Riccardo sits silently, his gaze fixed, watching the lake, or perhaps the mountains.

Teresa is by his side, as always. Most of the time, she stares at him with concern, but occasionally glances at the villa towering behind them.

She knows that place too well: as children, they played often in the garden. In the attic, on a stifling summer day, they shared their first kiss. In a few months, they will hold their wedding party there. Then they want to move away, travel, explore the world together.

Today, however, feels different: it has a haunting quality. The shadow of the building seems to reach toward, trying to grasp her.

«I know you’re shaken. Anyone would be. » She takes his hand, as she did during the funeral.

It takes him a moment to respond. «It’s not that. Today was exhausting, but I know it will pass, that I can think of him peacefully. It’s the rest that worries me: now it’s up to me to make the decisions, to take responsibility. I’m not ready. » He remains silent again.

Teresa feels a knot in her stomach: she knows by heart the letter from San Diego university that accepted her application for the PhD position she dreamed of. In California, too far from his family business, which employs more than a thousand people. From their small town, which feels now gossipy and provincial. The surfboard tied to the wall is a useless object. It reminds her of what could have been but won’t be.

The letter arrived only few days before the sudden death of Riccardo’s father, then everything vanished in the whirlwind of grief and family obligations.

Tears burns in her eyes, she’s about to scream: “What will become of me?”

But at that moment, a small child descends to the little beach. He is two or three years old, wearing a red t-shirt, walking unsteadily. He stops to throw a few stones into the water.

A woman’s voice calls him from a distance. The child runs away, leaving nothing of himself but a memory.

“He could be our son”, Teresa thinks.

In an instant, a great calm wash over her. She understands.

She smiles, then hugs Riccardo. She kisses him lightly, wants her words to be very clear.

«Don’t worry, you’ll make it. We’ll make it. »

Photo: Paloma Cabeza ©

PLOT OF “THE ITALIAN GARDEN”

Northern Italy is made up of its entrepreneurs, ambassadors of Made in Italy around the world: “The Italian Garden” tells the story of Riccardo Ferrari, a design furniture maker from Como, and his family. The garden around which the story revolves is the one of their historic villa, where Riccardo and his wife grew up together as children, but also the Ferrari dinasty, the company itself, and the people who work there.

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