Chapter Text
POV: Vic, August 20, 2007
We woke up so early to drive to the airport on our last day. Instead of sending a cab for us, like they did on the way in, the Perlmans insisted on driving us to the airport themselves, in their Fiat and in Anchise’s car. Dad let me sit in the front with Annella, and he squished in the backseat with Elio. Ari was in the second car driven by Sammy, with Jasmine tagging along. Sammy said that he and Jasmine had some last minute work to do at the university, so the airport was basically on the way, but I think they all just wanted to be there to see us off.
Mafalda made us a big breakfast, and she sent us home with more cookies and pastries than we thought we’d be able to carry through security. She hugged us goodbye, kissed us each on the cheek, and we promised we’d see her soon. Dad said we’d have to wait until we have our school and extra-curricular schedules for the semester, but if we can find cheap enough flights and we won’t be too busy, we might be able to go to Italy during our winter break.
I loved this summer so much. I usually have a hard time making friends - I don’t know how Ari does it so easily. Everyone always wants to be Ari’s friend. Other teenagers actually wanted to spend time with me this summer. Maybe it was as a favor to Ari, but they all came to my concert, to see me play, and they were all so nice to me all summer. The concert may have been one of the best days of my life.
Also, I found a girl who actually wanted to kiss me. I knew that things with Elena wouldn’t work out beyond the summer, but it still hurt when she ended things. I had hope that we’d hang out a lot again in the future, though. Dad and Elio were right that we live in different countries, and we weren't actually dating. I didn’t want to go home yet, but at least I knew we’d definitely be back next summer.
Dad and Elio spent the whole car ride to the airport holding hands and cuddling in the backseat, whispering to each other and kissing. They were both trying unsuccessfully not to cry, but I didn’t really get why they were crying - Elio was going to visit us in two weeks, for my birthday. I guess when they spent pretty much every moment of the past two months together, separating for two weeks would be difficult.
I liked Elio a lot, and he was really, really good to Dad, and also to Ari and me. Elio was madly in love with Dad, and we could tell that Dad immediately felt the same way about him. He spent so much of his time this summer working with me, teaching me music theory and how to compose, and he didn’t have to do any of that. Elio had his own composing to do, his own lesson plans to write, and he got nothing out of working with me. I don’t even think he did it to impress Dad or get closer to him - I think he did it because he genuinely cared about me, after we’d spent the past year emailing and talking. I don't know if I'm allowed to call him my friend, given that he will very likely be my step father one day, but I feel a kinship with Elio that I am very grateful for.
After Mom died, Dad became a different person. He did everything he was supposed to - he took me to school, he cooked for us, he helped us with our homework. But he changed, he was sad and broken, and Ari and I didn’t know what to do to help him. For what it’s worth, Ari also changed - I heard him crying sometimes when he was alone in his bedroom. I cried, too, but I never tried to hide it. Sometimes, though, I had to tough it out, and be strong, for my father and my brother. I’m the youngest one in the family, but I had to be the one to keep it together, to make sure Dad and Ari didn’t unravel even further. I love them both so much, and I just wanted them to be better. While Ari spent his time chasing girls, and Dad spent his time sulking and drinking whiskey, I had my music to help me. Elio was a big help with that over last year, sending me sheet music to play and giving me suggestions for audition pieces. I also really liked the books and movies he suggested for me to consume. Sometimes, it was cathartic when I emailed him - he became my closest confidante, someone removed from my daily life with whom I could talk about things, who didn't judge me for being weird. That would probably change now that he was an active part of our lives, but I appreciated everything he did last year.
When Ari and I first saw Dad kissing Elio at my Bar Mitzvah, I was initially confused. I mean, when your father was married to your mother, a woman, until her recent death, it’s shocking to see him kissing another person, especially when that person is a man. Maybe it was the alcohol, but it didn’t bother me after the initial shock. I missed Mom. Obviously I missed Mom. I would never NOT miss Mom. But, it became abundantly clear how Dad and Elio felt about each other, and I had to do something.
Dad was in love, and I wanted him to be happy. He’d been so depressed, so unhappy, for months, and if being with Elio would make him happy, then that was what I wanted for him. Elio was going to be a good addition to our family. I didn’t care if my Dad was straight, gay, bi, or whatever. I just wanted him to find the happiness and love that he and Mom always said they wanted Ari and me to have. Also, our mother was the best, and no woman could ever replace her in our lives. If Dad married Elio, then there would never be a woman who tried to replace her. Obviously Elio's gender didn't matter to me, but maybe it helped me heal a little more at first because he wasn't a woman. I don't know. I sometimes felt guilty for thinking that thought.
Ari likes to take the credit, but this whole summer couldn’t have happened without me. Spending the summer in Italy was my idea. Ari’s cockamamie internship was my idea. I’m the one who got all of the information about their past relationship out of Elio. Everyone always assumes that I’m naive because I’m nice and sweet and look innocent, but I also know how to manipulate people when I need to, and get what I want out of them.
When you're nice to people, they do nice things for you. At least, adults do. Kids are cruel and being a nice person just makes it easier for them to make fun of you. But I prefer the company of adults, anyway. Most other kids don't really like what I like, and don't really get me. It's fine, and I'm used to it. That's why this summer was so special. I had peers who actually enjoyed spending time with me and didn't mind how much I talked about or played music.
We all had life-changing summers. Because of me and my clever thinking, Dad reconnected with the love of his life (Ari and I both agreed that it was strange that our mother wasn’t the love of his life, but he’s a whole new person when he’s with Elio), Ari found a great girlfriend and lost his virginity, and I had my first kiss.
Jasmine is the first girl that Ari’s ever dated who has treated me like a person and not like some nuisance she has to put up with to be with Ari. Even after she and Ari started sleeping together, Jasmine and I would sometimes swim together or go into town or play chess together just the two of us - she taught me chess earlier in the summer. I think she wanted to make sure that I didn’t feel like a third wheel or feel left out, but she was always so genuinely nice to me. She’s also the smartest person I’ve ever met, and she would tell me random facts about pretty much anything and everything. I’m so happy that Ari fell for someone like her, someone pretty who also has a brain, because I’d like her to stick around for a while.
I loved the villa, I loved Italy, and I loved the Perlmans. They’re like the grandparents I never knew I needed, and they welcomed us with open arms into their lives. I never really knew Dad’s parents - they both died before I was in kindergarten, and Mom’s parents both died when I was in elementary school. The Perlmans were lively, and smart, and always made sure I felt welcomed in any conversation at the dinner table and in their home. I know you’re not supposed to play favorites, but I loved spending time with Annella most of all. When Ari was out with Jasmine, she would sit with me at the pool, she sometimes read me stories and poetry, and she would teach me some French and Italian while we gardened together. Annella promised that when they came to visit during the year, she’d help me start a small garden in our backyard. Even though I couldn’t really communicate with Mafalda that much because I don’t speak Italian and she doesn’t speak much English, I also liked spending time in the kitchen with her. She taught me how to make gelato and her amazing tortelli. I was going to miss her cooking so much.
When we got to the airport, everyone was smiling, but everyone seemed really sad. We went to print our boarding passes and check our bags, and then we went back to the Perlmans and Jasmine, who were standing together quietly. Jasmine and Ari were full-on making out, and Jasmine had to keep stopping so she could wipe her tears. “We’ll see each other soon,” Ari said. “And we’ll video chat every day when you get back.”
“When I have my syllabi and you know your soccer and debate schedules, you’ll work it out with your Dad and figure out when we can visit each other?” Jasmine said. Ari nodded, and bent down to kiss her again.
Elio and Dad kept whispering to each other. Dad’s hands were around Elio’s waist, and they were pressing their bodies against each other. They weren’t making out like Ari and Jasmine were, but they did keep kissing each other. “You’ll call me when you land?” Elio said.
“Of course I will,” Dad said. “This isn’t goodbye, not like last time.”
“I wish I was going back with you, to Boston,” Elio said sadly.
“Enjoy the last week with your parents. We’ll talk every day, and before you know it, we’ll be together again.”
Elio and Dad both nodded and kissed again, holding each other tightly. An older man and woman walking by to the check-in counter stared at them for a moment and said something in Italian that Sammy was about to respond to. Annella grabbed his arm and told him to calm down. It’s probably for the best that I didn’t know what they said, because I might have said something nasty to them or tried to hurt them. I was not going to stand for people saying bad things about Dad and Elio.
Annella placed her hand on my shoulder and said, “We’re going to miss having you around. It was such a delight having you here all summer, mio piccino,” she said, giving me a hug.
“You’ll have to record yourself playing piano - what are we going to listen to after dinner now?” Sammy said with a chuckle, and hugged me from behind, putting me into a Perlman sandwich. I didn’t mind this at all.
“I can’t wait for next summer,” I said. "I loved it here so much."
"You're welcome here any time," Annella said. "You're going to Skype us every week, like we do with Elio, right?"
"Yes, I'll email you once I know my school rehearsal schedule," I said, still stuck in my embrace between Annella and Sammy.
"Make sure to keep in touch, we want to know how everything is going! If you know your concert schedules far enough in advance, maybe we can plan a visit around seeing you perform?"
I blushed and smiled, as the Perlmans finally let go of me. "You don't have to do that... you already came to my concert this summer."
"Nonsense, we'd go to every concert if we could," Annella said.
Jasmine came over to me and gave me a hug, and we all said goodbye. "I bought you something for your birthday," she said, "but Ari packed it in his suitcase, with instructions that he can't give it to you until then. I hope you'll like it!"
"Are you going to tell me what it is?"
"Not a chance," she said, with a grin. "It was great spending time with you this summer. I'll come up to visit at some point during the semester, and we'll find time for the two of us to sit together and catch up."
Elio came over to me next, and I hugged him tightly. "Thank you for everything this summer," I said. "I learned so much, and I couldn't have composed my first song without your help."
"You're so talented, Vic. I just taught you the basics. You did it on your own," he said.
"I'll see you in a couple of weeks?" I said.
"I wouldn't miss your birthday for anything," Elio said.
Meanwhile, Dad was standing with Sammy and Annella, each of them giving him a very tight hug. "Thank you," Dad said. "For letting us stay with you, for being so wonderful, just... for everything. Thank you. I love you both," he said, with tears in his eyes.
"We love you, too, Oliver," Annella said, kissing Dad's cheek.
Sammy then said, "We love you, son. Take good care of yourself, and the boys, and we'll see you soon."
Elio gripped Dad tightly again, and they hugged for a long time. They whispered to each other once more, and kissed again. "Two weeks," Elio said.
"Two weeks. I love you, Elio."
"I love you, Oliver. Now, go through security so you don't miss your flight."
Dad nodded and squeezed Elio one more time, before grabbing his suitcase. We waved at the Perlmans and Jasmine as we handed our passports and boarding passes to the agent at the security line. Dad and Elio mouthed that they loved each other once more. Annella was squeezing Jasmine's shoulder, and Sammy was rubbing Elio's back.
Once we made our way through security and found our gate, Ari, Dad and I sat down, and waited until our flight boarded. Ari had his head on Dad's shoulder, and they both looked miserable.
"Are you two okay? Do you want me to go get you any chocolate or food or something?" I asked.
"I'm okay," Dad said. "Leaving was much harder than I thought it was going to be."
"Elio's going to move in with us in the spring. You don't have to wait that long," I said, trying to be helpful.
On the flight home, Dad and I were on my laptop, looking through the pictures that I had taken all summer. He stopped for a while on the picture of him and Elio, kissing below the Eiffel Tower. He went back to the picture before that, where he and Elio were staring lovingly at each other, as if there was no one else in that park near the Eiffel Tower.
"Do you think I should make this my Facebook profile picture when I get home?" he asked. His current picture was a family picture from my Bar Mitzvah.
"Ugh, that's so sappy," Ari said, leaning across the aisle to look at the computer.
"You should do it, it's nice," I said to Dad. "And Ari, didn't you change your profile picture yesterday to one of you and Jasmine?"
"Yeah, but that's different," he said in a huffy tone, knowing that I was right.
Dad took my laptop and looked through the pictures again, stopping at a few pictures I had taken of Elio, at the piano, at the dinner table, at the pool with Dad. He got to a picture of Elio and me that Jasmine had taken, and sighed happily as he smiled.
Because of me, Dad and Ari were both in happy, loving relationships. I didn't want or need any credit. I love my father and brother, and would do anything to make them happy. As Ari wrote in his essay, we'd helped repair our world just a little, and in the process, gained a new family and happy memories of this summer.
The Morgenstern men had been through a lot these past two years, and we were still healing. Whatever life threw at us, we could handle together. Though the summer was ending, our adventure was just beginning.