Keeley was having the time of her life on their belated anniversary cruise. While the deck was too cold for swimming, the temperature was perfect for sightseeing at their various ports of call during their week at sea. The food was fantastic, the historical and tourist sites breathtaking, and she thoroughly enjoyed exploring with her best friend, Aaron. Traveling with him had become one of her favorite things now that their children were grown.

He had taken her all over the world in their twenty-six years together, visiting a new place every anniversary. Exploring new cultures together was always fun. Sometimes Aaron had been to these places before—with his parents or on business trips—but he always discovered something new with Keeley. He focused solely on business when traveling for work, neglecting sightseeing.

Today, they were in Florence, Italy, their second-to-last stop before heading home. Keeley was determined to see as much as possible. She donned sturdy walking shoes, her favorite windbreaker, and a Detroit Tigers baseball cap (a gift from Kaleb) to shield her face from the sun before leaving the ship. After checking their belongings, she eagerly grabbed Aaron's hand, pulling him toward the port.

"I never get tired of this," Keeley sighed contentedly, breathing in the salty air.

He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her cheek. "Neither do I. Traveling with you is a hundred times more fun than going alone."

Keeley beamed and urged him forward. "Come on, we only have a day, and there's so much to see! And I fully expect you to guide me to the best Italian food."

Aaron saluted her with a serious expression. "Aye aye, Captain."

She rolled her eyes, then took his hand again, swinging it as they walked. The novelty of strolling like this with her husband never wore off. Anonymous among the other tourists in their matching windbreakers, hiking boots, and baseball caps, nobody knew or cared who they were.

Keeley insisted on taking pictures of everything noteworthy: the architecture, the art, charming shop signs—anything interesting. Aaron, however, preferred filming his wife as she narrated their adventure. Sometimes, mid-sentence, she'd notice him filming her.

He could be so ridiculous. Why was he filming her talking?

"You know there are far more interesting things to film than me," Keeley said dryly.

Aaron shrugged. "I like hearing your opinions. I want to remember your impressions later."

There was no arguing with him. He'd become more sentimental over time, especially since the twins' birth, documenting random moments extensively on film. This was likely due to a lack of video recordings from their early years. Keeley didn't blame him; it was fun for the kids to watch later, and she enjoyed it too.

They needed to be back on the ship by 10 PM for the 11 PM sailing to Rome, their final destination. It was a shame; Keeley wanted to see so much more, but the museums closed much earlier. So, the Hales had a delicious late dinner around 8 PM and returned to the ship by 9.

They were heading to the hot tub—it wasn't cold until you got out—when Keeley's phone rang. Violet. It was 3:30 PM in New York, a Saturday…what could she want? At least they still had reception; they hadn't reached open sea yet. She answered cheerfully.

"Vi! So good to hear from you. What's going on?"

"You didn't see any of my missed calls?" Violet asked, her tone dull.

Missed calls? They hadn't registered. Ah, the frustrating lack of reception.

"Sorry, honey, I didn't. Reception out here is spotty, but I have some time before we leave port. Tell me what happened," Keeley encouraged.

Violet knew the reception was poor. On past cruises, she'd never bothered calling. Something significant must have happened for her to contact her mother, especially given her distressed tone.

Violet launched into a lengthy, rapid, and somewhat incoherent explanation of the past day and a half. This wasn't like her; she was usually so articulate. Keeley listened patiently, trying to formulate a response. She knew Noah was in love with Violet, but she hadn't expected a sudden confession after so much secrecy, or a breakup with Jeremy over it.

Secretly, Keeley was relieved. She hadn't thought Jeremy was a good match for Violet; he was too much like Aaron had been in their past lives. But Violet was clearly hurting, so Keeley couldn't be entirely relieved.

"Jeremy made me choose, and I wasn't about to pick someone I hardly know over someone I've known my whole life," Violet finished, sniffling. She had been crying during her explanation.

"Of course you weren't," Keeley said soothingly. "You made the right choice. I never liked that guy anyway."

Violet chuckled weakly. "Kaleb said the same thing. I guess I'm the only idiot who couldn't see what kind of person he really was."

"You aren't an idiot! Love is blind. Believe me, I would know. I felt like an idiot for staying in a bad relationship when I was young, too. It's going to be okay, Vi."

Violet snorted. "Is it, really? Because I can't lose Noah; he's such a huge part of my life. But I'm not in love with him, so I don't even know what to say. The only thing I've said since his confession is thanking him for contacting Kaleb for me."

Keeley wasn't great at this kind of advice, even as a parent. She needed to say the right thing to help her struggling daughter.

(The final promotional paragraphs have been removed as they are not part of the original text and appear to be a form of advertising.)