My mother bent her head toward us. “He’s very cute,” she whispered.

Allegra laughed. “Go for it, Nonni. Maybe you’ll have a big love affair in your homeland.”

She pointed at me. “I was talking about your mom.”

I refused to squirm like a teenager. “Don’t be ridiculous. We’re here to bond and see the sights, not crush on our tour guide. I’m sure he has a wife and children at home.”

“No ring,” my mother sang, her dark eyes glinting with mischief.

I sighed and concentrated on my appetizer. “Not interested,” I said firmly.

“Mom, why don’t you ever date?”

I jerked back under their suddenly intense, questioning stares. Surprise shot through me. My daughter rarely asked about my love life, or lack of it. I figured she’d be happier without a trail of men being paraded in and out of the house, and work was my full-time companion. It’d been just us against the world for so long, I never thought of even wanting to pursue a relationship. The few men who approached usually worked for me, and I didn’t mix work with pleasure. The one time I’d said yes to a date with a colleague, I found out over dinner that he was married, and I left. I’d missed out on my filet mignon and ended up binging on a Dairy Queen Blizzard. “I’m always busy, honey,” I said.

Was that worry glinting in her eyes? Or something deeper? She hesitated before seeming to pick at her words. “It’s just that when I leave, you’ll be alone. And all you do is . . . work.” My mother’s judging look only slammed home the discomfort that Allegra’s words set off. I’d built a thriving business from nothing, and they both believed I sacrificed too much. When would a woman finally be respected for her drive and success rather than for how many heartbreaks she’d racked up? I’d managed to birth and raise my daughter with no man, yet it wasn’t celebrated but pitied. I’d assumed my actions would show Allegra the path to freedom to experience all her power as a woman of this world. But all she managed to see was the lack of a husband. The injustice of such judgment roared through me, and I opened my mouth to launch into a speech defending my choices, but the last couple arrived at the table and interrupted us.

“I guess we’re the last ones to arrive,” the woman announced, reaching over to offer her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Dana and this is my husband, Steve.” We introduced ourselves and I took a moment to study them.