Free Italian for Beginners by Kristin Harmel Page A

sake, do you think I was supposed
     to be with Dani’s dad? Was he really the smartest choice for me? Of course not. But I followed my heart, and now I have my
     little girl, and I have absolutely no regrets. Sometimes you
have
to break out of your comfort zone to get to where you need to be in life.”
    I considered this. I glanced at the computer, where Travelocity’s return flight options loomed in full, vibrant color. I thought
     about Francesco’s e-mail.
Please come to Roma. Soon, my bella.
I thought about how I’d never taken any real chances with my life since that summer in Rome. I thought about how it felt
     to fall asleep in Francesco’s arms and hold his hand and look into his eyes, and how I hadn’t felt that with anyone since
     I’d last seen him.
    I swallowed hard. I had nine weeks of vacation time accumulated. My sister was all grown up. My dad could certainly take care
     of himself.
    “I’ll go for four weeks,” I heard myself say. “I can afford four weeks in a hotel.”
    Kris stared at me in disbelief, then broke into a wide smile as I stared, stunned by the words that had just come out of my
     mouth. As I fumbled to take them back, I watched in horror as she quickly clicked SELECT , filled in my credit card information, and hit BUY TICKET .
    “You’re going to Rome,” she said, sitting back in the chair, her face glowing with satisfaction.
    “But… ,” I said weakly.
    She grinned. “Too late to back out now,” she said. “The ticket is nonrefundable.”
    “Oh, my God,” I muttered. It was all sinking in now. I was going to Rome. By myself. In two days. To reunite with a man I
     hadn’t seen in more than a decade. What if he didn’t find me attractive anymore? What if he had changed and I no longer liked
     him?
    While I agonized, Kris was cheerfully e-mailing Francesco back. I gazed weakly at her response, feeling suddenly disconnected
     from the whole situation.
    Francesco,
    I’ve gotten some time off work and can be there Friday. I’ll try to find a hotel.
    Cat
    He wrote back immediately.
    Cat,
    Friday? You make my heart sing. I will wait for your arrival. Send me your flight information, and I will arrive to pick you
     up. I cannot wait to see you again, bella.
    Molti baci,
    Francesco
    “There you go,” Kris said, turning to me triumphantly after I read Francesco’s reply. I felt like I wanted to pass out. “You’re
     all set.”
    “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I murmured, still staring blankly at the computer screen.
    “I can,” Kris said happily. “It’s about time you stop living life on the safe side.”



Chapter Five
    B ecky and Jay came back from their honeymoon the next morning, and I met them for dinner at my father’s house. They’d already
     gotten prints of a hundred of their honeymoon pictures, and my sister chattered nonstop while she talked us through all the
     minute details of their trip. Jay looked bored, and I could see my father’s eyelids beginning to droop by about the sixtieth
     photo, but I tried to focus on what she was saying. After all, it was important to her, and I always tried very hard to pay
     attention to the things that mattered to my sister.
    She didn’t finish her honeymoon stories until long after Dad and I had cleared away the remnants of the walnut butter pasta
     and chopped salad I’d made for dinner. It wasn’t until the four us settled in for coffee in the living room that I finally
     dropped my bomb.
    “I’m going to Italy on Thursday,” I said casually, hiding my smile behind the rim of the cracked DAUGHTERS ARE LIFE’S GREATEST GIFT mug my father always insisted I drink out of.
    Becky spit her coffee out. “What?”
    Jay wiped her coffee splatters off his shirt and echoed, “Italy?”
    My father simply smiled. “Good girl,” he said.
    I looked at Becky, Jay, and then locked eyes with my dad for a long time. I shrugged. “I think you were right,” I said. “I
     think maybe it’s something I need to