Page 86 of Blue in the Deep Blue Sea

My father is still alive, and living somewhere in Greece. He admitted he’d bought an entire island with the money he’d received and planned to leave it to us, but he never wanted to come back. Not once did he mention me or Gianni.

The truth was, money corrupted people. All this time, he could have come back. He could have made life a little easier, no matter how much he hated our mother.

So many questions remained unanswered, and part of me believed Oliver knew some of those answers. But I let it go. I let the past drift away with all the sadness that had built up over the years.

A person only gets one life, and they decide how it ends.

I wanted mine to end with Oliver.

Because for all these years, I’d tried to hide every version of myself. The frightened version who cried herself to sleep most nights. The depressed version, haunted by dark thoughts that appeared without warning. The version who needed a steady hand and someone to whisper that everything would be okay, even if it wasn’t true. I needed someone who would let me be exactly as I was, even when I was tearful, when I couldn’t hide behind a smile, when the strong version of me was anything but strong.

And he held every one of those versions of me. He never tried to tame me. He simply wrapped his arms around each one and let me exist.

I want to hold on to that. Tous. For the rest of my life.

Maybe that’s why fate brought us together. They say people come into your life either as a lesson or because they’re meant to become part of your story.

Life sent him to me because it knew I needed someone who could be my safe haven. My lighthouse, always there to guide me home. Somehow, every path led me back to him.

Life knows more than we do. We just have to let it unfold.

Now I understand why Italians talk aboutdolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing. Maybe we aren’t meant to force life. Maybe life has its own timing, and when the moment comes, it will carry us exactly where we’re meant to be.

Two hours had passed when I heard the rill again. A cool breeze drifted towards me, lifting strands of my hair into the air. It felt like an old friend welcoming me back.

I made my way to the fresh water and slowly crouched down. Taking the bottles from my purse, I dipped them down in the water, filling them one by one.

As the water rose inside each bottle, I let my eyes wander, searching for anything else I could add to the map. Then my gaze caught on something to the right.

A forest of pines and spruces.

Just before the trees grew thick, two tall pines crossed high above the ground, forming a perfect X.

The sight tugged at something in my memory.

I knelt and unfolded the map Isabella had shown me. There it was. The very same symbol, marked on that part of the island.

I waited for the last bottle to fill, tucked all four safely back into my purse, then stood and brushed the dirt from my knees.

I wanted to explore that part of the island. Something deep inside me whispered that whatever had been hidden here hadn’t been found yet.

I followed the narrow path towards the forest, passing beneath the two crossed pines. The trees closed in around me, their branches weaving together overhead until barely any sunlight reached the ground. The air grew cooler, carrying the sharp scent of pine and earth. I searched for anything that matchedthe markings on the map, but nothing looked even remotely familiar.

I walked deeper in. Then, off to my left, something caught my eye.

There was a small stone well.

It wasn’t wide or particularly deep, more like a narrow shaft built from uneven rocks. Curiosity pulled me closer. I leaned over the edge and peered inside.

Two rolled envelopes rested against the stone wall.

My breath caught.

Dropping to my knees, I reached as far down as I could, stretching my fingers until they brushed the edge of the first scroll wedged deep inside.

I hooked it with my fingertips and carefully pulled it free.

The second came loose right behind it.