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“It sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it.”

He reached across the table and took my hand, linking our fingers and holding tight. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me that you’re here.”

“I should have come with you from the start.”

“That you’re here with me now is enough.” He lifted my hand to his lips, turned it over and pressed a kiss on the inside of my wrist. “Thank you.”

The waiter returned, carrying a bottle of wine. He poured us each about a third of a glass, waiting for us to try it. I took a sip and let it roll around on my tongue. It was light and refreshing without a heavy taste or sweetness.

“It’s wonderful,” I told him. “Not overpowering, complementary. I like it.”

Slash nodded to the waiter, who set the bottle on the table and departed. I decided to keep the conversation on a neutral topic for a few more minutes as we settled.

“So, how does the sainthood process work?” I asked. “Someone performs a miracle andboom,they’re a saint?”

Slash leaned back in his chair, sipping his wine. “It’s not nearly as simple as that. It’s actually a long and complicated process.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Well, first you have to be dead for at least five years before you can be recommended for sainthood.”

“That’s totally unfair,” I protested. “You’d die not knowing you’ve been nominated.”

He seemed amused by my comment. “Saints live a life of extraordinary grace and kindness, not expecting a reward.”

“Still.” I set my wineglass on the table.

He chuckled. “You have to be considered a true servant of God, and the person must be nominated for sainthood by a bishop, cardinal or the pope himself. After that comes the beatification, followed by the canonization or blessing.”

“That’s a lot of requirements.”

“Oh, that’s the easy part. The final steps are the hardest. Saints must perform at least two miracles in front of credible witnesses. A lengthy investigation by church officials is conducted to prove the validity of the miracle before it can be considered valid and true.”

“Two miracles? Well, then I guess it’s a miracle—pun intended—anyone ever gets approved for sainthood.”

Slash chuckled. “The pope, of course, may decide to waive one or any of these requirements as he sees fit. There have been a handful of cases where he’s done just that.”

Before I could respond, the waiter brought us two small glasses filled with an unknown liquid and a plate of thick, crusty bread served with several types of cheese.

“What’s this liquid?” I asked, examining the glass.

“Prosecco.” He took a sip. “It’s excellent. The cheese and bread are the antipasto.”

I’d forgotten the Italians ate several courses before and after the main dish. “God, I love this country.” I broke off a piece of bread and took a chunk of cheese, pairing them together. I took a bite, closed my eyes, and may have hummed or purred aloud. Hard to say, as I could hardly hear myself over all the chewing.

When I opened my eyes, Slash was watching me with a smile. I finished chewing and wagged a finger at him. “Italians are the masters of food magic.”

“So you’re saying we are sorcerers?”

“Food sorcerers?” I corrected him. I liked the way the hard lines of his face had finally softened and relaxed. Had I helped him in that way? If I had, I wanted to keep him engaged. “Tell me more about these saints. Who are the people up for sainthood? The banner on the front of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo had a photo of a man and a woman.”

“Si, Sister Ana-Paula Núnez from Uruguay and Cristian Descantes from right here in Italy.”

“What miracles did they perform?”

“Sister Ana-Paula of Uruguay had two healing miracles back in the 1970s using a relic, which in this case was a bone fragment, from another saint, Padre Pio. Pio had also performed several healings before he was designated a saint. The sister is believed to have cured a little boy from a rural town in Uruguay of brain cancer. The child had undergone three surgeries to remove an aggressive tumor. One of those surgeries had badly damaged part of his brain, rendering him unable to speak or walk. But his parents refused to give up. They contacted Sister Ana-Paula, who traveled out to the countryside to pray for the healing intercession of Saint Pio and rubbed the relic against the boy’s skin. Within one week, the tumor suddenly vanished. Even more astonishing, the damaged part of his brain was also healed. Nine days after the intercession of Sister Ana-Paula, the child woke up, walked around and has been in perfect health ever since. An investigation by the Vatican, including several medical doctors and neurologists, confirmed the healing was rapid, complete and lasting, but most importantly, utterly inexplicable in light of current medical science.”

“That’s incredible,” I said. “Surely there had to be some explanation.”