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“Are you happy?”

“Of course I’m happy.” I wave a hand toward the front of the store. “My book is doing better than I ever dreamed. I love my work, I have you and Papà and Chiara, I have friends again. I’m riding twice a week. I’m good.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I’ve watched you build a beautiful life, tesoro, and I’m so proud of you.”

“But?”

“No but.” She reaches for my hand. “You did what you needed to do. You found Nora.”

My throat tightens, and I look down at our joined hands. “I did.”

“Yes, you did. So maybe now you can stop being afraid of asking her what she wants.”

“I’m not afraid.”

Mamma gives me the look, and I sigh.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“I don’t want you to say anything.” She studies me for a moment. “I want you to answer one question.”

“What?”

“Who did you want that man to be?”

My heart skips.

“Mamma...”

“Who?”

I look away from her, and suddenly Wyoming comes rushing back so hard it almost knocks the air out of me.

Green eyes and horses. Sunrises and quiet mornings. That stupid water bottle at the bar because apparently the man is incapable of drinking like a normal human being. His eyes asking You okay? His arms around me when I couldn’t stand on my own.

Italy.

The sea.

That kiss.

Fuck.

It’s been nine months.

Nine months of picking up my phone because something happened and I wanted to tell him, only to put it back down again. Nine months of seeing something and immediately thinking Jude would hate this, or Jude would love this, or I need to tell Jude about this.

Nine months of wondering how Indigo is doing. How he’s doing. If he’s happy, if he thinks about me, if he found someone.

That last thought makes my stomach twist, and I close my eyes.

“I miss him,” I whisper.

Mamma doesn’t answer.