Eleven #3
‘How are you feeling, Mr Morelli?’ Rowena enquired as Silvano walked slowly in her direction. A woman, who Rowena assumed was his wife, walked in lock step with him, a supportive hand under his elbow.
‘Please.’ He dismissed her formality with a wave. ‘Call me Silvano, everyone does. Except for my wife.’ He leaned in conspiratorially as he halted in front of Rowena. ‘She calls me her little cabanossi.’ He laughed. ‘Allow me to present my wife, Gina Morelli.’
Like Concetta, Gina was amply proportioned. There were some grey streaks in her dark hair and her round, pretty face had a youthful kind of glow despite what must have been some very stressful weeks.
‘Rowena,’ Gina murmured, her voice husky, her eyes two big brown puddles of unshed tears.
Then, before she knew it, Rowena was being clutched against an enormous soft bosom. The outback was clearly the place for huggers. ‘Thank you,’ Gina whispered. ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you.’
A hot wave of moisture pricked the backs of Rowena’s eyes at the raw emotion in the older woman’s voice. It was a hug of deep and abiding gratitude. A hug that expressed what words could not.
‘Gina, Gina.’ Silvano chuckled as he pulled gently on his wife’s arm. ‘Don’t smother the poor girl.’
Rowena smiled as she was freed from the embrace. It had been a long time since she’d been called a girl. ‘You look a lot better than the last time I saw you,’ she told him.
‘And you look exactly like the angel I envisioned.’
It was Silvano’s turn to go misty-eyed before he also pulled her in for a big bear hug. It wasn’t as hard as Gina’s because it was obvious he was still sore, but it was just as heartfelt and Rowena sank into it.
She and Silvano were bound in a way only two people who’d shared a life-altering incident could be. Something like that forged an enduring connection that could never be broken.
‘Anything you need,’ he muttered as the hug continued. ‘Anything at all, you come see me.’
Rowena’s instinct was to brush the offer aside. She hadn’t resuscitated Silvano for any kind of quid pro quo. That wasn’t the way it worked. But she understood how indebted the Morellis felt, so she just whispered, ‘Thank you.’
It obviously satisfied Silvano and he loosened his hold, allowing Rowena to ease gently out of his arms. ‘You still have some pain?’
He shrugged dismissively. ‘A little.’
‘You’re taking something for it?’
Gina nodded definitively. ‘Every six hours, as prescribed.’
‘She’s my drug dealer now,’ he joked.
Rowena and Brooke laughed, but they both knew that keeping on top of pain was important for his healing. ‘And the rehab?’ Brooke enquired. ‘How’s it going?’
He grimaced and Brooke arched an eyebrow, clearly not about to accept any excuses. ‘It’s very important, especially if you want to get back to the patisserie.’
‘I know, I know.’ He sighed as he lifted a placatory hand. ‘It’s just very … tiring.’
‘The hospital physios here are taking over his rehab,’ Gina assured, holding up a pamphlet. ‘He has to walk around the block twice. Once in the morning. Once at night. Then we gradually increase it. We’ll do it together.’
If Rowena had still been living in town she’d have volunteered to walk with them. After all, she was as invested as them in getting Silvano in shape and reducing his risks for having further events.
She placed a soothing hand on his forearm. ‘I know every step is exhausting at this stage in your recovery, but it will get better, I promise.’ She gave him a gentle smile. ‘You’ve just got to stick with it.’
He nodded wearily in acknowledgement. ‘Believe it or not, I’m already stronger than I was in the hospital.’
‘And what about the dietician?’ Brooke enquired. ‘What did she say?’
He gave a pained half snort. ‘No more cannoli.’
‘We have a plan to manage his diabetes.’ Gina tapped her handbag. ‘Which we’re going to stick to this time.’ She eyed her husband with a determined gleam.
‘See what I have to deal with?’ He turned long-suffering eyes on Rowena. ‘All the women in my life, they gang up on me.’
Rowena laughed, which shattered Silvano’s hangdog expression. He didn’t look like he objected to being bossed around too badly. ‘You’re lucky to have people who care.’
When she’d needed a little TLC from the people who were supposed to love her the most in life, she’d gotten the usual chin-up platitudes.
Brooke nodded in agreement. ‘People who care enough for some tough love.’
‘Speaking of.’ Gina glanced at her watch. ‘We have to get going. We have scripts to pick up at the pharmacy.’
Silvano nodded. ‘You will come by the patisserie, yes?’ His gaze met Rowena’s. ‘I’ll feed you cannolis. Someone’s got to eat them now I can’t.’
Rowena laughed. She might not have been here long but she knew those melt-in-the-mouth masterpieces walked out the door perfectly well without her help.
‘I’ll do that.’
They watched the Morellis depart. When they’d disappeared, Brooke turned to her and waggled her eyebrows.
‘Forget the free cannolis, you’re in the will, baby!’
Rowena laughed. ‘I think this town would rather see Silvano going for many more years so let’s concentrate on that, huh?’
Brooke raised her hand and they high fived. ‘Deal.’