Chapter Text
December 21, 2022
"MAMMA!"
Little Andrea's face lights up as soon as he sees his mother watching him from the classroom door with a smile from ear to ear. The little one runs as fast as his short 5-year-old legs allow him to hang from his mother's neck, who has already crouched down to his height and fills his face with kisses.
"How was your day, piccolino?"
"Fantastico! I have a gift for Zio Andrew. Look, look"
Andrea unhooks from his mother's neck and runs to his backpack to show her the snowman he made in class with cotton and liquid tempera. The teacher can't help but let out a little laugh at the sight of the little one running around the class.
"He hasn't stopped talking about his uncle. And about his visit to Sunset Cliff"
"I promised him that we would write him a letter together and that we would go to Sunset Cliff to read it to him and leave it there"
"That's what he told all of us this morning"
Carina sighs and stands up when she sees that Andrea has stopped for a second to tell something to his friend.
"I'm not sure if he understands that we won't really see him. That his uncle won't physically appear there"
"He'll understand. He's a very smart kid. And if not, he has the best mother who will know how to explain it to him"
"Mamma, look, it's a snowman. How do you say Snowman in Italian?"
"Il pupazzo di neve"
"Il pu...pu...pazzo di neve?"
"Fantastico, bambino. You are so smart and he'll love it"
The little one shows his mother the snowman he decorated in class, proud of his work and also proud of his pronunciation in her mothers language.
"I made it for him because Christmas is coming soon, and maybe he doesn't have things to decorate his house in heaven. Do you think he has Christmas decorations? Will he like my Christmas ornament?"
"I don't know if he has Christmas decorations in his heavenly home, bambino. But he'll surely love the one you made for him. Come on, get your coat and backpack; we're going home before it gets too late, and we miss the sunset"
Andrea turns around immediately, and he runs to get his things. He quickly returns, loaded with his coat in one arm almost dragging on the floor, the backpack in the other arm, and the snowman hanging with the string between his fingers.
"Come on, let me help you put on your coat"
"Have a nice Christmas, DeLucas. Will you tell us everything when you come back, Andrea?"
"Sì! Everything, everything. Mamma and I are spending Christmas here so we can go to the beach when it's a little less colder"
"That's great! Have a good time, Andrea. Merry Christmas, Carina"
"Merry Christmas"
Andrea can't stay still. Still holding his mother's hand, he can't help but hop to the car while continuing to tell her everything they did for the Christmas farewell at school. Everything! What his friends are going to do for Christmas, the stories the teacher told them. Even a video from Santa Claus for the class, saying that all the kids in his class are so good that they will all receive Christmas gifts.
Arriving home, Carina prepares hot chocolate for both. A small, personalized mug for the little one and a matching but larger mug for herself. Both enjoy their hot chocolate while Polar Express plays for the third time in that house since December began. But it was Andrea's favorite, both his son and his brother. And today was going to be a tough afternoon, so she wanted to give all the indulgences to her little one.
After a nap on his mother's lap for most of the movie, it was time to get dressed and go see the sunset.
"Piccolino, it's time to visit Zio. Wake up"
"I'm awake" -says the little one, rubbing his eyes and halfway through a yawn.
Carina can't help but stroke his little curls while smiling with a heart constricted by the emotions that are about to come.
"Come on, Drea. Put on your coat. I'll get the blanket and the keys"
"Don't forget the paper and pencil for the letter"
"I won't forget"
Coats buttoned and bag loaded with everything needed, Andrea firmly takes his mother's hand and walks to their hidden rocks, where once the ashes of his brother and uncle were scattered.
Once the blanket is unfolded and Carina sits with paper and pen in hand, Andrea prepares to sit between his mother's legs with his back against her chest and his gaze lost in the ocean.
"How do you want to start the letter?"
Carina opens Andrea's legs a little more and places the paper between them to write better.
"Teacher Adams told me that letters start like "Dear Uncle."
"Yes, that's a way to start them. Your teacher is absolutely right"
"Dear zio and fratellino..."
"He's not my little brother, Mamma" - Andrea looks up to his mother confused.
"I know. But he's my little brother so..."
"Dear Zio and Fratellino:
These will be our first Christmas without you. Mamma and I decided to come to San Diego because it was your favorite place. When Mamma was sad because she missed our little island and wanted me to see the sea, you always found the perfect opportunity to rent the closest house to the coast and bring us to see the best sunsets in the world. Mamma and I will live in this house until the end of summer. Now I go to school here, and sometimes my friend Luca picks me up with his dad and teaches me how to surf. Did you know Luca's dad is also from Italy? Now I practice Italian with them, and we eat real pizza.
Mamma misses you a lot. And so do I. But Mamma cries a lot at night, even though she doesn't know I know. Now she knows, and many tears fall while she helps me write this letter, but you know what? We're watching the most beautiful sunset in the world, as you always said, and surely you're watching and taking care of us from your heavenly home. That's what Mamma always says. And Mamma is always right. Now she smiled a little hehehe.
I brought you a Christmas decoration because we didn't know if you had time to buy decorations for your home. Mamma always says you didn't like celebrating Christmas until I was born. So now that you're there without us in your heavenly home, you probably forgot to buy decorations. That's why I brought you this pupazzo di neve we made in class.
Well, Mamma and I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and send you lots of kisses in this letter so you don't feel alone.
We love you.
Mamma and Andrea."
Once the letter is finished, Andrea takes it in his hands and fills it with kisses, making his mother laugh a little. Then he turns around, kneeling and facing his mother, and hands her the paper for her to also fill it with kisses. Once she has finished filling it with kisses, Andrea realizes that his mother hasn't stopped crying the whole time. So, with his little hands, he grabs his mother's cheeks and looks at her intently.
"Are you sad?"
"A little bit, bambino"
"It's okay to be sad, Mamma"
"I know, my baby. Are you sad?"
Andrea lowers his hands to his mother's waist and hugs her tightly, resting his little head on her chest. Listening to her accelerated heartbeats, he begins to shed some tears.
Carina doesn't think twice and lifts her son to hug him closer to her if possible. And for a few minutes, both cry inconsolably as they watch the sun gradually disappear on the horizon.