Chapter 37: The Finale
Adriana
The woman lying in the bed doesn’t seem anything like the vibrant person I left behind a month ago. Her tiny body reminds me of a skeleton and her hair, which was once gorgeous, hangs in limp threads, creating a strange sort of halo around the woman who has treated me more like a daughter than my mother could ever manage in two lifetimes.
“Help me get out of this godforsaken bed, my girl. I want to see the canal.”
“Is that a good idea, Simona?” I ask.
She scoffs, reminding me of the high-spirited woman I spent time with in Venice a month ago. All of her children have returned, including Giovanni, but they’ve agreed to give the two of us some alone time. After checking with the nurse, I help Simona make her way out to the balcony. We sit in the wicker cha
