1
“She is beautiful, no?”
“What?” Max shook himself out of his daze. He was huddled uncomfortably at the back of a water taxi, trying to ignore the swaying of the little boat and the lapping water of the canal only inches away. The driver beckoned with both hands to the scenery around them, seemingly unperturbed about steering the vessel. “The city, Venice. She is beautiful?”
“Oh. Yes—of course.”
The Italian man beamed and went back to zooming along the canal. Max tightened his grip on the wooden seat and tried not to show his extreme discomfort at being forced to ride in this treacherous little bucket. Instead he focused his attention on his wife Naomi, who was gazing around at the city in pure delight.
If this makes her happy, then it will be worth it.Max tried to keep that thought in the forefront of his mind. It would be worth the long flight, the chilly December air, and yes even the endless network of canals, if only his wife enjoyed their trip.
It was a much-needed getaway for both of them. They hadn’t had a moment to themselves, let alone a whole weekend, since the birth of their daughter eight months prior. Max loved baby Julia and adored being a father—he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world—but in truth, the craziness of having a newborn in the house was taking its toll on their marriage.
Julia had only just begun to sleep through the night, and Naomi’s constant fussing over the baby was hard to take. She was reluctant to leave her alone with a babysitter for more than a few hours; the fact that he’d convinced her to leave her with her parents for a whole weekend was a minor miracle.
But she’d agreed—reluctantly, but even so—and Max had put together a romantic weekend getaway as an early Christmas present for her. He knew she’d dreamed of visiting Venice all her life.
As for himself, he had no love of the water, no taste for Italian food, and no knowledge whatsoever of the language or history of this odd little place. But if the break could help them reconnect as a couple—no demanding infant in the background, no baby paraphernalia to cart around everywhere—then it would be well worth the discomfort.
He snuck another glance at his wife.So far, so good.
She’d nearly had a change of heart at the last minute, fretting over how Julia would do on a full weekend without her. Luckily, Naomi’s mother had all but shoved her out the door of their home. “You need a break.” she’d said firmly. “You have a husband, remember? Spend some time with him. Try and remember what your relationship was like before the baby came along.”
“But what if she misses me?” Naomi protested feebly, and her mother waved a hand in dismissal.
“There’s such a thing as being too attached, darling. She’ll be fine. She has to learn to spend a little time away from you sooner or later. What will you do when she goes to preschool? When she has friends and wants to go to a sleepover? Do you want her to be so attached to you that she can’t function on her own?”
Naomi hadn’t liked that very much, Max could tell, but she didn’t really have a reply. And so, taking wheeled suitcases packed with warm clothing and rain gear—Max had read that Venice could be rainy this time of year—they took a taxi to Gatwick and set off for Italy, Naomi fretting about what she was leaving behind, and Max thinking warily about everything that lay ahead.
Their hotel wason the water—righton the water, as was everything in Venice, with guests stepping out of water-taxis onto a dock with an awning and large double doors welcoming them into the lobby.
The concierge checked Max and Naomi in quickly and summoned another employee to help them carry their luggage up the stairs; apparently there was no lift in the building.
Their room was small but cosy, and there was a little kitchenette with a coffee maker and a microwave. The wooden headboard and dresser were ornately carved and there was a vase of perky fresh flowers on the nightstand.
Max stowed their suitcases and checked his watch; they’d arrived in the late afternoon, and there was still some weak winter sunshine outside as the sun set. “Well. We’re here. Dominic we head out for a bite of dinner?” Travel always made him hungry.
But Naomi was already on the phone. “I’m just going to call Mum and Dad really quickly and check in on Julia,” she explained, covering the mouthpiece with one hand. “It’ll only take a minute.”
Max nodded and stifled a sigh.She’s going to be calling multiple times a day, he thought gloomily.I’m going to have to work hard to keep her distracted.
Naomi was making cooing noises into the phone, talking to their daughter.
He could tell when her mother came back on the line because the cooing stopped and his wife said reluctantly: “Well, I know it’s still early but I just wanted to—oh, the flight was fine. Did she sleep through her afternoon nap? Oh, that’s good.” Max thought his wife almost sounded a little disappointed to hear that Julia seemed to be doing fine without her.
When Naomi finally put down the phone he suggested brightly that they find a place to eat lunch but she still seemed worried and distracted.
“Mum says she slept this afternoon but I can’t help worrying—I mean, we’ll be gone for three nights, and what if she doesn’t sleep through the night for any of them? Maybe a full weekend was too much too soon, Max. Maybe we should have stuck to just a night in London in case something goes wrong and she needs us…”
He stifled a groan and wrapped his wife in a hug. “Look, you’re an amazing mother, and it’s brilliant that you love our daughter so much. I do too. But your mum will take great care of her! I’m sure she’s thrilled to get some grandma-granddaughter time in. In the meantime, let me spoil you, okay? A night in London is nothing out of the ordinary. You’ve always wanted to visit Venice and I want us to really make the most of this weekend.”
“Well, okay.” Naomi melted a little in his arms, returning his hug. She smelled like vanilla and pears—the perfume she’d worn since they first started dating over six years ago.
Max breathed deeply of her scent and promised himself that he would make sure she enjoyed herself with the most perfect, romantic vacation possible.Even if we do have to go everywhere in a bloody boat.
He couldn’t actually understand why he feared the water so much. When people asked, he usually told them that as a toddler he fell off a dock into a deep lake while at a family reunion. Unable to swim, he would have drowned if an older cousin hadn’t quickly pulled him out.
In truth, though, the story was a lie. Max had never fallen off a dock and never even come close to drowning; in fact, he’d taken swimming lessons and learned to swim perfectly well.
