The girl imitates her mother’s steps, and she’s so comical, some of the onlookers can’t help applauding, and nor can I. Then I grab Isabelle by the waist and start dancing with her, and she stops laughing and looks at me. She looks at me as if she wants to tell me how much she loves me. But I know that, just as I know that I’d like to bring into the world a child with her eyes, that all the richness of this life could be encompassed in a dance like this, that my hands are shaking, that Giulia is pulling my coat, that everyone is watching us, and that I love my wife more than ever.
I know it, just as I know that time devours everything, but not these memories, not this love, not the moments that last for ever.
Acknowledgements
So here I am, thanking those who made this “new” adventure possible (I say “new”, even though I started writing this story nearly ten years ago), those who held my hand on this treacherous path.
I will start with my nearest and dearest: parents, siblings, friends and relatives. Those who love me are sure to know who I mean. Thank you to all those who racked their brains along with me to come up with a title. To the colleagues who inspired me, my schools and teachers. Next, thank you to Raffaele, Carol, Antonella and the team at Newton who continue to support me. A special thank you to Paolo Taggi, for all his invaluable advice, and to the Coccaglioni family, who ten years ago allowed me to start to dream.
A thank you from the bottom of my heart to a great man who flew up to heaven too early: Oscar, an angel and a true friend.
And a small thank you to Massimo, who told me one evening about a belly button and the fear of getting lost.