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But then a long streak of bare cupboards reduced us to rationing.
Combined with the long hikes every day, it was a recipe for exhaustion… and ultimately disaster if we didn’t do something about it.
I knew we had to go into town soon and stock up. There wasn’t any other choice.
The rains just accelerated the decision.
We’d had an unbroken streak of good weather for weeks – but in the Dolomites, it typically rains a third of the month during July.
Our luck disappeared, and we got rain six days in a row with no sign of letting up.
There was a near-constant drizzle – and occasionally a downpour.
The small rivers in the forest swelled to three times their normal size, which made it harder to cross.
Not only were we slogging through cold, wet forests and across muddy ground…
But when we found a place to stay every night, we couldn’t make a fire to warm up. I was too afraid it would draw attention – and potentially Aurelio’s bounty hunters.
So Lucia and I would strip down naked and jump into bed, which was definitely a plus…
But in the morning, we had to dress in damp, cold clothes and go tromping around in the rain again.
I thought about stealing a car again and driving away – but I quickly abandoned the idea. There were only two roads in and out of Padola. Aurelio’s men would surely be monitoring them. I couldn’t take the chance of running into a roadblock.
Despite all our problems, Lucia didn’t complain, not once – which was a 180-degree turnaround from how we’d started our adventure.
But I knew it was taking a real toll on her. She started to look exhausted and pale.
It got so bad that I finally decided to start staying in one place for two nights at a time. I even broke down and made a fire one evening so she could be warm, although we left first thing the next morning.
When we were down to our last couple of cans of food, I said, “We’ve got to go back into town.”
She looked at me warily. “Are you sure?”
“We’re almost out of food. And we could use some fresh clothes.”
“Ours do smell pretty fucking awful,” she said with a wan smile.
It was true; we hadn’t been able to wash what few items we had. Plus, I’d left most of our clothes behind us when I’d run away from the barn carrying her in my arms.
“I also need to call my brothers and see what’s going on. Maybe things have died down enough that Niccolo or your grandmother can bring us in.”
“Oh God, I hope so,” she muttered. Then she got a worried look on her face.
“What?” I asked.
“Do we have to leave?”
I laughed. “I thought you’d be looking forward to hot showers, warm beds, and a real meal.”
“I AM, but… if we do have to go home… what happens to us? To you and me?”
The worry on her face became real fear.
I smiled and brushed back her damp hair. “Nothing. I told you, I’m never leaving you.”
“You promise?” she whispered.
