After Guido's visit, the rest of the day remained the same. They ate and then continued working. Giulia had to deliver more orders until the fish were sold out.
Massimo closed the store around seven so the three could enjoy the festival as much as possible.
"I would just like a little help with the nets," he mentioned, wanting to take advantage of the extra hands.
"I will do it," Alberto responded, taking a step forward. After all, he liked the fisherman and wanted to spend time with him before leaving.
Massimo smiled and saw the other two.
"You can wait for us in the living room."
"Actually," Giulia began.
She wasn't sure of her idea, but since it was her last day with the boys- Luca, more specifically in this case, she was taking the risk. It would be painful, but at least she wouldn't be alone.
"There's something I would like to show Luca."
He opened his eyes in surprise.
Massimo nodded and then looked at Alberto.
"You are not obliged to help me. You can go with them."
"Is it one of your nerdy things?" Alberto asked, turning to look at the two.
"Well, yeah," the redhead answered.
"Have fun," he said as he patted Massimo on the shoulder, "let's go, big guy."
And he left the kitchen. Massimo looked at the remaining two with a raised eyebrow. His friends just laughed nervously, to which Massimo did the same, only without the nerves.
"Just be careful out there," was the only thing he told them before following Alberto.
When they were alone, Luca and Giulia looked at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Hehe- that Alberto," Giulia said, wiping a tear from her eye.
"I know- I hope he never changes," Luca answered, doing the same.
After that, Giulia asked him to go up to her room since they had to go through the window to the roof to get to the place they needed to go. Through its ceiling, they passed to that of the neighboring house, with Giulia climbing to the other roof and then offering her hand to the boy.
"Are you sure this is safe?" He asked as she helped him.
"Yeah, I used to do this all the time as a kid, just don't slip."
They were lucky that the Portorosso houses were so close to each other, allowing them to jump from roof to roof until they reached a balcony where Giulia got down. Luca went behind her and noticed that his friend had a key in her hands. Behind them was a wooden door painted green. Giulia inserted the key into the plain and opened it, revealing an object covered by a blue blanket.
Giulia took it out while Luca watched her, not wanting to bother her friend. The girl placed it in position before turning to look at Luca with a smile and then discovering the object.
"This is a telescope. Old Bernardi lets me use it. He keeps it indoors at this time so that it doesn't freeze," with that, she looked through the eyepiece; "You can see distant objects up close, look."
"Woah," Luca said excitedly. He had never seen them so close: "Stars, right?"
He asked, remembering what Giulia had taught him in the lab.
"Yes, gigantic fireballs," she responded excitedly.
"Like the sun," Luca ended.
Giulia nodded.
Remembering another lesson from Giulia, the boy could not contain his enthusiasm and began to tremble a little.
"Does that mean we can also see the planets?"
Giulia smiled and approached to look for some. When she found one, she stepped aside.
"Look," she offered to Luca.
When the boy got closer, he could see a planet with rings.
"It's Saturn, my favorite. It's the lightest of the planets; they say that if there was an ocean where it could fit, it would float in it!"
Luca separated himself from the eyepiece and stared at the sky as if he could still see it. Giulia couldn't help but feel happy for him; she instinctively looked up at the sky and immediately regretted it. Because when she saw the stars, she couldn't help but think about her mom.
People always told her how much she looked like her mother, which only made the first months worse, because every time she looked in the mirror, Giulia saw her, another reminder that she was no longer with her. Months passed before Giulia could look at her reflection without becoming depressed: the red hair, the freckles, the tanned skin tone, everything resonated in her head. In the end, Giulia forced herself to look, thinking about what she would have to do that day so she wouldn't have to stop and think about the details.
But this was worse.
She thought that having Luca by her side would make everything easier. But no, with the stars shining on the black sky, she could only think about her mother, the first time her mama took her to the countryside to observe the constellations. Thanks to her mom, her desire to explore the cosmos was born. But now, she was no longer with her and would never return. Giulia would never be able to hear her voice again and-
Giulia put a hand on her chest as she stepped back. It didn't take long for tears to form in her eyes and begin to roll down her cheeks. Without intending to, she let out a small scream. It wasn't loud, as it was barely audible, but Luca heard it. Until then, the boy had had his eyes on Saturn, but when he listened to the girl, he looked over his shoulder, seeing that she had backed away from the door and was breathing heavily.
His eyes widened as he approached her.
"Giulia, what's wrong?!" He asked, worried. He had never seen her this bad.
Giulia closed her eyes, forcing herself to control herself. She inhaled air strongly and held it for a while before releasing it. As she did so, she relaxed. Luca had taken her by the arms and was staring at her when the girl opened her eyes; the first thing she met was Luca's eyes. She smiled; meeting a friendly figure made her feel better, to which Luca also smiled.
"Don't worry. I'm better now."
Luca nodded and let her go, still looking worried. Giulia sighed; if she dared to bring him here, it was because she was willing to tell him. She knew the risk, but she still took it. It was time to pay.
Giulia sighed as she sat on the floor, hugging her knees with both arms.
"I'm sorry for scaring you."
"No, don't worry," Luca didn't want to go deeper because whatever was happening, it clearly affected her, and he didn't want to force her into anything, although it intrigued him.
Giulia sighed, looking away.
"It's because of my mom," she just blurted out.
She knew that when she started talking about something, it was difficult for her to shut up, so she wasn't afraid and started:
"She was smart and passed me over what she knew. She taught me what a telescope is and how to use it... thanks to her, I wanted to study astronomy, but- she-"
The word was stuck in her throat. Giulia couldn't get it out no matter how hard she tried; she clenched her fists and began to shake. Luca approached, worried that she would have a seizure, but before he could reach her, Giulia finally spoke:
"Died."
Luca stopped in his tracks; apparently, that was a word that sea monsters also knew.
"There, I said it," Giulia thought. She hated doing it because it reminded her that it was real.
She looked at her friend, who was standing in front, looking at her with compassion.
"And since then- I couldn't do it again because it only reminded me that she is no longer here. And that she will never come back."
With that said, she buried her head between her knees. She thought she was ready for this, but no, Giulia doubted that she would ever be able to do it for real again. Now she was just here, suffering with every step.
She expected some compassionate words from Luca. They wouldn't make her feel better, but at least she would appreciate them.
"Fish."
It was such a random word and had nothing to do with the moment Giulia couldn't help but raise her head and turn to look at him.
"What?" She asked.
Luca had his gaze lost in the sky.
"They are not stars- they are fish, at least for us."
Giulia tilted her head. What was he talking about? They had changed the subject so suddenly it at least made her forget her pain momentarily. Luca looked down; he was not ignorant of her misery. From his look, it was clear Luca was worried about her state.
"Lie down. I want to show you something," Luca said as he sat.
Giulia looked surprised at him. What was he up to?
"Trust me," he asked.
Giulia sighed and lay along. At least it was a good distraction.
She lay down next to him. Luca smiled and looked up again. The snow felt comfortable, and their jackets and hats kept them warm despite the cold.
"Like making snow angels," Giulia thought, at least, that was a comforting idea.
"Look at the sky," Luca told her.
Giulia did so.
"At home, we have a belief," Luca continued, "that when someone dies, it is not really the end. It's just a passage."
Giulia looked at him, a little intrigued. Both Massimo and Monica were Christians, and they raised their daughter in the same way. Although she was never much of a believer, she considered herself a woman of science, even if sometimes she found herself praying and putting her faith in a greater power. Even with all that, knowing more about his friends' religion fascinated her.
"It is?"
Luca nodded before continuing:
"Yes, when one dies, their soul leaves the body and goes up to heaven to meet The Great Fish, who welcomes them by lowering his enormous fin so they can swim by his side for all eternity, in the infinite ocean above, shining forever."
Giulia looked at him as she understood what he meant. The boy was also looking at her.
"For us, those are the stars," with that said, he took off his glove, "you know that I'm not much of a believer either. I prefer to look for a reasonable explanation for everything, but-"
He sank his bare hand into the snow, which became a claw. Luca showed it to her, and Giulia took it, finding the touch comforting.
"We can do this, and you know we only have the legend as an explanation, so maybe," he looked into her eyes for this: "Your mom is up there right now. She has never left you."
They both sat up. At home, that was not only a belief but a creed. Luca heard it for the first time when he asked his mother about his grandfather. Alberto was also confident that his mother was there; Luca had never believed it so much, but… If they could make the Change, perhaps everything was possible.
Giulia was thinking the same thing, as she had said, she wasn't a believer either... but- a few weeks ago, she didn't believe that sea monsters existed either. And now, she was friends with two, maybe...
"Maybe she is up there with my grandfather and Alberto's mom," Luca continued, "some also say that they never abandon us, that they are always with us, guiding us."
Luca was seriously putting his skepticism aside, something he hadn't done since he was younger when he believed everything Alberto told him, but if it made her feel better, so be it.
"So maybe- thanks to them, we met."
Giulia didn't say anything and just looked straight ahead. Luca decided to put the glove back on and wait, he didn't know if he had done the right thing by telling her this. Giulia thought, and thought, she knew many skeptics who said these beliefs only served to appease a harsh truth. Sometimes, she was inclined to agree with them, but now...
"You know? We humans have something we call… miracles," she said, "it's because, according to Christianity, God- our version of the Big Fish."
Was she simplifying it? Yes, but she was sure Luca would get the point.
"He sent his son, Jesus, into the world to save us, and on his way, he healed the sick and fed the poor; they called his actions miracles, and since then, people have used that word to refer to good things that happen to them, even though sometimes they seem impossible."
Luca listened attentively; like his friend, he was intrigued every time he learned more about the human world.
"And I have always found it difficult to believe that a man had such power- but... now that I met you and Alberto... the truth is that I believe anything is possible."
Giulia turned to look at him, and Luca responded with a smile.
"So, maybe," she wiped the tears from her eyes, only this time they were of happiness, "our ancestors led us here, maybe they wanted us to meet, or perhaps it was Jesus or the Big Fish… or maybe they are the same, who knows?
Giulia shrugged her shoulders while smiling.
"I just know that- everything is possible, everything."
"She could be there," Giulia thought.
Luca smiled; his talk had served after all, and he had to admit that he, too, was beginning to believe. The girl threw herself at him into a hug, which took the boy by surprise, and the two fell on the snow, laughing as they got up, and Luca dried the parts that had been transformed.
"Thank you, Luca, for everything."
"You have nothing to thank me for, you know."
Giulia rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Luca did not object. They put the telescope inside and began the journey back home; while they passed from roof to roof, Luca could not resist the urge and asked the question:
"Could you tell me more about Jesus?"
Giulia smiled.
