Ooh, this is beautiful! I love how characterized the girls and how their personalities shine through in their letters.
> Sometimes, when she was particularly worried or nervous, or when he was a particular kind of tired, or when it was raining late at night, Nicolò thought that maybe Maria was like him in that they were both always just a little sad, even if they didn’t know it. The thought always made him quietly desperate; once or twice it even made him wish that Maria was more like her mother, which just terrified him in a different way.
Re: Pen Friend Program (Joe/Nicky, Hartenstraat/Il Padre d'Italia + matchmaking kids)
> Sometimes, when she was particularly worried or nervous, or when he was a particular kind of tired, or when it was raining late at night, Nicolò thought that maybe Maria was like him in that they were both always just a little sad, even if they didn’t know it. The thought always made him quietly desperate; once or twice it even made him wish that Maria was more like her mother, which just terrified him in a different way.
This sentence was absolutely perfect.