Designs of the Heart
Page 27
His father’s voice blended into the staccato rumbling of the suitcase wheels on the cobblestones, the foreign chit chat of those who passed them, and the shushing of the waves as they ended their run against the shore.
“She told me everything’s fine and you guys have bonded. Is that true?”
“We did bond, yes.”
“And …?” he prodded, moving in line behind him to make room for a small car coasting at a snail’s pace to pass the people walking.
“I’d say she had a pleasant week with us, but I can’t tell you how she really feels. We didn’t have deep conversations.”
He could only see the back of his dad’s head, but the answer sounded somewhat incomplete.
“And what do you and mom think of her?” he asked, catching up again.
His father took a few more steps without saying a word. Then he stopped and set down the carry-on.
They had arrived at the foot of a slope made of wide, cobbled steps.
“Before we meet your mom and Hannah, I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
“I didn’t mention it on the phone ’cause there are some things that need to be said upfront.”
His father’s serious tone and facial expression only amplified the agitation he had been feeling since the beginning of the story.
“Tell me, dad.”
“This was not the way to handle the situation. Your mom and I taught you to respect your neighbor. Hannah’s your girlfriend, so she deserves it even more. What the fuck were you thinking, Ryan? No one understands work commitments better than I do. But you had two months to get your ducks in a row for this trip! Your behavior with Hannah was shameful.”
He’d earned that reprimand. He’d known that he would have to answer to more than just Hannah for his conduct and had expected a confrontation with his father. He just hadn’t expected the weight of the guilt would crush him in this way.
“She says you’ve made up, but you treated her really badly. I think she’ll forgive you, but if I was her, honestly …”
“What do you want me to say, dad. If I could go back in time, I’d do it differently. I got it all wrong in the moment because I got caught up in the rush to fix things before leaving.”
“Well, at least you’re not trying to justify yourself. You’re starting on the right foot.”
“Dad, you’re a man. You can understand,” he said frankly, in search of indulgence. “I wanted to lay a foundation for us to build the future of our relationship.”
“So, you’re really serious about her, aren’t you?” his father asked with a cryptic look.
“Yes, dad. I am. I didn’t think things through and I screwed up. But that was my purpose. I didn’t mean to ruin the vacation for all of you.”
“Ryan, I said what I had to say. Now you’ve gotta deal with Hannah. I hope you’ll do everything possible to fix things.”
“You bet, dad. I’ll give her an unforgettable week!”
“Okay. This way,” and, taking the bag by the side handle, he lifted it up and started climbing the stairway.
“Give it to me, I’ll carry it.”
“Boy, I’m twice as old as you, but I ain’t soft yet!”
He followed his dad up the gradual staircase—it took four or five steps to cross from one to the next—oppressed by a thousand thoughts plus another dozen just added on. When they approached the half-open door of a house, he paused a bit before commanding his feet to enter.
“Sue, Hannah! Look who’s here,” his father announced as they went through a foyer and into a living room.
He didn’t even have time to take a deep breath to relieve his anxiety, before his mother came beaming from behind a door—the kitchen, judging by her apron—and threw her arms around his neck.
“Ryan!” She kissed his cheek as if she hadn’t seen him for years. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
He hugged her close with equal affection. It wasn’t unusual to not see her for a week, but feeling her love always rejuvenated his spirit—and he really needed that right now.
“How were the flights, did you get any rest?”
“On the first one yes, second one no. But I think I fell asleep on the car ride.” He looked around. “Where’s Hannah?”
“She’s in her room. Ah, ‘your’ room,” she corrected herself, turning to indicate a door—perhaps an excuse to hide her blush. “That one.”
“Ryan,” his father broke in. “Your mom and I are going out to run some errands.”
“Yes, Ryan,” she confirmed, looking down this time. “And we thought you’d be tired, so we arranged to have dinner here.”
“Sounds great, mom. I don’t feel like going out anyway.”
“You see, Roger, how well I know him!” she said proudly.
“I still think I know him better than you …”
“What’s going on here?” he asked, catching something odd between his parents.
“Nothing,” she said, taking off her apron. “The lasagna is ready. I just have to put it in the oven.”
“Wow, you made lasagna?”
“With real Italian ingredients.”
“Sounds awesome!”
“So, it’s a quarter to five now. We won’t be back until eight … We’ve taken to eating late like they do here.”
“Okay, mom. See you later then.”
When they had gone, he went over to his carry-on and opened a side zipper. He pulled out a comb and, spotting a full-length mirror on the wall in the entryway, fixed his hair. He also wanted to change his shirt because it had gotten wrinkled on the journey, and he intended to face this situation looking as nice as possible; but his impatience to go hug Hannah was too strong.
“Okay, it’s time!” he encouraged his own reflection.
In that moment, he noticed damp spots on his shirt; he raised his arms and the two halos of sweat immediately took the wind out of his sails.
He picked up his suitcase and, trying not to make any noise, headed towards what must be his parents’ room.
He took off his shirt and undershirt, and went into the bathroom to clean himself up better.
“Fuck,” he muttered. Between the heat, humidity, and his rapid heartbeat, he kept sweating despite having rinsed off.
Perhaps the lamp above the mirror produced too much heat.
He turned it off.
Better.
He wiped his face and looked for the container of mints he always kept in his pocket. When he didn’t find it, he remembered finishing it before landing in Rome. Luckily, his parents had mouthwash on the counter.
Refreshed, he put on the shirt he’d brought for the occasion.
On his way out, he double checked himself in the mirror, and then he crept to the door his mother had indicated. But once there, he hesitated.
Hannah was behind it. The moment had come.
The confrontation with her wouldn’t be easy after everything that had happened, but to not even be able to raise his arm and knock?
Thinking all this pressure would dissolve once he passed over the threshold triggered him into action. She wouldn’t welcome him like his mother did, but he was sure once he got a chance to speak to her …
He huffed out air that felt like it was suffocating him from inside, patted the side pocket of his trousers a couple of times, and then rapped gently at the door with his knuckles. The gesture gave him a confidence that stirred his impatience. Before hearing a response, he grabbed the handle and turned it before she even answered.
The door gradually revealed the room where he hoped they would make happy memories.
Hannah stood by the window, facing the sea.
He’d missed her strawberry-blond hair so much! So radiant, it spread joy everywhere it shone. It fell in waves down her nude shoulder blades, to the edge of her tank top’s low back.
Instinctively he wanted to rush to her and hold her close, but first he
needed to bring a smile back to her face. The smile that made him feel like the luckiest guy in the world.
“Hey,” he began, timidly.
She kept looking outside.
Tension began circling around his good intentions again like a shark. He’d planned to wait until her birthday, but that was still two days away and things didn’t seem good between them. When she turned around, her beautiful face made him even more anxious. He’d never seen her so deeply serious. He barely recognized her. Her blue eyes usually reminded him of the sky on a sunny day, not the storm he saw there now. But a storm without rain, since she definitely wasn’t about to cry. She must be angry. Yes, that was it, although her expression betrayed something else, too. Maybe determination. He felt the coldness of those eyes lower the temperature in the room.
“How are you?” he continued, trying to put all the sweetness he was capable of in his voice and smile.
He’d hoped to soften her, but that’s not what happens when you pour a glass of water on a stone …
She remained impassive in her glacial look.
Aware that he’d messed things up, he now had to fix it all. But he had prepared himself to face a ferocious beast. Not a tidal wave. A wave that rose up, dwarfing him as he stood in its shadow. The doubt that he couldn’t survive the tsunami set off an alarm.
He put his hands in the pockets, lowered his head, and took a few steps toward her. He looked at her feet to understand what she was doing.
She remained motionless.
When he was a foot from her, he stopped. Now he could smell her scent. An aphrodisiac that teased his senses and desires.
He stood before the gates of Paradise; one more step and he would be in.
His eyes still on her sandals, he took her hand with his own and, before she could react, knelt down as if in contrition, her birthday gift on his outstretched palm.
“Hannah, will you marry me?”
TO BE CONTINUED…
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my family and friends who supported me in this adventure. Especially my daughter, who has come to my rescue more than once with titles.
Thank you to my editor and translator into Italian, Antonio Scotto di Carlo, without whom this book would not exist
Also by Renee Ryder
Hearts Under Fire
Translated by Renee Ryder
A compelling Romantic Suspense.
Jenny is a beautiful young businesswoman. She lives in an Italian tourist town where she owns a shop. Her need for independence is her strength, but her innate distrust sometimes creates problems with others.
One day she encounters love. More than an encounter, it’s a collision, a head-on collision. Her heart isn’t Eros’s only target, and everything changes …
Police begin investigating suspicious events around her, slowing down the construction of a new great hotel in town and rocking her life even more.
https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Under-Antonio-Scotto-Carlo-ebook/dp/B00U88RP52/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=antonio+scotto+di+carlo&qid=1563118178&s=gateway&sr=8-5
Also by Antonio Scotto di Carlo
Bullets from the Past
An unusual psychological thriller.
We all make mistakes. We lock our faults in the closet of our past, and try to carry on. For a while, we delude ourselves that Life has forgotten our debt, but the moment when She brings us the bill always comes. And seldom does she cancel the interest…
United States. A young woman learns that two girls, whom she’d met at a summer camp many years before, have been brutally murdered. Although it seems to be a tragic coincidence, she starts to fear for herself and goes to the police. The handsome detective who listens to her finds her theory very weak; nevertheless, he decides to check it out: the sexual background of the story might justify her fear.
The events of the following days link past and present, entwining their lives with the killer’s in an unpredictable way.
https://www.amazon.com/Bullets-Past-Antonio-Scotto-Carlo-ebook/dp/B01BH8U8NW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=antonio+scotto+di+carlo&qid=1563118178&s=gateway&sr=8-3
The Parable of the Dumbass
This short story will give you an original perspective of the meaning of life.
I looked for Heaven and I found Hell
He had trouble fitting in. Society figured something was wrong with him and made him an outcast.
They just don’t get that I was born for greatness!
He had a dream, but kept it to himself for fear of further rejection.
When he learns there is a land called Eldorado where dreams become reality, the desire to find it consumes him. The road seems deceptively easy to walk, but will require courage, tenacity, and faith to reach that magical place. His heart tells him that he will succeed and he listens, starting out on an epic journey.
My dream will at last come true!
But what if dreams are only incomprehensible glimpses into our former lives?
https://www.amazon.com/Parable-Dumbass-Short-Story-Parts-ebook/dp/B07GRJZ2K1/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=antonio+scotto+di+carlo&qid=1563118301&s=gateway&sr=8-1
The Deaf God: A Story of Friendship beyond Time
The first part of a novelized biography of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Music is the steed ridden by the soul to travel in time. A young Italian man’s soul from the 21st century is transported back in time by the power of Music, ending up in the body of his contemporary from Vienna in 1808. He discovers that Ludwig van Beethoven lives there in person, and he dreams of becoming his friend. The maestro is organizing a concert where he is presenting his Fifth Symphony for the very first time in history. What better opportunity to meet him?
https://www.amazon.com/Deaf-God-story-friendship-beyond-ebook/dp/B00BQ5O0LS/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=antonio+scotto+di+carlo&qid=1563118301&s=gateway&sr=8-4