To Be or Not To Be Volturi

Chapter 2

*Ava's POV*

It was around nine o'clock at night as I had finished packing up for my trip to Italy. It was pretty easy to pack, but also difficult to choose the right choice of clothes to take with me since I'll be staying there for a week. Not only am I excited to travel to the main destination and explore the places of it and enjoy the Italian food, but I was very excited to see the many historical artifacts.

I've been looking up online of different places all over Italy and I decided to travel to a small town called Volterra. I felt that Rome, Florence, and Milan were overrated places to visit and I noticed that it doesn't get that much attention, other than a special tour at the Volterra castle. Plus, it would be a great secret and safe place for me to do some painting and drawing there, secretly, without my father knowing.

Being an artist was not an easy life for me. Ever since I discovered my talent for art and became fascinated with the art world at age fourteen, my father was against the idea of me becoming an artist for my career. There was even one day, my father took all of my first paintings and drawings and threw them away because he wanted me to take my studies very seriously once I started high school. He wanted me to get straight-A's and focus more on my studies so that I could get into Stanford. But even when I got all my homework and studies finished early, I would, secretly, do some painting and drawing while my father was nowhere in sight. I kept them all hidden away from him this time so that he wouldn't throw any of my artwork away again.

My father wants me to attend Stanford and become a lawyer because he didn't get the chance to do that as he was raising me as a single father after my mother, Barbara, left my father and me, unexpectedly, one night when I was three years old. They fought a lot and my mother never once called or send me any letters or even visit to explain or apologize to me for leaving without telling me why she did. I wanted to see my mother for all my life, but my father told me it wasn't a good idea, which had always confused me. After my mother left, my father had raised me on his own and now he wants me to live the lawyer life that he never got the chance to do.

My thoughts were soon interrupted when I heard a knock at the door. I closed my laptop and called out, "Come in." Then, the door opened and my father came in, with an envelope in his hand. "Hi, Ava." "Hi, dad." I said. "I checked the mail earlier and I forgot to give this to you. It's a congratulations card from your uncle and cousin." He said, as he handed me the card. "Oh, thank you. I'll open it later. Would you tell them I said 'thank you' tomorrow since I'll be on a fourteen hour flight to Italy and I won't be able to have any communication for a while?" I asked. "Of course." He said. "Thank you." I responded back.

"Are you all packed for Italy?" My dad asked. I nodded and answered, "All packed and set for the week vacation." "Are you—Are you sure you don't want me to accompany with you in Italy, Ava?" He asked, sounding concerned. "Dad, no. I'll be fine. It's not like I'll be staying there forever." I said. 'I wish I could stay there forever.' I thought to myself. "Oh. Well, alright, then. Don't forget. Once you get from Italy, you'll be starting your early summer classes." He reminded me, which was annoying since he reminds me of my studies and becoming the greatest lawyer I can be almost every day.

"Do I really have to spend my whole summer taking early classes, dad?" I asked. "Of course you have to take them, Ava. The early you study, the better successful lawyer you'll eventually become." He answered. "But dad, besides going to Italy, there's a lot of things that I wanna do during the summer before I start school like any normal person would do before starting college." I explained. "What did you have in mind that you wanted to do over the summer, Ava?" He asked, crossing his arms. I hesitated at first, but, then, I answered, "I wanna see mom, dad."

My dad looked at me as if I was crazy or something. "I'm eighteen and I've waited fifteen years to see her again. I—I mean, I know she hasn't tried to visit or contact me, but—" I was about to continue, but my father interrupted me. "Ava, we've talked about this. I don't think it's a good idea to see your mother. She's the one who left us, unexpectedly. She's the one who walked out on a three year old, which is why it's not a good idea for you to see her." He said, but didn't really give a good explanation about why she did and why I can't see her. It's almost like he's hiding something from me that he didn't want me to know about. I didn't want to argue with him, so I simply said, sadly, "Okay."

Afterwards, my dad looked down at his watch and said, "You better get some sleep, Ava. We've gotta wake up early in the morning for your flight." I nodded and said, "Alright. I'll go to bed in five minutes." "Okay, then. Goodnight, Ava." He said, as he placed a goodnight kiss on top of my head and headed towards the door. "Goodnight, dad." I said, and, then, he closed the door.

Once my dad left, I set my card down on my desk and opened my laptop and looked up more information about Volterra. For some reason, that same feeling in my heart from earlier came back and started fluttering even more than what it was like earlier when I looked up the small town. It's almost as if my heart was telling me to go there for a reason. There must be some sort of connection that feels like it's pulling me towards it. I guess whatever is down there is waiting for me. I guess I'll find out what it is once I get to Volterra.

I was starting to get tired as I closed my laptop and got dressed for bed. Once I was dressed, I looked at the wallet size picture of my mother on my dresser, holding me in her arms on the day I was born. I looked at it, with a smile on my face. Everyone, even my father, have always told me that I look just like her; I have her blonde hair, blue eyes, and even her smile. It's hard to hear that when I don't even know her other than distant memories of her when I was three. I just wish I could see her for one day.

I grabbed the photo and put it in my favorite Shakespeare book, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and I set the book on top of my suitcase. I set my clothes out for the next day, and, then, I got in bed to get some rest before my father and I wake up early in the morning to get to the airport in time for my flight. I closed my eyes and drifted off into sleep, while that feeling in my heart kept fluttering.

***

I was walking down a pathway in the sunshine, wearing a white summer dress and with my blonde hair all curled up, surrounded by a garden of red rose bushes and red rose petals falling from the sky like snow. I closed my eyes and put my arms up as I danced around the garden, while feeling some of the soft rose petals, slowly, landing and falling down on my face.

"Mio amore (my love)." I stopped dancing when I heard a soft, feathery voice say out of nowhere. I looked around and didn't see anyone. "Sei così bella, mia cara (You are so beautiful, my dear)." A second voice, in a deep gentle voice, said and I still couldn't see anyone around me. "Ti vogliamo bene, mio amore (We love you, my love)." A third voice said, which made me spin around, feeling so confused. "Non vediamo l'ora di vederti, la nostra bella colomba (We cannot wait to see you, our beautiful dove)." The soft, feathery voice said, echoing all around, before everything that surrounded me faded into black.