Okay, the time has come, and yes, I’m struggling: I am unable to express the depth of our relationship in words but, let’s try!

For the more perceptive among you—yes, ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about him: Francesco, or “Cata” to his friends.

I’ll introduce you to him and to us little by little, because otherwise, my articles would be way too long and sweet for anyone.

Let’s start from the beginning: we met because I crashed a dinner at his place, specifically a birthday dinner for one of his roommates, Lorenzo.
The evening went smoothly, without too much flirting. But, after endless conversations, I found out that he was immediately impressed by a detail… my famous backside (it may seem typical for men but it is the truth).

From the very start, he was super sweet to me: the following Sunday, we went out for sushi, and like a true gentleman, he offered me the last portion of dumplings.

A few days later, we started exchanging messages and taps on Instagram, which eventually shifted to WhatsApp.
Our chats weren’t particularly intense; I’d describe them as more subtle and intriguing.
That’s exactly what drew me in (and made me panic a little, eheh).

We kept getting to know each other. At the time, I was living in Tuscany, and he was in Milan. We’d talk on the phone, text, but it never felt like enough—especially for Francesco.
So, he decided to come to Florence for the day (every time I think about it, my heart melts: he left Milan at 5:30 a.m. and caught the train back at 2 a.m.), on May 11, 2019.

We spent a rather peculiar day together: we got to know each other better, got tipsy, and shared our first kiss—all of this while sitting next to Renato Zero.
By the time we said goodbye, I felt like I had just spent a pure, genuine, carefree day with someone confident and kind to me.

We went back to our routines, then saw each other again in June, both busy with exams, and later in July in Tuscany for a few days by the sea. After that, Francesco left for the Camino de Santiago, from mid-July to the first week of August, and we planned to meet again shortly after in Salento, his homeland.

That was the plan, but things don’t always go as we imagine.

I knew the Camino would be a deeply introspective journey, but I didn’t expect to face someone so shaken by the experience. During that time, our paths diverged, without any apparent reason.
He went through this journey alone, while I spent an endless month traveling around Italy.

By September, this cloud of doubt was still hovering over my head, and it was getting too heavy. So, I asked to meet Cata.
We met for a walk in Porta Venezia Park and ended things with a “let’s keep seeing each other, but nothing serious—it’s not the right time.”

From that day on, we started spending a lot of time together. It didn’t feel like a simple friendship with a side of romance. We talked a lot, and we still do, which is one of the things I love most about us.

I’ll just say this: we spent New Year’s Eve together, and I met his entire family. It was definitely more than just friendship.
From November 14, 2019, we decided to be together—no fuss. We did the math and realized the timing was right. We figured it out by mid-December.

That’s all for now! If I’ve piqued your curiosity, you’ll have to wait for the next chapter. But this time, I promise I’ll be quicker!