#it also reminds me of that scene where chie complained about him calling her up to tell dirty jokes

[daily-hanamura]

[goddessofphilosophy]

"Il faut chaud ici, ou bien c'est vous?" 

Hyacinth threw the tissue roll in his direction and they both laughed. He knew she'd laugh. His plan worked and he smiled at the small accomplishment of reducing the tension between them. Placing the tissue roll back in the small veranda table, he walked towards her and placed his arms on the cement railing as well, giving her just the right distance she needed. She has always been sensitive with so-called private bubbles and he didn't forget.

"I always hated it when you speak French in that fake Greek accent of yours." It's a woman language. When they say they hate it, they actually really like it. And he knew she'd say it. It was a beautiful Tuscan landscape, full of sparkling green grapes ready to harvest in a month's time. The clouds were almost hiding in the sky, reflecting the bluest Mediterranean sea, flirting with the purples and oranges of the setting sun. His hectares of vineyard were perfectly lined with moist brown soil. Years ago, he bought the villa for the sole purpose of reminding himself that she always wanted to buy a country home with the same exact view. "You're deep in thought, qual é il problema?" "It's nothing," she tried to smile at him but he understood that it might be too personal to discuss. "I just love it here, like the one I have in Bourdeaux." "So you did buy it, that ancient villa with a winery." "Two years later," she didn't want to say after they visited the place together, then continued, "when the executor of the state also died, the real estate agent called me and I just had to agree with the price. You can't deny it was quite an inheritance. Costa un occhio della testa. And he was like 'C'est ma dernière offre!'," imitating an old man's deep bass voice. She laughed lightly, "It's hard to let the opportunity pass, I might never come across it again." The comical mimicry stunt made him laugh as well. He reminisced the embrassing experience. It was perfect timing when they visited the ancient villa located in the south of France, the executor of estate wasn't aware her late ex-husband bequethed the property to her. Having been divorced for nearly twenty years, she thought he has forgetten about her. They didn't have children of their own, she had been married for nearly fifteen years to her childhood sweetheart in the next town, and she mentioned that they had always been arguing about every little thing. For Hyacinth, it was ineffably romantic. She wanted to buy it there and then, even bargaining with the old woman. C'est trop bon marché un prix pour tous les souvenirs de notre mariage de courte durée mais incroyable dans ces murs, the ex-wife complained. Je ne suis pas d'acheter les souvenirs, je veux que la structure et la terre, she countered. Anthony was laughing his heart out at the scene. In the end, she left her card with the agent instead and begged him to call her once the property's up for sale. He tucked his hands in his pockets, what she said was true and he didn't want to dwell with the reality of it then. Having lost his once in a lifetime chance in a blink of an eye, perhaps he could settle with something lesser than what he originally wanted. So he opted for a change in the subject, "We weren't able to catch up when I saw you at The Raines. It was always hard to compete with your admirers. Raccontami della tua nouva famiglia." Her eyes lit up, "Well, I've adopted two more girls. They're Lucia Henriette and Hyamidalla Irish. Because I thought I could never bear kids of my own. But the heavens gave me Andrei Heinrich. He's nothing like his father. I don't know what I did wrong." He wanted to say, "Deine augen sind wie sterne." However, it was too early for the stars to grace the night sky, especially that there was a storm on its way. What a perfectly wrong timing to build a raincloud, heavens, he thought. But he said, "Boys will always be boys. What is he like?" "Andrei?" Non, l'oumo dei tuai sogni, he debated but then he nodded. "Oh you know, maxed out credit cars, too many girls in his bachelor's pad during friday nights, crying girlfriends who come to me for advice, playing video games the whole day, and basketball leagues," she was shaking her head. Anthony smirked at the description she stated, "That is only to deduce that a rare gem such as you have already been tied down by some really fortunate man. Hopefully, a man who makes better political decisions than Putin." He knew that if there was one thing Hyacinth likes, it's political parallelism. She laughed. "Alexandria told me you got married. What happened though?" "Ah, my ever talkative half sister. Is there anything she won't tell you?" She chuckled heartily. He missed entertaining her like that. When she laughs, he couldn't stop smiling. He never imagined the half sister he had a hard time accepting would introduce him to a goddess. "She wanted me to attend the wedding since I was also in Paris that time. Unfortunately, it's not her call to send the invites. She said it was a very intimate moment." His French-Italian late wife organized such a dreamy and elegant wedding to remember. Pastel pinks and purples filled an atmosphere of a remarkable joyous union. She was the happiest bride, full of energy and hope. The multi-talented singer and composer was loved by her generation, touring around Europe during her teenage and early adult years. Before they got married, she published a book regarding women fighting against cancer. "It was, indeed. It was all her idea, the wedding. She had cancer and we had to move here in Tuscany where she passed away five years later." He remembered how his wife struggled with the disease. He was always at her disposal. There was nothing he wouldn't do to extend her life. Until one day it was just too exhausting for her to fight. She extended her hand and tapped his shoulder, "I'm so sorry. It's just always the good news that I hear from her." "Please don't let my tragedy dampen your mood. Your beautiful mind only deserves the good news." He caressed her hand and mouthed a thank you. They looked at each other for a moment. The only consolation he would want to hear is her successful marriage. He still wanted to make her happy, even when that happiness doesn't include him anymore. "Pray tell life treated you well." She smiled sweetly as an appreciation for his pleasant thoughts, "Thankfully so. Marriage is all about hard work. Sometimes though, he thinks I deserve someone better." And sometimes I feel the same way too, she thought. Where would she find someone better when she already have the best? "You may not know this but a woman of your calibre could leave some men with insecurities to question whether they deserve you or not." He sighed and looked away, "I did." The last two words were almost a whisper, she didn't hear them, "Those are flattering flowery words. Thank you." "I don't do flowery words, Hyacinth. Facts are facts," he smirked. "I suppose you're still the guy who likes precision and accuracy in calculations. How's work lately?" "What can I say? Work is my addiction. And my addiction is my therapy. Once a scientist, always a scientist," he shrugged his shoulders. His work has always fascinated her. But he looked up to her endless salvation of the world endeavors. He loved her mostly for her charity and faith in humanity. "Are you still working in the law firm while managing the family business and The New York Times? You have always been busy but making time for your family seemed to be so effortless." When Andrei Heinrich was given to her as a miracle, she retired from work and embraced motherhood. She passed on the leadership positions to her most trusted colleagues. Coming back to New York City when Andrei was six opened up new doors of opportunity in the academe that she gladly accepted, earning her highly coveted positions as a member of the board of directors of Harvard Law School and The London School of Economics. "Non piú, I've retired and now volunteer for the United Nations. It's been difficult to control the media lately. And donations just wouldn't suffice. I think I've reached the point in my life wherein I need to see the world more. To be the one holding their hand and giving them the help they really need, it's priceless. All the money and success in the world suddenly becomes worthless." "A beauty like yours shouldn't work off camera." He couldn't stop gushing about how beautiful she is. A reason why Hyacinth settled down with someone else: Because she wanted someone to see her past the shell of beauty that will remain unchanged for a very long time. "The family's welfare always comes first. I have no choice. I mean, chie voule vivere per sempre?" He does see her more than just a beauty but he couldn't find the right words and she wanted to hear them. What else was there to prove that you want to spend the rest of your life with one person when the universe doesn't allow you to do so? "Io voglio vivere per sempre," he grinned lopsidedly. With you, he could only reckon.