For herself.

Having a family was more important than anything.

“Can I speak to you for a moment?” she asked Alessandro.

He nodded.

Vito’s eyes widened, and he spun around and disappeared into the back room.

“What can I do for you, Joy?” Alessandro asked.

“Listen . . .” She searched for the words. “I know it must seem strange to see my ex-husband here.”

He shrugged.

“Believe me. No one was more surprised than I was.” She managed an awkward chuckle.

“Yes.” He waited for her to continue.

“But Tony is the father of my daughter.”

“I understand.”

“And, well . . . we were once a family before he—before the divorce.”

Alessandro’s eyes narrowed. “I know.”

“I like you, Alex. I really do. And I think I’ve made that more than clear. I sense you like me too.” She reached out and gently touched his forearm.

“I do. I enjoy being with you, Joy.” His kind smile matched his eyes.

“But you live here in Venice and, well, I live in New York.”

“Nothing is impossible.” He touched her hand resting on his arm. His touch sent a thrill over her body.

Oh how I wish that were true. Joy sighed.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way, no?”

Her silence answered for her.

He retracted his hand.

“Alex… I need to try and make this work with Tony.”

“Joy, I am your friend.” He smiled, and his warm eyes melted her heart. “I will always be your friend.”

Tears formed in her eyes as a lump grew in her throat.

“And you, you will always be my friend. This time in Venice is for you. It is about you. This city is for you. And I only want the very best for you. Okay?”

Her eyes shone as her heart skipped a beat from his words, accent, and gentle smile. No! she wanted to scream. It’s not okay! I want to be more than just your friend. I want to spend more time with you. I want to know what it’s like to be held by you and kissed by you and . . . But she couldn’t say that. She could only deny her desires and nod that she understood.

“You and Tony are always welcome at the ristorante, capisco?” He patted her hand still resting on his arm.

“Capisco.” Joy squeezed his hand. “I did enjoy our dancing together. You dance well, Alex.”

Alessandro laughed, then his face grew serious as he slowly reached up and moved strands of hair away from her cheek. “Mille grazie, Joy. I enjoyed our dance as well. And I look forward to our next dance.”

Then he turned around and returned to his work.

I hope there is a next dance. Joy sighed, wiped the tears from her eyes, and left the shop. She would miss their conversations and the time they spent together.

What might have been.

But her decision was final.

No regrets, Joy. No regrets. This is for the best, and you know it.For Jaime, she said to herself. This is all about Jaime.

But was it?

At the Leonardo Da Vinci Interactive Museum, Joy stared at the inventions of this incredible man with awestruck wonder. Flying machines based on watching birds, machines for war, machine guns, gears, and even a sprinkler system. How could one man achieve so much?

Later Joy sat with Tony at a table outside a restaurant along an alleyway. He removed his phone from the leather backpack he set down at his feet.

“I’m in awe of how his mind worked.” She shook her head. “He was a genius way ahead of his time, you know?”

“Truly an inspiration.” Tony scrolled through the photos on his phone. “Look at this one I took of you.”

Joy leaned over.

“You look lovely.” He smiled.

But Joy covered her eyes for a moment with embarrassment. “Uh! All I see are wrinkles.”

“Oh, stop. You look great.” He drank his soda as he watched the people passing by.

She thought more about Da Vinci’s inventions. “Imagine something you worked on or invented remaining in existence hundreds of years later and is still being used then. Unfathomable.”

“He was brilliant, that’s for sure. A visionary. Hey, where do you want to go next?”

“Not sure.” She sipped her sparkling water.

“How about we grab a boat to Murano to see the glass factory?”

Joy smiled. “I can’t wait.”