The Richness of Love

"His breath in the hollow of my neck, the scent of his vanilla perfume brushing against my nose. His skin against mine, so many memories etched in my mind that I can’t seem to forget…" First day of vacation. I had just spent three entire years completely focused on my studies, and I had managed to reach every goal I had set for myself. I was accepted into one of the most prestigious and expensive law universities in Italy. Thanks to my relentless work, I earned a scholarship. And so today, as a reward, here I am, sitting alone in business class, heading to Greece for the holidays. My mother had secretly saved up for a whole year to pay for this trip. I will never be able to thank her enough. After my cowardly father left us, it was just the two of us, facing one of the hardest financial periods of our lives. Some days, neither of us had anything to eat. The fridge was completely empty. I threw myself into my studies while my mother juggled multiple jobs, trying to pay rent and cover the debts that pathetic man had left behind when he ran off to play out a romance with his secretary. A cliché story. The plane takes off. The seat beside me was empty, and I had just quietly thanked God for that when a man came and sat down next to me. He greeted me, and I replied without looking at him. On his wrist, I noticed an outrageously expensive watch. definitely not someone in my league. His arm’s skin looked light and soft, so I figured he must be young. I looked up at him and was caught off guard. Muscular, tall, with blue eyes and straight, caramel-brown hair. He wasn’t just handsome, he was stunning. He seemed around my age, maybe in his twenties. A single lock of hair fell across his face, while the rest of his sleek hair was swept back. He looked back at me as I stared at him, nearly with my mouth open. He smiled, held out his hand. “Nice to meet you. I'm Giulio,” he said. “I’m Bianca,” I murmured shyly. After that meeting, we were inseparable during the whole vacation. He told me he was single, and that he had also come to Greece to decompress after a tough school year. We didn’t share many details about ourselves and it didn’t matter. We still laughed. Kissed. Held each other under the sun, by the sea. Danced in the moonlight. We became a “couple” for the summer, promising never to see each other again after we left. Promising not to look for one another once we parted ways. So, on our last day together, I lay in his arms on my bed, wrapped in nothing but a simple white silk sheet, pressed up against him. He whispered how much he would miss me, that he wished he had met me under different circumstances. His warm words on my skin gave me goosebumps. I leaned closer to him, slowly, as the night’s melody cradled us, his words echoing in me. “I’m going to miss you,” he said, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear. “We said this was only for the summer. No feelings.” “I know… but I can’t stop thinking about what it’ll be like not to see you again.” I sat up and looked at him. I thought he was making fun of me, that he didn't mean a word he said. And yet, from the look in his eyes, I knew he truly meant every single word. He sat up too, and in his eyes, I saw a spark. The beginning of something real. The beginning of love. I get out of bed and so does he. He grabs me by the wrist, pulls me toward him, and places his hand on my cheek. The hand I was using to hold the sheet around my body slips away. His cool touch sends a shiver through me “I know, Bianca, but...” I didn’t let him finish. I asked him to leave my room. I didn’t want to see him anymore. I was leaving the next day. I had spent an incredible summer by his side—I wasn’t about to let emotions ruin all the memories we had built. I couldn’t afford to fall in love. I’m not like him. He’s not like me. He doesn’t know me. And I don’t know him either. We made a pact. And that pact was clear: no feelings. I closed the door behind him and went to shower. I packed my things. Redid my suitcase. I wouldn’t see him again. And maybe… we’d part ways without saying goodbye. I lay in bed, replaying all the moments we had shared. All the looks he had given me. All the love we had for each other. He was the man I wish I could have had. The husband I dream of in my sleep. But he was only a dream. A dream that became real for two months and nothing more. The next morning, my alarm rang. It was time. The moment had come to leave this island where I had lived so many beautiful days and nights. I had met amazing people and had so much fun. But now it was time to turn the page and focus on my studies, on this new life full of promise. I am my mother’s lifeline. I can't afford to fail her, like my father did. “We can’t fall for each other, Giulio. You know that.” I put on a long summer dress, pretty sandals, and wrapped my shoulders in the shawl Giulio had bought me from a small local shop. I looked at myself one last time in the mirror. I had never looked so beautiful. My tan made my long black hair stand out, my thick black lashes made my blue eyes pop, and my pink lips, thanks to the sea water, looked like they were perfectly made up—even though I wore no makeup at all. I gave the room a final look, the room that had held so many beautiful memories, then went down to the reception, turned in my room key… And there he was. Sitting with his head in his hands. He saw me, stood up, and walked toward me. Still just as handsome. Still as effortlessly elegant, in a simple black t-shirt and shorts that highlighted his golden tan. “Giulio, what are you doing here?” “I wanted to take you to the airport myself. I couldn’t let us part like that,” he said, sadness in his eyes. “No, Giulio. It’s better if we say goodbye here. Right now.” “You don’t understand, Bianca. I still smell your scent in my head. I hear your voice when I’m alone. And your laugh—I can’t stop picturing you laughing. I think I love you. You can’t just disappear like this. We can’t be strangers in a world where we found each other,” he shouted, his voice cracking, drawing attention from those around. “I’m sorry, Giulio. I can’t. We’re too different, you and me. You don’t know me. And I don’t know you. We can’t build anything real.” I looked at him one last time, then walked away. My heart breaking. Because I would miss him too. I had grown attached—to his scent, to him, to his laughter. But I couldn’t go on. I made my way to the airport, boarded the plane—the same one that had brought me here. I glanced at the seat beside me, secretly hoping Giulio would appear, like he had on that very first day. My heart ached as I replayed the last words we exchanged. A single tear slipped down my cheek. And the plane took off. But what I didn’t know then… was that this story was only just beginning. And that a simple summer could change my life forever.