Under The Tartosan Sun
Table of contents: [ Spoiler ] Since this story has grown so much bigger than I ever imagined I feel like its time to borrow a page from some of my favorite SimLit writers and offer you a syn...
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Chapter Twenty One
Some things are so right, so beautiful they they feel like universal truths, or we wish they were. For those who are optimists and hopeless romantics, one of those truths is that love will always find a way. Matteo Rossi and Liberty Lee found each other even though they lived worlds apart for most of their lives. Liberty grew up in Willow Creek, not far from the swamps and bayous that dot the area. Many generations of the Rossi and D'Angelo families have lived in the coastal foothills overlooking Tartosa, their homes nestled among the vineyards and wineries. Matteo has spent his entire life immersed in the romanticism of this Mediterranean paradise.
https://i.imgur.com/acyfJw3.png
https://i.imgur.com/pdOOAOW.png?1
Matteo's descent into the party life was hard for Davide and Francesca to watch. Their love, all of the lessons and values they taught him, weren't enough to save him from himself. Leonardo continued to show Matteo a world of fun that led him further and further down. Matteo's sister Allegra was the last one to try and save him. Growing up, Matteo loved his sister with all his heart, and in turn she thought the world revolved around him. Things reached a point where even Allegra had to make the hard decision to walk away. She wished, she hoped, and she prayed that someday her brother would find his way back. It was going to take a love greater than her own, and that of their parents, to save him.
As Liberty's life and career were taking off again, Matteo's was nearing rock bottom and he was facing the very real possibility of losing yet another job as a chef. He was running out of chances to realize his dream, at least in Tartosa. Meanwhile, Leonardo had met a couple of women who had recently arrived in Tartosa from far away Willow Creek. Leonardo had started a casual relationship with Summer Holiday and he tried to get Matteo hooked up with Danielle Chabert. There was something bothering Matteo. He could see Leonardo was just toying with Summer and for the first time in a couple of years, someone like the old Matteo was back. He didn't like the way Leonardo was treating Summer like a plaything. He could sense that Summer wasn't looking for a long term romance, but it was still wrong, what Leonardo was doing. Matteo himself wasn't interested in a relationship, not romantically anyway, with Danielle. She was really friendly and charismatic, but there was no spark between them. Matteo sensed there was something else going on with Danielle on a deep, personal level. He also chided himself for thinking that just because Danielle didn't seem attracted to him romantically didn't prove anything.
Some things are so right, so beautiful they they feel like universal truths, or we wish they were. For those who are optimists and hopeless romantics, one of those truths is that love will always find a way. Matteo Rossi and Liberty Lee found each other even though they lived worlds apart for most of their lives. Liberty grew up in Willow Creek, not far from the swamps and bayous that dot the area. Many generations of the Rossi and D'Angelo families have lived in the coastal foothills overlooking Tartosa, their homes nestled among the vineyards and wineries. Matteo has spent his entire life immersed in the romanticism of this Mediterranean paradise.
https://i.imgur.com/acyfJw3.png
https://i.imgur.com/pdOOAOW.png?1
Spoiler
Not only are Liberty and Matteo from different worlds, the lives they led took very different paths. For Liberty, growing up was idyllic aside from living in the romantic shadow of her best friends. Liberty's parents gave her all the love and support a girl could ask for. Her dad gifted her his love of video games and the geeky side of life. She got along great with her mom, but Liberty always was a daddy’s girl.
Matteo had every advantage. His dad is a respected architect, and his mom's family runs a vineyard which supplies the best wineries in Tartosa with the grapes they need to make their world famous, and award winning, wines. Best of all he has a sister, Allegra, who he loves dearly. Allegra in turn thinks the sun rose and set in her big brother. From an early age Matteo had a love of cooking and spent many hours learning from his nonna Vittoria. Francesca's mother, Vittoria D'Angelo, was considered by many to be one of the best cooks in Tartosa. She taught young Matteo everything she knew and felt he was truly gifted. They loved spending time together and Matteo used to run home after school to have another lesson from nonna.
https://i.imgur.com/xJmbCMq.png
Life for Liberty after graduating from high school was going great, for a while. She had a decent house she shared with one of her best friends and the guy she once thought she loved. She had also started on the journey to her dream of being an astronaut. Those dreams would eventually be shattered by Travis' acts of betrayal and abuse. Not long after things went wrong with Travis, Liberty found herself alone as her best friends Danielle and Summer had packed up and moved to Tartosa. Liberty then realized her bosses at the Sims Space Agency had no intention of ever letting her go into space. She found her first lifeline, and it was the one that would open the door that led to Matteo Rossi.
For Matteo life after graduation became difficult and tumultuous, even though at times he thought it couldn't get any better. For the first time in his life he was free to live as he wanted. To come and go as he pleased. His friend from school, Leonardo Ricci, became something more than a friend, he became Matteo's worst enemy. It's not that Leonardo was trying to harm Matteo, or ruin him. Leonardo had always been irresponsible, selfish, and shallow. He was only interested in knowing where the next party was. Leonardo measured success in terms of how much money you have, how much you could spend, and how many women you've slept with. For all of his parents hard work, Matteo soon found himself enthralled with the party life that Leonardo had introduced him to. Matteo had enough money set aside before his parents cut him off in their last ditch effort to save him, that he could keep up with Leonardo. Matteo had found the 'Rock 'N Roll lifestyle'.
https://i.imgur.com/qaqThCG.png
Matteo had every advantage. His dad is a respected architect, and his mom's family runs a vineyard which supplies the best wineries in Tartosa with the grapes they need to make their world famous, and award winning, wines. Best of all he has a sister, Allegra, who he loves dearly. Allegra in turn thinks the sun rose and set in her big brother. From an early age Matteo had a love of cooking and spent many hours learning from his nonna Vittoria. Francesca's mother, Vittoria D'Angelo, was considered by many to be one of the best cooks in Tartosa. She taught young Matteo everything she knew and felt he was truly gifted. They loved spending time together and Matteo used to run home after school to have another lesson from nonna.
https://i.imgur.com/xJmbCMq.png
Life for Liberty after graduating from high school was going great, for a while. She had a decent house she shared with one of her best friends and the guy she once thought she loved. She had also started on the journey to her dream of being an astronaut. Those dreams would eventually be shattered by Travis' acts of betrayal and abuse. Not long after things went wrong with Travis, Liberty found herself alone as her best friends Danielle and Summer had packed up and moved to Tartosa. Liberty then realized her bosses at the Sims Space Agency had no intention of ever letting her go into space. She found her first lifeline, and it was the one that would open the door that led to Matteo Rossi.
For Matteo life after graduation became difficult and tumultuous, even though at times he thought it couldn't get any better. For the first time in his life he was free to live as he wanted. To come and go as he pleased. His friend from school, Leonardo Ricci, became something more than a friend, he became Matteo's worst enemy. It's not that Leonardo was trying to harm Matteo, or ruin him. Leonardo had always been irresponsible, selfish, and shallow. He was only interested in knowing where the next party was. Leonardo measured success in terms of how much money you have, how much you could spend, and how many women you've slept with. For all of his parents hard work, Matteo soon found himself enthralled with the party life that Leonardo had introduced him to. Matteo had enough money set aside before his parents cut him off in their last ditch effort to save him, that he could keep up with Leonardo. Matteo had found the 'Rock 'N Roll lifestyle'.
https://i.imgur.com/qaqThCG.png
Matteo's descent into the party life was hard for Davide and Francesca to watch. Their love, all of the lessons and values they taught him, weren't enough to save him from himself. Leonardo continued to show Matteo a world of fun that led him further and further down. Matteo's sister Allegra was the last one to try and save him. Growing up, Matteo loved his sister with all his heart, and in turn she thought the world revolved around him. Things reached a point where even Allegra had to make the hard decision to walk away. She wished, she hoped, and she prayed that someday her brother would find his way back. It was going to take a love greater than her own, and that of their parents, to save him.
As Liberty's life and career were taking off again, Matteo's was nearing rock bottom and he was facing the very real possibility of losing yet another job as a chef. He was running out of chances to realize his dream, at least in Tartosa. Meanwhile, Leonardo had met a couple of women who had recently arrived in Tartosa from far away Willow Creek. Leonardo had started a casual relationship with Summer Holiday and he tried to get Matteo hooked up with Danielle Chabert. There was something bothering Matteo. He could see Leonardo was just toying with Summer and for the first time in a couple of years, someone like the old Matteo was back. He didn't like the way Leonardo was treating Summer like a plaything. He could sense that Summer wasn't looking for a long term romance, but it was still wrong, what Leonardo was doing. Matteo himself wasn't interested in a relationship, not romantically anyway, with Danielle. She was really friendly and charismatic, but there was no spark between them. Matteo sensed there was something else going on with Danielle on a deep, personal level. He also chided himself for thinking that just because Danielle didn't seem attracted to him romantically didn't prove anything.
Spoiler
Summer and Danielle were becoming fast friends with Matteo, and that friendship would lead to the best thing to ever happen to him. Their friend Liberty came to visit and on a swim outing with her friends she met Matteo. When his eyes met Liberty’s he knew what a fool he had been. He never met a woman as perfect as the angel in front of him. With his good looks and charm he stood a chance with almost any woman he wanted. But in that moment he knew he didn't want anyone else. He felt his world rearrange itself, and the puzzle pieces snap into place. Matteo lost himself, and found himself, all at the same time in Liberty's dark eyes. He had to keep a grip on himself. Never had he seen a pair of lips so aching to be kissed as hers. He wanted to know exactly how they tasted. Were they as sweet as they looked? Sweeter?
https://i.imgur.com/9hc6kKj.png
Everything about her was soothing, reassuring, and alluring all at once. Liberty was beautiful, kind hearted, and intelligent. A woman who is smart and confident, who refuses to play dumb just to impress a man has always been a turn on for Matteo. The things Liberty has endured recently has unlocked that calm self assurance that was always there. Her friends helped her reveal the beauty she used to hide under wacky outfits and awkwardness.
https://i.imgur.com/Ip1VFDw.png
They didn't know it at the time, but just by coming into Matteo's life, Liberty had pulled him back from the brink. With her love and support to propel him, Matteo was back on the path that led to his dreams.
https://i.imgur.com/9hc6kKj.png
Everything about her was soothing, reassuring, and alluring all at once. Liberty was beautiful, kind hearted, and intelligent. A woman who is smart and confident, who refuses to play dumb just to impress a man has always been a turn on for Matteo. The things Liberty has endured recently has unlocked that calm self assurance that was always there. Her friends helped her reveal the beauty she used to hide under wacky outfits and awkwardness.
https://i.imgur.com/Ip1VFDw.png
They didn't know it at the time, but just by coming into Matteo's life, Liberty had pulled him back from the brink. With her love and support to propel him, Matteo was back on the path that led to his dreams.
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