Timeline

156 recovered entries so far, three separate voices. Each row opens the post in its home blog — there is no navigation between blogs except through this page and the site home.

Simona

First post

I'm starting this because I need somewhere to put all the things I can't say out loud. My name is Simona. I'm 29 years old. I live in Rome. I teach Pilates to people who mostly don't care about th…

Mario

First entry

Another day at the office. Lunch with Sonya, which was... complicated. She wants to know where this is going. I don't have an answer because I don't know where I want it to go. Away, preferably. T…

Flavio

Late night thoughts

Cannot sleep. Rome is too hot, my flat is like an oven, and my mind won't shut up. I have been thinking about New York again. About the year I spent there. About how beautiful everything seemed wh…

Mario

The Sonya problem

We had lunch yesterday. I think I already wrote about this but it bears repeating because I need to convince myself—and probably her—that something is wrong with her, not with me. She asked me dir…

Flavio

Mario and his games

I just got off the phone with Mario. He was at the gym watching Simona teach Pilates. He didn't say that directly, but I know him too well. I could hear it in the way he was talking. That casual to…

Mario

The invitation

Sonya wants us to have a serious conversation about "the future." That's how she phrased it. Like we're a company that needs a five-year plan instead of two people who stopped connecting somewhere…

Flavio

Mario and his games

I just got off the phone with Mario. He was at the gym watching Simona teach Pilates. He didn't say that directly, but I know him too well. I could hear it in the way he was talking. He's going to…

Simona

Coffee with Anneka

She wanted to meet at a café near Termini. Neutral ground, I suppose. Neither of us claiming territory. We sat for three hours. Three hours and we talked about everything—her work (something with…

Flavio

Mario and Sonya

He just called me. At one in the morning. Drunk. Or maybe just desperate. Sonya is gone. He said it like she was a possession he'd misplaced. "Sonya is gone, Flavio. She might be pregnant. What am…

Simona

Mario invited us

Anneka came by the gym this morning with a lunch invitation. From Mario. For both of us. On Sunday. She thought it was funny. She said, "I think he's trying to seduce both of us at the same time."…

Flavio

Insomnia again

Can't sleep. Keep thinking about tomorrow. About sitting across from Mario and Simona and Anneka and pretending I don't notice what's happening. The thing about being observant is that you see eve…

Simona

Girl at gym

There's a girl at the gym. Her name is Anneka. She's older than me, maybe 40, with grey in her hair and the kind of presence that makes you feel safe just being near her. She came to my class thre…

Simona

Before tomorrow

Anneka is asleep on my couch. We're supposed to get up early tomorrow for the lunch. Neither of us is looking forward to it, but we're going anyway. She showered at my place and borrowed one of my…

Flavio

Before lunch

I'm driving to the restaurant. Mario is in the car next to me at a red light. He's smoking and looking out the window like he's contemplating his entire life. Maybe he is. I keep thinking about B…

Mario

The plan

Sunday lunch. I've booked a restaurant near the Trevi Fountain. Somewhere touristy enough that it doesn't feel too intimate, but private enough that I can orchestrate what happens. Simona and Anne…

Simona

After lunch

Anneka and I are back at my place. She's in the kitchen making tea. I'm trying to process what just happened. Mario is different than I expected. Less threatening, somehow. More human. He was nerv…

Flavio

Observations

The lunch was exactly what I expected. Mario exposed himself. Simona rejected him. Anneka watched the whole thing like she was documenting a nature program. And I sat there and said nothing. Beca…

Mario

What is wrong with me?

Sonya told me she's pregnant. Or she might be. She's not sure yet. She hasn't taken the test because she's terrified. And the first thing I felt wasn't joy or fear or responsibility. It was annoya…

Mario

Day of

Today is the day. I can feel it. Something is about to change. The way the light is coming through my apartment. The way my chest feels tight. The way I keep checking my phone to make sure I haven'…

Simona

What happens now

Anneka and I went to the beach yesterday. Just for the day. We drove down to the coast and sat in the sand and didn't talk much. Sometimes you don't need to. She asked me if I was okay. If the lun…

Mario

She said no

Not in those words exactly. But the meaning was clear. She said I was interesting. That I seemed capable of real feeling, which surprised her. But that she wasn't interested in pursuing anything w…

Flavio

Mario called

He told me about Sonya. About the pregnancy. About the fact that he doesn't know what he wants. I told him to figure it out. That he owed it to her and the baby to at least try. But even as I was…

Mario

Call from Sonya

She called this morning. Early. Like she'd been waiting for the exact moment when I would be vulnerable enough to actually listen. She's pregnant. She took the test. Two pink lines. Definite. And…

Simona

Something strange

Mario came to my Pilates class today. Sat in the back and didn't participate. Afterward, he waited until all the other clients left. Then he asked if we could talk. I said yes, which surprised me…

Flavio

Ten days

Ten more days until I leave for New York. I've been thinking about what I'm going to tell Mario before I go. If I'm going to tell him anything. The truth is that I should probably tell him the tr…

Simona

Anneka asked

To move in with her. Not immediately. But eventually. When I'm ready. I said yes before I even finished thinking about it. We're going to look for a place together. Something in San Giovanni mayb…

Mario

Moving forward

Simona forgave me. Just like that. Walked away from years of justified anger and said, "Yes. I forgive you." It made me feel worse, not better. I called Sonya. Asked if we could meet. Asked if we…

Mario

Meeting Sonya

We're meeting at a café near the Colosseum in an hour. I don't know what I'm going to say. I don't know if there's any version of this conversation that doesn't end with her hating me. But I'm go…

Mario

Lazy days...

And I am worried about it. No sex, no dates, and I don't even want to see fuck buddies anymore. Nothing at all. I will stay in Rome this weekend. I refused Sonya's offer to go away with her. I don…

Flavio

Eight days

Eight more days. I can feel the countdown. The way time accelerates as you approach something. I wonder if this is what it feels like to be reborn. This anticipation mixed with terror. Probably…

Simona

Moving day (almost)

Anneka and I are looking at apartments today. Real apartments. With the intention of actually living in them together. This is real. This is happening. I'm nervous and excited and terrified all a…

Sonya

Sonya's diary (discovered)

Agosto I'm four months pregnant and I can barely breathe. Mario has been kind. He's been present. He's been trying. But it's not enough. Or I'm not enough. Or we're not enough together. I keep…

Mario

We talked

We had lunch yesterday. I think I already wrote about this but it bears repeating because I need to convince myself—and probably her—that I meant what I said. She asked me directly: "Are we doing…

Simona

Apartment hunt

Found it. A small place in San Giovanni. Two bedrooms, a little balcony, light that comes in from three sides. It's perfect. Anneka and I signed the papers today. She was crying. Happy tears. She…

Flavio

Five days

Five days until I leave. Mario asked me to come for dinner before I go. Just the two of us. He said he wanted to spend some time together before I'm gone. I said yes, which was a mistake. Because…

Flavio

Central Park window

I am not sleepy in New York and feel well and alive. Central Park is out of my window, and a beautiful big room is all for me! I wish Bonnie were here. Tomorrow morning, gym and breakfast and then…

Mario

That's hot!

What a hot day here in Rome! I went to run early in the morning in Villa Borghese, but even that early was too late. This is just a quick answer to the only "follower" I got on this blog. Thanks…

Flavio

I'm knackered...

Sometimes, memories are like dreams: better than reality. When I used to live in New York, everything seemed to be wonderful. I loved everything about it; the "city that never sleeps" was just rea…

Simona

Cannot sleep.

Insomnia again. The nightmares are back. I thought I had moved past this shit but apparently not.

Mario

Dinner with Flavio

We're having dinner tomorrow night. Just the two of us. I'm planning to cook, which is a mistake because I can't cook and it will probably be terrible. But I want him to know that I appreciate our…

Simona

Moving in

Anneka asked me if I wanted to move in with her. She said it casually, like it was no big deal. Like two adults choosing to live together is just a practical decision, not some massive emotional l…

Flavio

Last night

Dinner with Mario was... difficult. He cooked pasta, which was slightly burnt but edible. We drank too much wine. We talked about nothing important. At the end of the night, he hugged me and said…

Mario

Flavio is gone

He left early this morning. I went to the airport to see him off, though he said it wasn't necessary. At the gate, he turned back one more time. Just looked at me for a long moment without saying…

Mario

Escape to London

Short trip to clear my head. London rain, anonymous bars, nobody asking me to be anything I wasn't ready to be. I didn't write much while I was there. I just walked. Rome always pulls me back. It…

Simona

Moving boxes

The apartment is full of boxes. Everything I own is packed up or ready to be packed. It's strange how little space a life actually takes up when you're not accumulating things as a way to prove yo…

Mario

Becoming a father

Sonya's doctor said everything looks good. The baby is healthy. We heard the heartbeat today. It's real. Fully, irrevocably real. I held Sonya's hand while we listened to this tiny sound that is…

Flavio

Guilt

I keep thinking about the last time I talked to Sonya. She seemed fine. Normal. But maybe I wasn't paying attention. Actually, I was paying attention. I was paying attention to everything. I was d…

Mario

Empty apartment

The apartment feels different without Flavio dropping by. Without him sitting in the corner watching everyone else live their lives. I've been thinking about calling him. Asking how New York is. A…

Simona

A lovely weekend

Anneka surprised me with a trip to the coast. We drove down to Sabaudia this morning. To the same beach where I went with her friends weeks ago, when Mario was an active threat in my mind. The dif…

Simona

Got a flat!

I got a room in a flat with this gay guy in San Giovanni. I like the place, the building, the area, and the guy himself. Very sweet! I will move next weekend. All perfect: nice room, independent ba…

Simona

Healing

Is this what healing looks like? Waking up and feeling like maybe today won't be as hard as yesterday? Going to work and actually engaging with people instead of just performing presence? Coming…

Mario

Sonya is moving in

We decided this afternoon. She's going to start bringing her things over next week. It's happening faster than I expected. But Sonya says the apartment she's been renting is too expensive to keep…

Flavio

End of holiday

I am nearing the end of my holiday, and I loved it. I had a great time in NYC despite the heat and humidity, a great relaxing time on the coast of Massachusetts, and two great days in Boston. Let m…

Flavio

New York reality

I've been here for a week and I already miss Rome. Not the city itself. But the certainty of being able to see Mario whenever I want. The knowledge of where he is and what he's doing. Here, I'm t…

Simona

Moving day

We're moving today. Anneka is directing traffic like a general. Our friends are here helping. It's chaotic and happy and full of the kind of human connection I've been starving for. The new apart…

Mario

Sonya settling in

She's moving her boxes into the apartment today. Slowly transforming it from my place into our place. I found her in the bedroom this morning arranging the prenatal vitamins on the nightstand. She…

Simona

First morning

Woke up in our apartment. Our bed. With Anneka's arm across my waist. The sun is coming through the window and hitting the wall in a way that makes everything look golden. This is it. This is the…

Mario

September already

Where did August go? Sonya and I are settling into a rhythm. Mornings she's usually nauseous. I make her toast. We sit on the balcony in the early light and don't talk much. It's nice. Quiet. The…

Flavio

Three weeks in

I've been in New York for three weeks and I still don't know what I'm doing here. My ex offered me work. Said there's a consulting firm that would love to hire someone with my background. Said I c…

Simona

First day at the new gym

Started at the gym in San Giovanni today. It's smaller than Romano's place. More intimate. The clients are a mix of locals and people from surrounding neighborhoods. I taught an afternoon class a…

Mario

Four and a half months

Sonya is four and a half months pregnant now. I can see the bump when she's not hiding it under baggy clothes. It's real. She's real. This is happening whether I like it or not. I went to therapy…

Flavio

Drunk again

Had too much wine at a restaurant with my ex tonight. Told him about Mario. Not everything, but enough that I could see him starting to understand. "Oh," he said. "Oh, Flavio." I said, "Don't. D…

Simona

Two weeks

Two weeks in the new apartment. Two weeks in the new job. Two weeks of this new life. It's becoming real. Not the exciting, surreal newness of it anymore, but the solid, grounded reality of buildi…

Mario

September 8

Sonya felt the baby kick today. She grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach and waited. At first, nothing. And then this small flutter. Like a fish moving beneath the surface. I felt it. I…

Flavio

Should I stay or should I go

My ex asked today if I wanted to stay in New York. Said he could help me find a place. Said I could build a life here if I wanted. I said I didn't know. The truth is I don't know. And I'm tired o…

Simona

One month

Today marks one month since Anneka and I met. It feels like a lifetime. It also feels like yesterday. She made me breakfast in bed. We stayed there for hours, just talking about nothing and every…

Mario

Letter from Flavio

Got a postcard from Flavio today. It's from the Museum of Modern Art. Very him. He says New York is beautiful and he's thinking about staying longer than planned. Maybe the whole fall. He doesn't…

Simona

Regular life

Had a completely normal day today. Work was good. Came home. Made dinner with Anneka. Watched a movie. Went to bed. There's nothing remarkable about it. And that's the whole point. My life is re…

Flavio

Staying (September)

I've decided to stay in New York for September. Maybe longer. My ex helped me find a small apartment in the East Village. Nothing fancy, but it's mine. Or it will be, starting next month. I told…

Mario

Four and a half months

Sonya is about four and a half months along now. We're past the first trimester; the pregnancy feels real in a way it didn't before. She wants to start thinking about names. I'm not ready yet—but…

Simona

Three weeks in San Giovanni

The apartment is becoming more ours every day. Anneka hung photos on the walls yesterday. Pictures of us. Pictures of places we've been together. Photos that document the fact that we exist. I ke…

Flavio

Apartment found

Signed the lease today on a small place in the East Village. It's real. I'm staying in New York. Not temporarily. Actually staying. My ex helped me move some boxes in. He didn't ask questions abo…

Mario

Four months

Sonya is showing now. The pregnancy is obvious. She's beautiful in this state—this fullness. This evidence of creation. We had lunch with her parents yesterday. They were kind. Welcoming. They did…

Simona

One month

One month since we moved into our apartment. It's become home. Not because of the walls but because of who I share it with. Anneka made me breakfast in bed this morning. We stayed there for hours…

Flavio

First night alone

Slept in my new apartment last night. It's small and empty and exactly what I need right now. I stood at the window looking out at the city and thought about Rome. About Mario. About the person I…

Mario

Five months real

Sonya is five months pregnant now. We went to the doctor today. Heard the heartbeat again. She was crying the whole time. I was thinking about Simona. I know how that sounds. I know I'm supposed…

Mario

Flavio's staying

Got an email from Flavio today. He's found an apartment in New York. He's staying through the fall, maybe longer. He said Bonnie encouraged him to follow his heart and build something new. Which…

Simona

Simona's world

It's September. Three months since I met Anneka. Two months since we moved in together. I'm different now. Not healed. I don't think I'll ever be "healed." But functional. Present. Capable of actu…

Flavio

Missing Rome

I miss Rome. Not the city itself, particularly. But the certainty of it. The rhythm of my days. The proximity to Mario. Here in New York, I'm anonymous. No one knows me. No one is waiting for me.…

Mario

September ending

September is almost over. Sonya and I are settling into something that feels sustainable. Not perfect, but real. The baby is due in about two and a half months. We've started looking at birthing…

Simona

One month at new gym

It's been one month since I started teaching at the gym in San Giovanni. I have more clients now. People are asking for my classes specifically. I've become part of the community. This feels righ…

Flavio

September summary

September is ending. I've been in New York for exactly one month. I have an apartment. I'm building a routine. I'm seeing my ex and his friends regularly. And I'm still lying about Bonnie. Still…

Mario

October begins

October is here. The weather is starting to cool. Rome in autumn is beautiful. The tourists are thinning out. The city is returning to itself. Flavio isn't here to see it. But life goes on. Sony…

Simona

At peace

I feel at peace for the first time in years. Not constantly. There are still moments where the old fear creeps in. Moments where I feel small and broken and like I deserve to suffer. But those mo…

Simona

Something's shifting

Flavio came into the gym today. Mario's best friend. He introduced himself after class. Asked me to coffee. Something about him made me uncomfortable in a way I couldn't articulate. Not predatory,…

Flavio

Skype with Rome

Mario looked older on the screen. He asked about Bonnie; I lied smoothly. The lie tasted like metal. After we hung up I sat in the dark a long time.

Simona

Understanding

I know what's happening now. Mario is obsessed with me. But he's with Sonya. And Flavio is obsessed with Mario. And no one is actually capable of real love—we're all just circling each other like…

Simona

Notes from the gym

Teaching a 7 a.m. class. Bodies waking up slowly. Anneka left me a thermos of tea with a stupid drawing on the lid. I almost cried in the locker room. Happy tears. I'm not used to them.

Mario

Five and a half months

Sonya is five and a half months pregnant. I can feel the baby moving now when I put my hand on her stomach. The doctor said it's normal. I'm supposed to feel bonded or amazed or something. Instead…

Flavio

October thoughts

Fall in New York is different than fall in Rome. Here, the trees turn colors that seem almost violent in their intensity. The whole city shifts. Everything becomes urgent. In Rome, autumn is gent…

Flavio

Paperwork

Contracts, signatures, tax forms. The kind of adult life I used to outsource to assistants in another life. Being nobody here is exhausting. Also a relief.

Mario

Mid-October

Work, appointments, the usual noise. Sonya is fine; I'm fine; nobody believes either of us when we say it. I'm trying to stay in the room when she talks. Not planning my escape in my head. It's ha…

Simona

Anneka travels

She had a work trip to Milan for two nights. I missed her like a limb. Healthy attachment? Terrifying attachment? I don't care. I like missing her.

Mario

Nothing to report

Quiet weekend. I didn't write because I didn't want to turn every feeling into content. Sometimes silence is the only honest thing left.

Flavio

Running bridges

I run until my knees complain. The East River doesn't care about my feelings. I like that about it.

Simona

Therapy check-in

Dr. B. says I'm integrating anger without acting it out. I told her about the vendetta fantasy and she didn't flinch. Progress isn't linear. It's a bruise that slowly fades.

Mario

Rain

Rome is grey. Sonya wanted soup; I burned the first attempt and pretended the second was intentional. Small domestic failures feel safer than the big ones.

Mario

Six months soon

We're almost at six months. The baby is starting to look like a person on the ultrasounds. The doctor pointed out facial features. Sonya cried. I wondered if this was what I was supposed to feel.…

Flavio

Two months

I've been in New York for two months now. The apartment is starting to feel like home. I'm settling into a routine. Work has come through—my ex's firm is offering me a consulting position starting…

Simona

Strategic

Flavio asked me to have dinner with him and Mario. Said it would be good for all of us. Neutral ground. A chance to clear the air. I said yes. But not for the reasons he thinks. I'm going to orch…

Mario

Preparing

Sonya and I are taking classes. Childbirth preparation. Baby care. How to change diapers. How to swaddle. All the things that seem impossibly complicated right now but apparently become muscle memo…

Simona

Silent Strength

Realized something today during my morning meditation. The nightmares don't control me anymore. The trauma doesn't define me. I'm not a victim of what happened to me—I'm a survivor who's actively…

Flavio

Accepting the job

I've accepted the consulting position. I start in November. A real job. In a real city. That I've decided to stay in. This is commitment. This is what moving forward actually looks like. Except…

Mario

October ending

October is almost over. Six and a half months now. The baby will be here in about two and a half months. The countdown is real. The timeline is accelerating. I'm not going to lie—it's starting t…

Simona

Autumn ending

Halloween in Rome. Kids in costumes running through the streets. Anneka and I stayed home. Watched a movie. Held each other. No costumes. No masks. Just us being authentically ourselves. This is…

Simona

Small argument

We fought about laundry. Stupid. Then we laughed about fighting about laundry. I used to think love was intensity. Now I think it's repair.

Sonya

Sonya's diary — second

I'm seven months pregnant and I can barely breathe. Mario has been kind. He's been present. He's been trying. But it's not enough. Or I'm not enough. Or we're not enough together. I keep thinkin…

Mario

Six and a half months

Six and a half months now. Two and a half months until this becomes real in a way I can't pretend away anymore. I've been thinking about leaving. Not seriously. But the thought sits in my head lik…

Simona

Morning in November

Woke up this morning feeling hopeful. Anneka is still asleep. The sun is coming through the window. The apartment is quiet and warm. This is everything I wanted.

Flavio

Addio Sonya

Domenica mattina, Sonya si e' tolta la vita. I dettagli li tralascio. Che tristezza estrema. Scusate ma ancora non riesco a capacitarmi di cio'... Here it goes. I am so out that I wrote the whole…

Mario

Sonya

She took her own life this morning. The police came. There were questions. There was... nothing to say. She left no note. The doctor said it was likely a moment of despair. That seven months into…

Flavio

Sonya is dead

Mario called me at three in the morning. I thought something had happened to Sonya. Instead he told me she had taken her own life. I didn't know what to say. I don't know what to say now. Mario…

Mario

Blur

Days are running together. People send condolences like they're forwarding chain mail. I nod. I thank them. I go back to the apartment and stare at the ceiling. The baby kicks. Sonya doesn't.

Simona

Moving forward

Flavio asked if Mario and I wanted to move in with him. Said it would help Mario during this difficult time. Said that the three of us together might create some healing. I knew it wasn't about he…

Mario

Arrangements

Making funeral arrangements. This should be a nightmare but it's just become logistics. The future we were building stopped when she did. There is no child to plan for. Only this. I keep thinking…

Mario

The funeral

Went to Sonya's funeral today. She was so young. So full of potential. So undeserving of this ending. I felt like a ghost. Like I wasn't really there. Like this was something happening to someone…

Simona

The funeral

Went to Sonya's funeral today. She was so young. So full of potential. So undeserving of this ending. Mario looked like a ghost. Completely hollow. Completely gone. I felt sorry for him. Which s…

Simona

News from Rome

Luigi called. Everyone is shaken. Mario most of all. I feel strange—sad for Sonya, relieved it isn't me, ashamed of that relief. Human, I guess.

Simona

Seeing clearly

Living with them is a nightmare. Mario is obsessed with me but emotionally absent. Flavio is performing kindness while orchestrating destruction. And I'm in the middle, trying to maintain power in…

Mario

I need help

Flavio called and suggested I see someone. A therapist. He said I can't process this alone. He's right. But I don't know where to start. I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling without soundi…

Flavio

Deciding

I've decided to come back to Rome for Christmas. To finish what I started. Mario needs me. He doesn't know it yet, but he will. And when he does, I'm going to be there. And I'm going to destroy ev…

Mario

Between meetings

Lawyer. Hospital admin. Someone from Sonya's office who cried in my kitchen. I keep a list on my phone so I don't forget who I'm supposed to call back. The list grows faster than I can cross thing…

Mario

The truth about Bonnie

I need to write this down so that when I'm done, I'll understand what I've been doing. Bonnie doesn't exist. She never has. She's a fiction Flavio created to explain away the fact that he's in lov…

Flavio

The truth about Bonnie

I need to write this down so that when I'm done, I'll actually understand what I've been doing. Bonnie doesn't exist. She never has. She's been a fiction I created to explain away the fact that I'…

Simona

Peace practice

Anneka and I started meditating together every morning. Just fifteen minutes. Sitting together. Breathing together. Being present. It's changed something in me. Softened something. Made me realiz…

Flavio

Coming back

I've decided. I'm coming back to Rome for Christmas. Mario needs me. And even though it's complicated and painful and everything I'm trying to avoid, I can't say no to him. So I'll go back. I'll…

Mario

Flavio's coming

Flavio is coming back to Rome for Christmas. Just knowing that makes the weight slightly lighter. I won't have to do this alone. He's been my best friend for almost ten years. Through everything.…

Simona

November ending

November was brutal. But I'm ending it in peace. No vendetta. No plans for revenge. Just a quiet life with someone I love. That's enough. That's everything.

Flavio

Thirty days

Thirty days until I see Rome again. Thirty days until I see Mario. Thirty days until everything changes or nothing changes. Either way, I'm facing something.

Flavio

Bonnie update

Bonnie has decided to stay in New York for Christmas. She has work obligations that can't be rescheduled. Which is code for: Bonnie doesn't exist and never did, and I've finally decided to stop pr…

Mario

Almost Advent

The city is putting up lights. It looks indecent, all that cheer. Flavio texts me stupid memes sometimes. I answer with one word so he knows I'm still here.

Flavio

Thanksgiving alone

My ex invited me to dinner with his friends. I went. I smiled. I said I was grateful for Bonnie's understanding. Bonnie's understanding is a ghost eating my dinner.

Mario

One month

Another stretch of days gone. The due date we circled is still on the wall, getting closer, and there is no one to meet it with. I'm not becoming a father. I'm becoming a man who walks past an emp…

Flavio

Packing for Rome

Sweaters. Gifts I shouldn't buy. A bottle of whisky for Mario because that's what friends do. I'm not sure what I'm walking back into. I'm doing it anyway.

Simona

December light

Low sun on the buildings. Anneka bought oranges. We're reading on the sofa like an old couple. I don't take these days for granted anymore.

Mario

Christmas shopping

I bought things for a baby I haven't met. Neutral colours. Soft fabric. The cashier was kind. That almost undid me.

Flavio

Airport coffee

Bad espresso in Fiumicino still beats good coffee in the wrong country. That thought is dramatic. I'm leaving it.

Flavio

Back in Rome

I'm back in Rome. The city looks the same but feels different. Or maybe I'm different. Mario picked me up from the airport. He looked terrible—exhausted and thin and nothing like the confident ma…

Mario

Flavio is back

Having Flavio back makes everything feel slightly more manageable. He doesn't ask questions. He doesn't judge. He just shows up and exists in the same space as my grief. That's what I needed. Fl…

Simona

Christmas is coming

Three days until Christmas. Flavio has orchestrated a dinner. The three of us. And somehow, in the planning of it, I've realized something: I'm not orchestrating anything. I'm being orchestrated.…

Simona

Before the storm

Something about Mario's messages has changed. Needier. Flavio's too—performative calm. Anneka asked if I want to cancel the visit to their place. I said no. That might have been pride talking.

Mario

I hate Flavio

It's bloody impossible to live with him. Even worse, knowing that he is trying to get my girlfriend. His attentions to Simona drive me nuts! Sleeping in the same room is a true nightmare, and if I…

Flavio

Living together

After dinner last week, it was decided that we would move in together, the three of us, to my apartment. Simona, Mario, and I will stay for some time at my place so that Simona can decide who will…

Simona

The truth

I read Flavio's diary today. It was an accident at first. His notebook was open on the kitchen table and I was looking for the Christmas menu. But once I started reading, I couldn't stop. He's i…

Simona

From my diary

I'm writing this while I'm in the bathtub. The water is warm. My wrists are open. There's a strange peace in finally surrendering to what I've always known to be true: I don't deserve to live. No…

Simona

Goodbye

I can't do this anymore. The healing. The recovery. The belief that I could rebuild myself and become someone who matters. I was right about one thing: I survived what was supposed to destroy me.…

Mario

Eve of the eve

Flavio is here. Simona is here. The flat smells like someone else's cooking. I'm so tired I'm beyond fear. That's probably not a good sign.

Flavio

Christmas Eve morning

The three of us are a photograph nobody asked for. Simona hums. Mario pretends he's fine. I pretend I'm fine too. One of us has to be good at it.

Simona

Christmas night

Too much wine. Too much history in one room. Anneka texted from her parents' that she loves me. I held the phone like a lifeline. Tomorrow I'll pretend I don't know what I know.

Simona

Farewell...

Goodbye, everyone. I am returning to where I was meant to be for so long.

Mario

Found her

I found Simona this morning. I can't write more than that—not yet. The water was red. Her wrists were open. Flavio was somewhere in the apartment and I couldn't move. The rest is noise. Ambulance…

Flavio

The Mantis

I'm standing behind Mario while he reads Simona's final words. I can feel his devastation. His guilt. His belief that he caused this. He's wrong. But I'm not going to correct him. Instead, I'm g…

Flavio

After

The apartment is full of strangers in uniforms. Mario won't look at me. I should say something true. I can't.

Mario

From Simona's diary...

I found Simona in the bathtub this morning. Her wrists are open. The water is dark red. She's been gone for maybe an hour. Maybe more. I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. Flavio is som…

Simona

After Christmas

The sex happened. It was everything I planned and nothing like I expected. Flavio was triumphant. Mario was barely present. I was orchestrating something that I told myself was revenge but was rea…

Luigi P.

Closing Words

Dear Reader, I tip my hat to whatever god you believe in. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for following our three bloggers on their turbulent ride — your dedication to this tale does not g…