A Forbidden Friendship
1363 Words
EPISODE 3
The afternoon breeze swept gently across the open field between the Moretti and De Luca estates, carrying with it the scent of freshly cut grass and blooming roses.
Alessandro stood just inside the side gate of the Moretti property, his fingers wrapped around the cool iron latch.
"What if someone sees us?" he asked quietly.
Marco looked around the empty garden before giving his younger brother a reassuring smile.
"Then we'll tell them we went for a walk."
Alessandro wasn't convinced.
"We're not supposed to leave the grounds."
Marco shrugged.
"We're not leaving the grounds."
He pointed toward the narrow strip of grass that separated the two neighboring estates.
"We're just visiting the fence."
Alessandro laughed softly.
"That's not the same thing."
"It is if nobody asks."
Before Alessandro could reply, a cheerful voice called from across the field.
"You came!"
Isabella ran toward them, her long brown hair dancing in the wind. Bruno raced ahead of her, barking excitedly as he bounded across the lawn.
The golden retriever reached the fence first, pushing his nose between the iron bars and wagging his tail so enthusiastically that Alessandro had to laugh.
"I think Bruno likes you," Isabella said, trying to catch her breath.
"He liked your brother yesterday," Marco replied with a grin.
"I think he likes everyone."
"Not everyone," Isabella corrected playfully. "He still doesn't trust the postman."
As if offended by the accusation, Bruno barked once before dropping a bright red kite at Isabella's feet.
She picked it up and held it proudly.
"My father bought this for me last week."
Alessandro admired the kite's crimson fabric as it fluttered in the breeze.
"It's beautiful."
"Have you ever flown a kite before?" Isabella asked.
Alessandro shook his head.
"No."
Her smile faded in surprise.
"Never?"
He lowered his eyes.
"My brother and I... never had the chance."
For a moment, neither Isabella nor Marco spoke.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
It was simply filled with understanding.
Then Isabella's bright smile returned.
"Well," she said, holding out the kite, "Today is your first time."
Alessandro blinked.
"You'd let me?"
"Of course."
She placed the wooden handle into his hands as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Everyone should fly a kite at least once."
Marco watched quietly from a few steps away.
He hadn't seen that expression on Alessandro's face in years.
Hope.
It wasn't loud or obvious.
It appeared only in the slight lift of his eyebrows and the cautious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
For the first time since arriving at the Moretti estate, Alessandro looked like a child instead of a boy carrying worries far too heavy for his age.
"Run!" Isabella laughed.
Alessandro did exactly that.
The kite lifted slowly into the air before catching the wind.
Higher.
Higher still.
"It's flying!" Alessandro shouted.
"It is!" Isabella cheered, clapping her hands.
Bruno decided the celebration needed him too.
He leaped toward the dangling kite string, missed it completely, then raced after the boys across the field.
Marco couldn't help laughing.
"You've got company."
Within seconds, Bruno caught the loose end of the string in his mouth and bolted across the grass.
"Bruno!" Isabella cried between fits of laughter. "Give it back!"
The dog had other ideas.
He sprinted in wide circles while the children chased after him, their laughter echoing through the quiet afternoon.
For a little while, the world felt wonderfully simple.
No expectations.
No lonely mansion.
No distant father.
Just three children, a mischievous dog, and a bright red kite dancing beneath the summer sky.
None of them noticed the elegant black sedan turning slowly into the De Luca driveway.
Lorenzo De Luca stepped out of the car and paused beside the garden gate.
Instead of calling for his daughter, he folded his arms and watched from a distance.
His eyes lingered on the two unfamiliar boys.
Especially the younger ones.
There was something about the smile on Alessandro's face that caught his attention.
It was genuine...
Yet it carried the fragile look of someone who had almost forgotten how to smile at all.
Lorenzo De Luca closed the door of his sedan with a soft click, but instead of heading inside, he remained where he was.
A warm smile spread across his face as he watched Isabella race across the field after Bruno.
"Come back here, you little thief!" Isabella laughed.
Bruno barked triumphantly, the end of the kite string still hanging from his mouth as he darted between the children.
Marco caught his breath, shaking his head.
"I've never seen a dog this proud of causing trouble."
"He always looks innocent afterward," Isabella replied, pointing at Bruno, who had finally dropped the string and was now sitting perfectly still, his tongue hanging out.
Alessandro laughed so hard that he had to place his hands on his knees.
For the first time in a long while, he wasn't thinking about the mansion behind him.
He wasn't thinking about his father.
He wasn't wondering why he was never enough.
He was simply enjoying the afternoon.
Lorenzo noticed the change immediately.
The younger boy's laughter was genuine, but there was something fragile about it, as though happiness was unfamiliar territory.
He walked toward the children at an unhurried pace.
Bruno spotted him first and ran over, wagging his tail.
"There you are," Lorenzo said, scratching behind the dog's ears. "I was wondering where my troublemaker had gone."
"Dad!" Isabella called happily.
She hurried over and wrapped her arms around him.
"You're home early."
"I finished my meetings sooner than expected."
Lorenzo kissed the top of her head before looking toward the two unfamiliar boys standing near the fence.
His smile remained warm.
"You must be our neighbors."
Marco stepped forward first.
"Good afternoon, sir."
"My name is Marco Moretti."
He gently rested a hand on his younger brother's shoulder.
"And this is my brother, Alessandro."
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Lorenzo said, extending his hand.
Marco shook it politely.
A moment later, Alessandro did the same.
The boy's handshake was respectful but hesitant.
"You have good manners," Lorenzo remarked.
"Our mother taught us," Marco answered.
Lorenzo noticed the quiet pride in Marco's voice.
"I imagine she did an excellent job."
Alessandro looked down with a small smile.
"Our mother says respect costs nothing."
"A wise woman," Lorenzo replied.
Isabella looked from her father to Alessandro with an excited grin.
"Dad, Alessandro had never flown a kite before."
"Really?" Lorenzo asked gently.
Alessandro nodded.
"So today was my first."
"And how was it?"
A smile slowly appeared on Alessandro's face.
"I think... I'd like to do it again."
"I'm glad," Lorenzo said. "Everyone deserves a carefree afternoon once in a while."
Marco glanced toward the Moretti estate.
"We should probably head back."
"So soon?" Isabella asked, unable to hide the disappointment in her voice.
Marco offered an apologetic smile.
"We don't want anyone worrying about us."
Lorenzo understood there was more behind those words than the boys were willing to say.
He didn't press them.
Instead, he looked toward the terrace of the Moretti mansion.
For a brief moment, he thought he saw someone standing on the upstairs balcony.
When he looked again, the figure was gone.
"You boys are welcome here anytime," Lorenzo said sincerely. "As long as your family has no objections."
Marco thanked him with a respectful nod.
"We appreciate that, sir."
Alessandro looked at Isabella.
"I guess we'll see you tomorrow."
"I'll be waiting," Isabella replied with a bright smile.
As the brothers turned toward the mansion, Alessandro glanced back one last time.
Isabella lifted the red kite into the air and waved it from side to side like a flag.
He couldn't help smiling.
Behind the curtains of an upstairs bedroom on the Moretti estate, Elena Moretti watched the scene unfold in complete silence.
Her expression remained composed.
But the warmth she had just witnessed unsettled her.
She had expected the brothers to spend their summer isolated.
Instead, they had already found a place where they felt welcome.
That, she decided, could become a problem.
And Elena Moretti never allowed problems to grow.
- Writer
