Love's Requiem

The next morning, I once again managed to wake up before Alex. And pretty much before anyone for that point, Niko was still asleep as I passed his floor to go downstairs and today my parents had went to Zadar to visit their friends so they had left earlier this morning. I slumped down the stairs still thinking about last night, and headed for the kitchen where my grandma was making herself tea.

“Dobro jutro Baka.” I said taking a seat at the table.

My grandma looked at me as I messed around with a pen that was on the table, and immediately knew something was on my mind.

“What’s wrong Isabella?” She asked me giving me a cup of tea as well.

“I ran in to Luka and Niko last night.” I explained.

“Why do you look so sad then?”

“Baka have I changed a lot?” I asked her looking up from my tea.

“Of course you have, but that’s why it’s called growing up. I can’t agree with all these tattoos but I do agree with the beautiful woman you’ve become.” She told me.

“You have to say all that.” I said rolling my eyes.

“No I don’t I tell Monica all the time how I think she’s become a shit head.” She explained making my eyes go wide.

“See, Isabella ever since you were younger you always thought little of yourself. Don’t do that, you’re an amazing person who is kind and nice to everyone.”

“I think a few people don’t think that.”

“Which is their opinion. Don’t look so down, how about I make you breakfast?” She asked me.

“I’m not that hungry Baka, thank you though.” I said getting up and putting my cup in the sink.

“What am I going to do with you?” I heard her chuckle as I left and headed in to the living room turning on the TV.

And of course just my luck as I flipped the channel it was a special on the national team and there Niko and Luka were.

“Argh!” I exclaimed throwing the remote down on the couch and going upstairs.

“Get dressed we’re going for a walk.” Niko told me as he was coming down the stairs already dressed.

“Fine.” I nodded going quietly upstairs changing and leaving Alex a note.

As I came back downstairs, Niko was already waiting at the door with his coat on. I put on my coat, and we left, the five-minute walk in to the main square was silent.

“Look, Luka doesn’t hate you.” Niko spoke up.

“It’s not him that I’m worried about.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t,” I began, “I don’t really want to talk about last night. If that’s okay?” I asked him as we walked around.

“Sure, how about we grab some breakfast?” He asked me.

“Yeah, that could work.” I laughed as we walked in to a burek shop.

After we each got a slice and yogurt to drink, we left and kept walking around.

“I think when we get back to New York I’m going to attempt to make my own.” I told him with a mouthful.

“I’d love to see you do that.” He laughed. “You realize this is the like the first time you and I are actually having a regular conversation by our selves in Croatian?”

“Weird.” I told him shaking my head.

“So Luka wanted me to ask you something.”

“Here we go.” I sighed taking a drink.

“He wants you and him to like hang out I guess or something.”

“Okay, we all can do that.”

“He wants it just to be you.”

“I knew there was a catch. You know I can’t do that, It wouldn’t look right and two Alex.”

“Well I was thinking about taking Alex to one of the museums tomorrow.”

“He’ll wonder why I’m not going.”

“I want to spend time with him, besides he is dating my baby sister after all.”

“Either you really like him or Luka promised you to take you to that Zagreb game next week.”

“Both.” He said as I rolled my eyes.

“If Alex is fine with it then I am.”

“Works for me.” He nodded, as we walked around more.

By 11 we headed back to our Grandma’s house, when we got back luckily Alex was still asleep upstairs.

“I swear he could sleep till the evening.” Niko laughed.

“I could too, but for some reason here I can’t.” I said as we went to watch TV with our grandma.

“Isabella I founds some things for you.” My grandma said as we sat down on the couch with her.

“Like what?” I asked her.

“Go look on the dining room table.” She said as I got up and went to the dining room to find a whole bunch of photo albums on the table.

I sat down and began looking through them. They were all from when I was growing up. The first two were from while I still lived here; they were filled with pictures of brother, my parents and me. There also were pictures of Luka and I playing at the beach and playing soccer together. While I was still looking through the third one, I heard Alex come downstairs.