Thank you for giving her this experience.”

The simple acknowledgment, free of defensiveness or hidden agendas, felt like a small breakthrough.

I texted back, “She’s a joy to be with.

You’ve raised a remarkable daughter.”

On our final evening, we took the gondola up the mountain for dinner at a restaurant with panoramic views of the surrounding peaks.

Alice, dressed in her fancy clothes for the occasion, gazed out at the sun setting behind the mountains, painting the snow in shades of pink and gold.