She slammed the door behind and ran, climbed up the seventy-two stairs, opened the balcony door and closed her eyes.
Deep breath in – hold.
Deep breath out.
In. Out.
She opened her eyes again just on time to spot the ferry that took him away.
His last words were still echoing inside her head:
“Who knows whether we will meet again? Let destiny decide! Let it surprise us!”
“See you soon, stranger!”, she whispered.
“Did you talk to me, Miss?” the room service lady asked.
“Ehm.. no.. I mean, yes, yes I did! I have five hours left before my flight, what would you recommend visiting in the old town over there?”
She noticed the sun beautifully shining on the honey-coloured limestone houses, as if it was summer in the middle of winter, after a night of pouring heavy rain.
* Mynd taken at Valetta, Malta, December 2015”