We continued strolling northward and reached The Venetian. I grabbed her hand, and we entered the hotel. Upon seeing the large gambling floor, Elena stopped and ogled the multi-colored, crowded, noisy place.

I asked, "Have you ever gambled?"

"Only if you call buying a lottery ticket gambling."

"Tell you what; each of us gets $100 and plays the slot machines until we lose it all. We won't be able to win, but at least you find out how it feels to play the odds."

I showed Mom how to play a couple of machines and then we separated. I lost the $100 in 20 minutes flat. I went to look...