“Here, I could give you this if it’s any help?” He handed her his sightseeing bus pass. “It’s valid for the day. Goes all along the coast.”

His wife chimed in. “It’s a beautiful journey.”

Keira took the pass. It was better than nothing. “Thanks,” she said.

As the family bid farewell, Keira found herself wishing they didn’t have to go. They were a lifeline to home at a time when she felt very alone. But then she overheard the kid say to her dad, “Should I pray for the homeless woman?” and the dad reply with an emphatic, “Yes, Courtney. Pray very hard.”

She frowned, insulted. She’d only spent a day in Naples and was already getting mistaken for a homeless person!

She went over to the open-top sightseeing bus and showed the driver the pass she’d been given.

“Do you know how long it will take to get to Positano?” she asked.

He looked at her, confused. “This is the scenic route,” he said. “A sightseeing route. It takes about two hours to get all around the mountains and coast. If you want to get there fast, take the actual bus.”

There was no point arguing with him, or explaining her predicament. Keira sighed, resigned that things just weren’t going to go her way today.

*

The bus took a winding route up the cliffsides. The view was stunning, but since she was terrified of heights, Keira freaked out at every turn. She wished desperately that at the very least she could have a solid roof above her, something that would help make her feel contained and secure. As it was now, the open-plan top was making her feel even more vulnerable and exposed. Every time they curved around the side of the cliff it looked as if they were a mere inch away from plunging over the side and down into the dark blue ocean beneath. Either that, or she had visions of tipping out of the bus entirely, falling over the railings never to be seen again.

She did have to admit that the scenery was beautiful, the ocean clear and sparkling, bright pink flowers and lush green trees sprouting out of the cliffside in any of the spaces not already taken over by houses or stores. It seemed as if there was a building crammed into any and all crevices, stacked upon one another like Lego bricks, and just as brightly colored. If she hadn’t been squeezing her eyes shut every five seconds, Keira would have found the whole thing breathtaking.

After what felt like hours, Keira’s bus pulled into a bay at the bottom of the cliffs in Positano. She got off the bus, her legs wobbling beneath her, and looked around. She was surrounded by cliffs, the houses built onto the sides like she’d seen before. There was a strip of beach which was crowded with people enjoying the warm sunshine, and boats dotted the blue waves. It was otherworldly, and breathtakingly beautiful.