Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

Freedom (Chapter 34)

"Ciao, ciao. How was Vernazza?" Francesco asked as Marlow slumped into her chair, sun-drunk and satisfied.

"It was so good!" she exclaimed. Sitting under an oversized umbrella, the humidity clung to her skin like a second layer. Gratefully, she took the cold drink Piero offered, pressing the chilled beverage to her cheek before taking a sip.

"Did you go down the street where the cats sun themselves on the steps?" Audrey asked.

"We did," Marlow said, perking up. "They all looked so sweet, sprawled out, living their best life. It took everything I had not to smuggle a kitten back in my bag."

Marlow leaned back, the cool condensation from her glass dripping onto her exposed knee. "What did the two of you do all day?"

"We pretty much just wandered around here and went for a swim," Audrey said, stretching her legs out with a contented sigh.

"I did that too, but Piero wouldn't come in with me."

"Why not?"

Shrugging, Piero teased back, "No reason other than I just wanted to watch Marlow splashing around like she had never seen the ocean before."

***

Exhausted by the heat, coupled with hiking not only over mountains but up and down steep cobbled streets, and now gently rocked by Si Amore lulling her like a cradle, Marlow struggled to keep her eyes open. Excusing herself with a sleepy smile, she retreated to her cabin, where she collapsed onto the bed. Staring at the ceiling fan tracing slow circles above her, she let it all sink in—this trip had been nothing short of magic, and her relationship with Piero was beyond anything she could have even imagined.

A soft knock broke the silence.

"Marlow?" came Piero's voice, low and warm. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," she said, already smiling.

"I just wanted to check and make sure you didn't have heat stroke or anything," he commented as he stepped inside.

"I'm fine," she whispered. Patting the bed beside her, she giggled as he inched his way forward. Spooning together, she closed her eyes and let the sound of waves lapping against the hull draw her closer to sleep.

When Marlow woke, the cabin was cloaked in golden late-afternoon light—and Piero was still asleep beside her, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. Lifting carefully onto her side, she leaned in to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Piero," she whispered, letting her fingertips trace the line of his beard.

His eyelashes fluttered open, and with a slow, lazy stretch, he ran a hand over his face. "What time is it?"

"Almost 4:00," she said. "We should probably get up."

A groan rumbled from his throat. "Nooo..."

Marlow laughed as he tightened his arms around her in protest, burying his face in the curve of her neck. Letting herself sink into him, she wriggled higher onto Piero's chest, grinning down at him. Bringing her lips to meet his, his beard was rougher than usual against her sun-pinked skin—but she didn't care. If anything, it made her want to stay just a little longer.

"Well, well," Francesco said, seeing his brother and Marlow come up from below. "We were wondering when we would see the two of you again."

"Don't listen to him," Audrey said with a laugh, shaking her head, "We only just rolled out of bed ourselves."

When Nicolo appeared and informed everyone that he had only been able to reserve one Sea-Doo, which was moored alongside the boat, four individuals scattered back to their cabins.