Annie definitely had some mystery man on the go downtown that she seemed especially keen on, given her insistence on taking so much time in getting ready for tonight’s outing when it was only early evening and still hours away till dinner.

Colette, on the other hand, seemed completely mortified by Luca’s visits.

Kim watched as the guy in question now emerged from the kitchen with a tray of freshly prepared treats. “I leave the food on the kitchen table. Help yourself,” he informed her.

She sighed inwardly. You could get lost in the guy’s accent, never mind his arms. It was like condensed milk—thick and sweet. Lucky old Colette.

“Thanks.”

She lingered for a few moments as she contemplated food or reading. It had been a long time since lunch, but she was so comfortable here. The intense heat of the afternoon sun was starting to dissipate now, enabling her to move out of the shade and bask in the late-evening glow. This was her favorite time of the day to sunbathe and the only time she exposed her skin to the sun’s direct rays. Not like Annie, who was only too happy to forgo the parasol and lay out cooking like a wiener on a barbecue all day long.

On the other hand, poor Colette could barely glance at the sun without reddening up like a tomato, and like the doctor had pointed out, it was probably no bad thing that she needed to rest up inside for a while.

Kim’s stomach finally won out, and she reluctantly pushed herself up from the comfortable sun lounger and walked back into the cool of the villa. She plated some chicken and pulled a slice of crusty garlic bread from the white paper it was wrapped in, then drifted back out and down to the terrace before curling back into her poolside sun lounger.

Opening the book, she began to once more skim through the words written on the page, as she nibbled on her bread.

Happiness is like the ocean. It comes and goes. You need to be able to ride the waves of the tide if you’re going to stay happy. It means you have to be light enough to float and strong enough to stand up to the breaking on the shore.

Was she light enough to the ride the waves? Kim knew she definitely wasn’t strong enough for the breaking on the shore. How often had she tried to stand up and found herself conforming to what her parents wanted?

Back home, she hadn’t been able to ride the waves. Instead she’d drowned in them, and every day sank lower as the waves got higher.

But since she’d come to Italy, the waves had subsided a little.

Maybe little by little she could start to overcome them and perhaps, given enough time here in Villa Dolce Vita, Kim might eventually be light enough to float.