Chapter 5
The First Morning in Nonna's Kitchen
The narrator and Giovanni wake in the old house. They make a simple breakfast from garden produce, then read more letters from Marco. They discover a hidden compartment in the kitchen wall containing a tin of dried myrtle and a note. Giovanni realizes this is the key ingredient for the lost dish, and they decide to cook it that evening.
I woke to the sound of birds, a chorus of small voices rising from the garden. The light through the window was pale and golden, the kind of morning that promises warmth without urgency. For a moment I forgot where I was—then the scent of old wood and dried lavender brought me back.
The house was still. I wrapped a shawl around my shoulders and padded into the kitchen. Giovanni was already there, standing by the hearth with his back to me, a cup of coffee in his hand. The notebook lay open on the table, and beside it, one of the letters.
"You're up early," I said.
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