One Italian Summer

After waking up early, Katy drinks tea on her balcony as she watches the sun rise. She thinks of young Carol and believes that she has entered a “magic reality” that has allowed them to be together again. As she gets ready for the day, Katy finds the itinerary that her mother made before she died, and Katy decides to follow this morning’s agenda of going on a hike “up to the path of the gods” (82). Carol told her how she would hike up the steps during her previous trips to the city.

On her way up the stairs, she thinks about the timelessness of Italy and how the Path of the Gods got its name from the story about how the gods saved Ulysses from the Sirens. Carol appears, having caught up to Katy after she saw her pass by her apartment window. They discuss their interests in design and photography; Carol tells Katy about the proposal on which she is working for the Sirenuse Hotel, which is the most luxurious hotel in the city.

Katy realizes that she is watching her mother work toward her dream of being an interior designer. She thinks about her mother’s philosophy that someone’s home must reflect their personality.