Chapter 108 No Dates
The city lights always marvelled Isabella.
She was reminded of how Esteban had taken her on a walk in more modern parts of the city; she had put the majority of her focus on the view and not the man in question.
They were beautiful, coupled with the landscape and the different set of people and their way of life.
Since she started working in Umbria, she hadn't really got to look at the city lights.
She honestly had work to do.
As such, she stared out of the car window as she headed to Celia's house to pick up Sophia.
The date was something she would have to talk about, but she in fact had nothing to say.
A part of her had hoped for something with the man, another hoped it would be futile, but both conflicted with why she was in Umbria in the first place.
I really should focus on Sophia, Isabella thought as she remembered the boring details of the date.
She hadn't even noticed how bad he held a conversation till they arrived at the restaurant. There she had to sit down and give him the entirety of her attention.
She stared at her dress again, the city lights reflecting on the window.
I'll try later, maybe in a couple of years. My focus for now is Sophia, Isabella thought yet again, reassuring herself.
The plausibility of dating in the future was something she wasn't sure about.
But, she would leave it till the future as she didn't want to entertain the thought that she wanted it to be Luciano.
You can lie to everyone else, but you can't lie to yourself at the very least.
Isabella knew this and she shook her head, wondering why she kept hoping.
The man had actually raped her, he had tourtured her mentally, oppressed her family, and somehow, her heart grew fonder by the minute.
The man had hundreds of women at his beck and call, she would stay very far away, like she had been doing for the past two years.
She soon arrived in Celia's house, settling to stay a while and order another taxi when they were about to leave.
"Thank you for the ride sir!", Isabella said as she paid for the ride.
"Si!
Have a nice one!", The taxi driver replied as he waited for Isabella to slam the door.
Isabella turned to see an excited Sophia and Celia on the balcony.
She walked inside the house, her reasonably long heels slowing her down just a bit.
"... Your mommy looked so beautiful didn't she?!", Isabella heard Celia ask Sophia as she entered Celia's house.
"Where's everyone?!", Isabella asked as she removed her slightly strappy heels by the door.
"Another wine festival!", Celia answered as she tried to soothe a very excited Sophia.
"Another?!
Well that was unexpected!", Isabella chimed.
"People have fun around here you know!
You should learn to do that sometime!", Celia joked as Isabella finally came to carry Sophia.
"I have fun!
In some way...!", Isabella drawled, feigning the fun she doesn't have.
Met with Celia's squinted eyes, Isabella said, "I mean I try
It's better than it used to be!", Isabella confessed.
"I'll take that at least!", Celia answered, she continued.
"You didn't even tell me about your date!", she demanded, wondering if the two had something going on after that.
"We took a walk, a short one because I wore heels.
Then we went to a restaurant and I just wasn't feeling it!
I literally used Sophia as an excuse to leave!", Isabella confessed.
"I don't think you'll feel it with anyone! You only said a guy was hot once and that was it!", Celia said.
"It's not like that actually!
He spoke well at the wine festival, but at the date, it was like I was talking to a completely different person!", Isabella said.
"So you don't see anything going on with him?!", Celia asked, hearing Isabella and not forcing her to do what she didn't.
Isabella simply nodded her head in the negative, a small smile tugged at her lips.
"The other day when I told you to come with me to that party, did you or did you not use Sophia as an excuse not to go!?!", Celia asked.
Seeing that she had been caught in the act, she turned and prepared Sophia for feeding.
"Sophia has to eat now!", Isabella said.
"You're literally using her as an excuse right now!", Celia stated the obvious, seeing through Isabella's coy acts.
"She has to eat you know!", Isabella interjected.
"I literally fed her before you arrived, why do you think she was so happy?!", Celia said, lifting an eyebrow.
"Oh! Is that so!?", Isabella questioned back, trying to act oblivious.
It didn't seem to be working out great, she turned to meet Celia's slightly squinted eyes.
"Let's talk about Sophia's birthday!
She'll be one year old! I want to do a little something for my baby!", Isabella said, completely dissipating Celia's frustration.
"Oh really!
What theme do you want to go for?!", Celia asked, getting into the conversation that quickly.
"I want to do a princess theme!
She's my princess after all!
Although I kept thinking about the colors...!", Isabella drawled as her eyebrows knitted together.
"What about it?
Ouu I have to know who you're inviting!", Celia said In excitement.
"Well I'm hosting a princess themed birthday for my daughter, does it necessarily have to be decked in pink?!", Isabella asked.
Celia laughed hard as a result of Sophia's question and grimace.
Celia looked at the mother and daughter pair before she answered.
"You can do whatever you like Isabella, Sophia's your daughter!"
"Ohh I thought it was a stamped rule. Anyways it'll just be at my place!
Something small! So I'm not inviting a lot of people.
Me, you, the birthday girl...!", Isabella drawled as she tickled Sophia.
"And then probably Miss Gina, a really small crowd!", Isabella continued.
"Small then! Why don't you want to invite any other person?!", Celia asked curiously.
"Because that's all the people I'm really close with!
I don't want a full blown party!
Remember what I told you, that I ran away?
A simple picture posted online without my knowledge could bring them right to my doorstep!", Isabella explained.
"Right!", Celia said, seeing the reason behind Isabella's decision.
"Let's not dampen our spirits! What colors are you going with...!", Celia drawled as Isabella smiled contentedly.
Celia was a really good friend, she understood her without saying too much.
She would forever feel indebted to her kindness.
Celia simply was unmatched!