The Queen of Diamonds

how to answer. "When I realized that Nikki wasn't going to answer any of my phone calls, I chose to write the book. I had to explain myself to her somehow. After seeing her that night at the Bluffs, I knew I was too late." Nikki entwined their fingers, lifted her hand to her lips, and gently kissed it. "I was devastated. I knew that I couldn't stay in the same city and risk running into her again. It hurt too much. I knew I had to leave."

"I'm sorry, baby."

Alex squeezed her hand and shook her head. "No more apologies. We've moved on remember?"

She gave her a tender smile and nodded. "Yes, cara."

"If there is one thing I have learned in the last year, it's that life is fragile, and you don't know how long you have left with those you love." Alex pulled her hand from Nikki's and placed it on the wheel, as she maneuvered through the traffic that had begun to appear the closer they got to Bologna. "I love Madison like she was my own, and I wanted to make sure that she was taken care of no matter what, even if I wasn't there to do it directly. The trust was the easiest way for me to do that."

"I'm still not happy about it, but I guess I see your point."

Alex looked up and met Dani's eyes in the rearview mirror. "The trust is for your children, but it was also a way I could give my two best friends a gift. One you couldn't so easily turn down."

Dani's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. "What gift?"

"Choice." She saw Rachel and Dani exchange a look and continued before they could speak. "With that monthly deposit into your bank account, you now have many choices you didn't have before." She pulled off the highway and stopped at a wide spot in the road. "We've not got much farther to go, but I need to stretch my legs a moment." She stepped out of the car and quickly grasped the door to keep from falling as a cramp caused her leg to buckle.

Dani stepped up and placed an arm around her waist, supporting her weight. "Point your toes and work the muscles. You know the drill."

Alex nodded and began to stretch out the stiffly contracted muscles. She gasped as Nikki sank to her knees and began to massage her leg.

"Don't think about the pain, Alex." Dani chuckled at the look on her face. "Or my sister. Why don't you tell me what choices I'm suddenly supposed to have instead?"

Alex pulled her eyes away from the sight of Nikki kneeling in front of her and swallowed. "Okay. How about if you both want to work or let one stay home? Rachel, do you want to stay small or expand your practice? Do you want your children to go to public or private school? Do you want to stay at the Bluffs on vacation, or go to Paris? Then there is the big one. Do you want to have more children?" She grinned at the quiet gasp from beside her. "It seems to me that between Dani's new job, the monthly interest payments, and the check I gave Rachel for therapy, money is no longer an excuse not to have more children."

"A bit presumptuous wouldn't you say?" Rachel asked.

She looked up and met Dani's eyes briefly before looking at Rachel. "Maybe. Then again I know it's something you both want but are afraid is out of reach. I just wanted to give you the opportunity to make those choices yourself." She felt Dani's grip around her waist tighten right before she was pulled into her embrace.

Dani buried her face in Alex's neck and took a shaky breath. She pulled back and looked at her through tear-filled eyes. "Thank you."

Nikki gasped at the beauty before them when the coastline came into view. "Where are we?"

"The water to the left is known as Laguna Veneta, and to the right is the rest of the Adriatic Sea." As Alex drove towards the island ahead, she felt a sense of peace wash over her. "I have been here many times, but never with people I care about. I'm looking forward to seeing it through your eyes."

"It's beautiful."

She pulled off of the SS11 and into a parking garage. "Welcome to the most romantic city in the world." She turned in her seat and looked at her guests. "Welcome to Venice."

Dani squealed, grabbed her, and planted a kiss directly on her lips. "Oh my God. We're in Venice. I've always wanted to come here."

Alex sat unmoving, her eyes wide as she tried to process the unexpected action. She looked over at Rachel as a grin slowly spread across her face and said, "Hey, Ray." She lifted one eyebrow when Rachel looked her way. "Welcome to Venice."

Rachel just shook her head. "Nice try, Alex, but it'll take a little more than that to get a kiss from me."

She heaved a heavy sigh. "Oh well, it was worth a try."

They pulled the luggage from the trunk and headed towards the closest waterway. Within minutes they were stepping out of the taxi in front of the Hilton. Alex paid the fair, grabbed her luggage, and headed inside. She stepped up to the front desk and began to check in while the others stopped to look around the lobby. As she slipped her credit card back into her wallet, a young woman stepped up to take her luggage. She placed it on a cart and turned to Alex with a smile.

"Welcome to Venice, beautiful lady. My name is Gina. Please allow me to be of assistance." She bent low over her hand and placed a kiss above her knuckles.

Alex looked away from Gina's sparkling brown eyes when she heard Pia clear her throat. She held her hand when the young woman attempted to pull away and said, "Pia darling when did you start hiring such lovely young women to