Epilogue—Part One
Appa
One year later
We spent our first New Year’s Eve at Enzo’s house with their other cousins, and when the clock struck midnight on the East Coast, followed by Central and Mountain Time, Robby kissed me to make up for the New Year’s Eves we spent apart.
Part of me was ready for him to pop the question when California sprang into the New Year…
Now, a year into our relationship, I find myself pacing the mahogany flooring of the bathroom above the stables, anxiously waiting for the three longest minutes of my life to be up. The floor creaks beneath my feet, but I can’t stay still.
In the spring, we traded Los Angeles for Napa and sold both of our houses there in exchange for a small plot of land a few minutes from the Tenuta Valenti vineyards.
It was a dream come true after July Fourth here to find something in our budget, and they just poured the concrete foundation for our forever home.
I stepped into Rook’s filming room for the last time. It had been months, nearly a year, since Robby had filmed for Rook’s now deactivated account, but seeing the room fully emptied made me feel a certain way. Hollow? I felt Robby come up from behind and wrap his arms around my waist.
“It’s really happening.” It wasn’t a question. A pure observation of how our life was evolving.
“It already did, baby. Time to move on to the next chapter,” Robby said softly. I turned my head, and he met me halfway with a kiss. His phone beeped when our lips met. “Oh, that might be Enzo,” he added, pulling his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, he’s here.”
We stepped outside, where Enzo had pulled up with his truck and long flatbed trailer. We coordinated the move with him, so he could haul Robby’s Jeep and Tesla to Napa with Robby following in my car.
“Be careful?” I warned Robby as I passed him the key to my car.
He smirked. “Always.” Enzo walked over to us when the cars were secured to the trailer. “E, thanks again for coming down here.”
“You’ll get my bill,” he joked, but I knew Robby would pay him back for the diesel. “This better be the last time I have to drive to LA.”
Robby laughed. “Probably.”
“We’d better get moving. Dinner at Ma’s tonight,” Enzo said.
“Okay, I’ll catch up with you,” I said to Enzo. He nodded and turned toward the truck.
“See you in Napa, baby. Got your location sharing on?” Robby asked and placed his hands on my hips.
“Yep, always.”
“Good, I’ll stay near you guys. If you get tired of riding with E, just let me know.”
I chose to ride with Enzo. His truck was roomier and more comfortable, and I knew Robby would be a menace on the road and experiment with manual again.
“I think he’ll get tired of me first,” I giggled. Robby smiled and kissed me again.
He looked up at the house for one of the last times. “I’ll miss this place, but this will be better.”
And here I am, late despite being on the combination birth control that usually keeps my period on time. Not this month. It’s an early Thursday morning, and my damn period was due Monday. My stomach twists with every step.
Shit, would the house be done in nine months?
I’m about to flip the test over when Robby walks in with his joggers hanging off his hips.
Over the past year, he has let himself gain weight and looks more like the guy I met in college, but he has to be a little more careful to balance his weight when we have sex.
He still has abs—softer and less contoured, but I prefer them as they are now.
He strides over to the vanity. “Did I miss the reveal?” he asks.
I lean against the granite countertop, facing away from the test resting on the edge of the sink. “I’m too nervous to look.”
Robby hasn’t changed and is even more in sync with my routines and body since living together. He knew I was late the second I wasn’t bedridden on Monday like I usually was every four weeks. He reaches past me, lightly brushing my side with his bicep.
“Do you mind?”
I shake my head, and he clears his throat, making his Adam’s apple bob. He holds the test in front of his eyes and purses his lips. I slump.
Oh no, it’s negative.
But I swear my boobs hurt more!
“What? What is it?”
“You’re pregnant, baby,” he says and flips the test to show me the plus sign. He drops it to pull me into his arms, and the test clatters on the granite.
“No way!” I twist my torso to pick up the test and inspect it. It feels light in my hands for something so life-altering. My eyes well and my nose warms, but I try my hardest to stop any tears from falling. “Are you happy?” I ask, knowing the answer.
“Couldn’t be any fucking happier than I am right now.” Robby leans down, pressing his lips to mine. His hands find my sides, and he runs his fingertips over my lower abdomen. He rests his forehead against mine. “Are you?” he asks quietly.
I nod, feeling my lips turn upward. “More than.”
“Good.” He kisses me again. “As much as I want to call in, I have to get ready for work.”
“Okay.” I peck him on the lips, and he turns to start the shower, dropping his sweatpants. “Hmm, maybe I want to join you,” I say, pulling my oversized sleep tee over my head. It’s actually one of his old band tees I adopted into my wardrobe and never gave back.
Robby groans as I step into the tile shower with him. “Ugh, you’re going to make me late.”
“It’s payback since you made me late.”
He wraps his arm around my waist, pulling me into his orbit. “Touché, baby.”
While Robby sits at his temporary work desk in the primary bedroom and logs in, I make my iced coffee and sit on the balcony with my tumbler.
I bring my knees to my chest, resting my heels on the edge of the chair, and look out at the infinite, neat rows of grapevines that span most of the Valenti land.
The horses neigh below from the stables, and the air is still crisp from last night.
I lightly rub my lower stomach through my sweatshirt.
There’s a baby in there.
A real-life baby. Half Robby, half me. Would it be a boy like I thought we’d be destined to have? Or could we be having something rarer in the Valenti family—a girl? I smile down at my flat stomach.
I don’t mind either way.
I knew I wanted to be a mom someday; I just didn’t know when. Destiny chose for us.
Mama won’t like that you’re unmarried, Appa.
I push that thought right out of my head. We’ll get married when the time’s right. Hell, we’re not even engaged. A year into our relationship is early for a baby, but I’m at peace with it all after spending the last couple of days contemplating what life would look like with one.
Despite having so many nieces and nephews, babies were unfamiliar to me. I knew sleepless nights would be guaranteed along with the terror of giving birth, but I knew Robby would be there for it all. Maybe to an overbearing degree, but he’d be there.
“You’ve been quiet this morning,” Bea says while we roll out dough balls into strands to braid into challah bread. The warm dough sticks to my fingers, but I’m getting the hang of it. “Is my son being a butthead again?” she teases. If there was one person who could keep Robby in line, it’s her.
Since moving to Napa a couple of months ago, I’ve toned down my influencer content.
I still have sponsorships and passive income from views on older videos, but I spend my days with Bea and Nonna or Enzo when he cares for the horses.
While Robby worked, Rob, Robby’s dad, showed me how wine is made, and much to my relief, stomping grapes was no longer a thing.
Thank God for modern machinery.
A small smile grazes my lips, but I shake my head. “He’s always a butthead, but no, that’s not it.”
Nonna, cane in hand, walks into the kitchen. “The challah isn’t the only thing in the oven,” she says with a smile. “I know that look. You’re pregnant, sì?”
“Nonna! You can’t just say something like that,” Bea says to her.
“Have I ever been wrong?” Nonna claps back.
Bea’s eyes dart to me, her hands frozen on the rolling pin. “Is it true?”
“Um,” I start to say.
“Nonna knows everything,” Nonna adds.
Flush finds my cheeks. “She’s right; we found out this morning,” I confess.
Bea squeals and pulls me into an immediate hug. She’s much taller than I am, with dark curly hair, and even though Robby looks and sounds like his dad, I see so much of her in him. Her hugs always feel safe and real, and she’s careful not to put her flour-dusted hands on my back.
“That’s amazing, Appa. How far?” Bea asks.
“Um, I don’t really know,” I answer, lightly rubbing my arm. “I’m three days late and took a test this morning.”
Should I know this?
“My goodness, you’re only three or four weeks then.”
I can feel my eyes widen. Already one month along? I need to research. Maybe there’s a Pregnancy for Dummies book?
“That’s probably too soon to say something,” I say and bite my lip.
Bea washes her hands at the sink. “No, I’m glad you did… Well, Nonna did, really. It’ll explain why nothing sounds appetizing to you in a couple of weeks.” Bea brushes my curls off my shoulders. “Are you nervous?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Just in the normal way, I guess. I know it’s too soon to get excited. Things can happen.”
“Just stay relaxed the best you can.” Bea smiles warmly at me. “You two accomplished that a lot faster than Rob and I did.”
“Any advice?”
“Walk a lot. You’re going to need the strength.”
“For what?” I ask, still completely wide-eyed.
“Birth, Appa. Robby was almost nine pounds!”
I touch my forehead. “Oh, God.”
“And a glass of vino won’t hurt,” Nonna chimes in.
Bea rolls her eyes and lets out a light laugh. “Don’t listen to her,” Bea whispers to me.
“I can hear you, Beatrice,” Nonna adds. I giggle at them and their forty-year relationship. My mom could never be like this with the women my brothers were married to.
“Um, can you please keep this to yourselves for now?” I ask politely.
“Of course, Rob might suspect it before long, though,” Bea says. And that was fine. I don’t think I’d be able to keep a secret like this from Robby if I were in her shoes.
“Is there anything I should be doing?” I quietly ask her.
“Look up dos and don’ts, start a prenatal vitamin, and get an appointment scheduled for when you’re eight weeks,” Bea calmly answers.
“Keep it simple. Stay hydrated,” Nonna chimes in.
I nod, surprised there isn’t more to worry about for now. “Thank you.”
At lunchtime, Robby is just ending a meeting when I approach with leftovers and a fresh slice of bread from Bea.
“Aw, man, this is the best part of being in Napa,” he greets me with a big smile and pulls me into his lap. I set the plate on his desk and wrap my arms around his neck as he leans back in his gaming chair.
“What? Living together or eating your mom’s cooking?”
He nuzzles my neck. “You pregnant in Napa, of course. But Mom’s challah is a nice bonus.” His voice vibrates my skin, and I lean into him.
“Were you trying to knock me up the whole time?” I jokingly ask.
“Mm, you caught me.” His hand finds my lower abdomen, and I have a feeling it’s going to live there rent-free for the next few months.
He lifts his head and meets my eyes with his.
“But I was thinking about it more this morning.” He runs his other hand through my golden curls.
“Do you want to get married? You could get on my health insurance. It’d make things easier.
I mean, I love you and want to spend forever with you, no matter the label.
” I blink at him, thoroughly entertained by his awkward proposal.
I laugh through my nose. “Are you proposing?”
Robby flushes and looks away. “God, this is why you need a ring.”
“Robby…”
“Wait, I just remembered something.” He lightly pats my bottom, and I get off his lap. He walks over to the chest of drawers that holds his clothes. “Come here, babe.” We sit on the edge of the bed, and a small velvet box appears in his hand.
“Robby, what is that?” I ask. I feel as though I could cry again today, and my cheeks burn in anticipation.
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Robby grins wide, ear to ear and bigger than I’ve ever seen.
“After we moved here and Nonna met you, she gave me this to give to you someday. I can’t think of a better time.
” He opens the ring box, revealing a large round diamond with a smaller baguette diamond on each side set on a sturdy platinum band.
Sun catches it through the window, and the stone comes to life with sparkles.
Robby gently takes my hand. “This is the ring my Nonno gave her when they were still in Italy.”
“Oh, my God, Robby! I couldn’t.” I cover my mouth, trying to hide my awe.
“She wants you to have it. I had a jeweler check all the prongs and clean it.”
“I don’t know what to say,” I whisper.
“How about yes?”
“I’m not about to start saying no now.”
He pulls me onto his lap again and kisses my hair. “Good, because I’m not about to start letting you.”
Just a year ago, I was lying in bed with festering anger that he ambushed me under his other persona, but now, I can’t imagine being with anyone or anywhere else.