‘She wanted you to find it once she’d gone?’
He nodded sadly, sitting back down on the floor. ‘Parting advice to each of us. Paolo’s is all about fruition – keeping the vineyard going and having lots of children – and mine is all about balance.’
‘Balance in what?’
‘Everything. Making sure I find time in my busy schedule for love and not working myself to death.’
‘Ahh. The old work-life balance enigma,’ I said, joining him on the floor. ‘Something I’ve never managed either. I’m in the working-myself-to-death club too.’
‘Mom was always worried I’d end up lonely. That I already was lonely. She said my priorities were all wrong and the harder I worked and more successful I became, the more exasperated she got with me.’
‘Probably because she loved you so much, she wanted you to have that same family-feeling she’d had, with a family of your own.’
‘I’m still disappointing her now, and she’s not even here.’
‘Mia told me how much she loved you and Paolo – I’m sure she wasn’t disappointed in you at all. You work in the movies, don’t you? Following in the footsteps of her idol, Sophia Loren, and out in LA, no less – that’s very cool!’ I said, trying to make him feel better. An industry full of Tonys working day and night, for peanuts, to get a leg-up on the ladder.
‘It’s a sad reminder of how fragile life is, though – going through all her things like this.’ He looked around at the half-empty boxes, and the framed photos on the wall. ‘She had so few precious things.’
‘Josh had almost nothing when I cleared his stuff out. Some clothes and photos. His most treasured possession was his wedding ring,’ I said, holding out my necklace. ‘Now reincarnated.’
‘Is that it?’ Tony asked.
‘Yep, melded together with both of mine,’ I said, tapping it three times. ‘Our three rings with a diamond in the middle.’
‘Beautiful,’ he said.
‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ I asked, looking around.
‘Not really.’ He flicked through a stack of old records. ‘I need to go through everything and decide what should stay and what should go.’
‘Paolo must be upset he can’t be here,’ I said, thinking of his enormous plaster cast.
‘I’m happy to do it on my own. He’s done plenty, keeping this place going for so long. I’ve offered to take his place at the party next weekend as well. Mia can’t run the wine stall on her own, so I’m lending her my beef,’ he said, flexing his muscles.
‘I’m helping too. I’m doing the face-painting for the kids.’
‘Well, I was a kid once, so count me in,’ Tony said, picking up his painting again. You certainly know how to paint a face, so I’ll happily trust you with the real thing.’
‘Careful what you wish for.’ I smiled. ‘My range is wide and can be quite dramatic. A severed neck, Gollum, one of the Muppets.’
Tony laughed. ‘I’m not sure it’s that kind of party, but I like to play a character. Can you do me as one of the Orcs from Lord of the Rings?’
‘Of course,’ I replied, looking at his square jaw and knowing exactly how I’d do it.
His eyes went back to the painting. ‘This must have taken you hours to finish. It is way beyond what we did in that first lesson,’ he said.
‘Hmm… I spent some time on it while you were in Florence,’ I admitted. ‘It was a good distraction from all the worry.’
‘I didn’t know you cared,’ Tony teased. ‘You must have been missing me.’
‘Not really,’ I mumbled, flushing bright red.As if.
‘I missed you too, Abi. Until I got back, and you gave me a massive bollocking.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that.’
‘We could give this thing a shot you know,’ he said, suddenly serious. ‘As a social experiment?’
