Chapter 29. Anxious

Madison nodded and felt supported. ‘Right! For Mom and my sisters!’ she whispered to herself. Now that she had nobody next to her, Madison took a deep breath. Her eyes wandered around the spacious hall and saw that many seats were still unoccupied at this hour.

“Scusi, è occupato questo posto?” a voice suddenly asked.

Madison turned her head to the young woman next to her. “Huh?” she asked. It had only been a minute when Emily left, and somebody was already asking Madison something she had yet to learn. It was unexpected, so Emily’s last reminder vanished in Madison’s mind.

“È occupato questo posto?” the stranger repeated while pointing to the seat next to Madison.

Madison could feel her chest racing in anxiousness and embarrassment. The young woman assumed that Madison did not hear the question correctly. It seemed both of them did not understand each other. “I’m sorry, what?” Madison asked.

The young woman licked her lips before speaking in English. “