Page 41 of Bella Rosa
She gives me a weak punch in the arm and continues dancing. Now she's belting out the lyrics. Very badly I might add. So naturally, I join her when we get to the chorus.
She screams over the music. "You know "A Thousand Miles"?"
I nod my head. "I don't live under a rock! Plus,White Chicksis one of my favorite movies." She grins at me as we sing together. She even starts playing fake instruments to the beat. I didn't know one person could bring me this much joy.
An hour later, I turn off the main road and onto a dirt road. I pull the car to the side and shift into park. Rosa sits up straight and takes a look around. "What are we doing? We're not at the coast yet."
I unbuckle my seat belt and turn to face her with a smile on my face. "It's time for lunch." I get out and start gathering my supplies from the back. She scrambles to get out after me.
"Where are we eating? I don't see any buildings around here."
I look at her over the top of the car and hold up the picnic basket I picked up earlier. "I came prepared."
She smiles at me as I walk around to her side of the car. I grab her hand and start pulling her up the dirt road. "Come on. I want to show you something."
We walk up the gentle slope for a few minutes before we get the first glimpse of what we're here to see. She stops dead in her tracks and says so quietly I almost can't hear her. "It's a castle."
She turns to face me with a smile on her face and says much louder this time. "It's a castle! We get to eat lunch in a castle!"
"Well, we get to eat lunch looking at a castle. See that field in front of us?" I point at the field separating us and the castle. She nods her head yes. "It's nothing but mud and unstable ground. That's why no one comes here anymore. The castle is surrounded by it."
She smiles and grabs the blanket that's draped over my shoulder so she can lay it on the ground. "I think it's perfect."
I help her smooth out the blanket and sit down with her. We begin getting our food and drinks out of the basket.
"My grandfather moved to the Amalfi Coast when I was still living in the States. When my dad and I would visit Azzurro in the summer we would always stop for lunch here on our way to visit him. I was obsessed with coming here, so even if it was raining we always had to stop."
She takes a bite of her sandwich and leans back on one elbow so she can look at me. "Why did he move away?"
I look out over the Italian countryside and think back on my childhood. "After my father and I moved away, he decided to follow his dream and move to the coast. He always wanted to be close to the water. My grandmother passed away when I was very young, so he spent most of his adult life raising my father and Alda alone. He deserved to do something for himself."
I can still feel her gaze on me. "Why did you move to Azzurro instead of the Amalfi Coast when you came back?"
I lay back on the blanket and look up into the tree branches above us. "My father always said Azzurro was home, and I'm sure he wanted to be there for Alda and Juli."
I take a bite of my sandwich and wonder what my life would have been like if I moved to the coast after I graduated high school. I wouldn't be as close with Luca. I wouldn't see my father as much. We probably wouldn't own a restaurant together. I never would have met Rosa.
That thought causes a pain in my chest I've never felt before.
I sit up and finish off my sandwich, grabbing water for both of us. Rosa dusts off the crumbs from her hands. "Thank you for bringing me here."
After we each take a drink, we lean back on the blanket and look up at the tree branches and the clouds passing by overhead. She settles her head on my chest and we lay there for a while, tangled up in each other. Right where I want to be.
26
The Wet Dream
Rosalie
Wepullintotheparking lot of the marina. I'm sad the ride is over to be honest. This has to be the most beautiful place on Earth. The rolling hills turned into mountains that eventually lead to the sea. The coastline is dotted with colorful houses that are perched on the edge of jagged cliffs. It almost doesn't seem real.
My eyes sweep over the crystal blue water. We've had a view of the water for the past twenty minutes or so as we made our way through the town. This would be an artist’s paradise. I feel like I'm seeing color for the first time with how vibrant everything is around me.
Seeing the ocean always brings back memories of the last day I spent with my dad. A twinge of pain spreads through my chest as I remember the smile on his face. I smile because even though the pain is still there, I am so thankful for the time we had together.
Matteo reaches over and places his hand on my knee. I look over, but I can barely see him through the tears in my eyes. "He used to sing to me. He would bring his guitar to the beach, and he would sing to me. We would go to the beach often in the evenings when all the tourists were eating dinner. Sometimes we would be the only ones there. I would build sandcastles and look for seashells while he would sit on a towel and sing for me." I catch a tear as it falls down my face. "He kept every shell I ever brought him. Even if they were broken."
A sob suddenly overtakes me. Matteo gathers me in his arms the best he can in the small car. He holds me and lets me cry. After my tears dry up, I wipe off my face and sit up. I look down at his shirt and cringe. "I ruined your shirt."
