“Maybe it’s better if I show you. Are you busy now?” He gestured toward the door.
“Actually, I wanted to tell you about what I read online.”
“Perfect. Let’s walk while you tell me.”
“Well, I thought that I have to declare residency in the same town as the member of my family through whom I am seeking citizenship, but that’s not the case at all,” she said as they walked past Franca and out the main door. “I can actually live anywhere in Italy. So, I found this real estate website where there were a ton of rental properties. I guess there is a little town not too far from here called Riva Trigoso. Do you know it?”
“Yes, of course,” he said, waving a greeting to Chiara and Clara Tramonti out fussing with plants on their stoop—the twin sisters had lived together for their entire lives and grew the best roses in the whole town. “It’s kind of industrial. Not very charming, but in a good location.”
“There’s an apartment there, and it’s a long-term rental.Prima casa, right? The agent even speaks English and said she’d be willing to show it to me. I think this could be a good option.”
As they approached the house, he could see that the doorwas open and Vittorio was carrying some things in from his wheelbarrow. “If you wait another few minutes—” he began.
“But she said she could see me today, so I checked and there’s a train in about fifteen minutes, so maybe—”
“Lora,” he interrupted her. He turned toward her on the street and held out his hand. She stared at it. “Come with me.” He opened his palm wider. Looking confused, she finally placed her hand in his. He walked her up to the house, in the front door, and into the middle of the room. Lorenzo, his work boots covered in a thick layer of white dust, had most of one wall open to the studs and was screwing something into the fuse box. He could hear Vittorio scuffling around upstairs. She looked around the empty room with a table in the middle of it, a pile of construction supplies in one corner, and a stack of new windows lying against each other in another and then turned back to him.
“This is your house,” she said, her eyes darting around the room as she dropped her hand from his.
“Yes. But I was thinking it should be your home.”
Just then, Maria came into the kitchen carrying a box of dishes. She set them on the table and explained that they’d never been opened, and she was going to sell them, but she felt badly that she couldn’t find any place that suited “Loretta” and therefore wanted her to have them. When this was explained to Lora, her face crumpled.
“Are you serious?” she asked, her forehead creased with concern.
“About which part?” he asked.
“Everything. You’re telling me that you’re finishing the renovation. Now. For me. And that all of these people arebringing stuff here and doing all of this work. And it’s also for me.”
“Well, only part of that is true.” He smiled. “There’s no way this renovation will be finished anytime soon. You’re going to have to deal with us in and out of here for a while. I’m sorry that Vilmari is not here, because I am sure it would be better to have a friend help you. But I can promise that you’ll have something of a kitchen, and at least one bathroom should be ready in a couple of days. Electricity is happening as we speak.” He pointed to Lorenzo, who was heading out through the back doors, a pair of pliers in his hands. “And I asked some people to bring you a few more things to get started, as you can see,” he said, placing his hand on top of the box of dishes.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“First you have to say that it’s OK with you. You’re not under any obligation to use this house, at all. If you still want to go to Riva Trigoso, you can definitely—” And then she was in his arms, all at once. She squeezed him so hard, he half coughed, and her frangipane scent was everywhere around him. He hadn’t decided to rent her the house to get her to tackle him in a hug, though it was an absolutely fantastic side effect. It was obvious that she was frustrated, and he’d only wanted to help. He would have done it for anyone. But he wouldn’t have wanted this reaction from just anyone—that was for sure. Andrea could feel her body release as she breathed out, still holding him tight. “Lora?”
“This is the most—I don’t know.” She finally let go and stepped back. He already missed her. “This is incredibly generous,” she said, composing herself. “I am truly, truly grateful.You didn’t have any reason to do this for me—any of you. Especially since I was an utter ass the other day.”
“Some of our favorite people are utter asses,” he said, laughing. “And yet we still help each other. People are generous here—mostly.”
“It’s overwhelming,” she said, looking around the room and taking it all in. “Can we see upstairs?” She smiled.
“Of course we can,” he said, trying to snuff out the burn in his chest and follow her back to the matter at hand. “It’s your place.”
“Don’t say that,” she said, turning to him as they headed toward the stairway. “This is always going to be your house even if you draw up some kind of lease for me. Actually, about that.” She ducked under a curtain of plastic sheeting at the top of the stairs. “You likely know that I can’t afford this.”
“We will find a way to work it out,” he said. “This would be my choice for the primary bedroom, but there are three, so you can decide. Wait—” He paused before going into the room. “Let me clarify that saying ‘we will find a way to work it out’ before leading you into a bedroom was not my intention.”
“I get it,” she said. “I also want to say that I am not expecting to live here for free. I do have some money saved.”
“I am sure that you do. The thing is that we will have to get the bank to approve the lease because you and your money are foreign. It will be tough, but like I said, we will do our best.” They walked into the bedroom, the biggest room at the back of the house. There was not one thing of note in the square box aside from a stunning view from the two large, south-facing windows.
“Holy moly,” she said, leaning a bit out of the open windows.
“It’s a great house,” he said, reminding himself. He stood next to her, looking out at the sea. It had been a long time since he’d stood here and taken it all in.
“And you’re sure you don’t mind me living in it?”
“Absolutely not. I consider it a value-add to the property.”
