The banana was cold, its peel stiff where her fingers pinched it open. Isabella took a small bite, forcing herself to chew. Her hands were trembling again, and though the purple coat wrapped snugly around her thin frame, the cold still seeped in like smoke through the cracks of a house long abandoned.
The tree above her rustled gently, its leaves just beginning to turn with the creeping edge of winter. This spot - her spot - overlooked the school's field. A long stretch of green that no one cared to sit near. Too quiet. Too far from the noise. Perfect.
Her breath puffed out in soft clouds as she tried to steady herself, resting her head back against the bark. The coat smelled faintly of something—cologne, maybe. Or smoke and mint. She didn't know. All she knew was that it was warm. Warmer than anything she'd owned in years.
The note still sat in her backpack.
"Maybe no one else noticed. But I did. - L"
She hadn't told anyone. Who would she tell? No one really spoke to her, not unless they were sneering or asking her to move. But something about that note... it had made her throat ache. In a good way. Like someone had seen her. Actually seen her.
She finished half the banana before her body gave up. Her hands dropped to her lap, head tilting back, eyes fluttering closed—just for a minute.
Then - footsteps.
She heard them before she felt them. Two sets. Confident. Slow.
Her heart stuttered. She straightened quickly, pulling the coat tighter around herself.
"Hey." The voice was gravelly but quiet.
Isabella turned her head. Antonio Moretti. Behind him, his twin, Francesco, wore the same unreadable expression. They were shadows and sharp lines in the morning sun, dark against the pale field.
She blinked, uncertain. They were never this close. Never directly with her.
"I... um..." she started, then stopped, unsure what she was even trying to say.
"You always sit here?" Francesco asked, his tone lighter than his brother's. He stepped forward, not waiting for an answer, and lowered himself to the ground with practiced ease. Antonio stood just behind, hands stuffed in his coat pockets, eyes scanning the field before settling on her again.
Isabella nodded slowly. "It's quiet."
"That's the point, isn't it?" Francesco said, tugging at a piece of grass. "Easier to think."
Antonio's gaze dropped to the banana peel beside her, then to her shivering hands. "That your lunch?"
She hesitated again. "Yeah..."
Francesco tilted his head. "You sure?"
"I'm... not hungry."
"You look like you haven't eaten in days."
She said nothing.
The wind shifted, catching a strand of her hair and tossing it across her cheek. Francesco watched her tuck it behind her ear. His expression flickered - just for a moment. Not pity. Something quieter. Sadder.
"You always lie that easily?" he asked, but there was no edge to it.
"I'm not lying," she whispered.
He didn't push.
Antonio sat down suddenly, the movement so unexpected she flinched. He didn't notice - or pretended not to. His eyes, sharp and calculating in the classroom, now held a flicker of something softer. Curiosity, maybe. Or caution.
The silence stretched. Isabella gripped her coat.
"That jacket," Antonio said. "It suits you."
Her fingers twitched in the sleeves. "I... found it."
Francesco raised a brow. "Found it? Or it found you?"
Her mouth opened. Then closed. "There was a note."
"Yeah?" Antonio leaned forward slightly. "What did it say?"
She hesitated again, teeth worrying her lower lip. Then she said softly, "Maybe no one else noticed. But I did."
They both stilled.
"That sounds like something our brother would say," Francesco murmured.
Isabella glanced up at him, confusion tightening in her chest. "You have a brother?"
Antonio nodded slowly. "Two, actually. Older."
Francesco's gaze was steady. "Do you?"
Isabella froze.
Her hands clenched in her lap.
"I..." Her voice trembled. "I don't remember. Maybe. I think... maybe I did. Once."
Neither twin moved.
The air felt heavier now.
She kept her eyes on the ground, heart hammering.
Antonio broke the silence. "If you did... they messed up letting you go."
Her breath hitched.
Francesco reached out suddenly - not to touch her, just to brush something off her shoulder. "Your nose is red," he said, in a different tone now - light, teasing. "You look like a baby reindeer."
She blinked. "A what?"
"You know - like Rudolph. Except smaller. And grumpier."
Despite herself, a short, startled laugh escaped her lips. Barely a sound. Just air and a flicker of joy.
The moment she laughed, both boys went completely still.
Antonio's brow furrowed, almost imperceptibly. He didn't smile. But something in his face... eased.
Francesco gave a quiet exhale. "Well, that's a win."
Isabella blushed furiously, looking away. "Sorry."
"Don't be," Antonio said.
She stood slowly, brushing the grass from her skirt. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she steadied herself.
"I should go," she murmured.
Neither of them stopped her.
But just before she walked away, Francesco said gently, "You should sit with us tomorrow."
She turned, surprised. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Because."
Isabella looked between them, heart thudding. Then gave a single, small nod.
As she walked away, the coat trailing behind her like a flag, both twins remained seated beneath the tree.
"She has our eyes," Antonio muttered.
Francesco didn't answer. He was still watching her - like she was a ghost he hadn't quite stopped believing in.
...
She regretted it the second she stepped onto the school lawn.
Whispers.
Everywhere.
She could feel them like pinpricks against her skin. Words passed through cupped hands, glances tossed like stones. Isabella Hayes was sitting with the Moretti twins.
She kept her head down, clutching her backpack like it could anchor her to the earth. Her steps toward the tree felt heavier than usual. The wind tugged at her coat, at her nerves, at everything she was trying to keep inside.
Antonio and Francesco were already there. Antonio leaned against the tree, legs stretched out in front of him, lazily chewing gum. Francesco lounged in the grass, tossing a small rock from one hand to the other.
Neither looked fazed by the murmurs.
She approached slowly, hesitating as she reached the edge of their little bubble.
Francesco looked up. "Morning, baby reindeer."
She rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched.
Antonio tilted his head. "You gonna stand there forever?"
She sat down - tentatively. Cross-legged, like she always did, trying to make herself small.
Her eyes flicked around the courtyard. People were still watching.
She bit her lip. "I... maybe I shouldn't have come."
Antonio's voice dropped low, quiet but firm. "Calmati."
Francesco nodded in agreement, his gaze calm. "Relax. Let them stare."
"I hate it," she muttered. "The attention."
"Then ignore them," Antonio said simply. "They're irrelevant."
She looked at him. "Not to me."
Francesco's voice was gentler. "They will be. Eventually."
There was a beat of silence. Isabella pulled her sleeves over her hands, curling her fingers into the fabric.
Antonio eyed her carefully. "You look like you haven't slept in a month."
"I'm fine."
"You always lie that easily?" Francesco teased, echoing the same words from yesterday.
"I said I'm fine."
They let it drop, but she could feel their eyes lingering on her too-long sleeves, her pale skin, the tremor in her fingers.
After a few minutes, she exhaled. "You two... you've talked to me more in the past few days than anyone has in years."
That shut them up.
She didn't look at them. Just stood as the bell rang.
"Thanks," she said softly - in Italian. "Grazie."
Then she was gone, walking quickly, before they could see the way her hands shook or the heat rising in her cheeks.
The streetlights buzzed faintly above her as the sun dipped low.
Isabella tugged her coat tighter around herself as she walked, steps slow and cautious. She was on her way to the small grocery store near her bus stop. If she timed it right, she could grab a protein bar, maybe some crackers, and still make the last bus back to her building.
Dinner.
The thought of it made her stomach twist, both in hunger and resignation.
She didn't notice the figure turning the corner until she bumped into him.
Hard.
"Oh, I'm sor—" Her voice faltered.
The man was tall, dressed in dark slacks and a simple button-up. His white coat was draped over one arm, his stethoscope still looped lazily around his neck. He looked tired. Not just a little-exhausted. Dark circles beneath sharp grey eyes. Messy hair pushed back. A few stubble-lined shadows dusted his jaw.
But despite it all, he looked...
Familiar.
He was with the twins when she bumped into Leonardo at school.
"Caspita," he muttered, steadying her with a gentle hand. "Are you alright?"
She blinked up at him.
Giovanni Moretti.
He stared at her for a second longer than necessary, recognition dawning slowly.
"You're... my brothers' friend."
She nodded quickly. "Sort of. I - I bumped into you. Sorry."
He offered a small, tired smile. "No need to apologize. I wasn't watching where I was going."
She hesitated. "You look like you just left a war."
He chuckled. "Close. Residency."
"Oh," she said, unsure what that meant but trying not to sound dumb.
"Hospital. Training to be a doctor."
Her brows lifted slightly. "Impressive."
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Exhausting."
They stood there for a beat, the wind skimming around them.
"You walking home alone?" he asked suddenly, eyes sharpening.
She stiffened. "I'm fine."
"You said that too fast."
"I'm just going to the store."
"Then I'm going with you."
"What? No, that's-"
"I insist."
She blinked at him.
"I don't let girls walk alone at night. Especially not ones who flinch when someone asks about home."
She went quiet.
He smiled again, softer this time. "Just to the store. I'll buy you something with actual nutrients, deal?"
"I don't need-"
"Humor me," he said, already walking beside her.
She sighed, but something in her posture loosened.
The walk was... odd. Peaceful. His steps were slow, relaxed, and his voice had that calm tone that seemed to charm even the air around them. A few women walking by gave him a once-over. One even winked.
Isabella noticed. And for the first time in a long while, it made her laugh.
"Does that happen a lot?" she asked, surprising herself.
He grinned. "The winks? I've stopped counting."
She shook her head. "Must be exhausting being that pretty."
He blinked, then laughed - really laughed - and she found herself smiling.
"Pretty, huh?" he teased.
Her face flushed. "I meant - doctor-pretty. Like, clean and professional."
"That's worse," he groaned playfully.
She giggled again, and he gave her a sidelong glance - quiet, thoughtful.
"You're different when you smile," he said softly.
She looked away. "So are you."
They reached the store. He held the door open for her.
"You buying your protein bar?" he asked, amused.
"Only if you're not going to lecture me about vitamins."
"Oh, I absolutely am."
Isabella laughed again, and for the first time in a long time, the cold didn't feel like it was winning.