FERRY-LOVE-BOAT

Chapter 1 - Day 3

I got your coffee for you! - The voice behind me made me jump with fright, raising my eyebrows in surprise and barely processing her words as my heart hammered loudly against my ears.

The brunette also raised her eyebrows looking at my face, but with a smile full of teeth at me and then gestured with her chin to the glasses in her hand and I finally let my eyes drop down to her hands and finally processed her words.

-W-why? - I stammered and she frowned. - I mean, thank you... But, why?

She handed me the glass and started to walk away from me.

I sipped from the hot drink - my usual request - and sighed when the warmth gave me some relief and comfort. I followed the woman to one of the tables near the coffee shop and sat down in the available chair opposite her.

-I wanted to be nice... - Her answer came after I sat down.

-Thank you. - I repeated, feeling my cheeks heat up.

-You're cute when you're red. - She spoke and drank her coffee, and to my dismay I knew I had become even more flushed.

-People don't often use "cute" to describe me. - I replied, trying to ease my nervousness.

-Well, you are. - She shrugged and I had to laugh at the way she said things as if nothing was a big deal, as if any thought that came into her mind was worthy of being shared out loud.

-How was your date? - I asked, remembering that it was the only subject that had come up in our last meeting.

-Oh, you know... You Americans are very bureaucratic, I am spending more of my exchange time in offices than actually attending classes. - She frowned and I raised my eyebrows. - In Italy things are not like that.

Italian, as I suspected.

But something more important was engraved in my mind.

-So, you had a meeting? - I tried to make sure.

-Si, as I just said. - She frowned as if I were the one not understanding things perfectly.

-Yeah, but the last time we saw each other, you said you had a date, like a romantic date? - I explained and laughed softly.

-Oh... I don't know if you could tell, but I have some difficulty with your language. - It was her turn to blush, and it was incredible how the blush made her even more beautiful.

-It's okay, you're already way ahead of me when it comes to speaking two languages. - I blinked at her and she smiled at me. - So, what brings you here? Tired of Italy?

-My mother lives here with my brother, I'm a medical student and I came to spend a few weeks of exchange here. - She answered and I nodded to her words.

-And how do you like the city? - I asked.

-It's cold and humid. - She answered with a grimace.

-I assume you don't like it?

-No.- She was simplistic in her answer, but the perceptible shiver running down her spine gave me all the answer I needed. - Do you like the cold?

-I've made my peace with it. I confess that some days are harder than others, sometimes I want to surrender to laziness and stay under the covers, but... Guilt makes me get up. - I let out a weak laugh and sipped my already lukewarm coffee, trying not to stare into her inquisitive eyes.

-Guilt? - She asked back, and that was what I was afraid of. I didn't want to bring up my whole past to a stranger, all the hard stuff I'd been through had made me who I was today, and I was proud of that, but people tended not to understand my sacrifices.

-Don't get attached to the details. - I tried to deflect and laughed softly. - But I also like the sunny days in Seattle, the water gets so blue and it's great to be able to travel outside and look at the landscape.

-You really are a ferry fan. - She teased and I nodded. - Why is that?

-I've never really understood why, but it's a place that calms me down, gives me peace. I told you, it's my safe place. - I shrugged and she nodded back. - Do you miss home already?

-Home is not a place. - She answered as quickly as if she had been waiting for my question. - Home is a feeling. It may be a place, but lately it's been the people I love.

-That's a good concept. - And her words made me wonder just what, where or who my home was today.

I didn't know.