chapter 76

{"messages":[{"id":917664652,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"that’s just strange ...."},{"id":917664653,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"As I said, we’re not close ..."},{"id":917664654,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( She turned to look at him, her eyes were huge in her pale face )"},{"id":917664655,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"I haven’t seen them since I graduated from college, and that was five years ago ..."},{"id":917664656,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Don’t you want to see them? ..."},{"id":917664657,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Yes ..."},{"id":917664658,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( Her voice broke. She swallowed hard )"},{"id":917664659,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"But there are reasons we don’t get together, and I have to respect those reasons ..."},{"id":917664660,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( She grabbed her long hair in her hand to keep it from blowing in her face )"},{"id":917664661,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"I’m not saying it’s easy, because it’s not. I wanted to go home and see them after Katie’s death ..."},{"id":917664662,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"I wanted to be with the people who loved Katie as much as I did ..."},{"id":917664663,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"but I couldn’t go, and I grieved on my own, and it was horrible ..."},{"id":917664664,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( She blinked back tears )"},{"id":917664665,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"But then I changed jobs and moved to Istanbul and that helped ..."},{"id":917664666,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Helped distract me from always thinking about losing Katie ..."},{"id":917664667,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( glanced at her again, his sunglasses hiding his eyes )"},{"id":917664668,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"Yet from the set of his mouth she knew he was thinking over every word she’d said ..."},{"id":917664669,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"And She had said a lot, too ...."},{"id":917664670,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Can we talk about something else? ..."},{"id":917664671,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Talking about my family just makes me miss Katie even more ..."},{"id":917664672,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Sure ..."},{"id":917664673,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"They drove along the lower slopes of Mount Etna ..."},{"id":917664674,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"Then They stopped at Roman ruins an hour and a half outside Paterno ...."},{"id":917664675,"character_id":0,"type":3,"position":0,"image_path":"contribute/fiction/3285001/chatstory/50638/1640150483162.jpg","image_width":291,"image_height":264},{"id":917664676,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"And Vittorio held her hand as they walked down stone stairs ..."},{"id":917664677,"character_id":0,"type":3,"position":0,"image_path":"contribute/fiction/3285001/chatstory/50638/1640150485067.jpg","image_width":280,"image_height":472},{"id":917664678,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Can you imagine attending a play or a concert here? ..."},{"id":917664679,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Now and then concerts are still performed here ..."},{"id":917664680,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"It doesn’t happen often anymore-the last time was ten years ago-but it’s a magical thing to have the theatre come alive ..."},{"id":917664681,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"with all the performers lit by moonlight and candlelight ..."},{"id":917664682,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"Jillian sat down on a stone bench that was still largely intact ..."},{"id":917664683,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"We’re in a field with a secret Roman amphitheater that’s just an hour from your home ..."},{"id":917664684,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"I’m jealous ..."},{"id":917664685,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"It is beautiful. And the amazing thing is, we have ruins like this all over Sicily ..."},{"id":917664686,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Every couple of miles you’ll find the tumbled stones of a Doric temple, Byzantine church, Norman castle, Greek and Roman amphitheaters ..."},{"id":917664687,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Our cities are filled with ancient gates and bridges ..."},{"id":917664688,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"We have two thousand years of history on this island, and it’s all created the strong, modern Sicilian character ..."},{"id":917664689,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"You’re proud to be Sicilian ..."},{"id":917664690,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( nodded )"},{"id":917664691,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Very proud ..."},{"id":917664692,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( Then he extending a hand to her )"},{"id":917664693,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"Shall we go so I can show you more? ..."},{"id":917664694,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"yes ..."},{"id":917664695,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( took his hand smiling at him )"},{"id":917664696,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"He showed her a lot of places , Then they enjoying a simple meal in the restaurant ..."},{"id":917664697,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"After that Vittorio entered into a boutique and bought a silk scarf and pair of sunglasses ..."},{"id":917664698,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"For your hair ..."},{"id":917664699,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( tying the scarf around her hair to under her chin )"},{"id":917664700,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"And your eyes ..."},{"id":917664701,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( slipping the sunglasses onto her nose )"},{"id":917664702,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( Touched by his actions )"},{"id":917664703,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"( She rose on tiptoe and kissed him )"},{"id":917671609,"character_id":0,"type":3,"position":0,"image_path":"contribute/fiction/3285001/chatstory/50638/1640150741578.jpg","image_width":128,"image_height":200},{"id":917664704,"character_id":18825844,"type":2,"position":2,"content":"Thank you ...."},{"id":917664705,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( gazed down at her for a long moment )"},{"id":917664706,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( a small muscle pulling in his jaw )"},{"id":917664707,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"My pleasure ..."},{"id":917664708,"character_id":18825845,"type":2,"position":1,"content":"( warm smile )"},{"id":917664709,"character_id":0,"type":1,"position":0,"content":"To Be Continued ..."}]}