Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

Freedom (Chapter 41)

"Ciao, ciao. How was Vernazza?" Francesco asked though the slouching bodies in the chairs made it easy to tell that it had been a good afternoon.

"It was so good!" Marlow exclaimed. Though sitting under an oversized umbrella, the heat and humidity of the day intensified the hotness Marlow was already feeling. Lifting her sweaty hair off the back of her neck, she readily accepted the cold beverage Piero had brought back for her.

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

Enjoying the quenching blend of sweet and tart, topped off with a splash of seltzer, Marlow asked, "We did. What did the two of you do all day?"

"We pretty much just wandered around and went for a swim," Aubrey said.

"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."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Marlow gave him a playful shove.

"I'd be up for swimming later," Piero said.

"We should check if any Seados are available from the marina," Aubrey said. "They are so much fun."

"Yes, let's do that," Piero said, high-fiving Aubrey.

"Alright then, it's settled," Franz added, "We'll get Nicolo to book us some for when it's cooler."

Exhausted by the heat, coupled with hiking over mountains and up and down steep cobbled streets, and then rocked gently by the boat's movement in the water, Marlow struggled to keep her eyes open. Excusing herself, she left the others to continue chatting and returned to her cabin. Collapsing on her bed, she stared up at the ceiling. This entire trip had been fantastic, and her relationship with Piero was beyond anything she could have imagined. Hearing a light knocking on the door and Piero calling her name, she invited him to come in.

"I just wanted to check and ensure you didn't have heat stroke or anything."

"I'm fine."

Patting the bed beside her, she giggled as Piero crawled up to her. Spooning together, she closed her eyes and let the waves lapping against the boat outside her open window soothe her to sleep.

Waking up and finding Piero asleep beside her, Marlow turned to face him. Raising on her elbows and kissing Piero's cheek, she nudged his jaw with her nose.

"Piero," she said softly, stroking her finger against his beard.

Slowly, his eyelashes fluttered open. Running his hand down his beard, he stretched and asked, "What time is it?"

"It's almost 5 o'clock. We should probably get up."

Squeezed tight, Marlow giggled. Pulling herself higher onto Piero's chest, she smiled down at him. Then, bringing her lips to meet his, she didn't mind that his beard felt rougher against her sun-sensitive face.

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

"Don't listen to him," Aubrey said, shaking her head, "We only just got up ourselves."

Informed by Nicolo that he had only been able to reserve one Seado for them and that it was already moored to the side of the boat, four individuals scattered back to their cabins.

Coming up from changing, Marlow heard the familiar whine of a Seado engine pushed to go faster. Too far out to tell which of the Barone boys was the driver, she jumped when someone came up behind her.