They continued chatting, letting the evening pass with no concern over the time. Keira was so used to deadlines, to timekeeping, that it was a rare occurrence for her to not be aware of what the time was. It was very freeing and relaxing. Her only frame of reference was that they’d polished off several bottles of wine, breads, and cheeses, and now the Limoncello had come out.

“Have you had any chestnuts since you’ve been here?” Pippa asked. “It is traditional to have toasted chestnuts on All Souls’ Day. I can put some in the fire.”

“Thanks, that would be lovely,” Keira said.

“After, we should head to the graveyard,” Cristiano said to Keira. “I can show you the rest of my family.”

Keira’s eyes widened. “That’s a little morbid.”

“Not at all,” he laughed. “We celebrate our dead relatives. We are not scared of ghosts or death. It is just another part of being alive, and knowing we continue to love and celebrate our family when they are no longer walking the earth gives us all a great comfort, because we know that when we are dead we will not be forgotten. We will be loved and remembered. We will be celebrated every year. It is a beautiful thing.”

Keira nodded, agreeing, seeing where he was coming from. “Actually, that’s quite romantic,” she admitted.

Cristiano laughed. “Of course!”

“Perhaps Keira will want to see the groves?” Sabrina said. Then to Keira, she added, “We have orange groves, olive groves, and vineyards all around. They are very beautiful.”

“That sounds lovely,” Keira said, but she stifled a yawn.

Cristiano touched her arm lightly. “Would you like a rest first? I forget that Americans never siesta.”

Keira shook her head. “No, I want to enjoy the celebrations. Can I change first?” She looked down at the unattractive outfit she’d purchased while in Florence. Wearing her own clothes again would be wonderful.

Cristiano showed her upstairs to his room. Keira was delighted to be reunited with her things. Now she wouldn’t have to explain to Bryn how she’d managed to spend four hundred of her dollars while returning empty-handed!

Once she was dressed, Cristiano and Keira headed out. Keira still had no idea what the time was, but she didn’t care. She felt full of energy, in part thanks to all the food and wine she’d been given, but also because she was giddy on romance. Being with Cristiano again felt amazing. And now that she’d spoken to his parents and sister, she felt that she had a deeper understanding of him as a person, about the way he approached romance. Like Sabrina and Francesco, Cristiano wore his heart on his sleeve and expected others to do the same. It must have been confusing for him that she did not act that way. To Keira, being so open and forward made her feel vulnerable, but the Italian approach made perfect sense. Why waste so much energy guessing? Why waste time alone wondering whether someone wanted to be with you when you could waste the time together, hand in hand, walking in silent ease like Sabrina and Francesco had for thirty years?