It's been ta week since Mirabella's birthday, and the show was just about to begin. But ever since her birthday she did not utter a single word of the man who stole away her beloved freedom.

Her family, on the other hand, couldn't stop the chatter. All they talked about was Daniel and how their two families were close and how many fun memories they all had together. And it wasn't just Mirabella who had to put up with this, but Daniel had to go through it too. It almost felt planned at times. Whenever Daniel entered a room, Mirabella's name was mentioned in a conversation. And whenever Mirabella entered a room, the mention of Daniel was heard in a conversation and she would keep quiet and shut out the whole world by listening to music.

"That's odd," said Mirabella, as her and Vanessa sat down at the table.

"What is?"

"Dave giving us three days off," Mirabella said, as she filled her plate with toast.

"Oh come off it," said Vanessa as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "We should be celebrating. It's three days off."

Later on that day, Mirabella, Andrea and Vanessa were sitting outside in the garden, enjoying their day.

Mirabella had just finished talking to her boss, Dave if he would employ Andrea and since he met her during Mirabella's birthday, there was no interview needed. He told her that Andrea was to start in three days time.

"Bella," they heard Vanessa's dad call, as he stood in between the doorway of the balcony. "Come," he said, shortly before walking away.

Mirabella sighed as she stood up and followed him as he led the way. Something was telling her that she would hear bad news. It was like a slight punch in her guts that was almost like a warring. She shook her head and balled her hands into fists, and the feeling slowly faded away.

••••

What has this world come to? It was as though the whole entire universe was against her. It was quite. Too quiet as Mirabella stared at the three men in the room. She didn't know what to say because her mind wasn't thinking. Her mind felt as though it had stopped functioning. Mirabella blinked a few times, shook her head and broke the deathly silence. "So soon?" She asked, sounding breathless. "But I don't even know him. At least give me a few months to know him. Please."

Alejandro shook his head, sadly but didn't utter a word. Her godfather, Roman looked at his nephew and brother, searching for help, but they were avoiding his eyes. He closed his eyes, exhaled and opened his eyes to look at Mirabella. "We thought, that the sooner the better" he said, a hint of nervousness in his tone.

"When do I start with the planning then-"

"Don't worry your head about that," said uncle Mario. "Everything is being taken care of. You don't have to do anything."

Mirabella slowly nodded her head, before she asked, "when is it? Surly it can't be in a few weeks, can it?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed. Mirabella saw the three of them tens at her question and the same feeling she had when coming to this room filled her up once more. But this time, it was much stronger. "What?" She asked.

Alejandro looked at his uncles for help, but they also had the same look on their faces as he did. How was he going to say this? There was only one way, but Mirabella wasn't going to take it easy. There was a long and unsettling pause as she waited for someone to speak. Alejandro took a deep and heavy breath and exhaled. "Tomorrow." He said.

And that's when it all came clashing down. The walls around her all came falling down and her veins felt as though a cold gush of air ran through them. She felt as though there was something or someone suffocating her. She blinked a couple of times to get rid of the tears on her eyes and help her head up high as she bit her tongue.

She wasn't going to cry. No. That was not an option. She simply inhaled a deep breath and nodded her head, before speaking in a voice so forced that it was painful for her to utter just a single letter. "Alright," She said. "Can I leave?" With a nod from her godfather, uncle and brother, Mirabella stood up from the chair and left the room while repeatedly telling herself, 'keep your head up high. You mustn't cry.'

••••

The sun was setting and the sky looked like a beautiful painting of colours. Where the horizon was the colours were a soft, tangerine colour which faded into a purple and then a darker colour that almost looked a mixture of purple and dark blue. A few stars were visible, which twinkled high up in the sky.

The shopping centre has architecture the schools and hospitals could only dream of. The ceiling was domed higher than any cathedral and made of the most beautiful glass. The walkways flowed like tributaries to the main rivers of people, not a sharp angle to be seen. It smelled like heaven in a hand-basket and the floor shined like the surface of a lake at sunrise. In the background was music to soothe, gentle flowing notes that took the shopper's cares far away.

The shopping centre was Andrea's and Vanessa's make-up and shoes guilty pleasure. They could roam the aisles, take inspiration from the stores and make themselves anew. They entered in feeling ordinary and then, as if they were walking on a podium. "Let's go to this shop first" chimed Vanessa, as her and Andrea pulled Mirabella along with them.

It's been a few hours, and Mirabella was feeling tired. Her legs were hurting her and all she wanted to do was go home, take a bath and relax. She looked down at her nails; white they were. So pure. So eye-catching and satisfying-looking. Her eyes then narrowed at the diamond on her ring finger. The diamond was sparking and she couldn't help but look at it in awe. Mirabella shook her head. No, she hated the person who had given her this ring.

She lifted her head up and her eyes immediately fell upon a coupe, sitting at the café shop opposite from where she stood. They looked to be the same age as her. The woman had long, dark blonde hair that was parted down the middle, blue eyes and fair skin. She was beautiful. The man was handsome, dark and had sun-Kissed skin. They were talking about something, and it made the woman blush as she tucked a strand on her blonde locks behind her ear. The man rose from his seat, and kneeled down on one knee, and pulled out a velvet blue box in the shape of a heart. The woman covered her mouth with her hands as he opened the box, revealing a diamond ring.

Mirabella blinked a few times and looked the other way to find Vanessa and Andrea coming out of the bathroom, laughing about something. She could hear the sound of applause in the background coming from the café shop. "How long?" She asked, once the two gilt stopped and stood next to her. She wanted to go home and Andrea was her ride home.

"Come on, children" said Andrea, as she gestured for the girls to follow her.

••••

It was six pm, and the girls have just arrived home. Andrea found a spot for her car and then turned off the engine before they got out of the car and went to the boot to get their shopping bags.

"Wait," said Vanessa, before she closed her eyes and turned to the front door of the house that was opened. She opened her eyes and looked at Mirabella and Andrea before she ran inside the house.

The house smelled like a bakery. It filled their nostrils and their senses, making them close their eyes as they took deep breaths. "Heaven." Said Andrea, as she walked towards the kitchen and Vanessa and Mirabella followed.

The kitchen had homemade cakes everywhere. The table didn't have any room and neither did the counters. Mirabella saw the maids working and her Godmother and aunties were helping them. And then, someone unexpected popped up from behind the kitchen island that had an extra oven. "Nonna!" Vanessa said, running towards the women.

(Grandma)

Nonna was a beautiful and loving woman. She lived in America, and visited her children and grandkids only so often with her husband. Nonna had long, dark brown hair that was always held up into a neat bun and two strands hung down the side of her face. She had hazel-grey eyes and sun-kissed skin. "Oh, my beautiful girls" she smiled, as she hugged Vanessa and Andrea. "You girls are growing up so fast," she said.

Nonna's eyes narrowed to the girl standing just by the entrance of the kitchen. Mirabella was fiddling with her fingers as she looked down at the floor made from stone. Nonna tilted her head to one side, sighed. Mirabella looked up and saw her grandmother smiling at her as she held her arms out. This made her smile and rush towards her. "Everything will be fine," Nonna told Mirabella. "I missed you, Bella," Nonna said.

"I missed you too."