Nora was beside herself with excitement.Trust Cynthia to just land here out of the blue. So typical of her.
Within an hour, Cynthia had arrived by taxi. She dropped off her backpack, met Atticus, and raved about the apartment and the view. They popped in to see Chloe and Olivier, and now Nora sat across from her friend at a cozy bistro down the street. Atticus sat at Nora’s feet, and Cynthia was telling her how the Italians were as crazy as the French about dogs.
“You are such a welcome sight!” Nora said, her eyes sparkling. “I’ve been having an amazing time, but it’s even more fun to have you here. How did it happen?”
“First, let’s take a selfie to send the Girls.” Unable to stop grinning, they took a few, and the waiter stepped in to help out. They couldn’t resist taking one shot that included him.
After a long sip of wine, Cynthia explained she had been in Lyon with three girlfriends. “They’re in an English class I teach, and we’ve become good friends. Bella and Maria are Italian and from the area where I live. Salima is from Libya, and what a story she has. She arrived after a grueling, terrifying voyage on one of those overloaded, harrowing, migrant boats.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how terrible that was,” Nora said, her voice somber.
Cynthia nodded and told Nora some of the details of Salima’s life: the risks, dangers, fears and courage. “We are all so glad we met each other and that we can help her settle into life in Italy.”
“We have no excuse to complain about anything,” Nora murmured.
They said nothing for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, until Nora said, “But you still haven’t explained how the four of you ended up here.”
“We thought it would be fun to go somewhere for a few days after Christmas, since we were all on our own with the week off. We found a cheap flight from Pisa to Lyon. Maria has family there, and we rented an apartment that one of Maria’s cousins owns.”
Nora said, “Lyon is known as the Gastronomic Capital of the World, as I’m sure you’re aware. I’ve never been but would love to go sometime.”
“You should! I loved the city. It has great vibes. So, to continue…” Cynthia stopped talking and laughed.
“Bella argued that Paris should have the title of gastronomic capital, and when we realized it was only a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Lyon, without hesitation, we rented a car and were on our way to decide for ourselves.”
“I can see you’ve found friends in Italy as adventuresome as you’ve always been.” Nora chuckled as she raised her glass to meet the one Cynthia held up.
“Definitely! You will love them! They insisted that I connect with you tonight, and they checked into a hotel in the Latin Quarter. I was so excited I forgot to text you until we were already here. I wasn’t thinking straight until we hit the suburbs. So, as you can see, it was spur of the moment… You know me!”
“I love that! Stay as long as you like. Chloe has a blow-up mattress we can use. You must see the fantastic Christmas decorations everywhere!”
“No, no.” Cynthia put her hands up in refusal of the offer. “I love sleeping on couches, and with that view from yours, there’s exactly where I want to wake up.”
They both ordered moules et frites with curry sauce and talked nonstop. Nora plied her friend with questions about her life in Italy. Cynthia had originally gone to Italy to visit the seaside area from which her grandparents had immigrated to Canada. She had fallen in love with the coastal town of Cinquale and moved there a year later.
“Like I told you, moving there was the best decision I ever made. I love the village, the people, and the culture, and there are festivals every month! I do a bit of freelance online contract work. Between jobs, I live a peaceful existence, teaching English, fixing up my sweet little 250-year-old hovel by picking up treasures at markets. I love my new friends in Cinquale, but of course miss all of you at home. Thank goodness for video calls.”
They smiled as the waitress quietly removed their bowls overflowing with mussel shells and brought empty ones that would soon be filled. Nora thanked her and asked her to tell the chef she thought he made the most delicious mussels in Paris.
“But enough about me. Tell me all about what’s happening with you,” Cynthia said.
The first thing Nora did was thank her.
“You know, it was that conversation I had with you in November, where you told me to take a chance and not miss spending six weeks with Chloe. It really put me over the edge. I grabbed my suitcase and packed.”
Cynthia laughed and pumped her fist. “Brava, my friend! Isn’t it fun to be impulsive? Which you never are… But from your photos, it looks like you’re having a fantastic time. And Christmas in Provence? Bonus! Is Olivier’s family nice?”
“His grandparents are a sweet couple and very welcoming. I would love to go back. Olivier’s father is nice enough but still dealing with a five-year-old acrimonious divorce and has his moments. However, he was extremely kind when Atticus was lost and, really, he was the one who figured out where the dogs were. Man, talk about a stressful situation. I was a basket case!”
“It sounds like quite a trip.”
“Seriously, all the holiday traditions were so touching, and it’s a stunning part of France. Apart from the fact I ate nonstop for three days, it was perfect. Provence is magic in so many ways. And … there were baby goats at the farm.”
Cynthia’s eyes lit up. “Squee! So cool!”
“Unforgettable! And really, I’ve been here for four weeks now and there hasn’t been a day I didn’t feel content. Well, except when the dogs were missing, as I said. And to top it off, I speak French most of the time! Such as it is.”
“Formidable! I always loved that word in French. I’m doing the same with Italian. Total immersion is the only way. Although it can make for some interesting misunderstandings.”
