“Yes,” echoed Claire and Marti.
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Luca, you think we might have the right size cylinder in the cave?”
Luca’s face grew serious. His eyes pinched in concentration as he examined the metal cartridge. He ran his fingers through his hair as Gilbert had. “I think we do.”
“Really? Why?” asked Claire.
“Onc is the winemaker. He is the engineer, and together, we figure out how to store and age the wine.”
“So, you know how these cartridges work.” Claire’s heartbeat raced.
Luca gave a Gallic shrug, pushing out his bottom lip, lifting his little shoulders, his palms facing her. “It is a simple thing.”
Claire suppressed a laugh.
Gilbert hugged his son. “And I know that you do not want the valve to release when it touches the water. You want the user to have control over activation, right?”
“Right!” Claire jumped up. “Yes! You both understand the concept!”
“It is not difficult.” Luca looked a bit bored.
Gilbert held her invention tenderly, like a cluster of grapes. “We will work on this tomorrow for you.”
“One problem. Do you know anyone thin enough to model this and test it?”
Luca stood, stuffed a ball of crinkled wrapping paper under his pajama top, thrust his arm up, and bent his wrist. His other hand rested at his waist, and he batted his eyelashes. “I will be your mannequin.”
Their boisterous laughter drowned out the carols.
In her mind, Claire saw David, the day she’d met him at the café, striking the same pose, and hearing him exclaim,Ah, you’re here for the fashion!A tear escaped, and she quickly wiped it away as she silently thanked David for his son.
Claire wrapped Luca in her arms and sat him on her lap and kissed him all over until he squirmed away to play with the dog puppet.
Gilbert smiled at her as he lifted his glass, silently toasting her. Raising her glass, she sighed with not only relief, but also, dared she trust her heart—love? She certainly admired Gilbert, and she loved the father he was to Luca.
Although she was excited about her invention finally working, really, did it matter? It certainly didn’t make her as happy as loving Luca…and Gilbert.
Gilbert had seen her at her worst—as she grieved her husband, as she remembered being dragged from a river, as she slayed her monster of darkness. He said she was safe with him, and she felt safe and believed in and loved. What was winning a patent compared to being embraced by a loving family?
But selling a patent might pay for all the flights Marti and she would need to visit each other if she accepted Gilbert’s offer.
Luca sat on the couch between Claire and Gilbert, smiling broadly. Was he up to something?
She clinked her glass to Luca’s and reached over Luca to touch her glass to Gilbert’s. After sipping, Gilbert leaned over Luca and whispered to her, “Je t’aime.”
She whispered, “Je t’aime, aussi,” and kissed him.
Luca giggled and clapped. “You are a very fast learner.”
THE END
