Dana was dressed in a daffodil-yellow dress with red ankle boots. Her hair matched her shoes and was worn long and curly. Chunky colored bracelets clinked on her wrist, and a large purple stone swung in the V between her breasts. Her blue eyes snapped with a bright energy that hinted she was always ready for a party or an adventure. Her husband seemed more conservative, dressed in a white button-down shirt and jeans with a western-type belt buckle. His hair was gray and neatly trimmed, and he sported a smart mustache that reminded me of Sam Elliott. He towered over his petite wife, but his face was sun kissed and creased with laugh lines.

“When did y’all get in?” she asked, an obvious Texas drawl lilting her words.

“This morning,” I answered. “We’re still kind of jet-lagged.”

“Our flight was delayed and we got here a few hours ago. I watched three movies on the plane, drank a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and haven’t slept in forty-eight hours. I just hope I don’t pass out while looking at the Sistine Chapel,” Dana said, waving her wrist in the air as she attacked the bread basket with gusto. “Where are y’all from?”

“New York,” my mother said. “This is my daughter and my granddaughter.”

“How wonderful!” Dana said. “Three generations of women touring Italy. I love it. Are you heading to college in the fall, Allegra?”

“Next year,” she said.

Dana sighed. “Those were my favorite years. Learning new things, falling in love with a different boy each semester, and being full of passion for causes. I still remember marching for animal rights and chaining myself to the mailbox at the animal kill shelter we tried to shut down.”

Allegra’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

“They just pulled the mailbox out of the ground and threatened us with arrest. But now it’s a no-kill, so we did make a difference.”

The waiter glided by and placed a garden salad in front of us, then stocked up the bread basket again.

I dug into my salad, enjoying the flavorful dressing of garlic softened with oil, vinegar, and salt. Dana chattered on, informing us they were here for their tenth-anniversary celebration and that she owned a clothing boutique. She fell into a lively discussion with Allegra on saying no to black and embracing bold, seasonal colors, and I loved watching my daughter relax and enjoy an adult evening getting to know people. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all. It was good for all of us to get away from our usual routine, stuck with the same people who shared our daily schedules.

“Do you both travel much?” I asked Steve, who remained quiet next to me.