“Well, that much is obvious, really. I mean, you’ve already broken your vows, so what’s the next step? You can’t seriously think she’ll forgive you?”
“I’m not getting divorced!” His voice was unnaturally loud, and he had to rein himself in. “Look, I appreciate you apologising for this punishment, I really do, but … Alyssia’s worth it. I’d go to hell and back for that woman. She’s … she’s everything to me.”
“Well, it’s your life,” Sarah sighed. “Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. I have to go to a meeting across town, and I’m not going to be back before close of business, so this is goodbye, I guess. Make sure the paperwork’s on my desk before you leave.”
Antonio nodded and headed back to his desk, where he tried desperately to concentrate on finishing his work, but couldn’t. All he could think about was the look of utter betrayal on his wife’s face, the agony that his actions had caused, and the hollow emptiness that sat uncomfortably in his chest.
Eventually, he slammed his laptop closed and stared at the wall, willing the time to go faster. His eyes welled up with tears that he no longer bothered to hide, dripping onto the desk with a muffledplip. He buried his head in hishands and sobbed quietly, praying that nobody offered him comfort.
5
Alyssia had also had a hard day, although hers had gone by significantly faster than her husband’s. She’d spent the morning dealing with a client whose case was scheduled to go to court the next day, and then the afternoon preparing the paperwork for the case in question. By the time she got home, she was more than ready to sit on the sofa with a good book and a blanket. She’d started readingLand Over Timeby June Reynolds, and it was just as gripping as the first book had been.
The drive home was thankfully short, and she was relieved to see that her husband was home. Much as she wanted to strangle him, his company was better than yet another night spent trying to get the fire lit. No matter how many times Reynolds showed her, she still couldn’t quite work it out.
Once inside, she slipped out of her heels, groaning with relief as her feet found their way into her cosy slippers. She hung her coat on the hook, tossed her keys into the dish, and left her bag on the small table that always stood by the door. She’d never really seen the point of ituntil she married Antonio, but now she was incredibly thankful that it was there.
As she made her way into the living room, she noticed some flowers and chocolates, and groaned to herself. Romance was the last thing on her mind after the day she’d just had. She was about to throw herself down on the sofa when she saw a small pile of books that had been artfully stacked on the table.
She smiled, realising that her husband had bought her the last of theDiscworldcollection, which she’d been after for weeks. Terry Pratchett had been one of her favourite authors since her childhood, and she’d made it her mission to find every single book he’d ever written. While it didn’t make up for the heartache he’d caused, she had to admit that Antonio was going above and beyond with his actions.
“I didn’t know if you had those,” she heard him say, and looked up to see him hovering nervously in the doorway.
“I didn’t, no.” She smiled, and he gave her a small smile in return. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I also cooked dinner – it should be ready in a minute or two. Itdidask for wine in the recipe, but I made sure to cook all the alcohol out for the baby.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Antonio...” the knee-jerk reaction came out before she could stop it, and she put a hand to her mouth. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”
“That’s OK.” His smile was a little bigger this time. “I know you didn’t.”
Alyssia laughed, picking up one of the books and looking at it. It wasRaising Steam, which she’d been looking forward to for ages. All of her friends had been raving about it, and she’d felt incredibly jealous that she hadn’t been able to read it. The other two,SnuffandThe Shepherd’sCrown, were also meant to be good, and she found herself eagerly scanning the back of the books to see what was going to happen.
“Is that OK?” Antonio asked nervously, wiping his hands on a tea towel. “I didn’t really know what else you were reading, and I remembered you hadn’t finished the collection, so ? ”
“I love it,” She cleared her throat. “Shall we eat in the dining room?”
“Yes, definitely. I’ve already set the table, so you go ahead and sit down. I’ll dish everything up and be with you in a few moments.”
Alyssia headed into the dining room where, as promised, the table had already been set with beautiful red napkins, their best plates, and silver cutlery. It looked absolutely stunning, and she smiled sadly as she remembered their first date in Spain all those years ago.
Antonio had insisted on cooking for her –braciole, focaccia, and a bottle ofIl Papavero V. It was a beautiful Italian wine that was smooth, with notes of cherries. The table had been laid exactly as it was now, but there had been candles as well, and music playing. She’d worn a black dress with her favourite heels, and he’d worn a Gucci tuxedo that he’d sworn up and down was his, but they’d both known it was rented.
Their second date had been very similar, exceptshe’ddone the cooking that time, and they’d both been in more casual clothing. She’d worn jeans and an oversized sweater, and he’d worn jeans and a shirt. Even then, he’d never been able to truly relax with his clothes – always preferring smart or smart casual over fully casual outfits. It had been her favourite combination of fish, vegetables, and champagne, and she remembered Antonio had been amazed at her cooking ability, almost as if he thought all the Spanish ate was paella and tapas.
As if echoing her memory of that night, the sounds of Spanish folk music floated through the air. She sat down, remembering all the times they’d spent at tiny street cafés in Spain, coffees firmly in hand, the sun shining brightly even in winter. It had been a far simpler time, before family commitments, declining health, and alliances had come along to make everything harder than it needed to be.
“Here we are!” she heard Antonio announce. “I know it doesn’t strictly go with the Spanish theme, but I made you something special.”
Alyssia stared down at her plate, tears springing to her eyes. It was a plate ofbraciole, the thinly sliced steak almost see-through and the scent of Italian herbs strangely comforting. The sauce was bright red with tomatoes, their sweet scent beautifully offset by the red wine that the steak had been cooked in. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was sitting on their terrace in Italy with the sun on her face.
“I hope you don’t mind.” Her husband took his seat and offered her a small smile. “I … I wanted to do something special.”
“It’s wonderful,” she said gently. “Thank you,querido.”
Antonio blushed at the use of his nickname, which only she was permitted to use. He raised his glass to her, she tipped hers back at him, and then they ate. Silence fell as they ate, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one. It was more like a silence between friends, where the food was the main priority. It felt almost … comforting, and Antonio cursed himself for not coming home more. Most nights he usually hid in his office with a mug of coffee and some very loud music, only emerging to eat dinner and have a large glass of wine with his wife.
“I forgot how much I love cooking,” he said through the silence. “It was somewhat therapeutic to be in the kitchen again. Almost reminded me of myNonna’scooking, although I miss myNonnoswearing every five seconds.”
