Everyone at the table stared at her, and Jess felt her cheeks burn. “I mean, I love my mom and dad.” She glanced at Celeste, only now realizing that she’d been speaking with her mouth full. “But most people I know, they’re in a relationship because they can’t stand being alone. It’s a form of co-dependency. I want to be an individual, not half of some compromise.”
In past relationships, Jess had tried to be the doting girlfriend, had tried to put on the mantle of the wife role. But she couldn’t stand waiting on someone else, waiting for them to come home. She had no idea how someone could love a person like that. How someone could love her like that.
“I have to disagree,” Giovanni countered gently. “I don’t think a person can become a true individual being alone. We only become unique and authentic by entering a community of two, by sharing our lives. Community, family, that is what is important.”
“If family is so important, why were you off trekking Antarctica while your dad was sick?” Jess shot back before she could stop herself. She didn’t like the feeling of being lectured.
“Jessica!” her mother exclaimed.
It took Jess a moment to regain her temper. “I didn’t mean—”
“No, no, it’s a fair question.” Giovanni took a deep breath. “Family is everything, but sometimes, family can be… complicated.”
“I’m sure there was nothing you could have done.” Jess tried to backtrack.
Giovanni forced a smile. “But, what a terrible host I am. Let’s change topics. Your father?” He looked at Celeste. “Is there a Mr. Tosetti?”
“Tosetti was my maiden name,” Celeste replied. “We’re separated.”
“But not divorced,” Jess added, looking at her mother and raising her eyebrows. “He’s an astronomer, works at Harvard.”
“An astronomer?” Giovanni’s eyes lit up. He looked at Jess. “Then there is something very special I would like to show you. After dinner perhaps?”
Jess hadn’t meant to be so sharp-tongued. A bad habit, but mentioning her father’s profession had a calming effect. “Yes, I’d like that.”
The rest of dinner went smoothly. Giovanni was the perfect host, and the food and wine were spectacular. Afterward, Nico offered to take Celeste for a walk through the gardens, while a nanny ushered Hector off to bed just before the final round of grappa was served. Which left Giovanni and Jess alone.
“It’s amazing.”
Jess stood on a stepladder, admiring the mirror of a large reflecting telescope in the castle’s observatory. It was similar in design to the one her father had taught her to use, back at their cottage in the Catskills. Jess had seen the dome-shaped roof on one of the castle turrets, but she hadn’t thought anything of it. Giovanni had just clicked on a set of motors that winched back the covering, revealing a beautiful Tuscan night sky; a carpet of stars thrown across the inky blackness above.
“It’s, what, a meter across?”
“One point one,” Giovanni said. “My grandfather’s hobby, his passion, was astronomy. In the tradition of Galileo, yes? He lived not far from here.”
“Amazing, and it’s in such excellent condition.” She stepped down. “Can I give it a try?”
“Of course, be my guest,” Giovanni said, inviting her to the controls.
Jess did a quick calculation in her head. Early October. That meant Venus should be near Pisces. Looking up, she started by finding the Great Square, just like her father taught her as a child. There, in the south, four bright stars glittered. Three of them formed the edge of Pegasus, and she traced the outline in her mind. Just beside it was Pisces, and Venus should be just at its left tip at this time of year. Unscrewing the stops on the telescope’s gimbals, she swung it around, first eyeballing the approximate direction, and then looking into the viewfinder.
She found the tail of Pisces, and after slowly adjusting she found the bright yellow dot of Venus. Carefully, she focused. “Beautiful,” she whispered. Leaning away from the telescope, she turned to Giovanni.
“Yes, beautiful,” he said softly, but he was watching her, not the night sky. She felt him reach to hold her hand, and he leaned in to kiss her.
Jess recoiled. “Whoa, hold on. I said we could be friends.”
Giovanni let go of her, backed up two steps. His face fell. “Scusi, I didn’t mean to—”
“And, I told you to stop apologizing.”
They stared at each other. The stars glittered above.
She sighed. “If you’re going to do something, just do it.”
He stood back, the look on his face perplexed. A warm Tuscan breeze blew between them, and Jess felt the walls inside her crumble. Just a little. She took a step toward him.
The door to the observatory swung open and bright light spilled in from the stairwell. Enzo’s head appeared through the crack in the door, his brown pork-pie hat casting a saucer-like shadow across the stone floor. For a second, Jess could have sworn she saw a flash of something in his eyes.
Giovanni frowned at Enzo. “Che cos'è?”
“Many apologies.” Enzo grimaced. “But there’s a phone call for Ms. Jessica.”
“Who is it?” Jess asked.
“Te padre, your father.”
“My dad?”