rinascita

"And I see you haven't learned, huh?" Sage couldn't help but gently tease, assuming that if the other's only option was to follow her and put on clothes that would be slightly too short on her, that she hadn't learned to pack that extra set in her own car. "I left Floyd to go return the paddles to the office — it'll be more fun if he comes out and can't find me anyway." She tried to push everything else out of her mind as they walked along. The stuff with Yasemin, the fact that she was currently walking alongside her ex-wife, the fact that they'd somehow already slipped up and slept together... it was all a mess and she was already a missed step away from spiraling again by the time they made it to her SUV parked among others in the grass. She popped the trunk and had to reach behind the stroller she'd forgotten to take out to get the bag she kept in her trunk with an extra outfit and some necessities if she ever needed them. "It's, uh, just a pair of joggers and a crewneck, but it should do the job."

" i... do sometimes. " giada gave a small pout. sage had always imparted the importance of having an extra set of clothes in cold weather, one never knew what could happen and given how they met, she was keen to agree on that fact. however, she just hadn't had time to put things back into her car since moving back to providence peak. she'd been focusing on moving things back and forth between her business and her home more than the idea of falling into a lake in the middle of spring. with a soft huff, more annoyed with herself than anything else, she followed the blonde to the suv, her heart gently clenching as she thought about the last time she'd followed sage to a vehicle, the memories of ruby flooding in.

" do you remember one of the first times you met him and we snuck off to go make out? " gia laughed. " he was looking for us forever. " leaning against the side of the car, gia avoided looking at the stroller currently occupying most of the trunk, taking the clothes offered to her. " thank you. anything is better than this right now. " seeing no one around the car, she handed sage her phone and keys from her pocket, kicked off her shoes and striped the wet denim from her legs before pulling the joggers on.

no gif, horrible wifi still :c

They couldn't believe their eyes at first. How Hero thought they were imagining Giada roaming around the farm, how in spite of the years that have passed, she still looked the same as ever. While the twins were on a hot air balloon ride with friends and Meg was with her own friends at the petting zoo, the writer quietly made their way to their old friend. They couldn't help the flurry of emotions that coursed through them: happiness to see her again, frustration that she left in the first place, confused as to why she left. Hero had tried to be there for Gia and Sage after what happened to Ruby, wanting to return the favour after they were there for them after their husband left. Yet, it had stung when Sage (understandably) iced them out and then Gia left town. With the awkward run-ins with Sage over the past few months, Hero was admittedly nervous that Gia would ice them out as well. "H-Hey," they breathed out, having made their way to her. "Y'know, I thought you were a ghost at first." They tried to place their admittance off as a joke. Yet, the longer they looked at the older woman, the more they wanted to hug her and chew her ear off for disappearing the way she did.

giada always loved the spring extravaganza and had taken in the new events happening through the city. meandering her way through the farm, the italian was happily munching on pieces of apricot when she spotted a familiar face. hero had been a big part of her life before she'd left the city, their kids and ruby playing together often. most people she'd seen in town didn't have the warmest feelings towards her return and she hoped the other wouldn't have any animosity towards her. " hi. " she gave a small, but warm, smile before laughing softly. " sometimes i feel like a ghost in this town. so much has changed since i was here last. " gia took another bite of the apricot in her hand. " i uh... it's good to see you again. i have to admit, i'm sort of at a loss as to what to say... i've missed you. i'm sorry i- " she cleared her throat. saying sorry wasn't really going to cut it, not when hero had gone through the same situation she'd put sage through. " i'm sorry. "

for just a second she could pretend nothing was wrong, that she hadn't broken them and they were just a family on an outing, everything picture perfect. and then sage pulled her hand away and the moment was over. she cringed as she remembered her phone in her pocket, instantly pulling it out. luckily it didn't seem water logged or damaged in any way. " i am not normal people, you remember that, surely. you always told me to pack an extra set of clothes in my car no matter the weather. " she chewed on the inside of her cheek before giving a small nod. " that would be nice, thank you. i don't want to miss the rest of the activities because i had to go home to get new clothes. " the thought of being wrapped in sage's scent crossed her mind and for a moment she moved to protest before her body shivered at the prospect of remaining in wet clothes.

It was a disaster she couldn't look away from, even if the person involved hadn't been her ex-wife (the same ex-wife she'd just had sex with a few weeks prior). One moment the person was steering toward the embankment at the edge of the lake and the next, the kayak wobbled just enough to tip sideways, sending the person into the shallow water. Sage couldn't help but stifle the laugh that bloomed on her lips, getting lost in how funny the moment would have been had it happened a decade ago. Giada was never nature-inclined and she couldn't help but wonder why the woman was even attempting to steer a kayak in the first place. With nothing but a soft grin on her lips, the blonde finished pulling her kayak to shore and closed the distance between her and the woman half-covered with lake water. Holding out her hand to help the other up, she questioned, "I didn't think swimming was part of the race?" Her gaze glistened with amusement as her grin grew ever so slightly.

she wasn't sure what had possessed her to make her way to the lake on a monday just to find herself in a kayak, alone, on a lake. she'd never been one for outdoor things, hikes with sage and ruby had turned into gia finding spots to sit and sketch while her two girls went on without her, inevitably coming back for snacks and water that gia had at the ready. in any instance, she really should have listened to that voice that told her getting into the boat alone was a bad idea, but she'd caught a glimpse of her ex-wife and hadn't wanted to seem afraid. of course it backfired. her nerves causing her to over-correct, landing her in the cold water, and of course it was sage who came over after seeing the whole ordeal. " funny. very funny. " she sighed, taking sage's hand if only so she could get out of the cold lake that much sooner. for a moment she contemplated using her strength to pull sage into the water next to her, though she doubted she could get the jump on the blonde. " i hate being wet. i didn't even think to bring a towel with me for the drive home. "

Upon entering the diner, Mei’s eyes eagerly scanned the room, searching for Gia’s familiar face. Spotting her friend, a wave of relief washed over Mei, dispelling any lingering doubts. Gia’s infectious smile greeted her, prompting Mei to return it with equal warmth as she made her way over to the table. The embrace they shared felt like a long-awaited reunion, erasing the distance that had separated them.

As they placed their drink orders, Mei felt a surge of gratitude for Gia’s thoughtfulness. Her waving morning sickness was like a rollercoaster these days. Mei thought after the first trimester was over it was going to pass, yet that wasn’t the case. “Water sounds perfect,” she agreed with a grateful smile. “How Have you been? “ Mei asks genuinely eager to catch up with her after not seeing her for a while.

she had a lot of regrets after ruby’s passing. one of those regrets was pulling away from her friends, people who had always been there for her in the years she was married to sage, people she trusted, had grown with. one of those people was mei. the other woman had been experiencing the joy of becoming a mother so closely to when gia was losing the experience that the designer had pulled away, not wanting her sorrow to take away the other’s joy.

as they embraced, gia felt a small part of her soul was healing. there was still a lot to make up for, but shoe hoped she could start that path, making amends with people in the town she’d hurt with her own way of grieving.

“ i’ve been okay. traveling, working, growing the business. ” she’d been featured in magazines all over the world and never knew what to tell people when they asked questions such as that. did she bring up work? her personal life was severely lacking these days unless one counted sleeping with their ex-wife as having a personal life. “ how are you? how’s the family? you have... two kids now, si? ”

as soon as her ex-wife's name was spoken aloud, she winced slightly. " ah, yes. it is. " of course the younger woman would know about sage. it seemed everywhere she went someone knew sage, though no one seemed to know of her previous marriage, which worked in her favor... most of the time. " thank you. i... a lot of work went into those and i'm very proud of them. " despite the circumstances, her wedding day would always be one of the best days of her life, following only ruby's birth. " sorry, i did not mean to make things awkward. we can definitely do a fuller skirt. are you thinking princess style or something like a prom dress that's not, " she put her hands out next to her sides, puffing out with a slight giggle.

" i know, i know. i'm sorry. i just... needed to adjust to being back before i was really back, you know? " she sighed softly. the last thing she'd wanted to do was leave him, but being away from the town meant her business and her brand grew. she grew as a person and as someone who could handle their grief in a healthy way. " i... " gia groaned loudly and looked up to the ceiling of the record shop. " i slept with sage and... i liked it. i mean obviously i liked it. i was married to her, but i really liked it and... i kind of want to do it again. " gia covered her eyes with her hands, looking down at her lap.

gia laughed, wrapping her arms and legs around floyd as he hugged her. that was the reaction she was hoping for. no matter how long she and floyd went without seeing each other, the love she had for the man never went away. kissing his forehead, gia pulled back. " i got back about a month ago? i've been setting up my shop and getting unpacked. i wanted to be settled before i came to see you. " floyd was a breath of fresh air. someone who didn't judge her, someone who had known her since she was a teenager, stumbling through the world just trying to carve her tiny piece out. " i was here to stay.... and then things happened and now i need you to convince me to not leave again. " g pouted.

@providencepeakstarters

she felt bad, leaving just as he was arriving in town. but it'd been for the best and they'd kept in touch, damn near texting daily. she hadn't, however, told him she was moving back into town, hoping to be able to surprise him with the news. hopefully he wouldn't be too mad at her for not saying anything the last time they'd spoken to each other. she noted the time on the door before walking into the store and waiting to see if floyd would come out to greet her. as he emerged from the back room, she smirked. " hai un aspetto di merda. " gia teased before walking to the counter and hoisting herself up on top of it. " sorpresa. "

He didn’t want to admit that she would be right to, all things considered, but he’d like to believe for at least a moment that he more than earned his right to his own bedroom under any dire circumstances should it ever be up for debate — even though he was pitted against Aslihan’s best friend, his biggest rival in this playful competition.

Instead, he spewed, “Whatever. Bullshit.” And the smile that poked through his features was enough to signify that the harshness in which he spoke was only intended to be banter, having recognized that he likely fell directly into Gia’s trap of riling him up.

He went back to settling in, shedding his coat and tossing it atop his bag while he toed off his shoes. The sound of her sigh behind him caused him to turn around once more and his features softened as she began to speak. While he didn’t understand Italian, he was able to pick up on enough context clues to recognize the gist of what she’d been saying — and he felt bad, truly. Not only because he felt bad for her, but because he felt as though she didn’t need to stress about overstaying her welcome on top of everything else. Underneath the thick layer of jokes that he easily threw around, he had absolutely no issues with Gia’s presence in the slightest. He wanted her to know that.

“You can stay as long as you want,” he admitted, knowing that Aslihan would have no issues with such a thing either. “Honestly, I mean that. I like to bust your balls about it, but that’s as far as it goes — I don’t mind that you’re keeping my side warm.” He padded over towards the bed, plopping down by Gia’s feet. “That being said, y’know . . . I’m not As, but I’m a pretty decent listener. If you ever need another pair of ears . . . I’m here, just as she is.”

eli was a good man. she hadn't known him long but she knew asli loved him and anyone asli loved, gia loved. he was good to her and that's all she could hope for her best friend. " cazzate. " she winked at him with a grin on her face. eli was like the slightly older brother she never got after her parents divorced. having him on her side made the world feel easier to navigate.

as he sat in front of her, she looked up from her lap, offering a small smile. " i... i missed... life here, i missed being here with people and places i knew. " gia swallowed thickly as she considered her next words. " i missed her. " words whispered, spoken only in her heart for so many years. it wasn't fair, she knew that. she'd walked away from their life and hadn't looked back. but the ache for sage was still very present.

" i know, i know. i... it doesn't make sense. i walked away from her, from our family but... eli, she was so broken. i've never seen her like that. i tried everything i could to get her to come back to me. nothing worked. if i stayed i was afraid i was going to ha- " gia took a shuddering breath, covering her face with her hands before she could calm herself down.

" she was killing herself and i couldn't stay to watch. i had to leave, for both of us. i never stopped loving her. "

gia had seen it all in her years. brides, clients, models, refusing to stand up for what they wanted and in the end none of them walked away happy. she was glad to see that thea was going to stand up for what she wanted, and if need be gia was always there to step in and lay down the hammer. her bride's word was law. " oh... i think i have a photo somewhere in one of my albums. " that was a whole other can of worms she didn't really want to think about, but she'd brought it up and now she had to produce the goods. opening her phone she went to one of her locked photos and scrolled to the bottom, the one photo she kept of her and sage's wedding day, and showed it to thea. " i... designed both dresses actually. " gia gave a small smile, thinking about all those nights she and sage spent in bed as gia sketched different designs, excited to see which one sage would choose for their wedding. " anyway. " she handed her phone over for thea to take a closer look before going to grab a water from the mini fridge.

gia could barely think as she drove her car, lucky speech to text didn't pick up on her rage and tears. pulling over to the side of the street, she let the tears flow down her cheeks as the call came in. taking a breath, the italian answered the phone, instantly soothed by her best friend's voice. " no, i'm in the car already. " gia took a breath, wiping her cheeks free of salty tears. " i stopped by the house... i don't know what i was expecting, but i wasn't expecting her to walk out of the house with... she looks so much like r-ruby. " her breath caught in her throat as she spoke her daughter's name out loud for the second time that day.

"Okay," she breathed out. Her other hand running through her hair while her thoughts swam rapidly in her head. "Okay, I'll see you soon. Oh, Gia..." Maggie had always appeared as Sage's perfect mini me every time Asli saw her. However, she'd always stopped herself from researching more on Ruby after learning about her. It hadn't felt like her place to learn more about the daughter of the woman she wasn't close with. Yet, she's always been curious about Gia's Ruby. Knowing now that they were the same girl, it felt torturous to breathe. She couldn't imagine the pain both women have been experiencing. Asli had been ready for Gia, instantly opening the door and her arms stretched out to hug her once she got closer to her. "I love you," she whispered. Kissing her cheek and hugging her tight to her. "I love you so much, Gi."

the drive to asli's was slow, gia could barely see the road through blurry eyes. it probably would have been smarter for her to have the other woman come get her but she wasn't thinking straight. nothing else mattered except getting as far away from sage's place as she could. pulling into the driveway it took a few moments for gia to get out of the car, being pulled into warm arms as she approached the door. that's all it took for the flood gates to completely open, tears spilling freely now that gia knew she was in safe company. the italian didn't dare speak just yet, not knowing what to say in the first place.