Under The Tartosan Sun, Part Two

Chapter Four:

Danielle woke to find Londyn’s side of the bed empty. It wasn’t uncommon but it was always a little disappointing. She felt silly, but she loved it so much when the first sight was Londyn. She had been planning to sleep in, maybe she had after all. She rolled over to see the clock, and heard music coming from the kitchen. She rolled out of bed, dressed, and headed downstairs. 

Londyn was already dressed and seated on one of the barstools, her laptop open in front of her. “Morning babe.” Danielle said, leaning in to kiss her cheek before taking the stool beside hers. Londyn had her browser open to the local animal shelter. “What’s this?” she wondered out loud.

Londyn was slowly perusing the profiles. “I was thinking, since we’re not ready to have kids, let’s adopt a pet?" Danielle got up to start the coffee maker. "It’s a wonderful way to work through these maternal feelings. And we can give one of these cuties a home.”

“I love it" Danielle said. "Let’s do it!” The aroma of fresh coffee and biscotti quickly filled the cozy kitchen. Perfect accompaniments for their conversation. With cup in hand, Danielle settled in again. “Let’s have a look.”

Together they went through the profiles. There were so many little ones, all of them looking adorable, and looking for their forever homes. They discussed whether they should adopt a cat or a small dog. In the end, they decided to just wait and see when they got there. 

After breakfast they set off to add another member to the household. The shelter wasn’t far away, just off the piazza that fronted Tartosa bay. The weather was lovely. Pleasantly warm in the sunlight, the slightest chill where the shade prevailed, and a gentle breeze off the sea, perfect for a walk around the edge of the bay into town. It all made for a wonderful backdrop that lifted their mood even more.

When they arrived the staff were taking the little ones out for fresh air and to stretch their little legs. One dog in particular caught their eye right away, an adorable little Frenchie. The little bulldog had spotted them too. Her handler quickly picked up on the connection that was forming and let her go greet them.

The little one came up to Londyn, a bouncing bundle of energy. “Oh aren’t you a cutie pie!” Londyn leaned down to introduce herself, a connection clearly made. “What’s their name?”, she asked the handler. 

“Her name is Zoey. She is just the sweetest thing. Everyone here adores her. Her family had to move, and they couldn’t take her with them. She really misses them. I know it wasn’t easy for them to say goodbye to her either.”

It was Danielle’s turn to be mobbed. “Aww, that’s so sad” she said as Zoey eagerly leapt into her arms. “Who’s a pretty girl?”

“She loves people. Her old family said she’s great with kids. She does have some mild separation anxiety. No surprise after what she's been through. She’s getting better. She just needs a home with people who will give her lots of love.”

They had barely been there ten minutes and had only met Zoey. But it all had that feeling like it was meant to be. The ladies shared a look, before turning back to the shelter worker. “We came here this morning looking to adopt. We’d love to take Zoey home with us” Danielle said.

“We can make that happen. It’s easy to see how much she loves you two. And I think you’ll be a perfect fit for her.” The ladies headed inside to handle the paperwork and make the adoption final. Just like that, their family had changed. On their way home they couldn’t resist stopping off at the piazza to get a picture to share with their friends.

“Hey all!!! Our family just got a bit bigger!!! Say hi to Zoey!!!" 

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Allegra was enjoying the unusually mild start to the day as she relaxed at her favorite café near the Windenburg waterfront. The morning air was still crisp, necessitating a sweater, but not the freezing temps that were the norm. For her, the day didn’t begin until she’d had her cappuccino. The Hare and Hedgehog was an important part of her daily ritual. It had taken her a bit of time to find it after moving to Windenburg, but it instantly won her heart. It was still one of the few places outside of Italy where she could find what she considered a proper cappuccino.

As she sipped her drink, she daydreamed. How wonderful it would be if Venessa was sitting here with her, sharing the view, close enough to touch. A day like this was made to share with someone you love. Those thoughts helped take her mind off her audition. It had been a week and she still hadn't heard anything.

Thoughts of Venessa put a smile on her face. She cleared her table and set off towards the city center to run a few errands. She made it only as far as the fountains when her phone rang.

 She recognized where the call was coming from, Tartosa. She steadied herself before accepting the call. When she answered, the voice on the other end had the familiar accent of home. “Hello. My name is Antonio Costa. I’m looking for Signora Allegra Rossi.”

“Speaking.” She remembered the name. He was music director for the Tartosa Opera. There was a pause before Antonio spoke again. That brief silence made her uneasy.

“Signora Rossi, we were very impressed with your performance at the audition…” Her stomach clenched. Please let this be good news, she said to herself “…we are pleased to offer you a spot as a member of the chorus for the upcoming season.”

“The chorus?” she thought to herself. As the words sank in, her heart sank with them. With the Windenburg Opera, she was one of the lead performers. Not a star by any means, but she wasn’t just a face in the crowd. Her thoughts and emotions were a bubbling cauldron,

Eventually Antonio’s voice popped the bubble. “Signora, are you still there?”

“Yes.” She tried hard to keep her disappointment out of her voice. “Sorry, just thinking. How soon do you need an answer?”

“By the end of the week." He sounded surprised that Allegra hadn’t said yes immediately. "The season starts in a month and we need to have everyone in place soon to begin preparations.”  “I understand your feelings”, his tone became patronizing , “it’s not quite the offer you were expecting perhaps, but...”

“I will have an answer for you by then.” She knew how the sentence ended. She’d been here before. She stopped him before he could say, ‘It’s the best we can do’ or, even worse, ‘it’s the best offer you’re going to get’. “Grazie” she added, somehow managing to keep her voice courteous, but let a little abruptness slip in.

She didn’t know whether to scream, cry or both. It was the way he talked to her that hurt the worst. Like she should be happy with any offer he gave her. She was a grown woman and this was far from the first time she’d been treated like that. Some days, it stung more than others.

Here was her chance to go home and sing, but she would have to take a big step backward in her career. Or she could stay here, continue to climb the ladder, but all the while feeling homesick for Tartosa. She enjoyed Windenburg. It was a thoroughly lovely city. The people were friendly and welcoming, even though they were more reserved and less gregarious than she was used to. There was no shortage of things to see and do here too. But it never felt like home, and she was almost certain it never would. It wasn’t a knock against Windenburg, it was just the way things were.

She didn’t have much time, just four days, but she needed to sit down and talk to those closest to her. Over the phone didn’t feel right, face-to-face would be better. A flight to Tartosa took less than two hours. Her errands could wait. She rushed back to her lakefront rental, hurriedly packed a bag, and booked a seat on the next flight to Tartosa. As she headed out the door to catch her plane, she texted Matteo and asked him to set her a place for dinner. She had clearly taken him by surprise. "Don't worry, 'Teo. I'm...fine. I'll explain when I get there. Give Liberty my love. Bye."

As much as she wanted to talk to her brother, it was Liberty she really wanted to talk to. Liberty would understand better than Matteo what she was going through. She also worked out by the time they finished eating Venessa would be home from her film shoot. Allegra longed to hear Venessa’s voice right then. Almost as much as she longed to wrap her arms around her and kiss her.