“We’ll find another doctor for the rest of the pregnancy, baby, so let’s just let them check you over this one time, okay?”
“Thank you, Spunk,” Meadow sighed gratefully. My heart skipping a beat, that was twice now she’d used my nickname, and that was a good enough sign for me.
Meadow and I were meant to be together, and we were meant to be parents to this miracle, and mark my words, Meadow was going to be my wife.
I would bet my life on it.
***
The doctor’s stern warning echoed in my mind as I raced around the kitchen preparing a meal of leafy greens, protein and complex carbohydrates.
To my utter shock and disbelief, Meadow had lost six kilos. She insisted that it had been longer than the three weeks since we … parted. That surprised me; I had been so stuck in my own problems and pity party that I had not even noticed her silent suffering or the consequent weight loss.
The best the doctor could ascertain, Meadow was in her fifth week and still very much in the danger zone of miscarrying. When he casually told us that Meadow was under a healthy weight and her nutrition needed to be improved. He put her on some heavy-duty vitamins and suggested she sleep only at night, rest during the day, and take on twenty minutes of light exercise a day. Nothing more than a short walk, and no working for at least a month or ideally until she reached the twelve-week mark.
I planned on making all of that happen, and on the drive home I formulated a plan on how I could take some time off from the company. Ace was easily capable of taking over the office, and Boofa was showing signs of running the crew without my help. Whatever it was going to take, I was stepping down until the foreseeable future.
Soft footsteps behind me and the scent of flowers and musk invaded my senses. Since we’d returned from the doctors, Meadow had been subdued, not talking but not shrinking away from my touch. She allowed me to carry her from the car, settle her on the couch and even let me fuss, tucking a blanket around her. When she let me kiss her lightly on the lips, I nearly fucking started to cry in relief.
“Hey baby, I’m making a Caesar Salad with homemade croutons and a boiled egg,” I told her my back to her.
“Umm, Luca?” Meadow hedged, her tone bewildered.
“Yeah, baby?” Turning around, I stilled when I saw my mobile phone in her hand. And I knew without looking that my mother had messaged me.
Shit.
“You got a message from your mum. What does she mean when she asked you to forgive her and reconsider her being part of our baby’s life?” Meadow held up the phone and I could see the message app was open.
Shit.
Luca said nothing while he stared at his phone in my hand. I knew he wasn’t angry with me for looking at his messages. Early on in our relationship, we agreed not to have secrets, to always be honest, and we both had the freedom to use each other’s phones whenever needed.
And seeing as my phone was back at the bungalow along with all my other belongings, I didn’t hesitate to pick up Luca’s phone lying there on the coffee table to ring Trish and let her and Lennie know how my appointment went and that I was with Luca. Of course, they had to know already as I suspected they were in on today’s pantomime, along with Michael and Jeff. My sister and her boyfriend were still on my shit list and I would be dealing with them in due time. I wasn’t pissed that they wanted Luca and me to work out our issues, just that they decided now was the time.
I wasn’t ready to confront Mrs Donatella and her daughters being too stressed about other things to get stuck into that can of worms. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be ready, and the last three weeks showed me living without Luca was not plausible for my heart to cope with, but her? I could easily live the rest of my life without speaking to her or even seeing her again, and going by this text, I might not have to worry.
Did Luca confront his mother? Did he find out what I suspected? That she faked her frailness and the fainting episode? How? When?
Reading the text, I could only surmise that Luca had walked away from his family for our baby and me. The joy I should be experiencing now that god awful woman was out was non-existent; instead, I was overwhelmed with sorrow for Luca. The promise he’d made to his father drove him to be a good man, and he was. Loyal and fierce when it came to those he loves, gentle and kind and thoughtful enough to put up with his sister’s constant nagging and uselessness. Hardworking and proud, continuing his father’s legacy without complaint, taking last-minute trips to see panicked clients.
He couldn’t give that up for me to make my life easier. I won’t and can’t allow it.
“Luca?” I prompted, waving the phone, then bringing it to my face and reading the message out loud.
“My son, please forgive me. You were right when you said your father would be ashamed of my behaviour since you met Meadow.” I raised my brow at the use of my actual name; that was definitely a first.
“I know now that I have manipulated you since Massimo’s passing and allowed your sisters to follow my lead. You never complained and I think that is why I continued to behave so deplorably. Can we at least talk about this? I am happy to wait until you and
