It was the most Ginny had heard Eric say and it was nice to see his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Perhaps the quilting was helping him after all. Or was it the dog?
They all sewed until the sun grew high in the afternoon sky and Ginny felt her skin tingle with the heat. Red patches formed on her shoulders and décolletage. She carried her completed block over to Edna who stitched it next to one of Daisy’s. Curtis, Heather, Nico and Eric finished their pieces, too.
Eric continued to toss sticks for Biscotti. The dog bounded after them and returned, panting. Nico brought him a bowl of water and scraps of food.
Edna held up the quilt so they could all admire it. It had grown in size, big enough to become one side of a pillowcase. A sense of pride crept over Ginny and she noticed the others wore satisfied expressions, too.
There was a new brightness in Edna’s eyes and a curve to her lips. A breeze started up, scattering a few reels of cotton and causing the quilt to flap in her hands. “It needs a lot more work, but I think Daisy would love it so far,” she said.
“We’ve got over two weeks of the holiday left,” Ginny said. “Plenty of time to make more blocks.”
“I will make the coffee,” Nico said, going back inside.
Eric threw a stick again. A gust of wind caught it and blew it in Edna’s direction. Biscotti ran to retrieve it and caught sight of the fluttering quilt. He jumped up, sunk his teeth into the fabric and tried to tug it from Edna’s hands.
“Hey, stop that.” Ginny reached out to grab it back.
Biscotti thought she was playing a game. He snatched the quilt from Edna’s hands and ran across the courtyard, dragging it with him.
“Somebody stop him,” Edna cried out.
Eric stood up and held out a hand, walking very slowly toward his new friend. “Hey, boy. Drop that. It’s not yours.”
Biscotti came to a standstill and wagged his tail. His jaws remained clamped around the fabric.
“He probably speaks the Italian lingo,” Curtis said. “We need Nico.”
Ginny sped inside and grabbed Nico’s arm. “Please, come quickly. We need you.”
“Fermo, sit,” Nico said, when he saw what was happening. “Bravo cane.”
He and Eric slowly approached Biscotti from opposite sides of the courtyard with their arms outstretched. “Bravo cane, bravo cane,” they chanted.
Biscotti looked from one of them to the other, until Nico made a lunge forward. The dog jumped and ran away at full pelt, dragging the quilt behind him.
Edna got to her feet and almost fell over in her haste. “No. Stop him.”
Eric and Nico ran along the road after the dog, until all three of them vanished into the undergrowth.
The tendons in Edna’s neck strained. “Daisy...” she spluttered.
Ginny wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “It’s okay. Don’t worry. We’ll get it back.”
Edna jerked away from her touch. “This is all your fault... I shouldn’t have told you anything.”
“I’m sorry, Edna...” Ginny said. “I thought it would help you to talk about things.”
“It’s ruinedeverything.”
When Nico arrived back, he stood with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. “Sorry Edna, we could not reach him.”
Eric’s mouth was contorted so he looked almost as distraught as Edna. “I promise to find your quilt,” he said.
Heather, Curtis and Ginny looked doubtfully at each other. Their own stories were part of the fabric, too.
Edna’s hands shook as she gathered her thread and needles together. She stuffed everything into her bag and left the courtyard without saying another word.
Later that evening, Edna took her dinner in her room while the others ate together around Nico’s dining table in subdued silence.
