The next day, on Sunday, Sofia woke up absolutely sure that Sicilians have no idea what personal space is. Valentino was currently lying on her bed and eating food. Like an animal.

"What are you doing," she asked, unable to hide her annoyance.

"Celebrating your birthday with breakfast in bed. Pistachios?" He suggested.

"I don't have a birthday today but even if I had one I don't see how littering my bedsheets with crumbs is a good way to celebrate," Sofia said dryly.

"Oh loosen up! You had a birthday at the beginning of this month for obvious reasons we couldn't be there for you then so we're celebrating today" he explained as if she was silly.

Oh right. She's here for barely a week. It's crazy how many things have happened in this short period of time.

Anyway. Back to the point "Move" she said and tried to push him away but it felt like she was attempting to move a wall.

"What are you doing?" Valentino asked, confused.

"I'm trying to get you off my bed," she said while continuing her efforts.

"You're joking that's all you've got? I need to take you to the gym" he said unbothered but Sofia's pitiful attempts to get rid of him.

She wanted to respond but someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," Valentino said. The audacity.

Sofia wanted to yell: It's my room!

But...

But was it her room? It was Valentino's house after all. She just showed up here as a guest, they kindly invited her. Only because of the blood bond that wasn't that strong anyway. She was only their half-sister. She felt pain in her chest when she thought of it.

"Sofia, why are you sad?" Francesco asked concerned "What did you do to her?" Francesco questioned with a sharper voice.

"Nothing" Valentino's hands went up in the sign of defeat "I promise"

"There are crumbles of food all over my bed" She made sure to make her voice sound like she's on the verge of crying curious what will happen. Well, that made Francesco even more upset.

"Valentino. Get out of her bed" he commanded sharply.

"Jeez, okay" Valentino rolled his eyes and got up "I told you what will happen if you tell on me" Valentino warned with playfulness but Francesco didn't seem to find his words funny.

"Are you threatening her? I wonder how Alessandro would feel about that" he responded with a sinister voice.

"You're no fun Francesco" Valentino complained.

"And you're a little shit" Francesco responded dryly.

"Hey, don't argue" Sofia pleaded. "It's my birthday, right? So you're not allowed to"

Brothers glanced at each other with surprise and then Francesco gifted Sofia with a kind smile.

"Of course we're not going to argue. So, what sort of gift do you want to get?"

"Gift?" she responded, surprised by his question. "What do you mean? Being here is a gift"

"No, I mean seriously," Francesco said. "There must be something you want"

"Can I get... a blanket?" Sofia said hopefully.

"Blanket?" Valentino looked at her with confusion.

She nodded. She needed one for the time she spend on the balcony, she would love to have something warm to cover herself with.

"Preferably fluffiest you can find," she said with child-like excitement.

"Okay. Deal. What else?" Francesco responded, sitting on her bed.

"What do you mean? That's more than enough" Sofia looked confused.

"No, really" Valentino snorted. "Are you for real?"

"Yes, why?"

"I mean. You can get as many blankets as you want any time of the year. On your birthday you need to ask for something special that you can't normally get" Valentino explained.

"Well... when I was living with mom I couldn't just get a blanket on any occasion that's why I would ask for one on every birthday" she explained. Their house was during the winter months tended to be really freaking cold maybe that's why she developed a weird obsession with blankets.

"Now you live with us and you can have as many blankets as you want. Come up with something else" Valentino tried to prompt her to come up with something.

"Um... what do you guys got for your birthday then?"

"Alessandro bought me a company, Valentino got a custom-made car"

Sofia's jaw fell open. Who the hell are these people?!

"I don't want anything extra like that" she responded quickly, panicked.

"Then how about we just go for a walk and you will pick whatever you'd like us to buy it for you?" Francesco suggested.

"That sounds amazing yes please," Sofia said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Sofia wasn't excited about getting presents she was happy because she had the opportunity to go for a walk with her two brothers and get to know them better. She wanted more than anything to be close with them and earn their friendship.

❤️❤️❤️

It turns out Valentino and Francesco knew the city perfectly, they could become tour guides any time they wanted, really.

They visited the local bakery, even went to the cinema. The shopping was the most impressive and tiring part of the day. Sofia tried to tell them several times that she doesn't need all this stuff but they weren't hearing her. At some point in their journey, she realized that their goal was to buy her presents for all the birthdays they missed. She assumed that's the case because, at the end of the fourth hour in the city Valentino, Francesco and Raul had their hands busy with huge bags of clothes, perfumes, makeup, books, games, and blankets. Yeah, they got her more than one actually and to that blankets they also added pillows. Sofia's throat felt scratchy from protesting. They completely lost it, both of her brothers had succumbed to madness. No, she wasn't being dramatic.

"This is slightly unrelated to your birthday but we need to buy you an evening dress," Francesco said and sent her apologetic smile. He knew she was tired.

"For what?" she asked.

"For the upcoming charity banquet organized by our prime minister," he said.

"And I am coming with you?"She asked, her voice full of hope

"Of course you do. The event is organized on Sunday evening and you will need a dress" Francesco reassured her.