Chapter 1
Happy — that’s what she looked like. February 1987
Happily engaged to the kind of man every woman dreams of. About to get married. The pride and joy of her family — the “successful daughter” the big smile in every success-story video, family picture, financially stable, still living peacefully with her mother, stepdad, and two sisters.
You believed that, didn’t you?
Don’t worry — you’re not the only one. Most people did. That was the picture she painted… or maybe not her. Maybe it was her strength — her insane ability to absorb everyone’s chaos, carry their pain, and still manage to smile through it like she wasn’t quietly crumbling.
But enough of the drama. This isn’t a sad story.
Actually, it’s—
Well. We’ll figure that part out together.
Her name’s Josy. She’s got these wide, dreamy, brownish eyes, that signature Italian black hair, and a smile that could convince you she’s either falling in love with you or planning something insane.
And that… is where the real story starts.
Some stories are better told from the beginning, but Josy’s? We’ll start in the middle. Don’t ask why. Just follow.
She was sixteen, madly in love with him — in love with his mysterious eyes and the smooth rhythm of his voice. Everything about him made her tremble: the way he walked, slow and full of confidence, the scent he wore, some mix of cologne, Marlboro, and, sometimes, wine.
A smell she wouldn’t understand until years later.
Her innocence, quiet confidence, and magical sense of humor all pulled him in, but note this, it pulled him from distance as they never talked . And his wisdom, his sudden appearance in her life — it made the world feel lighter, more colorful.
One Tuesday morning, during a school vacation in 2002, she opened her bedroom window and saw him: a 30-year-old man in a black hat, pink cheeks, standing outside. Their eyes met. Just for a second. But to Josy, it felt like the world stopped.
In that brief moment, little Josy wasn’t alone anymore. She felt warm, terrified, mesmerized.
It was the most overwhelming thirty seconds of her very young life.
the story started since that day, the window glances became silent ‘‘accidental’’ meeting in the neighborhood, became silent long distance dates where they both sat in their rooms and looked at each other, doing nothing just looking and smiling not a word said, conversation transformed to light signals, door closing sounds meant ‘‘i am home’ and making loud noises meant ‘‘i am waiting where are you’,.
Josy was daddy’s little girl, his favorite little girl, and speaking to this older neighbor guy was a betrayal in her mind. so the silent love kept quiet inside of her, and built up so deep inside to the point that everything she did at home was with him , TV ? he watched with her, food they shared through windows, they got worried when one of them is late, it was one of the weirdest bonds i have ever seen Josy’s live threw. and then it happened after three years, the plot-twisting thing happened… But before, let me tell you about Eliot , the name Josy chose for him.
He was a simple man when you observe him, living with his two sisters, Mom and dad elderlies, spent some time abroad studying, organized man, works, plays football , has a dog pet, strong man very quiet, had long black hair, very white teeth and a very shy smile.
Josy watched him, and Eliot watched her, they slept looking at each other, rainy ?, Hot ? warm ? the windows were opened and they exchanged those looks.
He was Josy’s little secret, Despite the age differences, the warnings, the impossibility of it all — Josy knew him. In a way no one else did, you may wonder how? even Josy didn’t know how…
We mentioned Josy’s mother, didn’t we? Helen, Oh Helen words won’t be enough to describe her, or shall i say I can’t find the words to describe her, not because she is magnificent, but she is so messed up you can’t find what’s wrong her. She was a mother a caring loving mother for Josy’s older sister, Emily, the only thing Josy’s told me about her was that she wasn’t what everyone taught she really is….
What was Helen to Josy? maybe even Josy doesn’t have the answer to that….
And also the answer was too hard for Josy to say out loud, and let’s keep it like that for how Josy felt about her.
