September Affair

Set in the early 1950s, the story unfolds in a postwar era when international travel and cosmopolitan city life feel glamorous. The plot uses Rome, Naples, Florence, and New York to create a modern, urban backdrop. Social norms surrounding marriage and reputation drive the lovers to conceal their affair. The era's emphasis on propriety and consequence shapes the ending.

Naples is the diversion point where the couple first intensify their romance after their flight is redirected for engine repairs. Florence becomes the hidden life they establish, away from family and the expectations of society. New York frames Manina's return to performance and the public reckoning with the past they attempted to bury.

💘 Forbidden Romance

A chance affair aboard a diverted flight sparks a deep romance between Manina and David. They abandon their existing lives to pursue private happiness, testing the boundaries of social expectations. The relationship rests on secrecy and risk, always threatened by exposure. The theme asks whether love can endure when built on deception.

🗝️ Secrecy & Escape

To escape obligations, the couple creates new identities and a quiet life in Florence. They rely on others, like Maria Salvatini, to safeguard the ruse and to handle the financial arrangements that fund their hideaway. A clerical mix-up of the flight manifest becomes a pivotal moment that exposes their absence. Yet the escape remains fragile, constantly at the mercy of the past catching up with them.

💔 Consequences

The plan unravels when David Jr. recognizes Manina from a published list of presumed dead, bringing truth back into the open. The transfer of money to Maria Salvatini cements the real-world stakes of their deception. Catherine and David Jr. pursue answers, forcing the couple to confront the consequences of their actions. In the end, illusion yields to reality as Manina leaves, acknowledging she cannot stay with David.