Page 106 of Sunrise By the Sea

‘Who got to find you?’

‘She made it here, Ma,’ said Gino, who had a slightly keener understanding of what had gone on. ‘She made it all this way.’

‘Shedid.’

Her mother hugged her again.

‘Although you know you could cut your hair.’

And with that, Marisa knew all was well.

Gino opened a bottle of their grandfather’s excellent Barolo, and they sat up despite the late hour and caught up. Lucia wanted to hear all over again about the little pizza restaurant in the bakery at the end of the world, was alternately horrified and delighted by her baby setting up on her own, even if she had given up a very decent nine-to-five to do it and was now wearing an apron instead of a suit.

Gino, on the other hand, was still doing marvellous things in Switzerland and Marisa was perfectly happy to hear his funny stories about his job and his friends, and even contributed one or two of her own, although she could tell they both were glancing at each other whenever she mentioned her next-door neighbour, so she stopped doing so quite abruptly. Which her mother noticed, and finally, leaned over.

‘Tell me all about him,’ she said.

And oh, the bliss of doing so. Of talking about him. Even with how things were left. She found she wanted to talk and talk about him.

‘Well,’ said Marisa. ‘I don’t know. I mean, it’s a bit nuts that he’s just next door and the only man I’ve met in, like, a year.’

Her mother nodded.

‘I can see that would be a problem.’

‘And also he’s getting over a very painful love affair.’

‘Ah.’

‘With a ballerina.’

‘Oof.’

Both Gino and her mother looked very sorry for her.

‘And has he shown any interest in you?’

‘He made me dinner,’ said Marisa. ‘Well, he made toast.’

‘Had you cooked for him already about nine thousand times?’ said Gino.

‘Shut up,’ said Marisa.

‘Is he kind?’ said her mother.

Marisa thought of how he had refused to come with her.

But then she thought of everything else about him. His patience with his pupils. Playing at Denys’s wedding. The way he had taken on teaching the twins for nothing without a second thought.

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He is kind.’

‘Handsome?’

‘In his own way.’

‘Oh my God, a moose,’ said Gino.

‘SHUT YOUR FACE!’

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