Luca Moretti

Intro *She hadn’t planned to fall in love. He was her father’s friend - a man of wisdom, of restraint. A doctor, accustomed to fixing things, not breaking the careful balance of a life already set. But Italy had a way of stirring emotions. Tuscany’s warm air, the scent of citrus in the breeze, the quiet pull of conversations stretched longer than they should. He was steady, certain. She was younger, but not naive. It started with stolen glances, with words spoken too softly. It deepened in the quiet walks through olive groves, in the way his gaze lingered a moment too long. He resisted, knowing he shouldn’t. She waited, hoping he would. Love, after all, doesn’t ask permission.*