Chapter 24

I could hear the sounds of laughter coming from inside the condo behind me, and I turned from where I sat alone on the porch to peer up through the window. I could see the boys in Ignazio's condo's living room, eating their cake and laughing as they talked and joked with Barbara and Michele. They had just finished the last concert of their tour, which to them called for a late-night celebration in the condos. Ignazio had insisted on making a cake, and they were singing and dancing and joking around as they shared it, still wearing their suits and ties from earlier in the evening.

I smiled when I saw Ignazio's bright smile as he hugged Barbara, and then I turned away and faced the night in front of me.

Apart from the commotion inside the condo, it was quiet outside on the porch, with only the occasional rustle of wildlife to disturb the peace. The porch light was dim, flickering occasionally and throwing me into darkness. I looked down at the box in my lap, reaching inside to place my hand on the cool cover of the magazine on top. I wrapped my fingers around it pulled out the several issues of National Geographic, setting the cardboard box down on the step in front of me and holding the magazines in my lap.

I opened the one on top and slowly flipped through it, admiring the pictures and thinking as I ran my thumb along the skylines, the waterlines, the horizons in the breathtaking photos. I imaged my own photos in the pages, and gently ran my fingers along the paper, hearing the soft sound it made.

My mom had collected the past few issues for me, since I couldn't have them sent to myself with our constant traveling. She had mailed them to Barbara's condo, and Barbara gave them to me in the midst of our end-of-tour celebration.

I sat alone, having stolen away from the party with the magazines, and sat admiring them in the dim lighting, thinking as I traced the settings with my fingers.

I smiled as I turned to pictures of New York in the wintertime, where I had taken pictures only weeks earlier. Mine were just as good as the ones in the magazine, and I suddenly felt excitement within me as I imagined my own photos in the pages, my own name in teeny print below them.

"Brilliant," I whispered into the darkness, quietly flipping the page. I thought about going to work for National Geographic as their photographer, my dream. But tonight, as the Il Volo boys celebrated just behind me, the dream seemed so strange and distant.

I hadn't gotten my hands on a new National Geographic issue since I started working with Il Volo, meaning these should be especially precious to me. But as I continued to flip through them, I felt a little somber, remembering my beginning days with Il Volo when I lived only to take my landscapes and thought of the boys as a distraction. I shook my head, looking up from the pages and into the darkness, quietly staring into the space in front of me.

After a moment of quiet, the door behind me jerked open and I jumped, turning and looking up into the bright light of the condo.

I raised my hand to shield my eyes, and watched as Ignazio stepped outside and shut the door more quietly behind him.

I turned forward again and he came to the steps and lowered himself down beside me, setting down his drink beside him. He looked down at the magazines in my lap and smiled at me.

"Your dream," he said, and I nodded.

"My mom sent them to Barbara. She just gave them to me."

Ignazio moved closer to me, and I adjusted the book so he could see the image it was open to, a stunning African sunset.

"Wow," he breathed, and I nodded.

"Watch," I said, flipping back a few pages and tilting the book to him. "I went to school with the girl who took these. Eve is her name."

I looked down somberly at the photos, and reached up to trace the outline of the people walking home from fields in the fading light of day.

"They're good," I said softly, and he watched my face, staying quiet. "Now I see why they wanted her."

I looked up at him and saw he was watching me intently.

"They wanted her when they came to Harrison. They chose her over me. I was so mad. That was the only job I wanted, and I didn't want anything else!"

"Then…why did you take this one?" he asked, and I looked away in embarrassment. "You can tell me."

"Because I had to," I said very softly. "I had already refused an assignment the year before because I was holding back to train for National Geographic, and I had to take a job."

He nodded, looking down at the magazine, and I reached out and touched his arm, making him look up at me.

"But I'm glad I took the job now, Ignazio! I really am!"

He smiled and nodded, leaning forward to kiss my cheek reassuringly.

"It's okay, Tamzin, I believe you."

I smiled, and then looked down at the magazine.

"When I went home for Christmas, I spent a lot of time at Harrison, and Mr. Masters told me he heard they need some new photographers, and that they would be coming back to the Academy this year."

"If they offer you a job in August, you'd go, wouldn't you?" he asked quietly, and I looked up at him for a moment, quietly sharing his gaze.

"I…that's such a long way away, Ignazio!" I said, shaking my head quickly. "I have other things to things to think about for now."

I reached out and playfully took his face in my hand, and he smiled and took my hand and kissed it.

"I can imagine your pictures in here," he said, reaching down to pick up the magazine and flip through the pages.

"Me too," I said, and he smiled.

"I think they'd be lucky to have you as their photographer," he said, looking up at me and smiling, his eyes sweet and gentle. "You always find the most beautiful places." I looked up into his eyes, and then reached out and took the magazine from him, flipping it shut and placing it on top of the others. I reached down for the box and opened the flaps, dropping the magazines in and then setting them down beside me on the porch.

"I'll look at them later," I said, turning to look back at him, and he smiled slightly, gazing at me. I looked out into the night, and then jumped up suddenly. "Ignazio, can we go for a walk? I have something to show you."

"What? Tamzin, it's past midnight!"

I gave him a look and pointed into the window of his condo at the revelry inside.

"Are you planning on sleeping through that?"

He laughed.

"Okay, you've got a point." He stood up, pulling down the vest of his suit and readjusting his bow-tie. "But we can't go far, alright?"

I nodded.

"Let me change my shoes," he said, looking down at his black dress-shoes.

I nodded again, and he went back into the house. I waited on the porch, pushing the box into a corner to get later.

After a moment he showed up wearing his suit with large blue tennis shoes. I laughed softly, looking him up and down.

"Funny match," I said, and he took a dramatic bow to make me laugh again. Then I took his arm and tugged gently.

"Come on, let's go!"

"Okay, okay, I'm coming."

I went quickly down the steps, and turned as I waited for him to follow. He came down and walked beside me as I led him away from the condo and down the secluded, empty street. I walked briskly, and he kept up with me as best as he could, our shoes flashing red and blue as we hurried forward.

"Where are we going?" he asked, and I shook my head, "You'll see."

I led him away off of the street and further and further away from the condo.

"You said it wasn't too far away," he said, and I nodded.

"It's not much farther. Hang on."

As we got closer, I got excited and started to jog, and Ignazio laughed and started also, keeping up with me as we ran over a long sandy expanse.

"Here," I said, coming to a patch of trees along the edge of the sand. I grabbed a branch and hoisted myself up into the tree.

"Be careful, Tamzin!" Ignazio said in surprise, looking up at me and reaching up quickly as if to catch me.

"Of course!" I said, pulling myself up higher, and then I turned and looked down. "Aren't you coming?"

He smiled and rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Of course, Tamzin. Yes, I will climb a tree with you at past midnight on a Friday, in my suit and tie and tennis shoes."

"Why, thank you," I said from high up in the tree, and when I peered back down he was climbing up after me. I stepped out onto a branch high up over the sand, and held onto the one above it as I inched along.

I sat down on the thick limb, looking out in front of me and waiting eagerly for Ignazio to come.

"Are you sure this is safe?" he asked, looking uneasily at the branch I was sitting on.

"Sure," I said, shrugging, and he rolled his eyes dramatically again, making me laugh.

"If you say so, Tamzin," he joked as he inched onto the branch beside me. He sat next to me, cautiously gripping the one above us with both hands.

"Look," I said, pointing, and he followed my hand and then fell silent, the look of wonder I loved appearing in his bright eyes.

"Isn't it brilliant?" I asked, turning and looking forward. Ahead of us was a long expanse of sand, with the ocean far away into the distance. Below us was a fence that I forced out of view by climbing, giving way to the stretch of rock piles in front of it that caught the water that flowed into the dip in the land and kept it there. Far into the distance were huge, rolling California hills, topped with tiny lit mansions and backed by even larger hills, black against the night sky.

"It's beautiful…" Ignazio breathed, and I laughed suddenly, making him smile.

"You should see it at sunrise," I said thoughtfully, stretching my arm out over it and pointing. "I especially love how the land dips down like that to hold that thin stretch of water, and the rocks nearby keep it all in. I love that they're all different shades of gray and brown, and they contrast the pink and orange of the sky in the early morning. And the little houses, no matter how hard they try, cannot dominate the huge black mountains rising up into the huge sky. And the people who come out onto the beach are still smaller from here than all the mountains, all the houses, and even all those rocks."

I turned to Ignazio, who was staring at me, a faint smile on his lips.

"That's beautiful, Tamzin. I can't believe how you just…find all this!"

"I guess you've got to know where to look," I said, shrugging, and he smiled and looked down.

"And be willing to climb trees."

I laughed, and nodded.

"And be willing to climb trees."

He was quiet, staring out at the scene before us.

"Thank you, Tamzin," he said after a moment, "You know, I always find that beauty is more precious when you share it with someone else."

I nodded, looking out at the hills in the distance.

"When I started working with you guys, I tried to keep all my landscapes to myself."

"I remember," he said softly, and I nodded.

"Even though sometimes I would hide them and try to keep them all for myself, I think now it's better to share them. They were always beauty meant to be shared."

"You want to share them like the photos in the magazines?"

I nodded.

"I want to share the beauty of things within the world."

He turned and smiled at me, and then leaned toward me to kiss my cheek, but I turned my head and kissed his lips.

He pulled back after a moment, smiling, and peered over the edge of the branch.

"Are you ready to go back, Tamzin?"

"Are you?"

"I'm ready to get down, but I don't want to go back yet."

"Okay."

He reached up for the overhead branch and worked his way back to the tree trunk, starting his descent. I followed him nimbly, and when he got to the ground he reached up and placed a hand on my back, as if uneasy I would fall.

I jumped down from the trunk onto the ground, and looked up at him, smiling, when he took my hand and raised it to his lips.

"We're out on the beach, my dear; we might as well walk along the sand."

I shrugged and nodded, and we started to walk slowly along, swinging our interlocked hands and looking out at the water in the distance.

"I have some good news for you," Ignazio said, smiling at me.

"Yeah?"

"For the next two weeks or so, we're going to be working on the beginnings of a new CD, going over the music, just getting a feel for the album, you know?"

I nodded.

"Michele says that means you can take a break and go home to Florida during that time."

"What!? No!" I looked up sharply at him, stunned, and he looked surprised at me, trying to read my expression.

"What's wrong!?"

"I just went home, Ignazio! I don't want to go back! I want to be here!"

I stepped forward and threw my arms around him suddenly, surprising him. He quickly wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tightly.

"What's wrong, my dear? I thought you'd be happy. You'll have some more time to get some good landscapes."

"No, Ignazio!" I said forcefully, holding him tightly, "I have enough time now! With you guys! There are others things for me to do now then try to get away from you guys all the time. I don't want to leave!"

I pulled back, shaking my head, my hands on his shoulders.

"It's okay!" he said, taking my face in his hands. "It's only if you want to. You don't have to go."

"I don't want to go! I have things to do here! I'm a part of your team!"

"You're right, Tamzin, it's okay! You don't have to go!"

I sighed, and then nodded.

"Okay."

He kissed me, and then pulled me into a hug.

"I'm glad, Tamzin. I didn't want you to go either. I'd miss you again!"

I pulled back, resting my hands on his chest, and he kissed me for a long moment.

"Christmas break was boring," I admitted as we started walking again and he put his arm gently around my waist. "My life now is you guys! There's not much for me to do on my own other than the landscapes, and I'd rather do that while traveling with you. Plus, I have a new project."

My project of getting them their award required several sub-projects, and I had already dreamed up the first one. He smiled eagerly.

"Oh? Do tell."

"Not yet," I said firmly, shaking my head, and he smiled playfully and then dropped to his knee in the sand, pouting dramatically as he begged for hints.

"Not yet, Ignazio! Soon, I promise!"

I laughed and shook my head, and he laughed with me and got up when I tugged on him.

"You'll find out soon enough," I reassured him, "I just need to talk to Michele."

We walked along the beach, holding hands, and I smiled when he started to sing, "Beautiful Day! Don't let it get away! Beautiful Da-ay!"

I smiled and looked up at him, "Technically, it has gotten away. It's about one A.M., so it's Sunday now."

He laughed and shook his head, and then stopped walking and looked around.

"Are you checking to see if anyone is watching us at one A.M.?" I asked, and he smiled and pulled me close, enveloping me in himself. His arms went around my back, and I rested my hands on his chest.

"I wanted to do this before we got back to the condo," he said, and then leaned forward and kissed me, tenderly and lingeringly, and I closed my eyes and pressed my palms against his vest. He kept kissing me, and I felt warm inside as he held me tightly to him and kissed me in the early morning. I reached up my hands through his silky hair as I kissed him back, and he sighed softly as I ran my hands over his shoulders and back down to his chest.

Then he pulled back and smiled at me, and closed his eyes again when I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned forward to keep kissing him.

After a few more moments I pulled back and smiled at him eagerly, and he released me, but kept an arm around my waist, keeping me against his side as we turned and started walking back to the condos.

He stated to sing again, and I closed my eyes and let him guide me as I listened blindly to his handsome voice echoing into the dark night sky.

"Questo amore splendido…Questo immenso senso di felicita…Lo devo solo a te…"