Ten
1173 Words
The sun beat down on the sprawling vineyard as I arrived at the address listed in the letter, a mixture of excitement and nervousness swirling in my chest. I paid the taxi driver and we took our bags out of the trunk of the car. It had been a decade since I last saw my parents and the prospect of reuniting with them filled me with both anticipation and apprehension.
As I stood at the gate I glanced at my surroundings, taking in the rows of grapevines stretching out as far as the eye could see. The air was alive with the scent of earth and grapes, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over me as I made my way towards the entrance.
“Paradiso della vite”, I read the name of the vineyard.
“Wow”, Mason said in awe, “Are we going to be staying here Mommy?”,
“Yes this is where your grandparents live sweetie”, I said and took out the letter to look at the address once more.
As I double-checked the address on the letter to make sure we were in the right place, I felt a small hand slip out of mine. Startled, I looked down to see my son, Mason, grinning mischievously as he darted off into the rows of grapevines.
"Mason, wait!" I called out, my heart pounding with panic as I hurried after him, weaving through the maze of vines in, the tall stalks of grapes towering over me as I navigated the labyrinthine paths. "Mason, come back here this instance! This isn't funny!" I called out, my voice echoing through the quiet vineyard.
But Mason was too quick, disappearing around a bend in the path before I could catch up to him. Frantically, I quickened my pace, while calling out his name, my heart pounding in my chest as I searched for any sign of him.
And then, just as I rounded the corner, I collided with someone – a tall, handsome man with piercing blue eyes and a rugged charm that took my breath away.
"Sorry," I gasped, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment as I stumbled backward.
The man raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before recognition crossed his face. "Ah, there you are," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice. "I've been wondering when you were going to show up."
Confused, I furrowed my brow. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
The man chuckled, flashing me a charming smile. "Of course you do. You've been following me around for weeks now."
My confusion deepened, my mind racing as I tried to make sense of his words. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, shaking my head. "I'm just here to visit my parents."
But the man didn't seem convinced, his expression turning skeptical as he studied me intently. "Sure you are," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Look, I don't know what your game is, but I'm not interested."
Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, his fingers hovering over the screen as if poised to make a call.
"Wait, please," I said, panic rising in my chest as I took a step forward. "I'm not lying. I'm just here to find my son. He ran off into the vineyard, and I've been trying to catch up to him."
But the man shook his head, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. " first you are looking for your parents now you're looking for your son? I've heard enough. I'm calling the police." he said and grabbed me by the arm
"Dare to call the police, then!" I spat out, my voice dripping with defiance. "See how far that gets you,” I said trying to get his hand off of me
The man's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in frustration. "You think you're clever, don't you? Playing innocent while you try to talk your way out of this mess when you have been stalking me, sending me nudes in my mail, breaking into my house, and leaving your underwear!"
I scoffed, my patience wearing thin. " look here Mr you must be confused, I'm not playing nor lying. I'm here to find my son, not to deal with some paranoid stranger."
But the man seemed unmoved by my words, his grip tightening on my arm as he attempted to assert his authority. "You're not going anywhere until the police arrive. I'll make sure of that."
Heat surged through me as I struggled against his hold, refusing to be intimidated by his threats. "Let go of me, you arrogant fool! You have no right to detain me."
But the man only sneered, his arrogance unyielding. "I'll decide what rights I have. And right now, I'm detaining you for suspicious behavior., I am making a citizen’s arrest"
Fury burned within me as I glared into his cold, blue eyes, refusing to be cowed by his attempts to assert dominance. "You have no evidence, no reason to detain me. I demand that you release me this instant!"
But the man remained steadfast, his grip like iron as he held me in place. "Not until the police arrive. You're staying right here."
The scorching sun bore down on us as I faced off with the man who had accused me of following him. His arrogance only fueled my anger, and I refused to back down in the face of his baseless accusations.
Just as I thought things couldn't get any worse, a voice called out from behind us, causing both of us to turn in surprise.
" Ehi, Antonio, che succede qui?(Hey, Antonio, what's going on here?") said a second man, approaching us with Mason straddled on his shoulders.
Relief flooded through me as I saw Mason safe and sound, his face lighting up with joy as he spotted me.
"Mommy!" he exclaimed, reaching out to me with outstretched arms.
With a sense of urgency, I reached out to gather him into my arms, holding him close as tears of relief welled in my eyes.
"Thank you," I whispered, my voice choked with emotion as I looked up at the man who had found my son.
He smiled warmly, his eyes softening with compassion. "No problem. He's quite the little explorer, isn't he?" he said in his Italian accent.
I nodded, feeling a wave of gratitude wash over me. "Yes, he certainly is. And you are in big trouble young man" I turned to him and said.
“How did the two of you end up here?”, the man that brought Mason asked.
“I'm looking for my parents John and Juliet Dalton, I'm their daughter Lilly Dalton and this is my son Mason”,
“Ahhh the prodigal daughter “, the handsome stranger that detained me sneered in his Italian accent. I have a feeling he doesn't like me so much.
- Writer
