The ascent from the Sala del Ritorno (Hall of Return) was a silent and solemn experience. There was no disappointment over the lack of gold, but a profound sense of realization: the truth had been more surprising and significant than any wealth they had imagined. They left the stone slab where they had found it, sealing the crypt not to conceal, but to honour the treasure of freedom belonging to the unknown great-aunt.
Back in the car, the tension eased. Samuele, the detective, couldn't help but inquire. "The passport and the date of '28... Did this happen right after they built the lighthouse, or perhaps that's why they built it? Who was this woman?"
Belinda, clutching the small tin box and the great-aunt's passport, turned to Elia. "You have to tell Samuele. It's the family story; it's no longer just mine."
Elia nodded, taking the box of seeds. "She was Grandfather Giovanni's sister, Belinda and Mattia's great-aunt. Her name was Teresa. Grandfather Giovanni and his father were obsessed with prestige and money. Teresa, however, dreamed of art, theatre, and the world. She wanted to leave, to dance. There was a furious argument, because leaving Sicily to pursue 'frivolous dreams' was a disgrace to the family."
"Giovanni never forgave her for choosing freedom. He invented the story of a lost treasure to justify his obsession, an excuse for his moral failure," Belinda concluded. "The lighthouse was built to cover the only thing that mattered: the memory and the desire for freedom of Teresa, the only one who had the courage to leave."
Samuele remained silent for a long moment, his usually carefree face thoughtful. "So the real Lighthouse was her willpower. And those dance shoes... Mattia."
Belinda picked up her phone and sent a quick message to Mattia: I found something you absolutely must see. Call when you can.
The drive back to the Villa was dedicated to examining the small tin box. Inside, the seeds were dry, small, and dark. The label had only one word written in Teresa's same elegant handwriting: "Almond."
Belinda and Elia looked at each other. "Almond. Anna, Elia's mother, used the Almond Blossom on the embroideries. Imbolc. The first sign of spring," Belinda whispered, her heart stirring with the connections that were unfolding.
"Caterina, our mother, and Anna were accomplices, we knew that. But Teresa is their point of connection. They used the symbol of the rebellious great-aunt to honour her dream," Elia replied, confirming the bond between the mothers and Teresa. "But why the seeds? Almond trees grow everywhere."
"No," Belinda said, with a new intuition, recalling the lesson of Grandmother Linda's garden. "These are not just any seeds. They are the Seeds of Return. Teresa left them to show that, even by leaving, she hadn't forgotten her land. And Caterina and Anna guarded them for our generation. Not to plant a tree, but to plant a choice."
As they arrived at the Villa, the phone rang. It was Mattia. Despite the time difference, his voice was immediate and vibrant.
"Belinda, what's going on? I'm still emotionally shell-shocked from the wedding."
Belinda interrupted him. "Mattia, I found the reason you became a dancer, and why you are in London. I found our great-aunt Teresa."
Belinda recounted the story of the Lighthouse, the crypt, and the display case with the dance shoes, the seeds, and the passport. The emotion in her voice was contagious.
On the other end of the phone, Mattia remained silent. Then, his voice came out choked. "The shoes... the dance shoes. All my life I was told I was 'too sensitive' for Sicily, that dancing was crazy. And then there was Teresa. It's as if... she gave me permission."
"She gave you permission, Mattia. And our mother Caterina and Aunt Anna kept that freedom alive for all of us," Belinda replied. "We have the small box of almond seeds she left behind. We want to plant them. But not here."
"Where?"
Belinda looked at Elia, a smile of complicity on her face. "In London. You are the branch that grew. We want these seeds, the Seeds of Return, to have the chance to sprout in your garden. So that our Sicilian conception of family can evolve: not just being physically present, but being chosen as the place where dreams can take root."
Mattia burst out laughing and crying at the same time. "Belinda... that would be the greatest honour. To plant Teresa's freedom here, in London."
The circle was not just closed; it was expanding. Greed had been defeated. The future was an almond tree planted in a distant land, blooming in February, in the time of Imbolc, bringing the colours of Sicily to the world.