"Silenzio, Bruno!"

That's the phrase that Alberto keeps repeating all the time. Whenever we have to gain courage to do anything tough.

Alberto refused to explain to me why he chose that phrase, of all things.

And he also told me that his dad abandoned him quite a while ago.

That only means...

The guy I'm talking to right now is Alberto's dad!

I didn't have any reaction to his name. I just sat there silently in shock.

And when the man - I should probably just refer to him as Bruno now - saw me making whatever face I was making, something about his own look felt... off.

It didn't help that I gulped very loudly right after he said his name.

He might just be weirded out by my reaction.

But I should prepare myself for the more unpleasant case.

"Alright..." Bruno said slowly. "Anyway, as I wa-"

"I gotta go," I said, not so out-of-nowhere, and I got up from the bench in a moment.

I turned to the entrance of the grocery store, and I was lucky to get close enough to it just before I saw Mrs. Marcovaldo get out of it.

"There you are; shall we go back home?"

"Yes!" I semi-exclaimed.

As we went home, I thought about looking back at Bruno, but I couldn't actually do it.

I didn't say a word for the entire walk back home.

I washed my hands and immediately went back to my room. There are too many thoughts in my head right now.

There are at least two things I have to do really soon.

Which one should I do first?

Hm...

Fine, I decided. I did that other thing first.

Then, I went out of my room, and:

"Excuse me," I spoke to Mrs. Marcovaldo, "is Giulia in her room?"

"Yes, but I wouldn't interrupt her if I were you," Mrs. Marcovaldo answered.

"Don't worry; I think she'll understand," I reassured her.

I knocked on Giulia's door.

"Not now, mom," was the first thing I heard.

"It's me." After a second:

"Okay, come in."

When I got inside her room, Giulia was making some big poster. It's gotta be for that science project next week.

"How is it going?" I asked her, trying to start this off lightly.

"Not good. I can't finish this, no matter what I try. Why did you ask?"

"Umph... there's something I need to tell you."

Giulia turned around, ridiculously slowly.

"Yeah...?" she murmured.

Come on, Luca... just say it... just tell her who you saw earlier tonight.

I can't.

"I met Alberto's dad."

Wait, I really just said that?

Giulia didn't react at first. But two seconds later, she caught up to what I said.

And she suddenly looked shocked.

"What?!" she whispered aggressively. She knows what happened between Alberto and his dad. He told her too, not just me.

"I met Alberto's dad," I repeated.

"How do you know it's him?"

"He literally introduced himself as 'Bruno Scorfano'."

"...Really?" Giulia paused again. "Bruno, as in, 'Silenzio, Bruno'?"

Now, I paused.

"Yes," I said.

There's too much pausing in this conversation.

"What did he look like?" Giulia asked me. And I told her the truth.

"He's the guard from the museum."

"What?!" Giulia still whispered, but she was also panicking even more. "That guy is...?"

I shrugged my shoulders. That's how it is.

What Giulia suggested next was way off of reality.

"You can't meet him again. You can't even tell Alberto about him." She sounded very insistent on that.

If I hadn't done that other thing, I would ask her why I shouldn't do those. Even though I think I know the answer.

But I had done that other thing. So, nervously:

"It's too late for that."

"What?!" Giulia exclaimed, more loudly this time.

Dear mom,

please, send this letter over to Alberto. He has to read it as soon as he can. Yes, it's urgent.

Dear Alberto,

you will have to come to Genoa! Tomorrow evening at the latest. Just you!

There is something I have to show you. I can't tell you what it is. You will have to see it for yourself.

I hope you can trust me.

See you,
Luca

"So... he's coming to Genoa around this time tomorrow?" Giulia asked me, clearly really worried.

"I hope so," I said. I didn't say 'yes', because I don't know if Alberto will actually arrive.

"And... what's your plan once they meet?"

That... was actually a very fair question that Giulia asked.

"What if they don't want to see each other anymore? Or better yet; what if they do? What if Alberto's dad decides to have him back in his life? Should Alberto just move out of Portorosso, and leave my dad on his own?"

Really, really great questions.

And I don't have an answer to them.

"I don't know," I responded, completely honestly. "I'm just hoping they'll be happy to see each other."