“Charles, either,” Travis said, “And I doubt she cursed anyone. Seeing as we’ve been cursed ourselves.” He looked down at his son, closing his eyes to the trembling shrieks.
Everyone looked at me. I looked back.
“Charlotte said to bring Charles to you,” Travis said, lifting his son in my direction, the boy’s legs dangling and kicking.
“Can you help Diego?” Carmen asked.
I sighed. “Bring them here. Bring me Diego’s bassinet too.”
Seeing as, for the moment, their problem was set to the back burner, Santina ran back to Livio’s arms. He held her tight, in case someone attempted to take her back home.
I sat next to the priest, who gaped at me. “They think I’m the baby whisperer,” I said to him,sotto voice, as Brando took Charles and handed him to me.
“Tu sei?”Are you?
“I’m not sure.” I shrugged. “Babies seem to like me.”
Charles started to nuzzle my neck, his tender fingers on my skin.
The priest smiled warmly, his round, brown eyes going soft. “Avete neonati?” he asked, touching Charles’s head.Do you have any children?
“Inparadiso,” I said, my voice catching.In heaven.
He took my hand and kissed it. “This is your gift,”he said.
“She has more than just one,Padre,” Brando said, squeezing my shoulder. “She gives me the honor of being my wife. And she is a ballerina.”
Brando spoke to—I asked the father his name in a whisper—Father Zullo, but his eyes were on Travis. He had been staring at Charles and me. I looked down at the baby, cheeks aflame.
Travis had also been friends with Elliott, part of the group my mother had called “the smart kids.” She knew that group was going on to become doctors and lawyers. She had pegged them correctly. Travis had gone on to become a plastic surgeon. When he used to hang around with Elliott, he would tease me a lot and always ask me to play chess with him.
He still asked me to play chess with him.
After Elliott had died, Travis had gone away to college. I had seen him again when he came home to visit his parents. Brando was the one who had pointed out to me that Travis liked me. I really had no idea. Once I knew, I used it to my advantage when Brando had broken up with me to make him jealous. I was young and stupid and never really forgave myself for doing it. Once my sister found out that we had gone on a date, she started dating him not longer after, and then I left for Paris.
I had never told Brando the entire truth. I didn’t feel like I had to—I wanted them to get along, as much as they could. Before I madeEtoile, during the time Brando was in the Coast Guard, Travis came to see me in Paris. I had found him standing outside of my apartment. He claimed he was in the area and wanted to see a familiar face.
We spent a couple of days together, touring Paris and catching up on old times. The day before he left, he had asked me if I would like to go out to dinner. I had a show that day, but I had agreed to meet him afterward. He had taken in every performance, he had told me, and wouldn’t mind watching another.
During dinner he had started to act different—pulling at his tie and sweating. That’s when he told me he had always been in love with me, and that he still was. He wanted more than friendship.
I didn’t. Couldn’t. I was still in love with Brando. Travis had accused me of pining after a man who could never be satisfied with only one woman. He, Travis, was steady, reliable, and trustworthy. I could learn to love him. We had a good time together.
I didn’t even bother to ask about Charlotte, and he hadn’t offered an explanation, but we left the restaurant, awkward with each other and, at least for myself, ready to say goodbye. I had never told Charlotte either. Her inevitable reaction was not a mystery—I’d get the blame. I’d be called a liar and get accused of being jealous.
Travis returned to the states, and sometime afterward, he and Charlotte reconciled, and that was that. The product of their union now made sweet noises in my ear.
Diego still fussed, though, drawing his legs up tight. Carmen came down and rested her chin against my shoulder, hugging me before Dario offered me their baby, thankfully putting an end to the Brando-Travis stare down.
Charlotte had come in at some point, though, noticing what was going on and getting all huffy about it. I was willing to bet that she was close towell, andwell, and I was in no mood to deal with her selfish shenanigans tonight.
“You ate too much gassy food,” I said to Carmen. “There are some drops in the cabinet—I think Apollonia left them the last time she came over and Lia had gas.” I turned to Brando. “Take Diego and put him in the bassinet for me, please.”
“Gassy mamma, gassybambino,” Dario said, grinning. “Told you so.”
Carmen slapped at him, making him take a step back. He laughed even harder.
Brando took Diego from me as though he was a ticking time bomb. Nevertheless, the sight made my heart swell. He spoke softly to him, pulling him close to his chest, before he cradled his head and gently put him down in the cradle.
