Carla and Antonio

“The sound of the church bells fills the air. I hurry along the cobblestone street listening to each peal and loving it. I breathe deeply as I pass one of the many chocolate shops and am rewarded with an enticing whiff of chocolate… The narrow streets are filled with people; many are tourists just like me. But I don’t feel like a tourist. I feel as if I once lived in this beautiful medieval city…

I’m startled by a voice behind me. “And where are you going?” I whirl around. “Antonio! Don’t scare me like that!” He laughs and walks along with me. “How about stopping for a beer at that place along the canal?”

Carla first meets Antonio in 1966 in Bruges, Belgium. They are each on a summer break from their American universities. Their friendship develops but complications begin when Patricia, a girl from England, arrives. Summer break draws to a close and Carla returns to Seattle to continue her studies and her life without really knowing what has become of Antonio. Will she ever hear from him again?

Thirty years later…