Vernazza is like nothing I have ever seen before. Looking down from the hillside, the quaint town is filled with buildings painted a plethora of pastel colours - yellows, greens, oranges, pinks. A small sandy beach perches at the far end of the town, leading onto an ever-blue ocean that I simply cannot tear my eyes away from. The beaming sun shines down onto the glistening sea, making it look as though the waves are thick with glitter. Scorching heat drifts against my cheeks as the town below roars with life. Faded sounds of laughter and engines of mopeds fill my senses, creating a cacophony of noise.

I am completely and undeniably enraptured.

"Heidi, you're so grown up!" a voice slices through my thoughts. My head snaps in the direction of the voice and my eyes meet with the warm brown ones of Auntie Vienna. Before I can even take a step in her direction, she encases me in a tight hug.

"Vienna!" I squeal, my bright smile evident in my voice. "It's been so long." She pulls back and holds me by my shoulders.

"What a beautiful woman you have grown up to be," her fingers sift through the ends of my brown hair. My uncle then steps into her place and pulls me into another embrace. I hug him tight and relish in the feeling of being reunited with them all.

"How are you?" my uncle sings as he pulls away and moves to stand beside my aunt. He flashes me a bright smile as his arm loops around Vienna's waist. I've always envied the love they have for each other... my love life hasn't been as fruitful as I would have hoped. Well, other than Ambrose... but that's a story for another time.

"I'm good," I smile. "You both?" I question and they give each other a side glance. I feel that there is something going on here that I am out of the loop with. I give them a questioning look. Everyone else exchanges formalities before they answer.

"You tell them, I'm afraid I'll cry if I do," Vienna pushes and Terrone shakes his head. Concern fills me. Everyone falls silent around us, despite the other tourists bustling and grabbing their luggage from the coach.

"We agreed that you would tell them, honey," Terrone says and tightens his hold on her, hugging her to his side. "Fine, we'll tell them together," Terrone gives into my aunt's stubbornness and throws a broad grin our way.

"...We're expecting!" they both say in unison, voices full of nothing but pure joy and Terrone kisses her cheek. I can't help the tears that burn in my eyes as I hold Vienna in another hug.

"Congratulations!" I beam.

"Thank you, thank you," Vienna says, and I swallow the ball of emotion rising in my throat. This is great. I am over the moon for them. They've both always talked about how much they have wanted children and now that it has finally come true, I can't help but be full of absolute rejoice. "Enough of that," she says when she notices the tears in my eyes.

"Time waits for no man. We'll show you to the townhouse and you can make yourselves comfortable. You all must be awfully tired after the flight. I'm assuming Michelle dragged you all out of bed long before the crack of dawn," Terrone looks towards my mother, and I laugh.

"I like to be prepared and we all got here in one piece so that must say something," my mother smiles towards her brother and I can already tell this getaway is going to be something special.

"Come on, get in," my uncle gestures towards the pick-up truck and my eyes go wide. "Throw yourselves and your suitcases in the back, Vienna and I will be in the front," he laughs when his gaze meets mine - obviously finding humour in my facial expression.

Before I can utter another word, Nancy drags me towards the truck. "Come on, Heidi!" she shouts, and my mother lifts her into the back. We all clamber in along with our things and the engine starts. Several tourists watch the retreating truck as we drive away onto the rolling hills and towards the town.

Pulling out my phone to distract myself from the utter anxiety flooding through my body at being in the back of a truck with zero safety, I decide on messaging Calli.

Heidi: Hey, girl! Just got to Vernazza and the place is beautiful. Missing you already. Can't believe you couldn't make it; my heart is broken. Big news though, Vienna and Terrone are expecting. How cute!

I focus on the passing houses as I wait for a response but before I can even take note of where we are, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Calli: OMG, exciting, I'm so happy for them! You must send some pics of the place. Let me know if there are any sexy Italian men. You better pull some or I am going to be very disappointed in you. Missing you too. I hate studying ruining my plans. Facetime me when you get the chance.

Heidi: I'll keep an eye out for the both of us, maybe slip some of them your number ;) I'll call you soon.

I laugh to myself before I put my phone back into my pocket and feel the sun warming my skin. This is something I can get used to. The feeling of pure bliss as the wind runs its fingers through my hair, tangling itself between the strands, as I close my eyes. Voices of my family fade out and I'm stuck in a land of nothing but sun and warmth. Where the only thing I need to survive is this.

Eventually, the truck comes to a halt, and I open my eyes to the vintage blue house that sits before us. Worn shutters are closed on the houses' windows and a lone chair sits on the porch. Looking to the right, I notice a set of stairs allocated down the path that seem to lead directly into the heart of Vernazza. Those will be very handy.

It's simply beautiful.

My eyes move to the driver's side as my uncle slams the truck door shut and opens the back up for us to get out - grabbing a couple of suitcases to help. Almost falling out of the boot, I walk towards the house and watch as my aunt unlocks the door, swinging it open with a loud creak.

Following her in, I notice the thick layer of dust that coats the place. A comfy living space is to the left of us, the kitchen to the right. A curved staircase leads to the second floor, and I can only imagine how long this place has been vacant. A seaside colour palette fills the place with mixtures of blue and white hues. I can't believe they have left such a beautiful home unreserved for so long.

"It's amazing here. How long has it been since you last visited?" I question as Vienna rifles through the cupboard and the rest of my family follow through the front door. Nancy sneezes as a waft of dust finds its way into the air.

"Many more years than we should've. We just never had the time to come back with Terrones' job and all. He's been more than busy. It's a shame to see our home away from home in such a sorry state," Vienna says as she grabs some cleaning gear from the cupboard. "Forget how tired you all are... the first job is to clean the house!"

I furrow my brows but take a mop from her nonetheless. "Let's get going then if we want to finish before the holiday is over," I joke and my father laughs from beside me, grabbing a mop of his own.

"I'm shocked, Vienna. I never pegged you as someone who would let their house get so dirty," my father says in jest and Vienna sends him a warning glare. "I'm joking... sort of," he laughs, and I hear a laugh flutter from Nancy.

Despite the odd start to the holiday, everyone gets together and cleans the place. I can say with utmost certainty that I was not expecting cleaning to be the first thing I do in Italy but here we are. Terrone manages to fix the aircon halfway through the cleaning process, saving everyone from passing out in the middle of the kitchen. We scrubbed the floors, dusted every surface in sight, washed the bedsheets, made the beds and cleaned until we couldn't move anymore.

Wiping away the perspire, that seems to have beaded on my forehead, with the back of my hand, I let out a deep exhale. "It looks much better than before," I say to everyone as we stand by the door and survey the place. As a matter of fact, it looks like a completely different place.

"It only took us most of the evening and some back-breaking work," Terrone sighs and slumps onto the sofa. Everyone joins him in the living room, and I relish in the plush coach taking my weight. My stomach grumbles and it's then that I realise just how hungry I am.

Everyone else seems to notice too.

"We'll order takeout from one of the places in town, I am far too tired to go out," Vienna says and everyone else mutters in agreement, obviously feeling the same way. I can't help the disappointment. I'm tired but not tired enough to miss one moment of Vernazza.

"I'm going to take a walk into town and eat there if that's okay," I say and turn to look at my mother, expecting the disapproval to already be shining brightly in her eyes. Although, I find something different in them.

"Yes, that's fine. Just keep your phone close and text me when you find somewhere to eat... Are you sure you want to go by yourself?" she questions, and I nod my head. I'd like to have a look around before the sun settles. "Okay, well, be safe."

"Thank you," I sing before rushing up the stairs, excitement fuelling my movements. Yes, legally, I am an adult, but I can't deny that I still get as giddy as a child on Christmas day when I am excited.

Walking into what I will call my bedroom for the next three weeks, I move towards the wardrobe which is now a disarray of my belongings. Rifling through the stacks of clothes, I grab a white sundress and some matching white sandals. Applying some light makeup and placing a few curls in my hair, I rush in order to leave before sunset.

Grabbing my purse, I walk back down the stairs and see everyone still in the same position they were in ten minutes ago. "I'll be back in a few hours," I call from the front door, and they all shout their goodbyes before I leave and step back out into the sun.

Taking my phone from my purse, I quickly google the closest restaurants so that I am not walking aimlessly for hours trying to find somewhere to eat. As I walk towards the stairs, the first option to pop up is a place called Emiliano's. Finding the reviews are good, I place it into maps and follow the route.

As I get closer to the heart of Vernazza, the voices get louder, and life becomes more vibrant. Lanterns litter the walls, slowly beginning to turn on as the sun begins to make its way towards the horizon. Following the route, I come to a crossroads and am about to step forward but am abruptly stopped when a moped cuts in front of me in a rush. My heart skips a beat before I manage to regain composure and continue.

The town is bustling with life, and I can't help but let my heart grow at the sight of so many bright smiles. My feet slap against the uneven pavement and I try to keep close to the buildings in case of another moped attempting to run me over.

I notice a bookshop to my right and feel myself itching to go in but then I remind myself that I have plenty of time and that I need to slow down. Dinner, I need to go to dinner. That is my priority. I store the bookshop into the back of my mind and venture on down the cramped alleyway, continuing further down another set of stairs.

As soon as the restaurant comes into view, I walk up to a plump man standing by the entrance. "How can I help you?" his accent is strong, and I notice that the place is teeming with people.

"Do you have any tables?" I ask, doubt dripping from my words. I watch as he takes a pad of paper from a table beside him and begins flicking through. My doubt multiplies by the second as he puts the pad back down.

"Lucky for you... there's one table. Table twenty-six, the best seat in the house. Follow me, ma'am," he says and begins winding in and out of tables, leading me to the far end of the restaurant. "Here you are."

"Thank you," I smile as I sit down, and he places a menu in front of me before quickly walking away. The view is extraordinary. The waves crash in the distance, and I relish in the smell of the salty sea. Fairy lights bedeck the place, and the sun quickly begins to settle, leaving the sky with a fiery glow.

Looking through the menu, I find it hard to pick seeing as everything looks beyond delicious. Finally settling for the gnocchi alla sorrentina, I make sure to message my mother before she goes completely haywire and turns the town upside down looking for me.

Heidi: Hey, found a place to eat. Sitting in the best seat in the house apparently. The view is amazing. Everything is good.

She responds in almost an instant.

Mother: That's great. Text me when you're on your way back or if you need anything.

"Buonasera," a deep voice sounds, and I quickly look up, my gaze meeting a deep blue one that seems to mimic the very ocean itself. I am taken aback by his dark brown, almost black, hair and the tattoos that seem to peak out beneath the collar of his dress shirt.

Hoping that my Italian isn't too rusty, I respond with a simple, "Ciao."