An Italian Dream

6

STELLA

The villa was everything Stella had hoped for and more. A sense of peace washed over her as she explored the ground floor with Fern, discovering the fresh, airy rooms. Doors and windows were flung open, letting sunshine and the breeze drift in. The white walls and high ceilings added to the peace, while green and blue dominated outside. The sound of Chloe and Amber’s laughter drifted from upstairs; there was a giddiness to it that made them seem much younger than they actually were.

Stella’s room was the smallest, but it was still a decent size. She’d chosen it because it was tucked out of the way on the ground floor, just a short stroll from the pool. It was called The Blue Room and was ocean-themed, cool and soothing, with blue and white floor tiles in a repeating pattern that added colour and interest.

Stella spied Fern exploring outside. She’d changed into a long white summery skirt. It swished against her legs as she walked past the open doors of Stella’s room. Stella noticed the contentment on Fern’s face before she disappeared. She loved how the villa and grounds were sprawling with lots of hidden areas, an easy place to get lost in or to find a bit of peace and quiet. She knew it was just what she needed to get her head straight about everything, and she wanted Fern to be happy, really happy for once.

Stella stood on the threshold of the terrace and relished the warmth of the sunlight caressing her bare arms. She sighed. There was so much that she needed to talk to Fern about, but that could all wait. For now, they simply needed to enjoy the island.

This is the life, she thought.

* * *

Stella joined Fern on the pool terrace and they sat in companionable silence, soaking up the view. Violetta brought out a tray with glasses and a jug of cloudy lemonade and set it on the large table.

‘Would you like dinner served out here later?’ she asked.

‘Yes, that would be perfect, thank you,’ Stella said.

Violetta nodded and returned to the villa with the empty tray.

Fern raised an eyebrow. ‘Don’t tell me there’s a chef too?’

‘Violetta’s making pizza.’ Stella grinned. ‘She’s our fairy godmother for the next two weeks. I thought it would be far more relaxing eating here this evening. There’s plenty of time for exploring and dining out.’

Stella poured the lemonade and handed Fern a glass.

‘We’re so going to get spoilt here.’

‘That’s the idea,’ Stella said. With each sip of the zesty and refreshing drink, she felt her troubles fade away. The gentle caress of the breeze and the late-afternoon sun helped too, if only for a short while. It was always when she was alone at night that her head would fill with shame and guilt. Secrets would twist and turn inside, worries would attack and she’d often struggle to sleep.

Fern looked thoughtful too; Stella wondered what she was thinking about. She tried to shift her own thoughts to something more positive. She was proud of the life she’d created for herself as a single working mum. Her semi-detached house was her haven, but it was nothing compared to this. The worry that had ebbed away returned, making her start, but for a different reason this time. She gripped her glass tighter. The reality was: this could be her life; a place like this could be her reality. Winning the Lottery had given her the possibility of freedom but also a load more worry to heap on top of the worries she already held.

Amber and Chloe’s laughter reached them before they appeared along the path beneath the trees, stirring Stella from her thoughts. They’d changed into their swim things and she had a brief stab of envy at their youthful energy. Not that I’m old, she told herself, but donning a bikini without the fear of revealing stretch marks had got harder over the years. She knew Fern would roll her eyes and say that she had nothing to worry about. Stella looked after herself, but there was always an annoying thought that she wasn’t slim or young enough any longer. Not that she’d ever had any complaints about her body, and if she had, she’d have told the bloke in no uncertain terms where to go.

Stella noticed Fern’s eyes trailing over the girls too. She wondered if she was feeling the same. She was aware that Fern’s confidence had nosedived over the years. In their teens, Fern had had an ease with her body and sexuality that Stella had tried to emulate, but growing up fast had put an end to her friend’s exploits.

She sighed as the girls joined them, all slender fake-tanned limbs and new bikinis on beneath their sheer and floaty beach cover-ups.

‘Chloe’s been admiring the view,’ Amber said with a gleam in her eye. She dumped her towel on the table and flopped into the chair opposite.

‘I have not!’ Chloe whacked Amber’s arm.

‘If you say so.’ Amber turned to Stella. ‘The gardener’s a young, hot, dark-haired Italian.’

‘There’s a gardener?’ Fern asked.

‘Uh-huh.’ Amber nodded. ‘He only needs to be topless to be a walking cliché.’

‘Oh God, that’s all we need, you two getting lovestruck – just leave him be, yeah?’ Stella shook her head as Amber and Chloe peeled off their cover-ups and padded over to the pool. She leaned closer to Fern and lowered her voice, ‘Sounds like I might want to keep him all to myself.’

Fern shook her head. ‘The hormones are raging and I’m not just talking about the girls – feels like I’m with three giddy teenagers, rather than grown women.’

‘To be fair, Chloe is still a teenager.’

‘Yeah, but at her age, I’d given birth to twins. Hard to believe when you realise how young I actually was when you see how young Chloe, Amber and Ruby seem to us now.’