“About you?”
I nod, finishing the last bite of my sandwich.
“The truth,” he says simply, giving me no time to wonder. “That you’re averyspecial friend. That it’ll be your first time in Italy. You’ll stay with us... and I’ll show you as much of my world as I can over the next two weeks.”
I look at him, a real smile curving onto my lips. “Thank you.”
Alexander lifts my left hand and presses a kiss to my wrist, his eyes never leaving mine as goosebumps travel up my arms.
My heart races as I look back at him, trying to understand a gesture that feels like so much more than he’s letting on.
We spent the rest of yesterday and all of today wandering through every corner of Edinburgh I had marked as unmissable. And having Alexander with me brought a whole new feeling to the trip... and to the city itself.
He kept pointing out things he was sure I’d love, and almost every time, he was right. The way his hand found mine so easily after hours of walking... or rested at the small of my back, as if it had always belonged there.
It made me wish I’d had him beside me in every city before this one, too.
Having him this close again, the way we were during that month in New York, is doing things to me. It’s as if whatever almost happened in his office... and later in his sister’s studio... flipped a hidden switch inside me.
And now I can’t seem to turn it off.
I’m finishing getting ready now. Tonight, we’re having dinner at The Sheep Heid Inn. Alexander found out about the place from the front desk at the inn where he’s staying, which is only a few minutes from mine.
After that, we’re going to see Edinburgh at night from a place I visited on my first day here. It’s a spot I already loved in thedaylight, but everyone insists it becomes something else entirely after dark.
I slide my phone into my purse, smiling at the lock screen. It’s a photo of the three of us at Ethan’s graduation.
Earlier today, I had a video call with them, just like we’ve done every day since I left. Seeing their faces on my screen and hearing them fill me in on all the little details of their day puts my mind at ease. They’re okay. Ethan is loving college, and Alicia isn’t struggling with the new routine at her father’s house. Knowing that brings a peace only a mother could ever understand.
I’ve never been away from my children for this long. It’s only natural to miss them, but as the days go by, I’m getting more and more sure that this trip is good for all of us—each in our own way.
I take one last look at my reflection before stepping out. The black, long-sleeved dress falls right to my knees. My hair is loose in long waves down my back, paired with red lipstick and small diamond studs. I pull on my heeled boots, adjust the strap of my purse, and finally take a deep breath before closing the door behind me.
Halfway down the staircase, I spot Alexander at the front desk, deep in conversation with Douglas Kerr, the owner of the inn. Along with his wife, Fiona, he’s been running the place for over two decades, ever since Fiona’s father passed away and left the inn to her in their early twenties.
I couldn’t have chosen a better place than Oidhche Nest. The inn carries that Old Town charm. A dark stone façade, tall windows, the smell of hot tea in the air, and narrow corridors bathed in a yellow glow. My room is small and cozy in the best way, with a plaid blanket folded at the end of the bed and a window that looks out over the ancient rooftops of the Old Town.
It’s simple. And exactly the kind of place that makes me feel at home.
Alexander turns before I reach the bottom of the stairs. Douglas says something that makes him laugh. They shake hands, and Alexander comes toward me.
When he leans in to kiss my cheek, I feel the subtle intake of his breath, the way he breathes me in.
‘Your scent makes me stop thinking when you’re this close.’The remembered words tighten my throat, and I swallow hard.
“Sei... bellissima,” he says before pulling back.
I smile and thank him. We say goodbye to Douglas, and Alexander leads me outside, his hand resting at the small of my back as he guides me to the car.
The moment he opens the door for me, I say“Grazie”[XLI] before stepping inside, and that earns me that smile of his.
I asked him last night, over dinner, to start speaking more Italian with me. I’ve been practicing here and there, trying to grasp at least the basics before meeting his family. Alexander says most of them speak English, even some of his younger nephews and nieces, who’ve been learning it from a very early age.
But I believe that when you visit a new country, the least you can do is try. To listen, learn, and meet a place halfway, instead of leaning on the comfort of English just because you can.
The drive to the pub is short, and we spend it practicing a few phrases he taught me earlier. I’m painfully aware that I’m totally butchering his native language, but he’s too kind to say it outright. He just offers a gentle correction, smiling as if every mistake is something sweet I’ve given him rather than something that needs fixing.
Alexander pulls up in front of the pub, and the moment he helps me out of the Jeep, we hear the cheerful buzz of voices carrying out into the street.
