“I laugh like there’s nobody around because I know, sooner or later, there will come a time that I would start laughing with nobody around me.”

“OH! MY! GOD! I can’t believe this!”

Yuri cheered and started jumping with delight as they stepped foot on the arriving halls of the grand Florence Airport, Peretola.

She got so drawn away in her attention that she left without even collecting her luggage from the revolving belt. Tiffany shook her head in disbelief and called out to her angrily, but the other girl was already so far away, misled by such a distance by her covets that she was beyond audial range. Soon, she completely melted into the crowd and totally disappeared from sight, leaving Jessica and Tiffany grumbling their heads out.

The airport services were efficient, no doubt, but it still took quite a while before their luggages finally arrived. The revolving belt jerked rudely to a start and began to make its way along the anxious crowd as a conveyance of precious cargo. Jessica’s blue-and-dark-pink backpack arrived first and stood out like a sunflower in the snow. With glee, she reached out and grabbed it, putting it next to her. She backed from the suffocating horde of humans and stepped away from the retrieval. Tiffany was still mashed in the throng, jerking her head out to scout for her yet-to-arrive bag, as well as Yuri’s. Tiffany struggled to maintain her balance in the pandemonium. She felt so bulky and heavy with her thick jackets and scarfs wrapping her body warm, making it essentially difficult for her to manoeuvre especially when space became something to die for.

Granted their belongings minutes later, the two girls stepped forth towards the heart of the airport and finally walked out of the Arrivals. The airport wasn’t humongously colossal, but it certainly bore a very impressive look. Despite its modest dimension, the airport was certainly a multi-fold times more congested with scurrying humans; more than the two had ever seen in one place. People were squashed like a can of sardines, but the beauty of it all, was that no one was pushing each other, nor were there anyone rudely bulldozing themselves through the swarm. It was so very systemic and methodical. Each waited patiently for their turn and avoided bumping into one another, forming multiple compact but asymptote queues.

Past slithering their way through, they finally caught up with the third girl at the far end of the airport.

“Yuri!”

“Oh! Hey, Jessica,” Yuri answered, gazing out the gigantic looking glass into the land of romance.

“Take your damn bag. It’s so freaking heavy. What the hell did you even bring? A sack of rice?”

“What? I brought my stuff… my camera and stuff. Thanks for taking my bag!”

“Hey, Yuri,” Tiffany interrupted, “Can you tell me, what is the purpose of a winter getaway, when we are holidaying at a place which freaking snows?”

“It’s cheap! Any other time, nobody could afford this, not at our age. Besides, Florence looks even more beautiful when it snows,” Yuri touched the glass, her eyes glistened like a main girl character in an anime, “It’s so beautz.”

“I actually hoped for a sunny, warm Italy,” Tiffany murmured, “It feels even colder here.”

“Hey, come on! Don’t be a sour puss. It’s Italy, girl! It will be Italy no matter if it rain or shines, snows or drought, hurricanes or earthquakes!”

“What…? Do you even listen to yourself?”

“Alright, enough. Cut it out,” Jessica interrupted, gazing out the entrance and saw the blizzard outside. The snow wasn’t falling leisurely on the ground, it was being blown sideways and smashed onto the exteriors.

“It looks pretty cold out there, Yuri,” Jessica continued, “I hope you booked a warm hotel; a warm and nice hotel.”

A wide, satisfied grin melted onto Yuri’s face.

“Oh yes, I did. And you two are going to love it! Come on!” Yuri urged, squealing her voice and dashed out of the airport, “Let’s get a taxi! Come on, what’re you waiting for? Time and tide waits for no man! Hurry it, people!”

Jessica gave Tiffany the glance.

“Come on!” Yuri waved her arm high, “What’s keeping you?”

“The taxi stand is over there,” Tiffany pointed to the opposite end of where she was standing.

“…I knew that.”

“Okay… let’s move it,” Jessica urged, carrying her backpack along with her, jogging towards the taxi stand, “It’s getting a lot colder. We better get transport fast.”

The three girls stood in the shelter, awaiting their turn. The taxi stand was a cute little artistic orange hut, with soft cushions for seats. It wasn’t very large and could house five, maybe six passengers one go at most. There wasn’t any queue at all. They were the only ones waiting and had the cute little cabin to themselves.

Surprisingly, the cushions were warm and comfy despite the chill, as if it was methodically heated. Their bums were pampered. Now all they had to do was wait for a cab to arrive. As a few minutes past, a yellow taxi came into view, answering their prayers. Excited and anxious, they signalled and boarded, shoving everything into the trunk.

The trio collapsed onto the seat, sighing. Their coats felt ridiculously heavy and thick, seriously wearing them out moving about.

Yuri rode shotgun.

“Buon giorno, senorita. Dove vuoi andare?”

“Whut?”

“Dude! He’s asking where we are going,” Tiffany vindicated and smacked Yuri’s arm.

“Ah, you ladies don’t speak Italian, yes?” the taxi driver asked.

“Nope. We speak Englsi.”

Tiffany kicked Yuri’s chair from behind.

“Perdonate il mio stupido amico,” Tiffany explained, embarrassed, “Uh… Noi non siamo locale. Um… vacanza.”

“Wait, what did you just say, Tiffany? I heard stupido?”

“No- nothing, Yuri.”

“Ah, sì, sì. So, I assume this beautiful lady in front is the leader of the group?”

“Sì,” Yuri replied shamelessly.

“Ah yes, prestigious lady. Very prestigious.”

“Merci.”

“Yuri!” Jessica burst out laughing, “That’s French!”

Yuri blushed, and sank in her seat. She held her handbag up high and covered her face. Even the taxi driver laughed, but quickly patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“It’s fine, senorita. In everything, trying is key, yes? Around here, we say thank you as grazie. Graaazie.”

“Grazie?” Yuri squeaked, her face red as a tomato.

“Nice, nicely done. So, where be we headed, fine ladies?”

“Relais Santa Croce.”

“Very well, off we go then.”

He shifted the gear into Drive and the taxi began to move, soon assimilated into the traffic along the Viale L. Gori. It was a straight highway, and it was pretty vacant. There weren’t much traffic at this time. It was so peaceful and relaxing.

Jessica edged forward from her seat and patted Yuri.

“Hey. The Relais Santa Croce?” Jessica whispered to her, “That’s a five star hotel. Are you for real?”

Yuri flashed a smile.

“Yeah. My parents already paid for a suite. Since they are going through their ever-repeating stupid divorce drama, I might as well take advantage of it.”

“But Relais Santa Croce? A suite? That’s gonna cost a bomb. Are you sure this is right?”

“Jessica, please,” Yuri voice metamorphosed into a serious, dark tone, “Just enjoy the stay and drop this topic, okay? We’re here to have fun.”

The girl was slightly taken aback by her sudden grim expression and just nodded. She rested her back on the seat and looked out the window.

So this was Italy.

She had heard so many beautiful tales about this place, and now, she was finally here. She couldn’t really see much through the snow, but she heard from the flight attendant that the snow would subside when night falls, and then, the beauty of the city of romance will flourish. She looked forward to the idyllic strolls she would take on breath-taking snowy white evenings. She could only imagine the sweeping views on the majestic landscapes, especially at night when all the stunning multi-coloured illuminations would be lighted up for all to gaze upon. She needed that; her heart needed that.

As they passed along the highway, Jessica could see many of the pedestrians were out in the snow; either couples walking while embracing each other’s arms warmly, or people just cycling about cheerfully. The cold did not stop them from having fun, or enjoying the time of their lives.

The further they got from the bravura of an airport, and deeper into the heart of Florence, the structures and infrastructures around them slowly shifted to the iconic Italian setting, albeit a dynamic and cosmopolitan metropolis. Off were the modernized behemoth of concrete buildings and skyscrapers, replaced by beautiful artistic edifices, erected since the medieval ages. Time had been well to them. Despite their age, the constructs bore their archaic with great pride; a pride greatly treasured.

Jessica sighed in satisfaction, smiling at the buildings she went past. Her eyes reflected the very cultural flowering of a cityscape that she, as well as the rest of the world, longed to behold before her eyes. It was a dream came true.

Jessica had envisioned that, one day someone special to her, would bring her here to have an unforgettable time together. She and that very special him, and here, she would give him a kiss; a kiss that neither of them would ever forget; a kiss to inscribe a signature into their lives, forever. Now, although it did turn out quite differently, Jessica was happy. Her two best friends were all she needed to face the world...

…and she would stand by them till the end of time.

###

“Grazie!” Yuri thanked the taxi driver, handing him his well-earned euros.

“You ladies take care now, yes? Remember to have fun, sinoritas!”

“We will! Thank you!”

With a tip of his hat, he made sure all the luggages were unloaded and he drove off.

“This is it!” Yuri gibbered excitedly, standing at the entrance of the hotel.

It boasted a very different feel compared to the traditional grandiose resplendent kind of hotels. No, the Relais Santa Croce radiated a more medieval luxury. A very different, but much welcomed, kind of grand. The Italian type of grand. The walls of the building were highly decorated with a very distinctive, matchless pattern. It was jaw dropping. It was indescribable. It was