It was one of those rare moments I didn’t want to miss and I craved to remember. One night in Florence, we’d danced with strangers and become temporary friends. I’d forgotten what surprises felt like. The last few years, my life had followed a ruthless schedule, and though boring, it was familiar and controlled. Tonight, I felt ready to burst out of my shell and take risks.

Big risks.

When we got back to the hotel, I settled Allegra and Mom into their room, making sure Mom took a Tylenol and had a big glass of water. Her face glowed with a joy that warmed my heart. “I had so much fun, Frannie,” she said with a bit of a slur, and then she reached out and hugged me hard. I hugged back, comforted by her familiar strength even though her body seemed frail under my touch.

“Me too, Mom,” I said, kissing her papery cheek. “Now get some sleep.” I walked over to my daughter and stood before her. “Good night, sweetheart. Did you have fun?”

A rare smile crossed her face as she looked at me. “Yeah, it was cool. Everyone was pretty drunk, huh?”

“I think so. But nobody was driving, and I think there should be one night where our group gets funky.”

She groaned. “Freaky, Mom, gets freaky.”

“Right.” I stared at her beloved face and my heart squeezed with longing. “I love you, Al.” I hadn’t used the nickname in years, retiring the tag when she hit her teen years and began to complain it was a stupid thing to call her. Not waiting to gauge her reaction, I quickly pulled her in for a hug, desperate to smell her hair and feel my child’s body pressed against mine. She relaxed and hugged me back, and those few seconds were pure perfection—a memory of how close we’d once been and a temporary forgiveness.

Emotion choked my throat. She slowly broke the embrace, ducking her head in slight embarrassment, and I stepped away to allow her the space.

“See you in the morning,” I said. Then I left.

It took me only a few minutes to brush my teeth, reapply some lipstick, and check my phone. He hadn’t texted, but since he’d mentioned the bar upstairs, I’d simply head there. If he didn’t show, I’d go back to my room and shrug the whole thing off.

No big deal.