One day he will get tired of waiting for you. One day he will get tired of hurting over you.

It was evident to Marla that Annunziata wanted to speak with her when the other guests had departed. As Marla moved on to the next guest, she noticed Annunziata make her way to the spare bedroom.

When the last of the guests had departed, Annunziata emerged from the spare bedroom and made her way to the rear balcony. Marla was staring into the dark Milan night and kept her back to Annunziata. They engaged in some innocuous banter for a few minutes until Marla asked her what she wished to discuss.

"Annunziata, it is very late. I am exhausted. What is on your mind?"

Annunziata was not shy with her words. She would say what she wanted to say and always did so without concern for others' sensitivities.

"Marla, he came to Milan for you. You know that, right? I heard he has a minor thing with a woman in. Paris. He left her behind to be here for you. He came to Milan for you and only for you. Please, spare me the vapid commentary on how you two are just good friends. He came for you. He will always come for you. He loves you, Marla. At what point do you come to terms with the fact that he is now and has always been madly in love with you. Everybody who was here tonight, if they did not know when they arrived, they know it now. I was watching him as he looked at you while you were telling others some nonsense. A lot of people were, the room was buzzing as everybody commented how much in love he is with you. If you don't want him, I do. I am not you, Marla. I would consider myself very lucky to be with him. "

"Annunziata, we have had this conversation before. If you are interested in Tommaso, let him know, but he has something going on with a lady in Paris. I do not have any claim to him, and I can't give him to you. If you want him, go and get him."

"Marla, I could stand naked and on fire in front of him; he wouldn't see me as long as you were in the same room. He would see only you."

"Oh, Annunziata, stop being so dramatic. I have told you many times, he and I are just good friends."

"Good God, Marla. You really can't be this blind, can you? If you don't want him, please let go of the hold you have on him. I have always been very interested in him."

"Annunziata, if you are interested in him, let him know. I haven't any hold over his actions. How many times must I tell you and others we are just good friends? Is this why you stayed behind, to have this conversation yet again? If you are interested in him, you don't need my permission. He doesn't need me..."

Before Marla could finish her sentence, Annunziata loudly interrupted.

"He does not need you, Marla. He fucking chose you. He chose you years ago. He chooses you each day when we wakes up."

Annunziata was becoming frustrated with Marla. On her part, Marla was tired after a long night of entertaining and drinking more wine than she should have consumed. Marla was never quite sure why Annunziata initiated these conversations with her, and she was not in the mood for one at the late hour.

"Annunziata, we have these conversations every so often, and I do not know why. Tommaso and I are good friends. That is all. If you are interested in him, let him know. You seem to believe I have some control over him. I can't give him to you."

"Marla, no woman will ever have him. He is never going to give his heart to anybody as long as you are in his life. How can you not see how in love he is with you? One day you will realize it. I hope for your sake it is not too late. Eventually, he will give up on you. One day he will get tired of waiting for you. One day he will get tired of hurting over you. One day, you'll watch him do all the things he wanted to do with you, with someone else. When that day comes, and it will come, I pray it does not destroy you."

"Annunziata, your words are just noise at this point."

Annunziata moved closer to Marla, pointing her finger in her face. As her voice increased in volume, she continued; she was by this point almost screaming at Marla from a foot away.

"Marla, you dumb bitch, you want to know when you will hear noise? Wait until you hear that shrieking sound that will echo through your fucking soul forever when you realize that after loving you, wanting you and only you, for so many years, he is finally gone. One day he won't be there for you as he has always been. Eventually, he will give his heart to another woman. At that point, you won't be able to run from the noise that will howl within you. You will cry inside forever, and you will never be able to escape the noise that will haunt your soul until your last day."