Chapter 8
That night Antonio slept fitfully, torn between nightmares and memories.
Staring at the bare walls of the guest suite made him feel almost like a prisoner, and he understood why there had been such a push for the wing to be decorated.
He’d always meant to get round to sorting it out, but for some reason he’d never followed through on the idea.
It had been two months since Alyssia had asked for a divorce, and they seemed to be making very little progress, despite his best efforts.
He couldn’t help but wonder if it was all a test of his commitment – if he started trying to move forward, would she see it as him becoming impatient and not being willing to work for as long as it took?
Or was she secretly hoping that he’d make the first move, as he’d done that night, and show her more openly just how much he cared?
Sighing, he got up and headed to the bathroom, where he took a steaming hot shower and tried to erase the thoughts of his wife’s lips from his mind, with little success.
All he could think about was how … right …
it had felt to have her back in his arms, even if it was only for a moment.
Did she feel the same way? It was hard to tell.
The water hit him in the face like a thousand needles, momentarily causing him to forget what he was thinking about.
He’d always loved showers, preferring them to baths where you essentially sat in your own filth for however long you were in there.
It didn’t make sense to him because you were never truly clean that way.
At least with a shower the water washed everything off and that was it – gone down the drain like a rather smelly memory.
Shower completed, he got dressed for work, spraying on his favourite cologne and combing his hair into its usual style.
As a final touch, he added a pale blue pocket square to the pocket of his jacket, which he knew Alyssia loved.
She’d always said it reminded her of her father, and how stylish he’d always been.
As he wandered into the kitchen, he could hear Alyssia singing along to her favourite song.
He could never remember the name of the artist, but he knew that she’d loved the song ever since they visited Spain a few years ago.
If his memory served him correctly, the song was called “Tantos Bailes”.
It was one of those songs that had played in the background as they danced at their wedding reception.
“Que sin quererlo has desnudado mis instintos más primarios … tengo tantas vidas que robarte todavia de los labios...” she sang, the Spanish words rolling off her tongue like water.
He’d always loved it when she sang in Spanish, not that he knew what any of it meant.
A few years ago, he’d taken some Spanish lessons, but the similarities to Italian had made him so confused that he’d given up.
The basic phrases were enough to get by, anyway – all you really needed was hola, adios, por favor and gracias.
He gently slid his arms around her waist and swayed, feeling her initial surprise dissolve into synchronicity as they slow-danced together.
The music brought a smile to his lips, as memories of their honeymoon sprang to his mind.
Alyssia had looked so beautiful then, in her pale yellow sundress and sandals, the sun catching her hair and making it glow with life.
They’d spent almost every night singing and dancing, enjoying all the best that the Spanish coast had to offer.
It had truly been one of the most magical weeks of his life, seeing her effortlessly slip back into the life she’d always known.
As the song drew to a close, he felt Alyssia slowly stop swaying, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her head. She stayed in his arms for a while, her cheek gently resting on his chest, and then pulled away, still humming the tune under her breath.
“Good morning,” she smiled, and he smiled back. “You want some coffee? I’ve just made a fresh pot.”
“Please.” he replied, sliding onto a bar stool and watching her bustle around the kitchen.
Her baby bump was starting to blossom, and he thought that she’d never looked so beautiful.
He’d always wondered what Alyssia would have looked like pregnant, and now he was blessed with the realisation of his dreams. At their last midwife appointment, they’d found out they were having a girl, and the excitement was starting to grow.
Every day a new piece of furniture made its way into the house, or some new clothes, and even the odd toy.
Slowly, yet magically, their house was transforming from a couple’s house to a family home, and it was breathtaking to see.
“You look amazing.” He took in every inch of her body with an awed gaze. “Pregnancy suits you.”
“I feel like a beached whale,” Alyssia laughed, absentmindedly stroking her bump. “Thank you, though. It’s nice to hear you say it, even if I don’t believe it.”
“I mean it!” he protested. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more beautiful. You’re going to be an incredible mother.”
“That remains to be seen,” Alyssia grinned, sliding his coffee across the counter to him. It tasted different somehow, as if something was missing, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
“This tastes different. Did you change the coffee beans?” he asked, only to be met with a mock glare. He raised his hands defensively, trying his best not to laugh as she rolled her eyes and picked up her own mug.
“Decaf only now,” Alyssia groaned. “I’m trying to be as healthy as possible, even though coffee isn’t coffee when it’s decaf.”
“I could always have regular coffee and tell you about it, if you like?”
“Only if you want to lose your tongue. I know a guy who could do that for me,” she shrugged. “No, in honesty I don’t mind it so much now I’ve got used to it, but I’ll be grateful when I can have a proper coffee.”
“I bet,” Antonio smiled. “Have you got everything ready for the meeting?”
“Yeah, I think so,” Alyssia nodded through a mouthful of coffee. “I wanted to get your thoughts on it, actually, because it’s a bit of a weird one.”
“How so?”
“Well, you remember your Aunt Maria?”
“Yeah, I haven’t seen her in years. Why?” Antonio swallowed some more of his coffee. “She moved to Nebraska with my Uncle Tony when I was in my late twenties.”
“She did, and then he died. Well, she said he died,” Alyssia snorted, not believing Maria’s story for a second.
“Yeah, we never had a funeral or anything like that, so Dad never believed it.” Antonio added. “Anyway, from what I’ve heard, she’s moved back here and reopened all his old businesses – the laundromat, the restaurant, even the small chain of convenience stores.”
“And she hasn’t contacted anyone in our family, not even your dad?”
“Not that I know of. All I know is that the old staff have handed in their notice and gone back to work.”
“That is weird,” Alyssia hummed her agreement, and Antonio frowned. “I mean, if she has come back to New York, it makes sense for them to go back to work for her, but I’m surprised that they haven’t said anything to us. What does Dad make of it all?”
“He’s worried, obviously, especially because it’s been so long since they moved to Nebraska. Maria’s always been an issue for him, and having her back isn’t exactly going to help.”
“Has Tony come back with her?”
“No, he hasn’t,” Alyssia frowned, putting her cup in the sink. “I had Reynolds look into it, and that man Douglas who works for you, too. So far, they’ve found nothing out of the ordinary, just that the businesses are opening up again and Maria’s the one in charge.”
Antonio stared off into the distance, wondering what on earth his aunt was up to.
He’d never had that much to do with her other than seeing her at various family get-togethers, but he remembered her having a lot of black hair, always wearing red lipstick, black turtleneck jumpers, and pearl necklaces - almost like Bellatrix Lestrange if she’d been born in sixties and didn’t have a wand, or an inclination to use curses on people, although some of the words Maria came out with could be interpreted as curses.
“I’ll see if Dad’s had anyone look into it, and do some digging of my own when I’m at work. That woman has always had a knack for being at the centre of any drama -” The coffee was lukewarm, and he wrinkled his nose at the taste. “- or even being the direct cause of it all.”
“Be careful, OK?” she cautioned him. “I don’t know why she’s back, and I don’t know what she wants, but it can’t be good. I mean, the last time we saw her was at your cousin Matteo’s wedding, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget how that went.”
Antonio groaned, unable to forget the scene his aunt had caused.
She’d never been happy with Matteo marrying a “foreigner”, as she’d called Ndèye, even though she had been raised in Palermo.
Her father was from Senegal, and her mother was from Italy, but that hadn’t been enough for Maria.
She’d been very vocal about the fact that anyone marrying into her precious Blackwood family had to be full-blood Italian, not a “charcoal-skinned monkey” as she’d called it.
At Matteo’s wedding, she’d been horribly drunk and started making monkey noises whenever Ndèye tried to speak, joked that her family would eradicate her and her entire family if she ever set foot there again, and even threatened to contact members of the Ku Klux Klan if she didn’t ‘shut her monkey mouth’.
To her credit, Ndèye had somehow managed to keep her temper and grace, offered Maria food and drink, and acted as if she hadn’t heard a single insult from her mouth.
Eventually, Damon had had to drag Maria out of the reception and put her in a car, which hadn’t gone over well.
Shortly after that, Maria had moved to Nebraska, and they hadn’t heard from her or Tony again.
Noticing his grimace, Alyssia stroked his arm gently and offered him a reassuring smile. She knew Maria had been something of a thorn in the Blackwood family’s side for years, but she’d always tried to stay out of the nitty-gritty details for the sake of her own sanity.
“It will all be OK,” she murmured. “We’ve just got to get through this bit first.”
“I know.” Antonio sighed. “I just wish I knew how long the bit was.”