Page 143 of Play of Love
Lucy pulled away so she could retrieve another letter from her bag. Her hands shook as she handed it to me to read.
Lucy,
I'm alive. I was presumed deadbecause I gotcaptured in enemy territory. I escaped with some comrades, and I'm on my way back to Italy as I write this. Wait for me. I'm going to ask you to marry me. You'd better say yes.I love you.
Ciao Bella.
Angelo
The words gripped my heart, and when I looked at Lucy I saw the wealth of pain and desperation within her pale blue eyes.
"Please help me get to Italy. I don't know how to use these things." Lucy held up two of her credit cards. That explained why she was still here.
"Grams, please come home." Gage knelt down in front of her.
Lucy glanced over at him and shook her head. "I can't. I should never have left Italy. My heart told me he was alive."
"Grams those letters are really old. Things might not turn out the way you want. I don't want you to be more heartbroken than you already are." He offered an affectionate smile.
I had never seen this side of Gage. I'd wrongly thought earlier that he had no compassion, but he seemed to be filled with it. I was also glad he didn't mention death, although he was implying it.
"Lucy –” I began, but Lucy interrupted.
"No. I won't give up on him again. I still love him." She said with deep conviction. "I feel the same and in my heart I know he's alive. Please help me to get on a plane. That is all I'm asking."
This was so hard. So very hard. I didn't know what to do, and Gage looked hopeless.
Lucy looked from me to Gage and started to cry even harder when neither of us budged.
"Evie," Lucy pulled in a breath. "When you were fourteen your teachers wanted you to stop playing the violin and focus on your other studies. Do you remember what I told you?"
I nodded, remembering with perfect clarity. It was something I would never forget.
"I told you to never give up on your dreams. I told you that one day you'd accomplish all that you wanted and people would come from all over the world to listen to you. And now they do." Her eyes widened and pride filled them, against the pain.
I dabbed at my own eyes as a tear ran down my cheek. I thought of all the concerts I'd played at, and how my spirits lifted so high, I had to look down to see heaven when I looked at my audience. There were no words to adequately describe that feeling.
Lucy looked to Gage and focused on him. "Gage when you were twelve you told me you wanted to play football for a living. I believed in you wholeheartedly, even though you couldn't catch a ball to save your life. Now look at you. You may both think of me as some crazy old lady, but my heart tells me my Angelo is still alive. Just like it told me you'd both grow up to be great people. I didn't have any evidence then. Just my heart." Lucy held the letter to my chest and offered a weak smile against the tears that streamed down my cheeks. "Please, all I'm asking is for your help to book a flight. Nothing more."
"Lucy I," I began but stopped. Gage looked over at me, waiting to hear what I was going to say. Waiting for me to tell Lucy I couldn't help.
I looked away and gazed ahead to the plasma screens on the wall displaying the arrival and departure times of various flights. Below the wall were lines of people with their luggage.
I thought about what Lucy said, and I didn't have the heart to tell her no. I just couldn't bring myself to say the word. I also didn't have the heart to just book her a flight and put her on a plane to Italy where Lucy would certainly getlost. Lucy didn't even have any luggage aside from her purse, and the fact that she couldn't use her credit cards was alarming enough.
I pulled in a steady breath. "Lucy, you can't go to Italy."
"Evie, please," Lucy winced.
"No. You can't go without me." I smiled. Gage shot me a curious look.
Lucy pulled in a surprised breath and gazed at me.
I smiled wider and regained my usual lighthearted jovial mannerisms. "In fact, I should be offended you didn't ask me, and you knew I was in Chicago. You also knew how much I'd love to go to Italy. Just imagine all the fashionable boots they must have. All the best designers come from there." I was babbling now, like I always did when I was unsure about something.
"You'd come with me?" Lucy asked in disbelief.
"Of course." I nodded. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. But, we have to go home first and arrange this properly. Book our flight, pack some clothes and for heaven's sake Lucy we have to do your hair. You can't travel looking like that. You have witch hair."
Lucy laughed. "Witch hair?"
"Yes likeHocus Pocus, haven't seen a comb in centuries kind of hair. Not like Garlinda inWicked." I joked enunciating Garlinda’s name just like they had in Wicked. That was our favorite musical. "You can't see Angelo looking like that. So, does that sound like a plan?"
To my great relief, Lucy nodded.
