15. Elio
Elio shut the door to his study, and as soon as the click of the lock echoed in the quiet room, the thoughts came rushing at him like a tidal wave.
Kayla was here; after months of thinking about her, wondering where her life had taken her, wondering if he should have fought harder to stay in touch, whether he should have fought at all, she was here. It was like magic, a dream. The universe was throwing him a second chance at maybe having something in his life that wasn’t just work, lawsuits or contracts.
But Kayla was pregnant. Very pregnant. The timeline definitely matched up, and he had been ignoring any calls from the States. Everything fit with the story she had told him, even the distress built up in her shoulders as she let the words out, watching his reaction carefully. Elio had done his best to keep his face completely blank as Kayla had spoken. Only now, in the privacy of the study, did he collapse into the chair behind his desk, resting his forehead on the smooth wooden surface of the desk itself. There was no reason to think that she was lying.
So what should he do?
He had never really considered having kids. Until Kayla had blown into his life with that storm months ago, he’d never even thought about the possibility of a relationship. Work had been all-consuming. Traveling for work. Meetings for work. Getting up early and going to bed late, all in order to work. So he had no time for a relationship, and how much his heart squeezed in his chest as he saw Kayla arrive in that boat didn’t change the laws of time. He certainly didn’t have space in his life for a child. For a whole family.
Think, Elio…
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? He was thinking too much. There were too many thoughts to sift through. So he sat there rubbing his eyes, trying to find strings of rational thought amongst the chaos and panic.
Okay. So. When Kayla had arrived in that boat, what had he been expecting? That maybe they could still start some sort of relationship? Maybe long distance even? But that was ridiculous because it still didn’t change the fact that he had no time. So even though his chest felt tight and his heart felt like it was being stained black, he ruled that out. He just wasn’t cut out for being with people. No matter how great the people might be.
So, no relationship. They couldn’t be together. He wasn’t going to expect someone like Kayla, someone who, by the sounds of it, had found her passion in life (and God, he really was so happy that she had gone into cooking because it was perfect for her), to give all of that up and what? Follow him around as he moved between Italy and the U.S.? If he was ever able to set foot back on American soil… And that was the other thing… Having quit her job and gone into the food industry, which was great, he was happy for her… but she wasn’t exactly rolling in cash, was she…
That’s when he allowed himself to face the dark, insidious thought that had been crawling around his skull ever since she set foot on that dock. Had she just come all this way for the money?
It was certainly possible. The few times Elio had stumbled into relationships in the past, his wealth had been what they were attracted to. He didn’t really seem to matter all that much. The same went for friendships and even working relationships. His father’s voice ran in his head. Money matters. Image is everything. Believe what your eyes tell you. And what his eyes were telling him was that he’d knocked up a woman (his fault, he wouldn’t shirk from that), someone in a completely different social sphere, and she’d traveled around the globe in a desperate bid to make sure that he knew about it.
So, Elio,he scolded himself. What does that look like to you, huh?
But Kayla wouldn’t do that, would she? God, he was being ridiculous! He didn’t know this woman. He’d spent a few days with her, under extreme conditions, months ago. She was as good as a stranger. He had to be brutally honest with himself and admit that of all the options, the most obvious possibility was what was actually happening.
He sank back in his chair, both depressed and relieved at the conclusion. But it was realistic. It was good business. So what now?
Well, he couldn’t just send Kayla off into the sunset with nothing. He would provide for her, of course. He had basic morals; he wasn’t just going to abandon her and the baby. He would write a check for her to take back to the States, where she could pay for the best medical care possible, and then he’d sit down with his lawyer and figure out a plan for providing for the infant throughout the next however many years. Done. Easy. Kayla would get what she needed and he would do the right thing, and they could both continue on in their respective roles in life. He just wouldn’t get to actually participate. And that was fine. It was for the best. He didn’t have time.
Okay then. That was decided. He pushed himself up from his chair feeling not much of anything. Most of him had returned to that bizarre numb state that he’d entered as Kayla had caught him up on the events of the last six months. He felt outside of his body, but it was better than the chaos and panic of a few minutes beforehand. Right? Right.
He smoothed out his suit jacket and smoothed out any lingering thoughts left on his face, back to the cool, calm exterior that showed he meant business and made his way from the study back to the living room.
Kayla was nowhere to be seen, the room completely empty. Had she gotten cold feet and left? But no, Elio could see the dock from the window and the boat she’d arrived in was still there, with the helmsman flicking through his phone while leaning against the side of the hull. She had looked a little unsteady on her feet. Maybe she’d gone to lie down. He wouldn’t put it past Kayla to let herself into the guest wing and go lay down on the bed.
He made a beeline for the rooms on the eastern side of the house, letting himself in and finding… nothing. Kayla wasn’t there, and it didn’t look like anyone at all had been there in days.
The kitchen? Maybe she was hungry? Maybe he should have offered her something to eat and drink… She was pregnant, for God’s sake. He definitely should have offered her something, not to mention she’d loved being in the kitchen so much when she had stayed here with him during the storm. But Elio stormed into the kitchen and there was no Kayla. Instead, Gianna and Isabella, who had been deep in conversation, looked up at him in surprise, Isabella’s piping bag frozen in mid-air.
“Sir?” Gianna asked, her head tilted to the side.
“You haven’t seen an American woman with curly blond hair come through here, have you?” he asked, out of breath for some inexplicable reason. It almost felt like panic.
Gianna and Isabella shared a glance with each other but shook their heads.
“No, Mr. Morelli,” Isabella said. “It’s just been us this whole time.”
“Right,” Elio said. “Sorry to burst in. I’ll just keep looking.”
“Sir?” Gianna called. “Is everything all right?”
“Just let me know if you see her at all, please,” he said, and then left promptly before they could ask any more questions. The feeling in his chest wasn’t panic, definitely not, but it sure was starting to feel uncomfortable.
Moving through the house, Elio poked his head through every door on the first floor, finding nothing. He dismissed the second floor altogether, given how off-balance Kayla had been just walking on a flat surface. Desperate, he headed outside. Fresh air, that was it. She must have gone outside to get some fresh air.
He circled the house, checking the patio and the dock again. Then he saw a flash of blond curls amongst the green of the edge of the vineyard, and he changed direction. The tightness in his chest instantly loosened as she properly came into view, further away than he’d first thought. Having her vanish like that, like a puff of smoke, Elio didn’t know why it had set him on edge so badly. He was just concerned for her, that was all. She’d had a long trip. Really, that’s all it was.
In the vineyard, Kayla was sitting on the ground amongst the grapevines, only looking up as he was right on top of her and… and she didn’t look well at all.
“Are you all right?” he asked, crouching down next to her. His hand hovered over her shoulder, wanting to touch her and soothe her, but still not sure if that was the best idea.
Despite the fact she looked slightly green, she nodded with a very fake smile. “Yeah, I just needed to get some air, and it was so nice here when you brought me before, so…”
Her sentence trailed off because she was too out of breath to keep talking, as if she’d just run a marathon. Elio knew you could get winded when you were pregnant, and he knew you could get tired and need to sit down and get some air. But this was something else. The dread in his chest was back with a vengeance and alarm bells were ringing in the back of his head. Any thoughts about offering her a paycheck were quickly drowned out.
“I think we should get you inside, okay?” His voice was gentle as he took her arm and helped her up. She didn’t protest, saying nothing at all, as he pulled her up. Not to mention, she was far too listless for Elio’s liking.
“Come on,” he said, trying to catch her attention and get her to look at him because right now she seemed so far away, her gaze unfocused on the ground. “It’s too hot out here for pregnant people, all right? If you need air, there are plenty of balconies. You’re too adventurous for your own good.”
Finally, Kayla looked up at him, and Elio thought he could see some color in her face. Then, without warning, her eyes rolled back and she went limp, crumpling in slow motion as she fainted.
There weren’t any thoughts after that, only instinct. Elio caught her, one arm wrapped around her shoulders as she fell to earth while his other arms scooped her up under the knees in one smooth motion. Her hair was in his face, the sun in his eyes, but his legs knew where to go, working on muscle memory alone. He could run, but that would only jostle Kayla. It would only make things worse, so he headed for the villa with long, steady strides.
It didn’t matter that he was walking unbalanced, up a hill, littered with roots and rocks from the vineyard. Nothing mattered except getting Kayla inside and laid down. Nothing mattered other than getting a doctor here now. Elio wasn’t panicking. Between Kayla’s surprise arrival and pregnancy, and now this, he was too numb to panic. But he still avoided looking at her hanging limp in his arms, at how pale her skin had turned and how her head hung motionless against the crook of his elbow. If he was going to start panicking, it would be if he focused too much on how ill Kayla was looking. So he didn’t. All he needed to focus on was getting to the villa. Nothing else existed.
As he reached the door, arms still full and with Kayla showing no signs of regaining consciousness, Elio kicked the door as hard as he could in lieu of knocking.
“Gianna!” he shouted, loud enough to be heard by her deep in the house, kicking the door again for good measure. He never shouted at the staff, ever. Especially Gianna, who jumped at loud noises and only wanted everyone to be happy. So to suddenly hear him shouting her name, Gianna appeared at the door in record time, eyes wide and getting wider as she looked upon Kayla, unconscious in his arms.
“Call Dr. Albero,” he said.
Gianna didn’t hesitate, running back off into the house and presumably grabbing her phone because it wasn’t long before Elio heard her talking very fast in Italian. He caught snippets of the conversation as Gianna followed behind him to the guest suite; how a young lady who was pregnant had fainted, how she looked pale as a ghost, how the good doctor should get here as fast as possible.
Inside the suite, Elio laid Kayla down on the chaise longue underneath a window that he opened quickly, letting fresh sea air wash over her. His fingers were cramping the instant he let her go. Had he really gripped Kayla that hard the entire way here? She wasn’t going to bruise, was she? And she really was as pale as a ghost… Even her lips were white.
Gianna, usually so quiet and soft that Elio barely noticed her presence as she worked, burst back into the room and scuttled Elio off to the side. She laid a damp cloth against Kayla’s face and neck, washing the skin softly, the cloth smelling so strongly of lavender oil that the scent immediately filled the room.
Whatever Gianna was doing seemed to work because finally, finally, Kayla’s eyes started to flutter beneath their closed lids. Her breathing became deeper, and the faintest hint of color crept back into her face. Elio sagged against the wall in relief. He really thought… she had really looked…
Gianna caught his eye, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking.
“The doctor said he would be here as soon as possible,” she said with a determined expression. Elio nodded, forever grateful for this timid woman who was much stronger than she looked.
* * *
Dr. Albero had a reputation around the local coastal towns and islands for being… eccentric. He was brilliant, one of the best doctors in Italy, a man who could have easily gone on to be a surgeon or specialist in any field, but he had always insisted that he felt more at home being a family doctor in the area where he’d spent his youth. What separated him from the usual picture of a reserved, scientific man of medicine was the fact that he only ever wore khaki shorts and Hawaiian shirts, no matter the season or weather, and his main mode of transportation was a jet ski that he could be seen buzzing around past coastlines and islands. If he needed to bring testing materials or monitoring devices, that was no problem; the jet ski came with a detachable trailer that he had built himself. The coast guard didn’t recommend using a jet ski so far out from the coast, but Dr. Albero had never been one for taking government officials’ recommendations into account.
It wasn’t long before he arrived, pulling up to the dock with the speed of a barracuda and the grace of a swan, and despite his age, jumping onto the wooden dock with the sprightliness of a much younger man. Elio left Kayla’s side, as much as he didn’t want to, leaving her in Gianna’s capable hands. Even if he hadn’t heard the jet ski, the dock was in view from the guest suite window and he could have seen Dr. Albero’s bright orange shirt from a mile away.
“Young man,” Dr. Albero said as he spotted Elio racing towards him, unhooking the jet ski’s trailer and dragging it onto the dock, kicking a set of home-welded wheels out to drag it up to the house. “The next time someone asks me why I don’t head to Rome or Milan to be some fancy man in a fancy hospital, I will tell them that I stay because there are always surprises remaining around the corner for me here.”
“Thank you for coming out,” Elio said as the old man stormed up the dock and onto the stone path, dragging the trailer behind him as if it weighed nothing. He waved a dismissive hand and kept plowing forward. Elio was sure that he would simply walk straight over anything or anyone that got in his way.
“Gianna seemed a little confused on the phone,” Dr. Albero said as Elio led him to the guest suite. “But there appears to be a pregnant American woman who fainted and is now inside?”
“Yes,” Elio said, cringing at how out of hand this had gotten so quickly. “Her name is Kayla. She was feeling unwell and looked kind of green, and then she fainted.”
By then they were at the door to the suite and Dr. Albero nodded his head and went inside without further ado.
“Are you coming?” he asked, pausing and looking over his shoulder at Elio, whose feet were frozen firmly to the floor.
“Gianna’s in there,” he said, unable to make himself move forward no matter how hard he tried. “I don’t want to intrude, and she knows everything that I do.”
Medically, at least.
With another nod, Dr. Albero closed the door behind him, and once again, Elio was on his own.
* * *
Elio only started to relax a fraction when Gianna emerged from the guest wing to announce that Kayla was awake and talking, even if she still looked “a bit too pale for her own good.” Before Elio could ask anything else, Gianna fled the scene, apparently out of fuel to continue with any heroics and disappeared back into the comfort of the main house where she would quietly go about her business. Elio made himself a mental note to give her a raise. A big one. Then he was once again left alone with his thoughts, pacing the hall until Dr. Albero emerged half an hour later, his jet ski trailer in tow.
“Is she okay?” Elio asked, his voice involuntarily soft as though speaking any louder would jinx everything.
“Preeclampsia,” Dr. Albero announced, adjusting a fastening on his small trailer before pulling it behind him as he made his way towards the front door. Elio followed along beside him.
“That sounds… serious,” Elio said, his heart sinking back into his stomach where it had been residing for the last hour. Dr. Albero stopped in the hall, just shy of the front door, and nodded.
“It is,” he said, and Elio didn’t think his heart would ever make it back up to his ribcage. If Dr. Albero was as serious as this, then it was bad. Even the brightness of his Hawaiian shirt had seemed to dull in the wake of the statement.
“Can it be treated?” Elio asked, mind racing for any way to fix this mess.
“Treated? Yes. But not cured, the only thing that will cure it will be for the young lady to give birth.”
Great. Now Elio was picturing the worst possible scenarios available to his vivid imagination.
“But what is it?” he asked, still not actually understanding what was wrong.
“In layman’s terms? Blood pressure that’s far too high and irregular, causing potential organ damage. It’s not helped by the fact that there’s diabetes in the family as a pre-existing marker. But she’ll be fine, don’t worry.”
Elio blinked at him, stony-faced. “She’ll be fine?” he repeated. “She might have organ damage, but she’ll be fine? You said it was serious.”
Dr. Albero offered him a kind smile, his eyes twinkling. Elio didn’t think it was possible, but suddenly, he was even less amused than before.
“Yes,” said Dr. Albero firmly, that smile still on his face. “She will be fine. And yes, it is also serious if left untreated. Pregnancy is a serious business, after all. But as long as she rests and takes the medication I have prescribed, all will be well. And when I say rest, I mean it. Not ‘doing light work here and there,’ not ‘oh, I’ll just organize the closet and walk the dog a few times a day.’ Nothing. Rest, sleep, a light stroll, that’s it. Stress is the worst thing for the young lady right now. So you best take care of her and call me immediately the second anything seems amiss. It doesn’t matter the time, day or night. My jet ski has lights, and I’ve recently upgraded to halogen bulbs, so it’s no trouble.”
With his speech finished, Dr. Albero patted Elio on the arm and left with his trailer rolling behind him, off on another adventure, his Hawaiian shirt flapping in the wind.
Well. This changed things, didn’t it? Because any thought of just giving Kayla a check and sending her on her way, of keeping both their lives as uncomplicated as possible… that just wasn’t an option anymore, was it? Pacing back and forth in his study, what felt like a lifetime ago, all of Elio’s thoughts and potential strategies had been about keeping things simple, about not rocking the boat, and keeping life going in its expected trajectory. That had all been blown out of the water because now it was about Kayla’s safety. Not to mention the baby’s… God, if anything happened to either of them because he tried to shuffle them off back to the States. But he wasn’t a monster, so there was no chance of that happening. He couldn’t even bear to let her leave the island.
At least here it would be quiet. Kayla would have her own space, and he would have his. Dr. Albero was always within reach… This would be fine. It had to be.