Chapter 12
Cassie’s plane touched down in Rome just after sunset, the Italian air thick with unfamiliar scents as she stepped
onto the jetway.
Her first instinct–hardwired after three years of marriage–was to grab her phone and text Callum that she’d landed safely. Her thumb actually hovered over his contact before reality crashed back with startling force.
She was divorced. Free. They would never exchange another mundane text about flight arrivals or dinner plans.
Opening her messaging apps, she found several connection requests from strangers and local expat groups she’d researched before leaving. The stark evidence of her new reality sent a wave of vertigo through her that had nothing to do with jet lag. This wasn’t some dramatic gesture or temporary separation. She had actually left Callum Reid behind–escaped the elaborate theater production that had been her marriage.
Taking a steadying breath, Cassie squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. The golden glow of Rome’s evening lights stretched before her like possibility itself.
She took a taxi to the apartment she’d arranged from the States, rehearsing basic Italian phrases along the way. Her landlady, Giovanna, greeted her with unrestrained warmth, especially upon learning Cassie had arrived alone in a foreign country. She immediately insisted Cassie join her family for dinner that evening.
“You cannot spend your first night in Rome alone! Impossible!” Giovanna declared, refusing to hear any protests.
Not wanting to arrive empty–handed, Cassie unpacked a Pendleton wool scarf she’d brought specifically as a gift–its pattern inspired by Native American designs, the soft wool dyed in rich earth tones. She’d also packed a handmade “Rainy Day in New York” Homesick candle, its scent reminiscent of wet asphalt, steaming subway grates, and the particular petrichor that only Manhattan could produce.
She took extra care with her appearance–a subtle act of defiance against the weeks she’d spent barely caring how she looked. The woman in the mirror seemed both familiar and foreign, her eyes clearer than they’d been in months.
Giovanna’s family had transformed their modest apartment into a welcoming celebration. Colorful paper streamers crisscrossed the ceiling, and a hand–painted “Benvenuta Cassie!” banner hung over the dining table. The effort they’d made for a complete stranger left Cassie momentarily speechless.
Their table overflowed with Italian specialties–fresh pasta with pesto made that morning, a massive pizza laden with prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella–alongside thoughtful American touches like Coca–Cola and french fries in case homesickness had already set in.
“For you,” Giovanna’s teenage daughter Martina said shyly, presenting Cassie with a beautifully “apped package–a blush–pink cashmere throw that would perfectly complement her new bedroom.
Throughout dinner, Giovanna and her family maintained a steady stream of conversation, patiently repeating phrases when Cassie’s minimal Italian failed her. The evening stretched into hours as they shared essential local knowledge–which neighborhoods had the best cafés, which bus routes were most reliable, which tourist traps to avoid at all costs.
10:14
Addio To The Stand–In Past, This Time I Chose To Reclaim My Own Life
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Chapter 12
The language barrier created frequent misunderstandings that dissolved into genuine laughter. Cassie found herself smiling, then giggling, then actually laughing out loud–the sound almost startling her. When had she last laughed without reservation? She couldn’t remember.
Their detailed concern for her wellbeing created an immediate intimacy that felt both surprising and desperately needed. These strangers had shown her more genuine care in a few hours than her husband had in months.
Though reluctant to leave this cocoon of warmth, Cassie politely excused herself when the family settled in for their evening ritual of watching Italian soap operas.
Back in her apartment, she took her time with her evening routine, indulging in the full skincare regimen she’d neglected during those dark weeks after discovering Callum’s secret study. The simple quiet of being truly alone–without tension vibrating through the walls–brought a forgotten sense of peace.
She collapsed onto her bed, staring up at the clean white ceiling of her new home. The space was small but charming, filled with thoughtful touches from Giovanna–fresh flowers on the nightstand, local coffee in the kitchen, a handwritten list of emergency contacts taped to the refrigerator.
A profound sense of rightness settled in her chest, so different from the hollow ache that had become her constant
companion.
Closing her eyes, Cassie wondered when Callum would discover her absence. Not that it mattered anymore. When he opened her gift box and found the divorce papers, would he feel shock? Anger? Or merely relief that the façade could finally end?
With her gone, nothing stood between him and Laurina anymore. She’d seen the unresolved feelings still lingering in her aunt’s eyes during those final days. Now that Callum had literally given Laurina a piece of himself, how could she not be moved by such a grand gesture?
Perhaps by now, Callum had already gotten everything he ever wanted. Perhaps they were finally together.
The thought brought no pain, only a peculiar sense of closure as sleep claimed her–dreamless and deep until morning light filtered through unfamiliar curtains, marking the first day of her new life.
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