Chapter 6

• Vittorio felt his heart race as he watched Ellis drive away in her car. He had missed that opportunity, not just to explain the situation, but also to show her that his heart still belonged to her. With a determined impulse, he began to walk hurriedly towards Ellis's car, his eyes fixed on the retreating vehicle.
• He waved frantically at her, trying to catch her attention, while his own heart pounded unevenly. His hurried steps took him into the middle of the road, and he reached out his hand toward her as if he could reach her.
• “Ellis!” he shouted, his voice filled with desperation and longing.
• But Ellis didn't slow down. On the contrary, she sped up even more, putting an increasing distance between them. Vittorio stopped, breathless and nervous, seeing his desperate effort fail before his eyes. This wasn't how he had imagined everything would unfold when he saw Ellis again. Emotions cumulated within him, a mixture of frustration, sadness, and regret.
• As he stood there, dazed, Eleonora approached him, walking slowly.
• She observed him for a moment before speaking softly, “We're running late, Vittorio.”
• He turned to look at her, his gaze still troubled. He tried to find the right words, but the turbulence of his emotions left him voiceless for a moment.
• However, he finally managed to say, “Yes, let's go.”
• Vittorio followed Eleonora to the car, but something within him was still connected to the distant figure of Ellis, driving away. His gaze was drawn back to the street, where Ellis's car had disappeared. He stood there for a moment, watching the empty road, his mind filled with turbulent thoughts.
• Finally, he turned and walked over to where Eleonora was waiting. She reached out her hand towards him, seeking connection, but he subtly avoided it, his focus still divided between what had just happened and the imminent commitment ahead of him.
• They got into the car in silence and drove away from the school. The interior of the vehicle was filled with unspoken tension, Vittorio's emotions a whirlwind. He looked out the window, watching the world pass by, as his mind continued to return to that scene that had slipped through his fingers.
• The silence between him and Eleonora persisted, both immersed in their own reflections. The streets of New York stretched out before them, but Vittorio was lost in his own emotional storm, struggling to find his way amidst a crossroads of feelings.
• ***
• Ellis drove nervously through the streets of New York, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her heart raced, and her mind was a mess as she tried to process everything that had just happened moments ago. Six years had passed since she and Vittorio had parted ways, and now, just as she was beginning to believe she could lead a normal life, fate had cruelly brought her face-to-face with the man she had never stopped loving.
• She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push away the vivid images of Vittorio from her mind. The ring gleamed on his finger, Eleonora by his side. And then, her eyes settled on something she hadn't noticed before, a child's lunchbox. A feeling of apprehension washed over her as reality finally hit her like a punch to her chest. Her heart tightened as she understood the significance of it. Vittorio and Eleonora had a child, a child who was the product of the life they had built together.
• That revelation hit Ellis like a weight, making her realize that their paths were now more distant than ever. It was undeniable proof that time hadn't waited for her, that Vittorio's life had moved on, even if hers had also moved forward after six long years.
• She knew that moment had definitively put an end to any hope she might still have had of reigniting the relationship they had shared. An insurmountable barrier now separated their paths. A wave of sadness and despair overwhelmed her, and unable to contain her emotions, she let tears fall. She pulled the car over to the side of the street and rested her head on the steering wheel, silently crying for the loss of what she had imagined could have been.
• Determined, she picked up her phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, her husband John's voice echoed through the car, asking if everything was okay.
• “Ellis, is everything okay?”
• Ellis paused before responding, her voice trembling. “No, John, everything is not okay.”
• The concern in John's voice was evident. “Did something happen to Donna? Or to you?”
• Ellis took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions before speaking. “No, nothing happened to Donna. But when I was taking her to school, I ran into Vittorio Amorielle.”
• There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, before John asked, “What was he doing there? Did he follow you?”
• Ellis shook her head, realizing that John couldn't see her expression. “No, it wasn't that. It seems Vittorio has a child... a child who goes to the same school as Donna.”
• “Did he see her?” asked John, nervously. “Did he see Donna?”
• “No, I don't think so,” Ellis answered, nervously.
• There was another moment of silence before John responded. “And what do you want to do, Ellis?”
• Tears returned to fill her eyes, and she struggled to find the right words. “I think the best thing is to transfer Donna to a different school.
• As soon as possible. We can't risk it.”
• John's voice sounded gentle and reassuring. “Alright, I'll pick her up from school today. I don't want you to face him again. Don't worry. Don't worry, Ellis.”
• She nodded, even though he couldn't see her. “Thank you, John.”
• As the car continued to move through the streets, Ellis let the tears fall. The complexity of her emotions enveloped her, and she felt as if she were losing something she had briefly reclaimed. Relentless fate had confronted her with her past, and now she was struggling to find a way forward.