Her Solace

This is the story of a girl finding her solace - healing from childhood trauma to become whole for herself. She wants people in her life who are genuine with her, who make her feel safe enough to simply be herself.
Her family is conservative. Her father provides for her every need - education, anything she wants - but carries the belief that women are meant to marry, serve their in-laws and husband, cook, and manage the household. Her mother is the opposite: she wants Ika to study, be independent, and live life on her own terms, because she's paying the price of marrying into that mindset herself. And yet, even while pushing Ika toward independence, her mother normalized the way she herself was treated.
Over time, her father changes - he no longer expects that life for Ika. But some wounds run too deep to heal completely on their own.
Ika dreams of a man who knows how to be a man - who loves unconditionally, who makes her feel safe enough to say whatever she truly feels without hesitation. Someone who cares for her, who puts in effort without being asked, who holds her while she pours her heart out.
Alessandro Bianchi is Italian, the elder brother of Sofia Bianchi - Ika's best friend. He knows what he wants, and he knows how to get it. Raised by parents who are still hopelessly in love decades in, he wants that same kind of lifelong devotion for himself. His mother taught him to treat women with respect and kindness - but never to let anyone take advantage of that kindness.
What happens when these two collide? Will he be able to heal her with love - and will she be able to let him?
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