Page 132 of Rio

“Aurora?”I say, louder than I intended.

“Alessandro’s girlfriend.”

“I can see the resemblance, between all of you.”I tilt my chin at the photo.

Nico laughs.“People do say we look alike.”

I’m intrigued about this man and his life.How he runs a successful empire yet is married and has children.“How many children to you have?”

“Four.”

“Four!”I almost bounce out of my chair in shock.

“Elisabetta, my oldest, she’s twenty-one.Alessandro is nineteen, Carlotta is thirteen, and Marco is nine.We had him late.My wife, Ava was forty, but it’s never too late, is what I say.”His smile makes me want to know more.Makes me want to meet them all.

“I’m … so happy to hear that,” I find myself saying, the possibility of a future like that flashing before my eyes.A wife, children, family, and love.Not just money and business.This man’s face lights up when he talks about his family.

“You look content.”

“More than content.I’m happy.I have everything I could ever want.The business is a bonus, and I am grateful, but family is everything.”

“You have a lovely family, Nico.”

He gives a half-smile, almost private.“Thank you.Children… they’ll teach you more about yourself than the world ever will.Don’t wait too long to learn that.”

***

RAQUEL

I’ve never been to northern Italy before, and I find Verona beautiful, in a serene, and elegant way.And the Casa Adriana, the hotel where Rio had his meeting with the owner, was simply divine.

While he was busy, I wandered around the gardens, past evergreen shrubs, olive trees, and tall Cypress trees, inhaling the scent of citrus and lemon which floated along the warm breeze.

I saw a gazebo near which sat an elderly lady.Walking towards her she looked frail, her skin lined like delicate maps of a long and memorable life and her hair tied up in a small bun.She was the picture of calm serenity and she looked content, sitting in a chair, painting calmly.Moments later, another, younger woman joined her, and introduced herself as Ava.I learned that she was the wife of the hotelier, and the painter was her mother.

We talked for a while, but they soon let me go about my business.I inhaled deeply, soaking in the air, the ambiance, the peace and quiet as I ambled along winding pathways that led to secluded stone benches and shaded alcoves draped in climbing roses.

It was such a peaceful, perfect piece of paradise.Rio looked so pumped when he finished his meeting.I hope he and the owner find a way to work together because I would love to go back there again one day.

Now we’re driving toward Soave, and I feel like I’m stepping into another time.Vineyards spill down the hillsides in perfect green lines.There’s a castle in the distance.Every turn of the winding road makes me fall in love with this place even more.

Being here with Rio, accompanying him on a business trip, feels like I’ve stepped into another life.

We’re a couple.We’re together.This feels a million miles away from the law firm I’ve left.I’m filled with a sense of quiet anticipation at starting my new job; an undercurrent of excitement mixed with nerves.It’s going to be hectic, even more demanding than Tovey & Roth, which is why I jumped at the chance for a vacation when Rio mentioned this trip.

“That’s the Castle of Soave,” Rio says, pointing toward the horizon.“Locals say the fortress around it has guarded this valley for a thousand years.”

The sunlight catches his dark hair and I almost reach out and stroke his beard but stop, because these roads are winding and a little scary, and I don’t want to distract him.“Your mother’s lived here her whole life?”

“Most of it.You’ll see—Mama belongs here the way roses belong in her garden.She was in Milan when she met the old man.”

He tells me the story—how her family lived here, and when she fell pregnant, she settled nearby, in Soave.

“You still have grandparents?”

“They died a few years ago, within months of each other.It’s just Mama now.She came back to take care of Nonno and Nonna, my maternal grandparents, once we were in our early twenties.Her heart was always in Italy, but now that they’ve passed, I think she’s feeling a little lonely.She keeps hinting that she’s waiting to play with her grandchildren.”

I let out a nervous chuckle.I’ve stood in courtrooms with more confidence than I’m feeling right now.Somehow, meeting Rio’s mother feels bigger.