Alex smiled. "Indeed it is my friend." She took a drink from her wine glass, savoring the fruity finish before asking, "What else did you have in mind?" They discussed several other opportunities for the vineyard, spending nearly an hour on the subject before she asked, "If this is what you want to do with your life, why do you want to go to school in America?"
"I want to see what it is that makes America so special. I want to experience a different way of life, so I can better appreciate what I have here." She gave Alex a devilish grin and said, "I want to experience things I cannot here."
"Boys?"
"Why limit myself?" she responded. "Boys, girls, I want to experience it all." She chuckled at Alex's expression.
"I think maybe you are too dangerous to allow out by yourself, piccola." She shook her head as she regarded the young woman. "You would break everyone's heart when you come back home." She stood, took her empty wine glass into the kitchen, and grabbed a bottle of water before returning to the living room. "I think you should take a couple of weeks to visit different places, but then you should go to school here in Italy. Where better to learn viticulture and enology?"
"I know. I just want to experience life."
Alex looked away as memories began to push their way to the front of her mind. "Life out there may be different, piccola, but that doesn't mean it is better."
Hoping that speaking in Italian would help her to find the right words, Zaira turned to Alex and asked, "Will you tell me about her?" She watched as Alex fought to keep her tears from falling. "Sometimes talking about it is the only way to ease the pain." She scooted closer and placed her head on Alex's shoulder. "Tell me about the beautiful woman in the picture beside your bed." Alex leaned her head against Zaira's and quietly began to tell her about Nikki. "Why did you let her go? You obviously love her very much."
"Yes, I do, and probably always will."
"Then why did you not fight for her? Why did you just leave?" she asked as she sat up and looked at Alex.
"Sometimes things are not that easy, little one."
Dani was surprised to see the box on her front porch when she arrived home from dropping Madison off at school. She took it inside and set it on the kitchen table while she dropped her purse and keys on the counter. She wondered what Rachel had bought as she pulled the box towards her to read the label. Her brow furrowed as she realized the package was addressed to Madison. Reaching for a knife, she quickly opened the box to see what had been sent to her daughter. She smiled wistfully when she saw the latest Millie the Monkey book. She pulled it out of the box and sighed as she thought about her friend.
She walked into the living room, and sat on the couch as she read the front cover. When she opened the book, a folded piece of paper fell out. She opened it and read the letter, troubled by the tone of Alex's words.
Dani,
Please read through this book before you read it to Madison. I leave it to your judgment, but hoped it would help her through the difficult times ahead. Thank you all for the wonderful memories. I will cherish them for as long as I live. –Alex
She set the note aside, opened the book, and began to read. Part way through the story, she realized it was about Millie dealing with the death of her friend Lexi. The longer she read, the more concerned she became as she realized this book was her final good-bye to Madison. She set the book down, grabbed her phone, and quickly called her wife. "Rachel, I'm really worried about Alex, and I don't know what to do." She explained about the letter and book.
"Dani, honey, she's gone and from the sounds of it, she's not coming back. We can't help either of them if they won't let us."
She jumped to her feet and began to pace. "You don't understand, Rach. She killed off Lexi, she didn't just send her away. I'm afraid…" She took a deep breath and pushed down her rising emotions. "She tried to kill herself before, Rach. What if she tries again?"
Rachel was quiet for a moment as she weighed her options. "Let me see what I can do."
Dani hung up the phone and looked at the clock. It was too early to call Nikki, as she wouldn't get off work for at least another hour. She decided to send a text message instead, asking her to come straight home after work. Once the message was sent, she walked over to the table to look through the box one more time, hoping to find a clue as to Alex's whereabouts, but was disappointed to find it empty. She sat down and stared at the box as she tried to figure out how to find her. With a smile, she pulled the box towards her, and checked the shipping label. Her smile grew when she saw the UPS label. She took the box into Rachel's home office, and turned on the computer. Once the website loaded, she typed in the tracking number and clicked on the track button. She was shocked to see the shipment had originated in Italy. She was lost in thought, and failed to hear Nikki and Rachel calling her name.
"There you are. Why didn't you answer me? I called out several times."
She looked up at Nikki and replied, "I'm sorry. I didn't hear you."
"So, what's going on?" Nikki asked as she looked between her sister and Rachel. Dani quickly explained as they walked out into the living room. She handed the book to Rachel and the letter
