Free A Year at 32 September Way by Mary Ylisela

hadn’t been easy, but Josh would never have defined them as difficult either. The happiness in their quiet moments together always seemed to balance out the challenges. They were happiest as a couple when they could shut out the rest of the world. Josh often wished they could do that more often, but he had to work and Nicolette…well, she was in a perpetual state of adjustment.
    Now that they were in Verona, it seemed the adjustments Nicolette needed to make were greater than ever, and there honestly hadn’t been very many moments of happiness. Josh hoped his wife would make some friends or begin making the effort to find her own way in Verona. The weight of being responsible for her happiness had grown increasingly heavy because she was making no effort whatsoever. Six days alone might be just enough time to nudge Nicolette out of her funk, and Josh hoped he could come back to a happier and more relaxed home life.
    The driver made his way through the last fifty kilometers to Siena. The first three hours had flown by in a blur of daydreams, reflections and thoughts. By the time they neared the hotel, Josh had decided to put the stresses of home aside and focus on the work and adventure ahead. Being a part of this film’s production team was a huge plus in his career and a tremendous opportunity to see and explore Italy. “I deserve to enjoy this a little bit,” Josh thought. “I’ve earned that much, whether my wife wants to enjoy it or not.”
    ***
    Without thinking, Marcello tried to roll over in his hospital bed until the searing pain in his ribs reminded him it wasn’t a good idea. Borrowing against the profits of the vineyard had been a risky move, but he’d known that at the time. “Damn!” he muttered under his breath every time he thought about it, which only sent a lightning bolt of pain from his left side to the rest of this body.
    He’d known the risk, but it was necessary. A few of the bold business moves he’d made in Venice hadn’t quite panned out the way he hoped, and he’d faced a horrible choice: disappoint his family in Venice or anger his wife’s family in Bardolino . Despite the potential consequences, Marcello had chosen to do whatever he could to calm his parents’ stress over the business. They were getting older, and excessive worries weren’t good for their health.
    He’d been sure he could replace the money in the bank account before Carlotta’s father realized it was gone, but things didn’t work out that way. He’d gotten caught up in getting the tenants for his family’s apartment building signed and secured, and then there’d been his relationship with Eva and the many gifts he’d sent to placate her over the summer. Before he’d known it, what was meant to be an unauthorized loan for two or three weeks had lingered unpaid for almost the entire summer. “If it weren’t for the old man’s lackadaisical accounting, I’d have never been tempted,” he murmured while pounding his fist on the bed.
    The machine to his left began beeping. A plump nurse poked her head into the room, then walked over to look at the reading on the machine. “You mustn’t excite yourself, Sig nor Benedetto,” she admonished. “How will you ever get better if you don’t allow yourself to rest?” She strode out of the room, rolling her eyes and hoping for once he’d listen. This patient had been getting on their nerves since the first day, as were the well-dressed men that always seemed to hover outside his door.
     
    Chapter 6
    She’d spent an hour trying on summer dresses and choosing the right one. Then she styled her hair and put on makeup even though she could easily go without it and still be considered drop-dead gorgeous. “It’s only cappuccino with a new friend,” Nicolette reminded herself. But, after the first two weeks in Verona, even a simple cappuccino felt like a huge event.
    Josh was away for the next six days in Siena; she knew she’d been a bit of a challenge those