chapter 7
The villa Charlotte had found on Airbnb was spectacular. Muted pink stucco with white trim, it offered an incredible view
of the sea, a large red-tiled patio where she could eat outdoors in the temperate climate, a hot tub on the deck and four
bedrooms, each with its own bath. A high wall surrounded the property, except where the deck faced the sea, which had a beautiful
arched gateway that led into the villa from a street so narrow it was only a footpath. Not only did that high wall guarantee
she’d have the privacy she craved, but it was also draped in white bougainvillea.
She clicked on pictures of the inside. Decorated with the blue-and-yellow fabrics, tile and pottery the Amalfi Coast was so
famous for, it was filled with antiques and had high ceilings and large, spacious rooms.
“Lovely,” she murmured, but bit her lip when she saw the price.
The house was expensive. But she didn’t like any of the other accommodations she’d seen nearly as much.
At least it was right in Praiano, where Lilly was living, as opposed to Positano or Amalfi.
Those other towns weren’t far away—Positano was just five miles to the west and Amalfi eight miles to the east—but according to what she’d read, there was only a narrow, winding road cut into the cliff to connect them, and that had a lot of traffic, so five miles could take twenty or thirty minutes by car.
Walking would take even longer, of course, but that wasn’t a viable option, anyway. The road barely fit vehicles.
She continued to search for something else, something cheaper, but kept going back to the same place—and eventually decided
to show it to Jules and Sloane, hoping they’d agree it was worth the cost. She needed a house that would make her feel safe
and happy and would inspire her writing, and this felt like the one.
It didn’t take long to hear back from them. They loved it as much as she did, insisted she book it before someone else could,
so she did. Then she sat back with a smile. Crazy things were happening in her life, but at least there was Italy.
Excited to show her father what she’d found, she was just texting him at work from her laptop when her phone rang. Mr. Heidelman
was calling her back.
She tensed as she set her computer aside and hit the talk button on her phone. She had no idea what else he might reveal—or
what it might do to her. But she needed to speak to him, to learn more, even if she was frightened about what he might say.
He greeted her politely and thanked her for getting back to him. Then he got down to business. “Before my letter, were you
aware you had a sister?”
“No,” she replied. “Until I got your letter, I didn’t even know I was adopted.”
He paused for a moment. “I’m sorry if that came as a shock.”
“It was definitely a shock,” she said with a wry chuckle. “But what happened in the past is certainly not your fault. I’m
not blaming you.”
“Still, it’s a touchy situation. Please forgive me. My only goal is to do what’s best for Lilly.”
“I understand.”
“And I’m afraid I have a bit more to tell you.”
“I’m terrified to hear what you’re going to say next,” she admitted.
“I can see why, but you should know this before you make any decisions. I wish I could say her mother left behind enough cash
or other assets to pay for her care, but other than a few personal effects, she’s been left with nothing.”
Charlotte exhaled in relief. This was what he’d been afraid to tell her? No problem. She’d expected it. And she felt it was
probably for the best, at least in one regard. If there’d been money, the boyfriend might have kept Lilly for that alone.
And then who could say what would happen once he ran through it?
“That’s fine.”
“I’m glad. Thank you for taking it so well. I was afraid she might be too big a burden for someone your age, but then . . .”
His words dwindled off as if he’d suddenly thought better of what he was about to say, so she finished for him. “But then
you learned who I was and knew if anyone my age could afford to take in a child, it would be me?”
He laughed. “I wouldn’t have stated it that way, but . . . yes. I was hopeful that maybe you’d have the resources, as well
as the interest, to be involved in her life.”
She noted his euphemisms. Be involved in her life? He wasn’t talking about having Charlotte join some weekly Big Sister program.
He wanted her to become Lilly’s full-time guardian and solve the problem. Period.
But it wasn’t quite that simple. First, she had to make sure Lilly would want to live with her—see how they got along as sisters.
Could they grow any real affinity? Because what a child needed more than anything else was love, and Charlotte wanted to be absolutely sure she could offer as much as Lilly would require.
“I’ll do what I can. But the hard decisions will come later. First, I need to meet her.”
“I understand completely. It’s my job to alert you to the situation and let you make the decisions from there. That’s what
I’ve been hired to do.”
“By whom?” she asked. “Who’s paying your fees?”
“Luca Versetti, the man who’s taking care of Lilly.”
“He’s spending his own money?”
“He didn’t specify.”
“Does he seem like a decent man?”
“I guess. I’ve never met him, so I don’t have a good read on him.”
“Do you have any pictures of my birth mother or Lilly?”
“Unfortunately, no—but I can request them.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would. I believe that would help me in some way—to have faces to put with these names. Right now,
I feel like I’m flying completely blind.”
“I’ll email him after we hang up.”
She went through the pictures of the villa yet again while she talked. “Can you tell me how Sabrina died?”
“Some sort of accident, I believe. I don’t know the details.”
That didn’t tell her much. “Does Luca speak English?”
“He does, but with a heavy accent that can make it hard to understand him, and his vocabulary isn’t very wide.”
At least she’d be able to communicate with him. She was relieved he spoke English for Lilly’s sake, too—that the girl hadn’t
been left with a man she’d known only a few months and couldn’t really communicate with. “And does Lilly speak Italian?”
“He claims she’s picked up a little of the language.”
“If I decide it’s for the best, is she going to want to come back to the States?”
“I’m afraid she doesn’t have many options.”
In other words, she’d have to do what she had to do. Charlotte shook her head at that thought. To be so vulnerable, so at
risk . . . She’d been lucky to have the parents she’d ended up with, the stability. “What about extended family?”
“I’ve been in touch with an aunt, but she’s in no position to take on a child. Her husband wouldn’t allow it even if she was.
And Lilly’s maternal grandmother is too old and too ill. She also doesn’t have the resources.”
“Is there anyone else?”
“Who could possibly step in? No.”
“That leaves me.”
“That leaves you,” he echoed. “Would you like to meet her? I could ask Luca, Sabrina’s boyfriend, to put her on a plane, but
the cost of the ticket would have to be covered by you or someone else. He feels he’s done his part. And just so you know,
I’m not sure he’d take her back if you . . . if you decided you weren’t up to the challenge.”
“No need to put her through that. I’m going there—to Italy,” she said. “I’ve already rented a villa in Praiano. I’ll arrange
my airfare today.”
“That’s wonderful,” he said, obviously surprised. “How long do you plan to stay?”
“I have the villa for a month, but I’ll stay as long as necessary—or as long as it’s best for Lilly.”
“Sounds good. Once you’ve finalized your plans, I’ll let Luca know.”
Why couldn’t she communicate with Luca herself? She almost told Mr. Heidelman to pass along her email address but stopped
short. She didn’t know Luca. Maybe, for the time being, it was best to have an intermediary. It provided just enough distance
while she struggled to adjust to this new development. “I’ll send my itinerary as soon as I have it.”
After she hung up, she heard movement in the doorway behind her and turned from her desk to see her mother bracing herself with one hand on the doorjamb. She was in a robe and slippers and had dark circles under her eyes.
“Do you want to talk?” Penny asked, her voice reedy thin.
Charlotte knew her father must have told Penny that she’d learned the truth. But her mother hadn’t come out of her room since
Charlotte had opened the letter last night.
Obviously, Penny wasn’t feeling well. She looked pale, seemed almost too weak to stand. But Charlotte could easily imagine
that, besides suffering from lupus, she’d been putting off this moment. As shocking as the truth was for Charlotte, it had
to be equally shocking for Penny to learn that the secret she’d hidden for so long was out—just when she’d probably begun
to believe it was safe.
The sense of loss that had to engender, and the fear of how Charlotte might react, certainly wouldn’t have been conducive
to helping her get back on her feet.
Although Charlotte hadn’t gone in to see her mother, either—had been trying to come to terms with what she’d learned first—seeing
the situation through her adoptive mother’s eyes brought some compassion.
Getting up, she beckoned her into the room. “Yeah, I’d like to talk. Why don’t you come over so you can sit down?”
She helped her mother across the room before sitting on the bed beside her.
For a moment, neither spoke. They could see each other in the mirror over the dresser, but Penny didn’t seem to know what
to say until Charlotte smiled and took her hand. Then her mother began to cry. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” she said.
Penny finally looked her in the eye instead of at her reflection. “Your father and I . . . we didn’t know what would be best for you. We just knew you were perfect and happy the way you were.”
“I know.”
Her mother searched her face. “You’re not upset?”
“I’m hurt and confused. But I know you love me, that you’ve always loved me and that you did your best to give me everything
you could.” Charlotte couldn’t promise she wouldn’t feel resentment in the future, but she’d been close to her parents and
that made it easier to forgive them. Had she known, maybe she would’ve insisted on finding and meeting her birth mother, and
maybe that would’ve changed the dynamic of her childhood—made her less content.
“What will you do now?” her mother asked.
“Didn’t Dad tell you I have a sister?”
She nodded.
“I’m flying to Italy to meet her.”
“We’ll travel with you,” she said decisively. “I don’t want you going to face that alone. We’ll do it as a family.”
Her mother started to stand, but Charlotte put a hand on her arm. “Mom, look at you. You don’t feel well enough to go anywhere.
And Italy is a very long trip. You and Dad need to stay here. I’ll go. I won’t be alone. Sloane and Julian are going with me.”
Her eyes widened. “They are? But . . . what about their own lives? Sloane’s married. Is her husband going, too?”
“No, but Ben doesn’t mind her being gone for a few weeks. If it turns into a problem, she can always come back early. And
Julian can work from anywhere. He’s been to the Amalfi Coast before, knows what to expect and has already mentioned a few
places he’d like to photograph. He might even take a weekend here or there to go to Venice or Lake Como.”
“That sounds ideal. But where will you all stay?”
“Right in Praiano. I’ve already booked an Airbnb.” She dragged her laptop closer to show Penny the listing. “Check it out.”
“Wow!” Penny said on a breath. “That’s going to be lovely.”
Italy would be lovely—and, she hoped, serene. But Charlotte couldn’t say what kind of turmoil would be going on under the surface. That
would depend on what she found when she got there.