EPILOGUE
Ruby
Three years later
“Another cafe, signorina?” the waiter says to my mother.
My mom points to her chest and raises her eyebrows.
“He’s referring to me as a young woman?” she says looking at me.
“It sure seems that way,” I say.
“Why yes. Since you put it that way. I would love another. Grazie.”
The waiter nods and then winks, quickly making his way back to the espresso machine behind the counter.
“I guess life really does start after fifty,” my mom says.
“I got my second chance. Maybe this can be yours?” I ask.
“He has been looking at me a bit each morning we come in here.”
“A bit? Mom, he’s been drooling over you since you set foot in this place. And he doesn’t have a ring on his finger. He’s handsome too!”
“I’ll have to take tips from you. How you were able to land Dan down there in Australia.”
“Mom! Dan’s not a fish that I reeled in.”
“Close enough. And you were out there in the water.”
“Well, I don’t know much about Italian guys, but I do know this one has the hots for you. That’s for sure.”
“Where’s our next destination?”
“We take the train to Paris in two days. And everything’s booked so delaying it would throw off our plans.”
“You’re right. Let’s stay on plan and when I get home I’ll sell everything and just phone up Alessandro and let him know I’m coming for him.”
“What’s gotten into you?” I ask.
“I’m really inspired by what you did down there in Australia. That was very brave of you. You just uprooted and made it work.”
“Because of Dan it works,” I say.
“And Esther.”
“Of course Esther.” I take a sip of my coffee. “I never could have imagined the joy you’d experience when you become a parent until I did it for myself.”
“Have you spoken to Dan yet this morning?”
“I called him when you were in the shower. He was covering Esther in sunscreen preparing to take her to the beach.”
“It’s so nice of him to watch her while we do our round the world trip together.
“Yeah, I wish they could have joined us, but then again for this trip it’s better that it’s just the two of us.”
“Your cafe, signorina,” Alessandro says as he approaches our table from the side. “And a croissant with my compliments.”
“Excuse me, Alessandro,” my mother says.
“Yes!” Alessandro says turning his full attention towards my mother as he bends at the waist and stares directly into her eyes.
Italian men are known for their incredible abilities to flirt and charm and my mother is about to experience their full effects first hand.
I watch as Alessandro smiles, teases, and makes my mom feel like the center of the universe.
I can’t help but smile knowing Dan’s done the same thing with me, albeit in a different way.
I’m also going to get a kick out of dragging my mom out of Italy when the time comes in a couple of days. Now that Alessandro seems to be making headway it appears my mom’s going to be less than eager to leave, which is actually a good thing.
I found love in a far off land and now it’s my mom’s turn.
I guess it runs in the family, just in our case in reverse order.
Alessandro pulls his pen from his pocket and scribbles a number on his notepad before tearing it out and handing it over to my mom.
He gives her a wink and then takes off back to the kitchen.
“I’m guessing that’s not the winning lottery numbers for the next drawing.”
“It might be, but for a different kind of lottery.”
I’m glad to see my mom so happy like this. She deserves it.
“Did you make plans for this evening?” she asks.
“Not yet. Why is that, mother?” I say with a joking voice.
“Yeah…I might have plans of my own this evening.”
I extend my hand across the table and my mom meets it with her own.
We do our mini high five and then both bust out laughing.
I scoot my chair over and give my mom a hug.
I found love abroad and I sure hope lightning can strike twice.
If my mom finds a guy even half as good as Dan she’ll have a one in a million man all for her own.