Mike left her at the fountain. She knew they should have stayed in today; she felt it in her bones when she woke up. Yet, they were in Italy, and why waste a day on what was supposed to be the best trip of their lives? Now, her head was in her hands, her hair curling over her fingers as she heard his footsteps pounding away on the stone, mingling with the flocks of birds and the talking of locals until they vanished entirely.

She was alone in a foreign country.

She wiped her eyes and looked around, her sadness turning to fear. The fear soon turned to anger as she looked at the beautiful sky and architecture all around her. It was unfair to be left alone here, questioning things.

“Ciao, ma’am,” an elderly man said. He took a seat next to her, resting his hands on a gilded cane. “Troubles?”

She wondered if he had been watching. If he had seen them screaming, crying, almost throwing things in their anger and ignorance.

“A little,” she laughed, shaking her head.

“My name is Maurizio, and I think this city is too beautiful for you to sit alone here, not seeing it all. That man,” he made a gesture to where Mike had walked off, “will regret this one day. I don’t want you to regret it, too.”

She smiled. “Eve,” she told him, reaching to shake his hand.

“Piacere, Eve,” he nodded. “Where would you like to go first?”