Still laughing, she washed up. “I’ll bet he got at least three cookies off my hands and that spoon.”
Luca ran to her. “Was there any chocolate in it? Chocolate very bad for dogs.”
His concern for Remy rippled across her heart. “No, no chocolate. Only dried fruit and nuts, eggs, flour, oh, and brandy.”
Luca ran over and rubbed the dog’s belly. “Ah, he gets wine every time it spills. He should be okay, but we watch him.” He ran over to his packages. “Madame Claire, I have an early Christmas gift for you.” He checked with Gilbert. “Is it okay to give it to her now, Onc?”
Gilbert smiled. “Bien sûr.”
Luca pulled out a chair at the long wooden table and patted it. “Please sit down. No French lessons today. I give you the day off.”
Drying her hands, she sat. Luca placed a red envelope before her.
She shook it. “Is it a diamond necklace?”
Luca rolled his eyes.
She sniffed it. “A puppy?”
“And make Remy jealous? Non.”
She held the envelope up to the light. “A widescreen TV.”
“That is so American.”
“Sorry. Okay, I’ll open it if you’re not going to give me any clues.” She ripped the flap up and pulled out a certificate: a week’s membership to the Colmar Community Pool. She gulped.
Luca tucked his head up under her arm. “You are too old not to know how to swim Madame Claire. I will teach you.”
A laugh burst from her belly. Luca smiled his dimpled smile. Loving Luca was a coup de foudre.
Gilbert rested his hands on his hips, shaking his head at his incorrigible son.
Claire laughed so hard, Luca grabbed her arm to keep her on her chair. She wiped at happy tears. “Merci, Luca. It’s just what I wanted.”
Gilbert grew concerned. “I should have asked, do you have a bathing suit?”
Still laughing, Claire said, “I can design—” She pressed her lips together. Nope, she was done with that obsession. “I can buy one.”
Luca jumped up. “First lesson next week! We practice breathing before we go to the pool.”
“I think Claire would like to finish making the cookies first,” Gilbert said in a soothing voice.
“D’accord. I must wrap gifts.” He lugged the bags after him into the salon.
“I’m sorry. It was his idea, and I could not talk him out of it.” Gilbert sat next to her.
“He’s right. I am too old not to know how to swim.” She stuffed the certificate back in the envelope. “Thank you for telling me about the letter. David didn’t tell me about Luca because he feared I might force him to choose between us, and he could not bear life without Luca or me.”
He nodded. “I can understand, but he missed out on knowing you deeply.”
“And I him.” Claire shrugged at the loss she could do nothing about. She had to forgive herself and David.
“Some of the test results arrived.” Gilbert held both her hands. “You have saved Luca’s life, twice.” His eyes reddened.
A sinking sensation plunged through her. “He has Sitosterolemia.”
Gilbert stared at their hands. “They think he may. My father died of a heart attack when he was younger than David. Luca could have inherited the condition from either parent or from both SophieandDavid. The doctor wants to conduct more tests, but he prescribed medicine that Luca must take every day, and he must follow a special diet. If he does these things, there is no reason why he cannot live a long life.” Tears sat in his eyes.
