Then, there was the enigma of Lorenzo to consider.
Lorenzo, what do I do about you? I accept and understand that you didn’t know how deeply your words clawed into me, but they did. I want to be a person who is able to open herself, but we both have so many walls and barriers between us that we’ve erected over the years to safeguard our hearts. Nora is becoming a sister to me, but she isn’t you. If I talk myself into trusting you again, how can I be certain that you won’t hurt me again?
* * *
One late Wednesday afternoon, Nora opened and closed the entry door, her face obscured by a bouquet of blue, pink, and white hyacinth flowers. “I passed the delivery driver on my return from the café. Here is today’s arrangement and your iced cappuccino.” She placed a green glass vase on the black kitchen island.
Sabrina’s leg bounced restlessly up and down. She reached for her second daily dose of caffeine and took a sip. The foam tickled her nose. The milk seamlessly balanced out the tart coffee. “Yum.”
Replacing her drink on the counter, Sabrina touched the rubbery petals of the flowers and removed a three-by-five-inch card secured to the vase with a crimson-red ribbon. Turning it over, she read aloud, “Dear Sabrina, please allow me to explain and to apologize. I do not expect you to forgive me, but I need to confess my deeds and make amends if I can—L.”
Nora removed two plates from the cabinet under the sink. From a takeaway container, she took out two sweet buns and placed one on each plate. “So, Lorenzo’s moved on to quoting Mr. Darcy. An interesting change of tactics considering he abhorred Darcy’s character. It’s a remarkable improvement from his previous attempts to compose poetry and quote song lyrics.”
Sabrina stood and added the card to the quarter-inch-tall stack atop the glass coffee table. “How much longer is he going to continue sending me flowers? It’s been nonstop since I arrived in Florence. Your apartment is beginning to resemble a miniature green house. If this goes on, we might as well start selling admission tickets to Nora’s Enchanted Garden.”
Sabrina’s eyes raked over the living room and kitchen. Every spare inch of space from the windowsills to the tops of the end tables was taken up by vases and floral arrangements of varying sizes. While the room smelled sweet and decadent, at times, it could also be overpowering.
“It’s tedious to have to continually check the water levels. It would be much easier if he’d start sending living plants instead of cut flowers.” Nora’s fingers drummed against the countertop of her kitchen island. “That way, we would be able to plant everything in my garden. Spring is right around the corner and the weather is just about warm enough. Cut flowers are so wasteful.”
Nora’s garden was a small terrace of raised flowers in planter boxes and a stone bench. Seeds had been planted and the sprouts were beginning to emerge from their winter hibernation. In the warmth of the afternoon sun, Sabrina had taken to reading at the square wooden patio table looking out over the Arno River.
What Nora really needs out there is a miniature fountain.
“On second thought, perhaps we’re approaching this from the wrong angle. I should text Lucia and tell her to pass along to our brother that the key to gaining your attention is through gifting you expensive jewelry.”
I hate that Nora being on my side has caused her to temporarily stop speaking to her brother.
“Nora.” Sabrina tossed a decorative couch pillow in her direction, narrowly missing a bouquet of peace lilies. “Be serious.” Nora nimbly caught it with the dexterity only a musician would have. Sabrina placed a hand over her mouth. “Oops.”
“That’s a no on the jewelry front?” Nora smirked.
“Yes. That is a no on the jewelry. I don’t need or want anything.” Sabrina stood up from the couch and paced the room.
“I don’t even know how I should be reacting anymore. On one hand, I still can’t bring myself to let my grudge against him go, but on the other hand, he’s spent more than three weeks attempting to capture my attention, presumably to apologize. It makes me feel as if I owe it to him to indulge him in at least hearing what he has to say.”
“I love my brother, and I can vouch that heisa good guy, but if you aren’t ready to interact with him, don’t.”
Sabrina paused in front of a photo of Nora’s family flanking a Lorenzo garbed in black graduation robes. He grinned ear-to-ear, holding a diploma for the invisible photographer to see. She could sense the excitement and energy jumping out of the frame. This was the man who had captured her heart.
Picking up the frame, she said, “The old me would’ve agreed with you in a heartbeat. However, the new me is a firm believer that he deserves to have the benefit of the doubt.”
We were friends for five days before everything spiraled out of control. We’ve been estranged for longer than that. Nora hides it well, but I can tell this tension between Lorenzo and me is wearing on her. I want to see her back with her family, celebrating and having fun like they are in Lorenzo’s graduation picture. As I’m discovering, family is everything and a lifeblood of Italian culture.
“Are you positive?” Nora asked wearily.
She returned the frame to its place of honor. “It’s inevitable that we’d cross paths again at least once while I am staying with you.” Sabrina breathed deeply. “Yes, I’m afraid, but I can’t let my fear rule me forever.”
Nora snapped her fingers together. “What if you were to take a page out of the Regency playbook and exchange handwritten letters with one another? It has the merits of allowing both of you to maintain a safe distance from one another and, based on what my brother writes, it will also allow you time to decide how you would like to respond.”
Sabrina bit her fingernail.
Walking over to her desk, Nora opened the second drawer on the left and removed parchment paper, a fountain pen, and a pot of sealing wax. “You can play with these goodies and use one of my signet rings to dip into the wax and make a fancy seal.”
Sabrina’s hands itched toward the paper. Nora had her hook, line, and sinker.
“Okay.”
Nora left the supplies on the desk. “Brava. I’m going to go finish this snack, rest, then shower before tonight’s concert. If you pen a letter, we can drop it at the post office on the way to the concert venue. Will that work for you?”
