“What did I miss?” Gabriel asked Sophie, his accent making the question even more charming.

“Don’t pay attention to them,” Danial insisted, taking her hand more firmly in his as they descended out of view of the breakfast table.

She followed him, observing him from just slightly behind as she often imagined herself doing in the ten years they hadn’t spoken. Everything was as she wanted it: the beautiful, clean angles of his face turning back to make sure she was okay, the dark hair slicked behind his ears just barely coming loose, the finely tuned outfit that highlighted his perfect physique. She felt, looking at him, as if she had curated every detail of him to her own taste. And when he smiled back at her, she melted, her knees weak at the feeling of victory.

“Thank you for letting me join you,” he said, sounding almost nervous as their heels clicked along the dock toward the cable car.

“Oh,” she answered, willing herself to sound casual. “I’m sure you’ll like it, too. You always liked Greek history.”

“I did?”

“Yes,” she laughed, turning to face him. “You don’t remember?”

“I liked a lot of things before I got a job.”

He smiled, but the downward flick of his eyes acknowledged the heavy truth in his statement. Rather than reassure him—or perhaps to avoid the ever-tense subject of their mutual professions—Alex simply reached for his hand between them, clasping her fingers around his own. It was a seamless gesture, two hands coming together as they strode along a dock, like any other couple. And when Danial’s thumb moved, almost imperceptibly, along the back of her fingers, only she knew that it was the most exciting moment of her entire life.

16. Taormina, Sicily

16

TAORMINA, SICILY

Now

“This theater is a unique example of ancient architecture retaining its intended purpose in the modern era: once a hub of entertainment for ancient Grecians, it’s currently home to the Taormina film festival.” The dour tour guide spoke in a hypnotic tone, repeating words he had clearly said a thousand times before. “If you’d like to learn more about the festival, there are pamphlets at the exit that can tell you all about this year’s features.”

Their clustered group of twelve inched forward, stopping to take pictures and observe the stone in greater detail. The Greek Theater was undeniably gorgeous, with curved seating for thousands of spectators and half-crumbled columns overlooking the sea, flanked by ancient basilicas on either side of its stage. The weather was perfect, too, even for summer in Sicily: not too hot, with fluffy passing clouds providing intermittent shade while seabirds gently circled overhead. It should have been the perfect afternoon activity.