“Who’s watching Alessio tonight? Anna?”

“No, Manuela. Anna’s in Genoa again with Andrea. She’s so in love.”

“I can relate.”

Eliana bent over and kissed him.

Ross sighed. “When do you need to be home?”

“It doesn’t matter. I told Manuela that I’d be out late.”

There was another pause.

“And Maurizio?”

“He left three days ago. He’s in Switzerland.”

Ross brought her hand to his lips and one by one kissed each of her fingers. Then he suddenly began laughing. “This day is turning out very differently than I expected.”

“Better, I hope.”

“Much better.”

“It’s not over yet,” she said, her words laced with promise. “How did you find this place?”

“This is my neighborhood. I live right over there.” Ross pointed across the Arno to a row of old buildings that overlooked the south bank of the river.

“Which building?”

“The second one to the left. The tall yellow one.”

“I see it.”

“That’s my home.”

“It must be lovely overlooking the Arno. What’s your apartment like?”

“It’s small. It’s a studio with a bed and a table. The kitchen just has a hot plate.”

“Do you like living there?”

“It’s convenient to work,” he said. “But the view’s not as pretty as it was in Rendola.”

“You think Rendola’s nicer than the Arno and her bridges?”

“I was talking about you.”

She squeezed him. Then she asked, “Do you think I’m a mistake?”

“No, I think you’re a gift.”

“Maybe I’m both. Sometimes I think most of the things I cherish in life were mistakes. We weren’t trying to get pregnant when Alessio came.”

“Just because you didn’t plan it doesn’t mean it was a mistake. There are things that come to us because they’re supposed to.”

“Like you,” she said. “I don’t know what it will cost me to be with you, Ross, but I know that I can’t be without you.”

“Then come with me. I promise that I’ll spend the rest of my life making you glad that you did.”

His words swept over her heart, and she lay back on the ground and closed her eyes. Ross rolled off her, to his side, and raised himself over her, studying her face, marveling at its perfection. “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever known,” he said. He touched her eyelids, and she closed her eyes still tighter, forcing a pool of tears from them. He gently touched the inside corner of her eyes, wetting his finger with her tears, then touched his finger to her lips. She could taste the salt of her own tears. He leaned over her and their mouths touched. She wanted him with all of her being, and she knew, at that moment, that she could give up everything in her life to feel this way.

“If I leave Maurizio, will you take me?” she whispered.

“Do you need to ask?”

“For Alessio’s sake, I do.”

“Yes. If you and Alessio will have me.” This made Ross think. “Will Maurizio fight you for custody of Alessio?”