It's a Love Story

"Pavo told me about how she made good pizza. Do you think we can have some of that?" she asked, afraid to bring Pavo up.

He smiled. "I'm sure it's on the menu as well," he said. "If not, it doesn't take very long to make. I'm sore ma-ma won't mind making some," he assured her.

She nodded. "Alright. Thank you."

"It is not a problem," he smiled. As they neared their house, he told them that they'd bought the surrounding orchard, and one could see the hammock now dangling between two large trees.

"Is that a real hammock or just grapes again?" she asked, smiling at Dante.

"It is the real thing," he chuckled, getting off his horse and helping her off of hers. He put his horse back into the stable and told the cabi to take the luggage inside for their guests. He tipped him and thanked him for his time before he left, taking the horses with him, all tied to the back of the cab. Dante led them inside. "We have two guest rooms and Pavo's bedroom. I will take my brother's room. On-"

"Boys and girls separate, Dante," his mother scolded him.

"I know, Ma-ma," he replied in their native language. "You did not let me finish." He turned back to them. "Boys in one, girls in the other," he chuckled, translating what his mother had said.

His mother rushed in, drying her hands on her apron, and hugged them all, welcoming them.

As they were all greeted, Roman looked around. The house seemed sad stll, like his mother was still mourning Pavo.

Dante helped them carry their luggage to their separate rooms, letting the girls have the bigger of the two spare rooms since there were three of them and only two other boys. "Make yourselves at home," he told them with a smile. "I'm going to help ma-ma make the table," he said and left them to relax and unpack.

"Are you sure you can handle sleeping in Pavo's room," his mother asked him.

"I'm sure. I think he is still with us, ma-ma," he murmured. "I can feel him in his room..."

"Then there must be some unfinished business for your brother," she said in the same tone. "What do you think it could be?"

"I don't know..."

Later, Roman stood outside Pavo's open door. She could feel him in there and was scared to go in. She had just gotten over him not being there and now she could feel him again. This was to much for her.

Pavo had been waiting patiently inside his old favorite stuffed animal. He saw her and smiled. "You really did come back," he said, standing. Little did he know, he had accidentally bonded his spirit to his animal, so the animal moved and had the voice of Pavo.

Roman jumped, almost screaming. She ran down the stairs and outside, not caring who saw her. A stuffed animal had just talked to her in Pavo's voice, it couldn't be real.

Dante saw her and ran after her, worried about the fearful expression on her face. "Roman? Roman, are you alright," he asked, grabbing her hand gently so she wouldn't run away. "What happened," he asked her softly.

Rome turned into Dante's body, hugging him. "I'm going crazy..." she said.

He blinked. "What do you mean," he asked her softly, speaking gently so he wouldn't scare her even more. "You don't seem crazy to me."

"I heard Pavo's voice coming from a stuffed animal..." she mumbled.

He blinked. "You heard Pavo..?" He thought for a long moment. "I kept thinking I heard him, too. But I didn't know where it came from. Was it a little blue puppy," he asked. That was Pavo's favorite.

She nodded, groaning. "I am going crazy..."

"No, no, no," he told her gently. "That was his favorite stuffed animal as a boy. His spirit might be attached to it. Ma-ma and I were just talking, saying Pavo might have unfinished business and that's why he's staying with us. I can feel my brother is still in his room," he explained, feeling a bit crazy, himself.

Roman groaned again, pulling away from him. "We're both going crazy..."

"Why are you so reluctant to believe that Pavo is watching over us," he asked her gently, letting her go as she pleased.

"Because he's dead..." she said, getting emotional.

"Roman," he murmured gently. "If he were here, would you want him to go away forever," he asked her softly.

She shook her head. "I don't want him to go away at all..."

"Then why run from him," he asked gently.

"Because his voice was comming from a stuffed animal!" she said, then sighed, sitting on the ground because she was frustrated.