"Didn't you say you were planning to settle down in Clearmont Harbor after the union? Did your husband agree to a long-distance arrangement? Being apart after a blood-bound union can be really challenging. Are you sure you don't want to rethink this decision?"
I was wiping the scrapes on my bruised knees, each touch sending a sharp pang through me.
"The union is off. From now on, I'll be your right hand, fully devoted to the work."
Don Ferrante, who treats me like his own daughter, immediately sensed something was wrong. I could hear the faint sound of him removing his reading glasses, the soft drag of cloth against a lens.
"Today's the deadline. I'll put your name on the list. Come back to Palermo soon so we can get started. Keeping busy will help take your mind off things."
"Don't think I'm meddling, but over the past two years, it's always been you looking after Clearmont Harbor, while he's never bothered to come to Palermo. That's a clear sign he doesn't love you as much as you believed."
"Once you've made up your mind to move on, don't linger in the past."