"By now he had learned. Choices are made in brief seconds and paid for in the time that remains."

Oh my goodness that was one long story of missed opportunities because they are afraid to take the risk. Mattia and Alice are like Prime numbers that are not meant to be together, no matter how much they wanted to. The novel really proved that love, is truly, ordinary.

It does not need a grand gesture of theatrics to prove your love to another, all it needs is an accumulation of little things kept to a memory for a long time, and that one big decision point that needs to be made in that moment. Sadly, these two do not want to take a step outside the barriers they both made for themselves.

Thanks to this article that made me take a leap and read this work!