Page 13 -

ROME REFRAMED
ROME REFRAMED

it. Not this one. Make a wish. To do it right, face away from the
fountain, and throw it in the water over your shoulder. You know
what they say, don’t you? When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
“Yeah, they say that if you throw a coin into the Trevi
Fountain, it means you’ll return to Rome.” No thanks.

“This coin will empower any wish you want to make. But is
Rome really so bad?”
She tapped me lightly on the top of my head. Given that

I was a half-foot taller than she was, that took some work. I
blinked—what just happened?—and she slipped away into a pass-
ing crowd of tourists.
The coin flashed in the sun. The ridges were rough against
my fingertips. I held it closer, turning it over and back again. It

was bronze, with faded writing in some script I’d never seen
before that looked like scribbles.
I took a snap of the coin and slipped it into my pocket.

Rome wasn’t anything like home, and home was the only place
I wanted to be.

14