Chapter 26
Vico
The whole family , I repeat Hanna's words in my mind. And for the first time in so long, the idea no longer feels constricted in my chest.
"Who's there?" I ask, my voice hoarse, my gaze fixed on the estate, trying to envision the same scene Hanna sees in her boundless imagination.
She snuggles closer to me. "Camilla is at the stove. Pietro approaches her from behind and wraps his arms around her. He whispers something in her ear that makes her laugh."
Yes. Imagining that doesn't feel difficult.
"The twins are playing tag. They've grown up. They must be attending kindergarten now. Their full hair bounces with every step. They scream excitedly and almost knock over the chairs around the long dining table."
As she describes it, I vividly see the scene before me. It's like she's painting images in my mind. Images full of love.
"Over there, Alessia and Aurora set the table, and whatever they are whispering about seems to be making Alessia blush. She tries to hide the fire on her cheeks behind her curls, but Aurora has already understood what's going on." A bright giggle escapes Hanna's mouth.
My sisters. That's exactly how they were. Back when Aurora still lived here. How does Hanna know all this?
"Even your father is there," she says suddenly, sounding amazed. "He just entered the room with a dark green bottle in his hand."
Instinctively, I hold my breath. "What does he look like?"
Her mouth curls up at the corners. "Content."
For a moment, my heartbeat stops. Is it possible that what Hanna is imagining could actually happen? Could my father overcome my mother's death? And could the family one day be as happy as they used to be?
"Is there still hope?" I whisper the question that has taken shape directly in my heart. My fingers continue to caress hers.
"Where there is love, there will always be hope." Her answer is filled with such conviction that I don't even have to try to silence my doubts. They no longer exist.
I feel her warmth on my arm. On my hip. And on my leg. Her breath flows calmly. Until now, both of us have been gazing at the estate, but now I turn my head to her. "Where am I?" I dare to ask.
Still looking at the house, her lips form a charming smile. "You're at the sink, washing arugula. Your light blue T-shirt is covered in water stains, and your hair falls into your face."
I am also there. With my family.
In my homeland.
That is… beautiful.
Warmth fills my body, carrying a longing that I never wanted to feel again. But it's there. And I feel where it's pulling me. Gently, I wrap my arm around Hanna's shoulders. "And where are you?" I ask.
For a split second, she freezes, then her gaze slowly shifts to me. The sea in her eyes is stormy, her lips slightly parted. "I'm placing a vase of wildflowers in the center of the table," she whispers almost inaudibly with a tremor in her voice.
She's here. With me.
"The bouquet is beautiful," I say, for I can see it in all its colors before me. The picture she has described to me in the last few minutes is full of possibilities. And what scared me so much two weeks ago, making me want to run away at all costs, suddenly seems to be the answer to all the questions I didn't dare to ask.
Turning Hanna's vision into reality could make me happy.
I draw closer to her. "You are the most wonderful person I have ever met in my life." She alone is the reason I no longer want to run away.
She meets my gaze with a mix of desperation and longing. She tries to say something repeatedly, but no sound comes out.
I wonder if she's also imagining what it would feel like if we kissed. If she also feels the magical pull between us, which seems so much stronger than the real facts that should keep us apart.
Her hand begins to rise, and I know that she will touch my chest any moment now. She will feel how strongly my heart beats, and perhaps, she will even know she is the reason behind it.
"Vico. Hanna. Can you come over here?" Suddenly, someone calls for us.
It's Pietro.
Abruptly, we lift our heads. I remove my arm from her shoulders, and she steps back, fussily adjusting her hiking pants. I don't need to see more to know that she also feels caught.
"Are you both okay?" Pietro shields his eyes from the low sun and glances over at us.
All good , I want to reply, but my throat is so dry that I can't even hear my own croak.
Hanna hurriedly smooths her T-shirt. "We'll be right there," she says, her panicked gaze briefly meeting mine, and then she marches ahead.
I follow her, my legs feeling shaky as I struggle to clear my mind.
We almost kissed.
And I would have liked it.
Twenty yards ahead, Hanna reaches Pietro. His eyes dart between her and me.
I catch up to them and clear my throat, trying to sound as normal as possible. "What's going on?"
"Hanna has a visitor," Pietro responds with a scrutinizing expression.
A visitor? Who could be visiting Hanna here?
Hanna looks confused too as we round the corner of the house. She's walking so fast that I can hardly keep up with her. And then, just before the courtyard comes into view, I see her tense up, every muscle in her body tightening.
Seconds later, I understand why.
Standing by the entrance is a blond man with a full beard, holding an enormous bouquet of red roses.