Chapter 05 #2
May 31st—the day Alicia came into the world.
Unlike Ethan, who barely made a sound when he was born, Alicia announced her arrival with enough determination for the entire hospital to hear.
Even then, she was all heart and will. My little whirlwind wrapped in a blanket, tiny fists waving as if already demanding to be seen.
I can almost feel the weight of her lying on my chest, the scent of her skin. It feels both like a lifetime ago and yesterday.
He hums. “I imagine she’ll always be your little girl. I’m over forty now, over six foot three, and to this day my nonna calls me mio bambino[XI].”
I laugh, recognizing the words. “My little boy.”
The sound of his chuckle makes me shiver.
I tell him about Alicia’s change of plans, how she decided, at the last minute, to have a small party at home. He listens, asking thoughtful questions that let me know he’s really paying attention.
He was only in New York for a few days, and sadly, we never managed to see each other again after that afternoon at the bakery.
This past week, while he was in Beijing, we barely spoke, just a few texts here and there, lost between time zones.
And yet now, even through the phone, he feels so close again.
Neither of us speaks for a beat, but it’s not uncomfortable. I can hear his breathing, and it’s like mine falls in sync.
Then he’s telling me about some cultural mishap he nearly caused at a restaurant during his trip, telling it in a way that only he could make sound both charming and self-deprecating, and I’m laughing when something in the reflection of the window catches my eye.
Colin.
He’s standing just behind me, his eyes fixed on me. And beside him, Mark, grinning like the devil himself.
On the phone, Alexander’s voice dips in that deep cadence that belongs only to him. “I should let you go before I make you late for the party preparations,” he says.
“Thank you for calling,” I reply, without turning from the window. “We’ll talk later, when things calm down.”
“Yes,” he murmurs, a smile audible in his voice. “I’ll call again once I’m back in Italy... you’ll tell me all about how it went. Ciao, bella.”
“I’ll be waiting,” I whisper, smiling. “Talk soon.”
When the call ends, I turn first to Mark, narrowing my eyes at him. Then my eyes find Colin. He’s standing rigid, jaw clenched.
“Colin.”
“Cecily.”
Mark clears his throat, cutting through the tension. “So... was that our friend on the phone?” His tone drips with feigned innocence. “You two talked for quite a while. I figured you’d already hung up.”
Before I can stop him, Colin cuts in. “Someone I know?”
Mark tilts his head, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Don’t think so, Old Man. He’s a nice guy, you two don’t exactly move in the same circles. Or the same league.”
He claps his hands together, his grin widening. “Anyway, are you here to chat, or to work? We’ve got a PG-13 bar to get ready.”
He gives Colin a hard pat on the shoulder, which I can tell hurts judging by the way Colin flinches.
For a few seconds, Colin just stares at me, like he’s fighting with himself over whether to say something or not. Then he finally grabs a box and follows Mark out to the backyard.
I shake my head. I love Mark like a brother, but sometimes he’s like the devil armed with perfect timing.
I open the door for Felicity and Hazel. The girl barely finishes a quick “hi” before trying to walk past me, but Felicity catches one of her boxer braids with a playful tug.
“Not so fast, jovencita[XII],” Felicity says, catching her daughter by the braid. “You should give your aunt a proper hello. She probably hasn’t seen you since before you started wearing a training bra earlier this year.”
“Mom!” Hazel groans, cheeks pink as she steps into my arms.
I laugh and press a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re more beautiful every time I see you,” I say, smiling into her warm brown eyes. “And I swear, you’re about to outgrow me.”
She laughs, already half turned toward the hallway. “Go on, sweetheart. Alicia’s in the backyard with the others.”
Once Hazel disappears, Felicity and I hug, and I close the door behind her.
It’s just the two of them today. Nicolás and Aurora went with Oliver to see an outdoor play at a park near their house, something they’d been so excited about. They’re younger, so they wouldn’t have enjoyed a party made up mostly of Alicia’s friends.
She follows me to the kitchen, where I’m arranging the last of the appetizers on a tray. She grabs two before I can protest, popping them into her mouth one after the other.
“I never know what you put in these spreads, but they’re divine,” she says with a little hum of approval.
Colin walks in just as she finishes speaking.
“Can I take this one outside?” He gestures to the second tray.
“Yes. Do we have enough napkins out there, or should I bring more?”
He shakes his head. “Plenty.”
Then Felicity looks up, and her smile tilts in that way that always spells trouble. “Well, hello, Colin. It’s... not sure what to call it. A surprise, definitely.”
Colin’s expression doesn’t waver. “Good to see you too, Felicity.”
He picks up the tray and walks out to the backyard without another word.
I arch a brow at her. “What was that? I know you insist on being protective on my behalf, but I didn’t realize the tension between you two was that bad.”
Felicity sighs and drops onto one of the island stools.
“The day after your divorce—when I came home from checking on you—Colin was at our house with Oliver. And I... kind of went off on him.”
She winces at the memory, running a hand through her hair. “You were holding yourself together by a thread, trying so hard not to fall apart, and I just... I snapped.”
I cross the space and pull her into a side hug, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
“You’re a wonderful friend, you know that? But you don’t have to slay my dragons for me. I’ve got that part covered.”
“I know,” she groans. “I blamed it on PMS afterward—which, to be fair, wasn’t a total lie. Oliver showed up five minutes later with a giant chocolate sundae loaded with M&Ms, trying to calm me down.”
I laugh, picturing it. Those two have always had their own brand of delightful disorder, hard to understand, but impossible not to love.
Then her eyes turn to me with a knowing glint. “So... any news from your Italian stallion?” she teases.
“For God’s sake, Felicity,” I sigh, exasperated. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
She lets out a loud laugh, stealing another appetizer. Ever since she saw Alexander and me at the bakery near the market, she hasn’t stopped bringing him up. That night, she called me with more questions than a detective on a case.
And when I told her, repeatedly, that Alexander and I were just friends, she groaned and said I was impossible. That I didn’t know how to enjoy life even when it literally handed me opportunities. Her parting words? “God gives nuts to those who have no teeth.”
She doesn’t understand that I’m not looking for a new relationship just to fill the void Colin’s betrayal left. And what Alexander and I share—this friendship, this rare connection—is far more precious to me right now than anything else.
I won’t play dumb and say I haven’t noticed how handsome, attentive, and charming he is, or that I haven’t thought that any woman would be lucky to have someone like him. I clear my throat at the thought.
So yeah, I’m just grateful to have him as my friend.