“Nico. We’re so sorry...” Ginny started. She stopped speaking when he fixed her with a look that might turn her to stone.
He spun around and marched back into his hotel.
Ginny watched him, feeling hopeless. Her insides felt like they were shriveling up. She wanted to run after him to explain, but suspected it was best to let his fury subside. They’d all been through an emotional time and she couldn’t help blaming herself. If only she’d agreed to speak to Nico about Loretta’s job, like the teenager had asked her to, she might have prevented this row from happening. If she hadn’t been busy filming Curtis, she could have stopped Loretta from going into the sea.
Not only was her own wedding anniversary lying in ruins, but now Loretta’s special birthday had imploded, too, and the guilt felt like a boulder in Ginny’s stomach.
Eric patted his leg and Biscotti slunk to his side. “I need a walk,” he said.
“It’s late, man,” Curtis said. “Too dark for hiking...”
Eric shrugged and walked away anyway with the dog by his side.
“I’m ready for bed,” Heather said, rubbing her eyes. “I’ll escort Edna to her room.”
For once, Edna didn’t object.
Gianfranco remained standing in the courtyard with Ginny. “Do not worry about Nico,” he said. “He doesn’t get angry often. When it happens, it’s over quickly.”
“He’s disappointed with us all.” She looked down at her feet. “That’s worse and will last a lot longer.”
“Yes. He finds it difficult to trust anyone since his wife left, and now I have let him down, also.” He let out a regretful sigh.
Ginny’s jaw felt tight after all the upset. “You should go home and get some sleep. Thanks for driving us this evening.”
“I wish I had taken Nico’s minibus, then I might have broken down and not reached Rimini,” Gianfranco said. He got back inside his own vehicle and drove away.
Ginny’s legs shook as she entered the hotel. Her hair was brittle from sea salt and she could still taste it in her throat. A light was on in the kitchen and she glanced around tentatively, making sure Nico and Loretta weren’t around. She could hear their muffled voices, raised and coming from Loretta’s room.
A homemade cake sat on the dining table adorned with eighteen unlit candles. There was a small box wrapped in floral paper and tied with a pink bow.
Ginny’s heart sank even further, imagining how she’d feel if Phoebe had gone out with friends and returned in such a state. She’d be furious, distraught and unhappy. Just thinking about all the emotions made her miss her daughter and home life more than ever.
Knowing the adrenaline still pumping through her body wouldn’t allow her to sleep for some time, Ginny tidied up the dining room. She found a globe of dough and some tomatoes on the worktop, as if Nico had planned to make fresh pizza for everyone when they got back from the beach bar. She guiltily placed the ingredients back in the fridge.
Several photos of Nico’s relatives had been removed from the wall and sat stacked on the table, leaving behind ghostly gray rectangles. It looked like he’d started to make changes to the hotel and Ginny cursed herself for being part of any setback.
“Happy anniversary, Ginny,” she whispered to herself, feeling like a failure inallareas of her life.
She closed her eyes and flashed back to flailing in the sea. She really had thought she wasn’t going to survive. Struggling to catch her breath, she stumbled toward the back door with tears in her eyes, needing some fresh air. Flinging it open, Ginny took in several deep gulps. The moon had turned the sky a milky blue and she wrapped her arms across her chest for comfort.
She watched as a figure headed in through the gates and toward the courtyard, probably Eric returning from his walk. Ginny looked out for Biscotti and couldn’t see him. There were many shadows in the courtyard to conceal the dog.
She was deliberating whether to go back inside when she saw something glinting in the figure’s hand.
As the person drew closer, she saw the man didn’t walk with Eric’s usual purpose. Perhaps Gianfranco had returned, or a new guest was arriving at the hotel. Ginny frowned into the darkness and waited.
The person gradually moved forward until she could see his features in the moonlight and she let out a gasp.
“Hello, Ginny,” Adrian said, holding out a present wrapped in shiny paper. “Happy silver wedding anniversary.”
29
Photograph
Ginny stood frozen, trying to comprehend that her husband was really standing in front of her. Since she’d last seen him, his face looked slimmer than usual, as if he’d lost weight. He wore cord trousers and a sweater that looked too formal for Italy, even at night. Still, it was a relief to see the old version of him, not the one wearing shades and skinny jeans. Part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, so he could comfort her after the evening’s events, but she also wanted to shove him away. “W-what are you doing here?” she spluttered.
“It didn’t seem right to spend our anniversary apart.” Adrian shrugged, as if the last few weeks hadn’t happened.
