Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

Family is Everything (Chapter 46)

Young love burns hot and fast, solely focused on the here and now. But mature love lingers; it aches, hopes, and dares to imagine a shared future.

For Marlow and Piero, that future had once seemed impossible. Now, reunited in Italy, along with her children, she was no longer a tourist. This time, she was staying longer than just a few enchanted days. Welcomed with open arms by the rest of Piero's family, she found another home—another family to cherish.

Confident in leaving her children for one night in the capable hands of Piero and his brother, she accompanied Mama Barone, his sister Maria Grazia, and Audrey on a girls' weekend in Taormina.

"Go easy on me," Piero joked to his trio of relatives. "It took a decade to get her back. Don't scare her away."

As the three women chuckled, Marlow embraced him one final time. "You're not going to lose me."

Piling into the car, Mama B at the wheel, the other two mothers called reminders to the children to behave and warnings to the men to pay attention to the kids. Held back by strong hands or lifted into their father's arms, the children waved as Mama B backed out of the driveway.

Over the years, Marlow and Audrey had remained close to each other. Now, with the addition of Piero's mother and sister, a new bond quickly formed among all four women. From a seasoned wife and mother down to a daughter expecting her first child, they discussed the realities of womanhood and navigating relationships. Through fits of laughter and quiet contemplation, the two-and-a-half-hour journey from Naro to Taormina flew by.

***

"All right, we're here," Mama B announced, pulling up to the Metropole Maison D'Hotes, a stunning Mediterranean red building with a wrought-iron gate, Stepping from the air-conditioned car and into a wall of Sicilian heat, the women collectively moaned, leaving the porter to handle their bags. Assigned to two rooms on the third floor, Audrey and Marlow took the room to the left, while MariaGrazia and her mother had a room directly across the hall.

Opening the door to their suite, Marlow stopped short. 

"Wow!"

The room, decorated in warm creams and taupes, featured rich wood furnishings and a sleek black marble floor. A deep red leather headboard and regal armchair created a mood of exquisite luxury. Eager to see the view, Marlow was mid-stride when she came to a sudden halt. Her jaw dropped: an audible gasp escaped her throat. She stepped onto the balcony, speechless.

Years ago, she had stood on a Milan balcony, captivated by the city's beauty. Now, perched high on the mountain slope, she saw the resort

How can one country be so unforgettably beautiful?

Lost in the view, she did not hear Audrey welcoming Mama B and her daughter into the room. Touched on the arm, Marlow jumped, a flush darkening her cheeks.

"Oh... Ciao."

"Ready to do some sightseeing?" Mama B asked with a smile. "Or shall we relax for a bit and then venture out once it's cooled off?"

Marlow hesitated, torn between the allure of the stunning view and the intense heat outside.

"What does everyone else want to do?" she asked.

"I want to go to the baby boutique here," Maria Grazia said. "I saw a bassinet online that I want to check out."

Marlow smiled at the expectant mom. "Sounds good to me. Let's go."

Teetering above the serene bay, the seduction of Taormina was impossible to resist. Leisurely strolling along the basalt-paved checkerboard streets, Mama and Marlow walked arm in arm, while Audrey and Maria Grazia dashed off toward the boutique.