Chapter 36 A Dashing Gift
A Dashing Gift
Aria Amora
The next morning, it seemed as soon as our feet touched the floor, time took off running, taking us with it.
Giovanni was eager to get married. He came to Rocco, who approved the union with Luca’s blessing after a meeting with Thandie.
Luca was taken with her and the marriage pleased him.
Because Thandie had been an undercover agent, if Luca didn’t approve the union…
Giovanni would’ve had to decide. Leave the family or break off the engagement.
It hadn’t come to that, so we took a flight out of Italy to Haiti. Thandie and Giovanni only wanted a small ceremony in a place that meant a lot to her. The only people who attended were Ermanno, a few of Giovanni’s family who were important to him, and Rocco and me.
A few minutes before the ceremony, Thandie confided in me that she had been married before. She said that was how she knew Giovanni was the one. He was the exact opposite of not the one.
It felt like weather whiplash to go from such a cold climate to a warm one, but it felt nice not to be surrounded by ice twenty-four/seven, even though the cold added to the feeling of the holidays.
Thandie and Giovanni had a sunset ceremony, Ermanno standing in front of them as they said their vows.
Tears kept running down my cheeks, and Rocco kept patting them dry.
Maybe it was pregnancy hormones, but I felt so emotional about the entire experience.
Giovanni and Thandie were going to be so good for each other, and I knew together, once all was settled between them about the work issue, it was going to be so good for Ermanno too.
As I danced with Ermanno during the reception, I told him, “You’re going to fall in love with Thandie. She’s one of my best friends and she’s one of a kind. Your dad is going to make her so happy, and she’s going to make your dad feel like the luckiest man alive.”
His eyebrows had been furrowed since he found out about their wedding.
He made a comment about the relationship moving fast, which I thought was smart on his part.
For a good chunk of his young life, it was only he and Giovanni.
But he had memories of his mamma, as slight as they were.
Warm memories I could tell he held close to his heart.
But I reminded him that Fausti men didn’t do the dating thing.
When they got serious, they got serious enough to marry.
This seemed to help lighten his thoughts for a while, and after I reminded him of how amazing Thandie was, he seemed to perk up even more.
He seemed to like her, and she liked him.
It was just going to take time for them to get to know each other.
This was all new to Thandie, too. She didn’t have kids and had been career-driven all her life.
Just then, she asked to dance with Ermanno, and he perked up even more, taking her hand like a gentleman would do. Rocco wrapped his arms around me from behind, and I watched with a smile on my face as the two of them danced.
“Should I be jealous of the Shorty, my wife?”
“Nah.” I smiled. “You have this on lock.” I pulled our hands down to my stomach. “Proof.”
He kissed me along the side of my face, smiling as he did.
We danced into the night, recalling memories of our own wedding and honeymoon on a warm island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, before we found ourselves on another plane headed back to Italy. From there, we took the train to Zermatt, so we could get back to Winkelmatten.
From more ski trips to Christmas markets around Switzerland and Germany, to planning meetings with all the ladies about dinners, including one to ring in the New Year…
By the time Christmas arrived, I was ready for the boring week in between then to New Years to do nothing but lounge around the chalet with my husband while we watched my belly grow.
If anything, after such a huge, delicious spread, I felt like my food baby was bigger than our actual baby. I was wearing a form-fitting dress that showed a pooch from dinner.
I was sitting on Rocco’s lap, curled up close to him, while the buzzing of chatter still hummed in my ear. It was late, and we were about to leave Luca’s chalet.
Rocco laughed, raspy and low, when one of Mia and Saverio’s twins came zooming by, brandishing a wooden sword he’d gotten for Christmas.
He was after his brother, who promptly stopped and brandished a sword of his own.
The twins clacked their swords, their father herding them to the door, while Mia stuck wool hats on their heads and forced them to stop while she bundled them both up.
Scarlett smiled, watching them, Brando’s hand on her shoulder.
Her hair was the most beautiful shade of auburn, made more beautiful by the pure silver strands mixed in.
I’d never looked at Scarlett Fausti and not thought that she was just so beautiful.
Everything about her was beautifully made, all her features as stunning as the entire picture she made.
She turned to us, her smile as bright as her green eyes. “I’m sure you’re both ready for some down time, but…we have a gift for you both.”
“You’ve given us—” I was about to say “enough.” We’d all exchanged gifts earlier, and just like everything Scarlett did…she was an excellent gift-giver.
I was already on cloud nine about Luca giving Scarlett permission to share his mamma’s recipes with me, Carmen, and Juliette.
He said we were all daughters of his heart, and he felt his mamma would be proud that we all had what she considered recipes of love to pass down to us.
Scarlett also gave us Luca’s grandmother’s recipes, too, that Aunt Lola had given her.
She said Aunt Lola gave her permission before she passed—she could share the recipes with any woman in the circle who Scarlett felt would honor them.
Scarlett made it extra special by finding the same exact book Nonna Grazia had written her recipes down in. Then she copied each page—she even got the stains.
Scarlett’s thoughtfulness and Luca’s blessing made me cry.
Scarlett shook her head. “I’m so excited about this gift, but I wanted to give it privately.” Even though she was talking to me, she was looking at my husband.
I squeezed Rocco’s hand, and he nodded.
“We’ll meet you in an hour at your chalet,” Brando said.
It seemed like we all left Luca and Maggie Beautiful’s chalet at once. She said she was going to miss all of us, especially watching the kids with all their presents, but she was going to stay in her pajamas and watch old movies for the week to recoup.
“Me too!” Juliette said. “I’m beat!”
I noticed how Luca relaxed some when someone else agreed with Maggie Beautiful. It almost seemed like he was relieved when she wasn’t the only one tired. I’d noticed how he held onto her tighter when she’d said it.
I was tired too—tired to the bone.
Rocco sensed this, and after he kissed my temple, he picked me up and carried me home. Since Scarlett and Brando were not as formal as Luca, I changed into lounge wear while we waited for their visit. My husband only removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
The knock came exactly an hour later, and Rocco answered it. He took a few steps back when Scarlett and Brando came inside. I wrapped my thick cardigan tighter around myself when a gust of wind blew inside. It smelled of the firs, smoke from the chimneys, and ice.
At first, I wasn’t sure what was going on, but when Rocco took his place next to me, I realized what Brando had carried up the steps.
A stroller.
But not just any stroller.
A pram—a vintage looking thing that would fit perfectly in England back in the day.
Maybe even in that day. But the carriage was brand new.
The smile that came to my face was instant.
I ran my hand over the design, loving how delicate it was.
Light purple, the most delicious color cream, and gold.
The handles seemed made of pure silver. The wheels were gorgeous!
Scarlett had stuck a huge bow to the top. The card on top read:
Rocco, Aria, and the newest Little Baby of the Fausti family…
Love,
Brando & Scarlett
When my eyes could leave the beautiful gift, I found Rocco and Scarlett staring at each other. Her eyes were glossy with tears, so were his, and Brando cleared his throat, though he didn’t say anything after.
I was crying too.
Because I knew the gift meant something. It meant something to Rocco, and he grabbed my arm, pulling me close, kissing the top of my head.
Scarlett refused to confirm it, but in that moment we all knew…
Soon enough, because time moved too fast, my husband and I would be pushing our daughter in the gift our sister and brother had gifted us with.