The sun cast a golden glow over the Marcello estate as I stepped out onto the balcony. The cool morning breeze tangled a wayward strand of hair across my forehead while the morning light kissed my cheeks in warmth. Like a queen surveilling her lands, I gazed down on the sprawling grounds and gardens.
Had it really only been a few short months since I’d stood in front of everyone I knew and loved to exchange vows with Aldo Marcello? Honeymooning in the rolling Tuscan countryside had certainly altered my perception of time.
And now … it was back to reality, wasn’t it?
I’d told myself, marrying Aldo, that I knew what my life would be like. That I was all right with it. But the bliss of peace had made me forget, had made me believe, for a fleeting moment, that life could be … different.
