make sense of Alessandro's unusual behavior, I gazed out the window in the hope of deciphering our probable destination, but we drove through the same city streets—just like countless times before. After a while, we entered a fancy suburban area filled with beautiful middle-class houses. Each and every one of them had a beautiful front yard lawn. On one of those yards, children played soccer and their parents cheered them on from the porch. The neighborhood looked like a perfect place to raise a family. Nevertheless, that didn't account for the reason behind our visit. Suddenly, we slowed and Alessandro parked the car in front of one of the most beautiful houses in the area. It was a charming Victorian style home with a long porch and a wide garage.
Alessandro unfastened his seatbelt, and I gave him a confused look. “Now are you going to tell me what we’re doing here?”
He swallowed and exhaled; his features settling into an even deeper expression of uncertainty and discomfort. “Olivia, I can't tell you,” he muttered in a low tone. “I have to show you. Come, let's go before I chicken out and change my mind.”
The way he carried himself baffled me even further, but I followed him out of the car. We strolled to the front door when an overly excited golden retriever appeared out of nowhere and sprinted toward us. I watched in amazement as the dog ran straight to Alessandro and jumped on him.
“Charlie, get back here!” I heard a high-pitched voice that sounded familiar.
When I wheeled around, a little girl stood about ten feet away from us. Her eyes were narrowed on my face. That curly blonde hair and those blue eyes grasped my attention and wouldn't let go. An instinctive feeling rushed through my entire body as we gazed into each other's eyes. I smiled and stepped forward. But the girl’s eyes settled on Alessandro and she screamed in pleasant surprise.
“Alessandro!” she yelled his name, and ran straight into his arms.
“Piccolina!” He embraced her and lifted her in the air as the dog jumped around them, searching for their attention.
“You came! You came!” she repeated in delight.
“Of course I did, piccolina,” Alessandro said gently. “I told you I'd be back soon, didn't I?”
For a few moments, I just stood there. Dumbfounded, I observed this incredible scene that played out in front of me. Alessandro and the little blonde-haired girl laughed together and enjoyed each other's company.
At some point, Alessandro's eyes met mine, and he lost his smile, placing the little girl back to the ground. She picked up on the change in the atmosphere and swirled over to face me. “And who is this?” she inquired innocently.
If it were possible, Alessandro's expression sank even deeper. He lowered himself to her level and pointed toward me. “Piccolina, don't you remember her?”
The little girl shook her head. Suddenly, a powerful surge of realization shook my system and I placed both of my hands over my mouth as tears sprang to my eyes. “May?” I choked out in a barely audible voice. “May, is that you?”
She stared at me with a hint of uncertainty and slowly nodded. Then, her eyes widened and she whispered, “Olivia...Olivia, you came back.”
I gasped and fat tears rolled down my cheeks. “Yes, baby...I came back.”
Still under the influence of shock, I approached her and knelt down next to Alessandro. Without a word, I hugged her to myself as tightly as I could, and she placed her arms around my neck, returning my embrace.
“Olivia, where have you been?” she asked in a tiny voice.
“It doesn't matter, sweetheart,” I whispered. “It doesn't matter. I'm here now.”
I slightly pushed myself away from her to take in her appearance. She had grown so much. She was almost twice the size since I'd seen her last time. Her face and hair had changed as well, but it was May. It was my May.
“Are you going to go away again?” She sounded afraid.
I gaped at Alessandro. There were a million questions in my head, but he understood which one I wanted to ask. “No, piccolina. Olivia is here to stay. She’s going to visit you as much as she can.”
May's gaze shifted from Alessandro to me. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. “You two know each other?” She sounded perplexed, as if she couldn't wrap her mind around it.
Alessandro's eyes locked with mine, and we were both uncomfortable for a moment. May knew nothing about our marriage. Neither of us said anything and