All I Believe by Alexa Land

Author:Alexa Land [Land, Alexa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-12-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

By sheer luck, Nana and Ollie somehow managed to evade the authorities, and their gay rights demonstration made news throughout Italy. They decided they needed to lay low after that, and were well-behaved for the remainder of our time in Rome and Venice.

Ollie accompanied us to our third and final vacation destination, and since Nana and her new boyfriend were pretty inseparable (more so than ever after all of that), I again assumed the role of tour guide for Jessie and made sure he got as much as possible out of his vacation. We saw the sights, ate and drank way too much, and had a great time.

I was elated when we arrived in Venice and I had a letter waiting for me at the hotel from Luca. He sent one a day, postmarked from Rome with a post office box as his return address. They contained long, funny stories about random topics, like the unfortunate frog-kissing phase he went through when he was five because he wanted to find a prince and live in a castle. The letters always made me happy, and made me miss him like crazy, especially because they always ended with, “I miss you with every part of me and I’m counting the minutes until we’re together again.”

On our last day in Venice, Nana and Jessie packed their bags for their overnight flight home, and Ollie packed to fly back to Viladembursa. He needed to make arrangements for an extended absence. As soon as he hired someone to manage his gallery full-time, he planned to visit my grandmother in the states.

I offered to take Diego Rivera for a walk, and stopped by the front desk just like every other day. Once again, there was a letter waiting for me. I clutched the cream-colored envelope tightly as the dog and I stepped out into the warm afternoon sunshine. Venice was crowded with tourists, as was usually the case. I could see why so many people flocked there, since it really was beautiful. I crossed a cobblestone piazza, then strolled down a walkway beside one of the canals. The buildings were brick for the most part with terra cotta tile roofs. The way they were built one right on top of the other, utilizing every bit of precious space, reminded me of San Francisco, but there the similarities ended. A pair of iconic long, black gondolas glided by, making my location unmistakable.

Eventually, I reached my favorite spot in Venice. It was my favorite because I shared it with Luca by way of his letters. The café had a pretty patio overlooking a canal, lined with hanging baskets and clay pots brimming with plants and flowers. The staff had gotten to know me during my stay in Venice, and the café owner greeted me by name before leading me to my favorite table. A waiter brought me my usual, a cappuccino and a plate of lemony S-shaped butter cookies. Diego Rivera was given a bowl of water

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