I savored the whine of my name on her tongue and stood up. When we first started the tour, she would have never danced with the others, but she seemed more open and happier now. “You’re right. No one should be sitting. We should be dancing.” On impulse, I raised my voice. “Gather around, everyone! It’s our final night and we all should show off our boogie skills!”

A shout rose, and everyone flooded the floor. The band launched into some classic pop and I let myself go, shimmying and moving with Dana and Cherry, with my mom and Allegra, and even with Ian and Kai. I caught Enzo leaning against the pillar on the side of the dance floor. I couldn’t help giving my hips an extra sway when his eyes darkened, the connection between us crackling with urgency. I was sharing a room with Allegra tonight, so there’d be no secret rendezvous.

But he was coming to stay this week. I just had to make sure my daughter didn’t feel like I was ignoring her again. The groundwork we’d built during this trip was precious. I couldn’t screw it up.

The music died down, and our family hosts flanked the exit to say goodbye. We filed back onto the bus for the final time to the hotel, a little sad, a little drunk, and a little emotional.

We promised to say our farewells at breakfast in the morning and went up to our rooms. I gave a tiny shake of my head to Enzo, who acknowledged with a nod that we wouldn’t be seeing each other later.

We settled in and got into our pj’s, and I plumped up the pillows against the headboard, leaning back. Better to clear it with her now instead of waiting until we arrived at the villa. “Can we talk about something?” I asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Mom, go ahead and work. I’m fine.”

“No, that’s not it. Remember how you asked if Ian can come visit you in Tuscany?”

A tiny crease furrowed her brow. “Mom, he already planned it. Why do you have a problem with this now?”

I blew out a frustrated breath. Having a conversation with her was still like walking through enemy territory, with bombs planted in various places. I never knew what would set her off. “Allegra, I’m not changing my mind, okay? But Enzo and I had a conversation, and I found out he lives in Lucca, which is right by our villa. I invited him to come visit. Maybe stay a night or two. I wanted to check if you felt weird about it, though, because if you do, I’ll cancel.”

My heart ached at the idea of not being able to see him this week, but I had to begin choosing my daughter.