The little italian hotel, p.26
The Little Italian Hotel, page 26
Ginny ran her fingers down her neck. “You were Miss Peach?” she repeated numbly.
“I really am sorry.”
“Why that name?”
“It was Daisy’s favorite fruit.”
At the time of the call, Ginny remembered jumping to defend her marriage. If Edna hadn’t called her show, Ginny might not have become aware of Adrian’s misdemeanors. She wouldn’t have traveled to Italy, to meet the four strangers who’d become friends.
She couldn’t help feeling a touch of her customary empathy toward the older woman sat hunched in front of her, especially when she spotted they were both wearing the friendship bracelets Loretta had made for them.
In many ways, Edna had changed Ginny’s life for the better. “You were right, my life wasn’t perfect,” she told Edna. “No one’s is. Everyone has problems that can shape or break us. It’s weird, but I’m glad you made that call. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here, and you wouldn’t be here either.” She ducked to seek out Edna’s eyes. “Or does that make me sound like an advice expert?”
“It makes you sound like a perceptive young woman, and I hope you’ll be happy, whichever path you choose in life.” Edna reached out and patted the back of Ginny’s hand. “And I’m going to aim for the same thing, too.”
When the screens showed that Edna’s plane was ready for boarding, Ginny walked with her toward the departure gate.
“Sadly, this is where we say goodbye,” Edna said.
Ginny could swear she saw the old woman’s chin trembling and it made her own bottom lip wobble, too. “I prefer the Italian word arrivederci,” she said.
Edna nodded and wiped a tear from her eye. “Arrivederci and grazie, Ginny. I’m truly grateful for everything.”
Ginny planted a kiss on her cheek. “Have a safe journey home and keep in touch. Using your own name this time,” she added with a smile, and the two women waved until they were out of sight.
36
Cymbal
Ginny
Ten months later
Ginny found that wearing jeans and a sweater to work was more comfortable than her skirt suit. She’d retired her leopard print heels, thinking that callers wouldn’t mind what she was wearing, so long as she could help them out. Things were much quieter and less fraught without Tam around trying to shake things up.
She wrapped Heather’s new scarf around her neck and tied it in a loose knot. The early morning April sky was still gray, though sunshine was trying to break through the clouds.
A couple of emails had arrived for her over the weekend and Ginny read them while making herself a coffee. One was from a lady who needed time to herself after caring for an injured relative for months. The other was from a young woman who’d been devastated to discover her fiancé had been cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend.
Ginny replied to both women, suggesting a solution that might help with their heartache.
When the first phone call of the day came through, she sat down at the dining table to answer it. “Hello, this is Ginny Splinter speaking. Sì, questo è Splendido, l’hotel per cuori infranti.” She hoped her attempt at Italian was correct. “Yes, this is Splendido, the hotel for broken hearts.”
She listened sympathetically to the caller’s story, about how the man had lost his aunt and grandmother in the same month. Ginny made caring noises until he’d finished talking.
“I think I need help,” the man said with a sigh.
“That’s what we’re here for. Thanks for reaching out to us.” Ginny picked up a pen. “At Splendido we understand there’s no set way to deal with heartbreak. We’re here to listen, to look after you and give you the space to feel better. You can spend time alone or be with others who are looking for support, too. There’s some beautiful walking trails and we offer access to luxury spa facilities and workshops at a local castle. If you prefer to get out and about, we can take you to Venice and Florence.”
She now knew that heartache could be loud or quiet. Sometimes it needed to make itself known to the world, and other varieties needed space and time to settle down on their own. Heartbreak took many shapes and Ginny would never be an expert, but she could try to listen and help out if she could.
* * *
Following her holiday with strangers in Vigornuovo, Ginny returned to the UK with the intention of working on her relationship with Adrian, starting with becoming friends again. The shift in their marriage had been seismic, like how a small earth tremor can damage the sturdiest structure. Any rebuilding would take much care and time.
Things between them were stilted and rocky at first, but they were both determined to devote time to each other. Adrian cut back on his hours at The Vehicle Emporium. He made dinner, sparked conversation and paid Ginny lots of compliments. He moved in to their spare bedroom to give her space and time to trust him again.
Ginny listened to Kizzi Matthews on Talk Heart FM and heard how the young woman brought a fresh perspective to problem-solving. She was blunt and funny, urging callers to think of their own solutions rather than doling out advice to them.
Ginny decided it was time to graciously move on and had handed in her notice. She took up a part-time job writing an advice column for a local magazine and even tried out some of Kizzi’s methods. She tried not to solve Adrian’s life any longer.
Sitting at home, around their dinner table in the evening, Ginny and Adrian pored over old photographs, reminiscing on shared memories. In one shot, there was a smudge of icing sugar on her nose as Adrian fed wedding cake to her, and in another, they grinned proudly as they held baby Phoebe.
Despite these warm moments captured in time, Ginny had to remind herself that no one ever took and kept photos of the bad times.
As the months progressed, Ginny found some of her old feelings for Adrian filtering back. Her hurt and anger subsided so things began to feel more normal again.
Except normal didn’t make Ginny’s heart sing or fill the hole in her life that she felt was still there.
The old Ginny would usually get on with things and put others first, perhaps buying a new dress or shoes for herself. But the different life she’d tasted for herself had left her wanting more. Old layers were still peeling away to reveal a fresh new woman underneath, one she was still getting to know. How could she tell that person to be quiet and shut her away, to become the former Ginny again? She’d spent half a century being a daughter, a wife and a mother. Entering into the second half of her life, Ginny wanted to explore being herself.
She explained to Adrian how she felt and through many conversations together, about both of their worries and hopes, they grew closer to each other than they had in years, but not yet in a romantic sense.
Their love and respect for each other had been further enhanced by the arrival of Phoebe’s daughter, Erin.
As soon as Ginny saw her tiny fingers and pink face, her heart melted. Her granddaughter was utterly perfect, though as she held her in her arms, a doubt niggled in the back of her mind.
Should I rely on the arrival of this tiny new person to fulfil me?
It was a question that wouldn’t go away and she shared this thought with her husband. After his own episode of uncharacteristic behavior, Adrian claimed that he understood.
So, when Ginny received an email from Nico, inviting her back to Vigornuovo one day, she felt comfortable telling her husband about it. Apparently, the little Italian hotel was going through a transformative phase. Nico was enjoying welcoming guests again, though he was struggling with his workload, now that Loretta had returned to school. She was currently revising for her final exams and would head off to university, in Milan, in the late summer.
Upon receiving Nico’s email, Ginny revisited the hotel website. Nico had rewritten Romeo’s copy.
The Hotel Splendido offers you simple delights in a picturesque location not too far away from Venice and Florence. What makes it different are the special ingredients to help heal a broken heart—time, love, relaxation and the good food. You’re not alone. Welcome, friend.
The descriptions and photographs brought back memories for Ginny, like the scent of bougainvillea and freshly cooked tomatoes. She remembered dancing like no one else was watching, admiring art, sailing the canals of Venice, padding quietly into a tiny chapel on a hill, releasing her emotions to the sound of gongs, the ache of her calves as she climbed a hill and laughter around Nico’s dining table. She was reminded of how she’d rediscovered a part of herself that made her feel oh-so-alive.
A thought lodged in Ginny’s mind that she couldn’t shake. What if she returned to Vigornuovo to assist Nico at the hotel?
The idea sprouted and soon grew into a burning desire. Thinking about it excited her and, during the long nights she spent helping Phoebe to settle Erin to sleep, it grew, taking shape until she eventually felt compelled to share it with Adrian.
“I feel torn,” Ginny told him. “I know my place should be here with you and our family, but I feel the strongest pull back to Italy. I’m thinking about going back there, to work at Splendido for a while...”
Adrian’s mouth slackened. “So, you want to give up your new job and work as a receptionist or a housekeeper in Italy, at a hotel you stayed at for three weeks last summer, leaving your husband, daughter and baby granddaughter behind?”
Ginny paused and took only a moment to think. “Yes,” she said.
That one word had an impact like the crash of a cymbal. Adrian looked like he’d taken a surprise stumble and was trying to right himself. “I thought we were working on things between us,” he spluttered. “They’re going well.”
“We are...and they are. But I’m not sure if I’m really happy, or if you are either.”
He frowned, as if happiness was a far-off destination he didn’t have a ticket for. “We’re getting along fine, just like we used to. We’ve got a grandchild and we still love each other. You hated it when your dad used to leave you and your mum behind.”
“That was different, I was only a child,” Ginny said. “He didn’t listen to Mum’s needs and their partnership wasn’t equal. I’ve spent my entire life listening to others and trying to help them, and now I’m asking you to listen and to help me.”
She reached out and stroked the face she’d loved for more than three decades, wanting to be truthful, even if it hurt him. Hurt them both. Her throat constricted as she spoke. “I’m not sure what’s missing from my life, but I think going to Italy might help me find it.”
“But—” Adrian started.
“We’re still working on rebuilding our relationship and I’m not sure what shape it will take. Does being married mean living together all day, every day?” She shrugged. “Shouldn’t we support and encourage each other to spread our wings? We both love Phoebe, but she’s left home and has her own life, has created her own family. Italy is only two and a half hours away, the same as if you or I took up a job in London. It’s easy to keep in touch. It’s not like my father who constantly flitted in and out of my life. It’d be nice to travel and to see new things on my own terms, for once.”
Her words hung in the air like dust particles during spring cleaning.
Adrian dipped his chin and thought for some time. “I know what I want and it’s you. I’m willing to try anything to keep us together, but I want you to be certain, too. If you’re not sure about us, and you want to return to Italy, then of course you should go. I’ll be waiting for you when you get home. I never want to walk away from you again.”
“Adrian—” Ginny started, unsure where her sentence was going. This is what she’d always wanted to hear, what she’d wanted to feel. “I need time to find myself again... I don’t know how long it will take.”
“You’re not asking me to do this, I’m offering,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I’ll wait for you.”
Relief washed over her. This wasn’t about wanting to be with another man, or meeting other people or escaping her life. It was a need to learn more about herself again, what she was good at, what she liked and what she wanted to do for the next part of her life. Could she be happy on her own, or did she need the security and stability of family around her? The only way to find out was to throw off her comfort blanket and embrace the unknown. If she didn’t, she’d always wonder what might have been. “Thank you,” she said, kissing Adrian on the cheek.
Ginny sat down with Phoebe to explain her decision. She promised to come home on a regular basis.
“I kind of get it,” Phoebe said, stroking Erin’s wispy hair and holding her close. “I’m a mum now and will never be just me again. If you go, we’ll come to visit you. I just hope you and Dad work things out.” She held up her crossed fingers.
Adrian drove Ginny to the airport where they held each other tightly and said their goodbyes. She leaned her head against his shoulder and he circled his arms around her back. “Love you,” he said.
She breathed in the scent of his skin and relished the prickle of his cheek against hers. She knew she’d miss him a great deal. “Love you, too,” she said, and this time the words felt right.
37
Hearts
Ginny and Nico
Ginny had spent her first week in Italy on her own, staying in a remote Tuscan farmhouse. She’d walked all day and tried to make soup that was as good as Nico’s in the evening, never quite managing it.
She’d moved on to the beach resort of Lido di Jesolo, where she’d mingled with holidaymakers in the boutiques, bars and on the miles of golden beach. As she’d watched all the couples and families, the singles and the children, Ginny sometimes worried if she was doing the right thing. Yet, surely it was better to lay herself open to the world, to feel the discomfort of the new, rather than the numbness of the known. In Loretta’s words, she would not know what was right or wrong for her until she tried it.
She’d next traveled to Vigornuovo, where she’d now been working at Splendido for one month, staying in a tiny room that was once used for storage because all the guest rooms were fully booked.
Ginny was trying to learn Italian by listening to the radio, especially any advice shows. Nico talked patiently to her in the language while they made pasta together for his hotel guests. She appreciated his kindness and friendship.
The renewed interest from holidaymakers in Splendido had come courtesy of Curtis. After leaving Italy, he’d updated his blog with details about his health struggles. His last piece said...
CURTIS’S BRAIN BLOG
Man Alive.
I’m not a sophisticated man, never been particularly talented at anything except making my own luck in the world. I’ve spent the last few months enduring hospital visits, scans and treatment and my luck’s finally running out.
If you get sad reading this—don’t. Because I’m not. And I’ve got four strangers to thank for it.
This summer, I spent three weeks at the Hotel Splendido, in Vigornuovo, Bologna. It wasn’t that long, and everyone feels better after a holiday, right? Except it helped me put things into perspective. I learned life isn’t just about me and it came as a big surprise. Playing bingo, eating olives at midnight, picnics, sightseeing, drinking nonalcoholic cocktails (yes, really), the sea lapping my ankles and even listening to weird gong music—the little things meant a lot. Splendido was a haven for broken hearts and I had a great time.
Now I’m keeping busy, decorating my apartment and staying grateful. (Copper and dark wood look great together—try it!) I wish I could go back to Italy but the demon in my head is calling the shots.
You only get one life. So, my advice is laugh often, try something new, talk to people. Why not?
That’s all for now.
Cheers,
Curtis x
The piece was illustrated with photos of him with Edna, Eric, Heather, Ginny, Nico and Loretta, playing bingo, nightclubbing, listening to gongs and touring Venice, accompanied by a video of him throwing rocks into the sea.
A passage had been added, posthumously.
We’re heartbroken to share that Curtis Dunne passed away in November. He was comfortable and listening to music. He lived his final weeks with his usual humor and zest for life, and he’ll be sorely missed. As per his request, any proceeds from the sale of his business will be donated to cancer charities.
A few weeks after his death, Curtis’s story and generous donation had featured in a local newspaper and had been adopted by the national press.
His description of Splendido as a haven for broken hearts had sparked interest and Nico started to receive calls and emails from people who wanted to stay at his hotel. His business began to flourish and his dining table became filled with tears and laughter again.
Splendido no longer had a fusty air and was brimming with positivity and life. Nico had consigned the photographs of his relatives to a small area in the dining room, freeing up space in the hallway. He’d framed Edna’s fabric blocks, the lid of Eric’s tin, The Power of Two book and Heather’s tarot cards, adding small handwritten notes to tell their stories. He’d added a Polaroid, taken on Heather’s camera, of them all together in Venice.
The “strangers” had all remained in touch with Nico and each other, sending items to Splendido that Nico also added to his display.
A photograph of Eric showed him with Biscotti at his feet, proudly displaying wooden board games he’d started to make, inspired by Italian marquetry. Nico had helped with Biscotti’s adoption in the UK, and man and dog looked happy together.
