"id like you to show him around, my dear." my mom said to me. this was an annual occurrence. every year, my parents would allow someone to stay out in our guest house. we live in a little village, right out of portifino, italy. it's right on the water.
"of course mother." i told her with a smile. this year i suppose its a 25 year old male. last year, there was a 19 year old girl and we got along great. i'm 17 now and i can't remember a summer without a guest.
"grazie, bambina." my mom said, thanking me. my parents don't exactly have the worst english since they're able to hold conversation. there are occasional words that they won't know when they're talking to someone or that they won't know when it is said to them. italian is their first language.
our family almost strictly talks in english as my parents want to become better at if, even though they're practically fluent. i grew up speaking both italian and english.
"no problem, madré." i smiled, walking out to our backyard. i noticed that the peach tree was overflowing in ripe, golden peaches. i grabbed one of the baskets and began picking a few of the peaches off of the tree.
"hello there, la signorina." i heard a voice from behind me, making me jump and drop my basket, a few of the once perfect peaches rolling out. i looked at the tan boy with brown hair and the most icey blue eyes ever.
"hello, signore." i said. "i'm adelaide. i see you've been practicing your italian." i smiled. i looked to his outfit and then to my own. he was dressed in a pair of khaki shorts and a loose blue button up. it was clear that he was trying to match the vibe of portofino. i was in a little white sundress with pink roses scattered around it.
"si, ho pensato che sarebbe stato utile." he said to me. 'yes, i thought it'd be useful.' the words slipped off his tongue so easily, as though he's spoken italian his entire life.
"that it will, sir." i smiled to him, moving my hair out of my face. i had never met a guest like this. typically it was pretty formal. my parents would send a car to go get them from the airport and they would arrive as we all waited on the front lawn. we would go straight to a fancy dinner and then allow them to come back and settle in. never in my 17 years had a guest just walked into the backyard like he had.
"please, call me colby." he told me, smiling. he has quite a beautiful smile. he had a beautiful face in general.
"adelaide. i am violeta and nolan's-" i started to say but was cut off by colby finishing my sentence.
"daughter. they told me about you." he smiled, making me blush slightly. i blushed? "would you like some help with the peaches?" he asked me.
"if you wish to, colby." i told him with a gentle smile, picking the basket back up. i watched him pick at a peach that wasn't quite rip... and it wouldn't give. "that one isn't quite ready yet." i told him. he responded in a nod and moved to the one next to it, picking it properly. "so where are you from?" i asked him. i knew the answer was america, california to be specific... but small talk, right?
"well i grew up in kansas and moved to california when i turned 18... i don't know how much you know about america." he said with a small laugh.
"probably more than you'd think. for an italian girl, that is." i said to him with a small smile. he looked at me for a moment, our eyes locking for a few seconds before i looked to the basket that was now full.
"you're very beautiful, adelaide. how old are you?" he asked me. making me blush deeply. for a 17 year old girl, i didn't get around all that much. i liked to spend my time reading or relaxing in my backyard. i would go to the occasional party but never had i been around a man who called me beautiful, asides from my dad, that is.
