Chapter 54. Becoming Parents

Back in the city, every sound seemed amplified to an almost jarring degree. The rumble of cars idling at intersections, the mechanical whir of elevators echoing through glass-and-steel shafts, and the shorthand chatter of baristas and customers in cafés all felt louder, faster, more abrasive. After the profound hush of rolling Tuscan hills—where the only audible pulse had been cicadas and wind through olive branches—this relentless urban chorus hit them like a pool too heavily chlorinated: familiar yet stinging at the eyes and throat.

They slid into their apartment as if it were a half-remembered dream. Light filtered through gauzy curtains, painting the nursery walls in buttery ripples. The crib sat waiting, a pale wooden promise. On the dresser, a small drawer overflowed with baby socks—tiny stripes and polka dots in pastel hues. Alyssa hadn’t dared touch them since Max first showed her the sonogram photo. Now, with hesitancy and something like hope, she eased open the drawe