. What was this feeling? I don’t know, it feels foreign to me now. Stopping at a fork, I saw the number of the private houses. I took the left driveway, it had two cars on them. Taking each step seems to be a slow-motion from a movie.

Still halfway from the door, it opened, and I stopped in my tracks. My face was nowhere near paintable. I felt my face feel cold, my mouth slightly open from shock and I almost dropped my iPad. “Matthew?” These are the only words I could let out of my mouth.