Work Text:
Bruno hated visiting his mother in Milan. It was always too awkward and too painful.
If they had any other common topics of conversation before, now they seemed detached, even disconnected from each other. Bruno knew that this would happen sooner or later. How could it be otherwise, if a gigantic gap had grown between them from lies and omissions.
His mother tried to bring up detached topics, talk about how good the schools in Milan were and how nice it would be if Bruno wouldn't be so stubborn and would live with her. Bruno casually mentioned that he enjoyed Naples and had many friends he couldn't leave behind.
Her husband Alessandro was always silent at such moments. He and Bruno had a polite neutrality. Alessandro tried to find a common language with him, but it was purely for show. Alessandro didn't need a stepson at all. His own children are another matter.
His sisters found him amusing, but that was all. They never sought deeper conversation or tried to understand him better. Bruno, in turn, reciprocated. He adored children, God knew that. But he couldn't stay with these girls for long, witnessing how their mother treated them.
He was an outsider. Unneeded. Excess. A relic of a past his mother wished to forget.
Her relief was palpable as he left. Bruno realized that once the door closed behind him, life at home would revert to its usual rhythm. It was as if he had never been there.
Bruno tried to come here as little as possible. Every few years. Even that was a lot for his mother.
Bruno tried to detach himself from it as much as possible. Fortunately, he had a new family now. Family that will definitely be glad to see him back and who will never trade him for anyone else.