Chapter 26

Sky settled into the charming apartment in Italy, the rustic beauty of the country surrounding him. The air felt fresh, crisp, and carried the scent of earth. The rolling hills and quiet villages were beautiful, but despite the calm, there was a part of him that still felt empty, It's been almost a year already.

Prim had come with him initially, her lively presence a comfort in the beginning, but now, she was back in Thailand.

Sky sat by the window, gazing out at the soft golden hues of the sunset painting the sky, the peaceful silence heavy around him. The loneliness was different here, almost peaceful, but it weighed on him, especially in moments like these when his mind wandered back to Thailand, back to Nani.

As The days go one, filled with his studies, his work, and adjusting to the culture around him. And the moments when Sky spoke on the phone, brief and hurried, were the only things that truly made him feel connected to home.

Sky's fingers hovered over his phone. It had become a routine for him now: even on his busiest days, he always made time to call Nani. Sometimes it was a few quick messages, other times a long conversation that lasted well into the night, until the time difference made it impossible to continue.

He tapped Nani's name, and just as he was about to hit call, the screen of his phone lit up, and Nani's name flashed across it.

"Sky, I'm sorry I missed your last call. Got caught up with work." Nani's voice was familiar, comforting, even over the line. "You okay?"

Sky smiled at the sound of his voice. Even miles away, Nani's presence always seemed to ease the heaviness in his chest.

"I'm alright," Sky replied, leaning back into his chair, closing his eyes. "Just... thinking about home. Thinking about you."

He could almost hear Nani's soft sigh on the other end of the line, as though he was in a similar position. thinking, missing, but unable to bridge the gap that distance created.

"Well, I'm here" Nani said with a quiet laugh, a touch of teasing in his voice. "Even if I'm in a meeting, I'll still take your call. You know that, right?"

Sky chuckled softly, the sound making his chest tighten in a way that felt both comforting and painful at the same time. "I know. I just... It feels strange, not having you here. But I'm trying to adjust. I just wanted to hear your voice. It makes it feel a little less... lonely."

There was a brief silence, and then Nani's voice softened. "I get it. You've been so strong, Sky. But it's okay to miss home."

Sky nodded, even though Nani couldn't see him. "I know. I'm just... trying to get through it all."

Another pause followed, but this time, it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like the kind of quiet that existed between two people who understood each other completely, even without words.

"I'll call you soon. I promise," Nani's voice came through, breaking the silence.

"Yeah" Sky whispered.

And just like that, even though they were worlds apart, Nani's words gave him the strength to face another day.

--

Nani was buried in work, his mind focused on the endless tasks he had to complete. He wanted to finish everything, to be able to visit Sky in Italy. It had been a year since Sky left, and despite all his promises to visit, Nani still hadn't found the chance to go. His schedule was always too full, the pressure mounting as he tried to keep everything together.

Win leaned against the doorway of Nani's office, a teasing grin on his face as he watched Nani typing away at his computer. "Still not finished with work, huh?" Win said, crossing his arms. "You're really gonna keep pushing it? You know if you go to Italy, Dew and I are gonna be stuck doing everything here."

Nani paused, glancing up at Win. "I know, But it's been so long... I can't keep putting it off." Just as Nani sighed, rubbing his temple, the office door swung open. Dew and Prim walked in, their hands full of food.

Dew, without hesitation, shoved Win aside with his shoulder, almost making him stumble. "Move" Dew said flatly, setting the bags down on Nani's desk. "You've been here all day, haven't you? You need to eat."

Win shot Dew an annoyed look. "You almost made me fall, you jerk."

Dew smirked, unfazed. "Then fall. At least it'll be entertaining."

Prim giggled as she placed a smoothie in front of Nani. "You can't keep running on caffeine and stress, P'Nani. Eat first, work later."

Nani exhaled heavily, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "You didn't have to...."

"We did" Dew interrupted, plopping into the chair across from him. "Because if we didn't, you'd probably forget meals exist."

Win grabbed a snack from the bag, leaning against the desk. "Anyway, back to what we were saying, when exactly are you planning to leave? Or are you just gonna keep making excuses?"

Nani narrowed his eyes at Win "Yeah, right. Like I'd trust you to handle everything properly while I'm gone."

Win gasped "Wow. No faith in me at all? I'm hurt, truly."

Dew snorted. "He's got a point, though."

Nani shaking his head. "I don't have time to clean up your mess if something goes wrong, Win."

Win groaned. "Okay, fine! Then I'll just sit around and look pretty while Dew does all the work."

Dew flicked a piece of paper at him. "That's what you do every day anyway."

Prim giggled, watching the back-and-forth between them. "P'Nani, you're just making excuses at this point. If you really want to go, you'll find a way."

Nani sighed. He did want to go. More than anything. But the thought of leaving everything in Win's hands even with Dew around to supervise was nerve-wracking.

"You sure you can handle it?" Nani asked, giving Dew a pointed look.

Dew nodded. "If you don't trust Win, then trust me. I'll make sure everything runs smoothly. No disasters, I promise."

Win huffed. "So much disrespect in this room."

Prim nudged Nani's arm. "P'Nani, Sky's waiting for you. You know that, right?"

"Yeah... I know."

Win smirked, sensing weakness. "Then hurry up and go already. We'll suffer, but we'll survive."

"Debatable." Dew muttered, earning a laugh from Prim.

Nani looked at the three of them, their expressions a mix of teasing and genuine concern. He knew they were right. He had put this off long enough. Maybe it really was time to stop making excuses and finally go see his innocent kid.



My situation rn :