Dominic, an EMT from Michigan, travels to Italy to discover his heritage. But after visiting the small town where his great grandparents lived, he finds so much more. The historical treasures of Rome. The priceless artwork of Florence. And then on to Venice to explore the city billed as “Disneyland for Adults.”<br><br>But the city is battling a historic flood, altering his plans and setting him on a course he never could have imagined, a path that intersects with the lives of three others. Sandro, a handsome Italian actor, appears to be the man of his dreams. As they walk the flooded city, they meet the charming Maria and her energetic young son Massimo. A near tragedy soon binds their lives together forever as Venice tries to defend itself against encroaching waters.<br><br>Dominic vows to return to his lover in a few months. But February of 2020 proves to be a bad time for a reunion. Can these two men overcome a flood, a tragedy, and the perils of a pandemic to have a life together? Will their love survive until life someday returns to normal?

High Water Mark

Howard shook his hand again. “Keep up the good work,” he said. “If ever I need to be rescued, I can only hope you’ll be the one doing it. John,” he said, addressing Dominic’s boss, “let me know how we’re going to go about setting up the process to make this a yearly thing.” With that, he turned and left.


Dominic stared after him, and then stared at the check once again. What on earth was he going to do with all this money? A new pick-up truck, perhaps a new TV, a new sofa? No, he didn’t care about any of that stuff. His truck and his TV were just fine. But then John put an idea into his head.


“You know, you haven’t taken time off for a vacation in a very long time. You’ve got a lot of time accumulated to do that. You’re going to have to use some of it before the end of the year or you’re going to lose it. What about that trip to Italy you’ve always talked about, to see the town where your grandparents came from?”


Chapter 5