‘Luna and Marco are going to be here soon,’ Rose said to Ben as she raced around their flat, making sure everything looked perfect.
She stopped and took a moment to admire the fireplace they’d added since she’d moved in with Ben three months ago. Pausing to run a hand over a frame that contained a photo from their best friends’ wedding of the whole Marino family – including Ben and Rose – at the end of that special day. They’d all been giggling, high on emotion – the result of a plentiful supply of wine, food and love. Rose didn’t think she’d ever been so happy.
Her mobile rang and she turned and almost tripped over the fertility statue that Isabella and Cesare had presented to her just before she and Ben had left for England. She hadn’t had the heart to refuse to take it, so it had taken up pride of place beside the fireplace. Although Rose made a point of not touching it too often now it was mended – just in case.
‘That was your mum,’ Ben said, wandering in from the kitchen, wearing an apron and a sexy smile that made her stomach do a slow somersault. ‘She wanted to tell us that she’sjust arrived at your dad’s house and she’s waiting for him, so they might be a few minutes late.’
‘They’re still planning on driving here together?’ Rose asked, her eyes widening.
Her parents had been through a transformation since she’d refused to attend either of their weddings. They’d both gone ahead with their nuptials of course, but as predicted, neither of the marriages had lasted.
Since then, Rose had sat them down and had a stern talk about her new boundaries, including how she wasn’t to be used as a pawn in their relationship battles anymore. Nor was she prepared to give them any advice. After which, they’d both changed so much she hardly recognised them.
But this was a whole new level of weird.
‘Looks like it,’ Ben told her, turning on his heel and heading back into the kitchen before picking up a wooden spoon from one of the counters. Rose followed, taking a moment to admire the new blue cabinets and oak breakfast bar in the centre of what had once been a separate kitchen and dining area but had recently been knocked through. Being engaged to an architect had certainly paid dividends.
‘You don’t think they’re going to get back together, do you?’ Rose asked, feeling a sudden tightness grip her chest.
Ben smiled at her indulgently. ‘Even if they do, it’s not your problem anymore remember. That’s your new number one rule.’ He repeated her new mantra for about the five hundredth time.
Rose nodded and walked up beside him so she could admire the bubbling pot of Bolognese that she knew contained the secret recipe Isabella had passed down to Ben. But as she breathed in the amazing fragrance, her stomach suddenly clenched and she had to step away.
‘Everything okay?’ Ben asked, turning and gently pressing their mouths together. Rose leaned into the kiss, savouring it, before pulling back.
‘I’m fine. I think I’m just stressed about this lunch,’ she said, pressing a hand to her belly just as her mobile went off again. She rolled her eyes. ‘It’s probably Mum again.’
She picked up the mobile, surprised to find Aurora’s name on the screen. ‘Ciao!’ she said, smiling. ‘I didn’t expect to hear from you today.’
‘Leonessa, I wanted to be the first to congratulate you,’ the clairvoyant boomed from the other end of Cesare’s mobile.
‘On what?’ Rose asked, widening her eyes at Ben who’d obviously heard.
‘On thebambinoyou are carrying, of course!’ Aurora said excitedly. ‘Aldo just told me you are expecting.’
* * *
