"Is it the pressure from the competition?" He sets the camera aside and nods toward the folding chairs we brought. "Come on. Talk to me."
Weary, I sink into one of the chairs and gaze out over the vastness of the sea as I dry my shoulders. "I don't know what's happening either."
"You haven't trained for several weeks. Of course, you might be a bit rusty. But what I saw today…" He hesitates to speak the truth, but his perplexity is evident. "And it's not just about your diving."
So he noticed that too. And here I thought I was hiding it pretty well from him. I rest my head in my hands and take a deep breath.
"Wherever your thoughts are, they're certainly not here," he says earnestly, and suddenly, I feel his hand on my shoulder. "We're friends, man. Maybe I can help, but only if you spill the beans."
"Thanks for the offer, but there's nothing you could help with anymore," I reply. During dinner at the vineyard, I had the chance to change the course of events. I could have gone all in to find out what Hanna truly feels and whether there's a future for us.
But I didn't.
Instead, I let her go. Maybe I even pushed her right into Florian's arms. On top of that, the estate is now sold. "It's too late."
He pats my shoulder. "I understand," he says, even though he has no idea what's going on with me. How could he know that suddenly I'm filled with longing for a woman, when I've always told him how much I cherish my freedom? "What now? How do we get this under control?"
If I only knew. I look at him, seeking help. "They say time heals all wounds, right?" I immediately see my father before me. With all his grief and despair. And the realization dawns on me, how naive it is to hope that one day I'll forget Hanna.
"It does, I suppose," Matteo sounds more optimistic than I feel. "But the competition is in two weeks. If you don't—"
"I know." Despite the turmoil of my feelings, I'm fully aware of what's at stake.
The only future I have left could go down the drain if I don't manage to let go of this other dream, which will forever remain out of reach.
With clenched fists, I quickly get up from the folding chair. "Time for another try."
