Lessons Learned, Healing Hearts

The Road to Feeling (Chapter 28)

Driving a convertible is the only way to experience this part of Italy—top down, wind in your hair, free from the confinement of glass and metal. Reaching behind Marlow's seat, Piero pulled out two baseball hats. Handing one to Marlow and plopping the other on his head, he checked himself out in the side mirror.

"What?" he asked when Marlow laughed.

"You look very sexy right now."

"I'm glad you think so. Ready?"

"Let's go!"

Getting back up to speed, Piero laughed out loud when Marlow raised her hands above her head and squealed, "YAY!"

Piero had been correct. Each time they burst from a dark tunnel into sunlight, colours and scents, so vivid they felt imagined, filled her senses. Turning off the freeway and onto a forest-lined two-way road, Marlow inhaled deeply. The warm sun kissed her arms, while the shade offered a cool breeze carrying the familiar scent of being back home. The scent of nature. Passing by buildings that offered food or a place to rest for weary travellers, none were the generic earth tone colours of home. Instead, there were splashes of yellow, pink, orange, or red made even brighter by a cloudless blue sky.

"That is Lake Garda," Piero said, pointing to a break in the trees. "It is the largest lake in Italy."

As they descended from the forest to the shoreline, the woodsy breeze of ten minutes ago was quickly replaced by a lake-scented breeze. The water sparkled like cut glass that went on forever.

"Wow!" Marlow whispered.

Continuing past historic-looking villas, Marlow's spirit felt renewed, and gratitude filled her soul. Life had been difficult for her, but it had brought her to meet the man she cared about now.

"I don't know where we're going," she said, her voice catching as unexpected joy swelled in her chest. "But I can't wait to get there..."

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. Embarrassed, she looked away.

"Hey," Piero said, gently tweaking her cheek. "That's exactly how I want you to feel."

***

It felt good to stretch when they stepped out of the car.

"Where are we?" Marlow asked, gazing at the rocky path ahead.

"This is Lago di Tenno," Piero replied. "I brought you here because I only learned of this place six, seven years ago. I've travelled all over the world and have seen many beautiful and amazing places, but it wasn't until we came here to film a video that I realized how little of my own country I had actually seen."

"I get that," Marlow said. "There is so much of Canada I have never seen. Why do we always think beauty has to be so far away?"

Piero shrugged. "That's the problem. We shouldn't."

Walking side by side down the rocky path, the forest opened to a sweeping vista of turquoise water. Marlow slowed, her mouth parting in recognition.

"I've seen this place before," she said, removing her sunglasses. "You guys filmed a video here, and at the end, you let lanterns float into the night sky."

Piero chuckled and pulled her into a warm hug. "You're right."

Wandering along the shore, the two of them eventually settled on a large, flat boulder. Marlow draped her arm over Piero's shoulder and rested her head against his. Together, they rewatched the 'Per Te Ci Saro' video on his phone. Though filmed during the Fall when the water level was much lower, and the island lay exposed, she still recognized the familiar scene.