Page 5 of Sicilian Sunset

“Hmm, probably.” Her comment doesn’t stop me, though.

The princess and lion clouds are nearly touching now, and as usual, I make up a story.

“As the little princess gets closer to the beast, she admires his beauty,” I say in my best storytelling voice. “And she just can’t resist and touches his velvety fur. Careful not to wake him, she pets him like a kitten.

“Watching him sleep, her eyelids grow heavy too, and she cuddles up to him. He cradles her in his big paws, and they both dance in dreamland together for a little while.”

Rhia smiles and shakes her head. She’s been listening to my cloud stories for nearly two decades and has learned to humor me.

Three chimes of a church bell ring close by. “Impeccable timing,” I remark. “This was the dinner gong from the castle. The little princess startles awake and rises to rush home, but the enormous lion blocks her way. She carefully climbs over him. But… oh no, the lion wakes up and rises to his full height and roars loudly, frightening the little princess.

“For a moment, she’s frozen in place, seeing him for what he really is—a dangerous beast. She runs as fast as she can to the safety of the castle, but the lion is hot on her heels and getting closer by the second.” I rattle down the last bit like the racing commentators do on television.

“I better take over or we’ll be here forever,” Rhia interrupts when I take a breath.

She knows me too well. My stories can be on the elaborate side.

“The princess escapes to the castle and is now safe forever more. She lives happily ever after with the knight who came to her rescue, ready to fight the beast. It roars outside for a while, but then disappears into the clouds. The end.” She smirks at me.

“That’s quite anticlimactic. But fine. The three clouds have merged into one big blob now, anyway.”

We both lean back then and close our eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the light breeze on our skin. It’s midafternoon, but the August sun is still strong.

A deep-seated contentment fills me. If I were at my Oma’s house in the Austrian Alps, I might even twirl down mountains proclaiming that the hills are alive with the sound of music.

I’ve always had a deep love for the mountains. How could I not? My mom was Austrian, and I grew up in the Alps. Then, when I turned eight, we moved to my dad’s home in Dublin, right next door to Rhia’s family.

But since our arrival on the island, I’ve fallen in love with the azure waters of the Mediterranean.It’s so beautiful here. I never want to leave.

Something wet against my leg makes me jump. A black Labrador puppy is licking my shin, tail wagging in excitement.

“Aww, aren’t you a cutie?” I coo as I bend down to pick it up. Searching for the owner, I spot two kids running towards us. “Have you escaped, little one?”

The dog wags his tail and licks my nose, and I laugh, my heart full of joy.

Rhia leans over to pet the little guy. “You just can’t leave work behind, can you? Once a dog trainer, always a dog trainer.”

I shrug. “I can’t help it if they come to me.” With a smile, I hand the puppy back when the kids reach the bench.

“You’re likethedog whisperer,” Rhia teases.

“Very funny,” I retort, but I really do love my job. There’s nothing better. The dogs I work with are just the best.

Rhia rises to her feet for a stretch. Craning her neck, she spots something across the street. “I’m just ducking into that shop over there to buy some postcards,” she announces.

“Who still writes postcards these days?”

“I do. Have you forgotten I always send one to nana?”

“Clearly I have,” I reply. “You know, it’s been ages since you and I went on vacation together, and I haven’t visited your grandmother for months.”

Rubbing my chin, I try to remember the last time Rhia took me along to visit her nana, but come up empty-handed. She goes every Thursday for afternoon tea and a game of backgammon—it’s their tradition.

“She’s got this wall in her kitchen covered in postcards, doesn’t she? I’m surprised she still has room for more. Last time I saw it, the wall was full.”

“Yeah, it is. But nana gets so excited when she gets to add a new card to her collection. How could I deny her?” Rhia says with a fond smile. “I’ll be right back.”

That’s unlikely.

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