by Tara Brent
One of my goals when we first started out in our business venture, was to have a home in every country I could afford. It was only a dream back then, now though, it’s more or less a reality. Unlike me, Ethan has a house in Palo Alto, not far from here, for their main residence. That's where our main headquarters is based. When he married Mia, it made sense to put down roots.
All these thoughts are bubbling over inside my head as I try to push aside the worry about the impending birth. I’m about to become an uncle. A real uncle. This baby will have some of my genes. Plus, I’m going to be her godfather. I know it’s only a title these days, but, as I’m half Italian I imagine myself as a benevolent mafia godfather.
Finally, we manage to crawl our way through the traffic and I can see the health care facility up ahead.
I wonder if she’s been born yet. Ethan hasn’t contacted me for at least ten minutes. I can’t decide if that’s good or bad. Who’d have thought that becoming an uncle could have such an effect? I’ve dealt with multibillion-dollar deals with some of the toughest negotiators in the world. Yet here I am, waiting for a baby that isn't even mine, and I'm a nervous wreck.
The car pulls up right outside the doors and I exit in a flash. Before I know it, I’m listening to my own voice babbling on to the receptionist. I have to say, I'm not looking my usual suave self. In fact, I'm a bedraggled mess. When I got the call from Rosy, I was still sleeping.
“Can I help you, sir?” A light female voice sings to me, bringing me out of my demise. “Are you an expectant father?” She presses me further when I don’t answer.
“No, but you’d think I was, wouldn’t you?” I joke with a nervous quiver to my normal bass tone.
After a few more questions from the very patient young lady, she soon works out who I am and where I need to be. Then, she gets someone to accompany me to Mia and Ethan’s suite.
I can see the light blue door to the suite as I’m approaching, with people dashing in and out. Does it mean something’s wrong? Then I spot Ethan as he comes out of the room with someone.
“Come on bro!” He shouts over to me, as soon as he sees me. Ethan has a huge smile on his face so relief floods over me, everything's must be okay.
“I’m a daddy!” He yells, opening up his arms in joy.
The woman he’s with walks away and I see from the back that she’s a redhead. Ethan’s right, I do have a weakness for redheads, ever since my short fling with one. The cry of a baby pulls my attention away and I follow Ethan into the room. There I see a rather bedraggled but clearly happy Mia, and she’s holding a baby.
“Did you just meet my nurse, Calvin?” Mia asks at me rather unexpectedly. "She was amazing. I don’t know how I would have managed without her. Oh, and Ethan too, of course,” she adds as if just remembering her husband's presence.
“Come on over here and meet your niece," she invites me and I'm quick to accept. "Don’t worry, Uncle Calvin, she’s fast asleep now.”
I gingerly take the new-born from Mia's arms and stare down at a perfect little face. “She's beautiful, like her mother,” I grin, holding her like she’s a delicate piece of porcelain. “Though she does have her uncle’s thick dark hair.”
To which my brother and sister-in-law laugh out loud. We all enjoy swapping baby Lilly from arm to arm in our sheer delight at welcoming her into this world.
Chapter 3
Coffee and Milkshake
“It was all very odd, Ali,” I say in a quiet voice as if it’s a big secret. I’m explaining a strange experience I had at work today, to my BFF.
“You are going, Tiff!” She replies, only in a much louder voice. “I’m ordering you to go!”
Ali and I have been best friends as far back as pre-school. We've gone our separate ways a few times, particularly after high school. It’s strange though, whenever I return home and meet up with Ali, it's like I never left. That’s the sort of person she is. Whilst she’s loud and opinionated, she loves everyone and has a heart of gold.
We’re in the coffee bar where we hang out while I’m waiting for Callum to come out of kindergarten. She joins me whenever she can because she dotes on my son almost as much as mom and me. She even calls my mom, “mom,” that’s how close we are. Her real mom walked out on her and her brother when they were toddlers, so she hardly remembers her. Though now I’m a mom myself, I can’t conceive how any mom could desert her child. Sure, it happens but it's my humble opinion. Anyway, that’s a debate for another day. Ali’s dad is a great guy and he raised them both single-handed. I don’t call him pa, but I am very fond of him.
“Let me get this straight, you’re telling me I should go on a blind date organized by a woman whose baby I just delivered?” I ask her, astonished that she believes it’s the right thing to do. “No way, Ali. It’s weird.”
“Tell me what you know about the mother of this baby you delivered, and leave no gory details out, you hear?” She says, taking a long slurp on her strawberry milkshake.
“As you know, I spend time with parents-to-be before and after birth, so I’ve known this couple for a few months now. The thing that made them stand out for me was that their last name is Luca.”
“No way! You gotta be kiddin’ me!” Ali exclaims rather loudly, once again. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“Calm down, crazy girl,” I tell her, laughing at her wide-eyed stare. “It’s only a coincidence, though I did think the father-to-be looked a bit familiar at first. Then again, I only remember what Calvin looked like. A lot’s happened to me since that two-week fling, Ali.”
“Did you ask them?” She says, throwing her arms up in exasperation. Ali is always a bit of a drama queen.
“Ask them what?” I answer. “Oh, excuse me are you related to Calvin Luca? Yeah sure, I’m gonna bother my patients with my past love life, I think not.”
“Well, did you at least try and look into it?” Ali asks.
“No, I did not. Do you know how many Luca’s there are out there? It’s an Italian name that I see coming up plenty of times. I can’t go chasing every parent who happens to have the surname of Luca,” I tell her in no uncertain terms.
As it happened, their name had stirred a pang in my heart but I didn’t recognize the guy, and he didn’t seem to know who I was. Not that he’d remember someone he might have met for a whole two week period around six years ago.
“Tiffy, my girl, you have got to go anyway,” I hear Ali’s voice hammering at my head. “You need this. A blind date will do you good. So, why did this Mrs. Luca ask you to go on a blind date anyway?"
“She said it was my hair,” I reply.
“Yeah, it’s always a mess,” Ali kindly informs me. “What on earth did she see in your fuzzy head of hair?”
“Thanks, Ali, for that vote of confidence,” I frown back at her. “She wouldn’t tell me. Only said I was perfect for a guy she knew who was lonesome. Oh, and she offered us a table at her top restaurant.”
“Aww, Tiffy, someone out there needs you,” Ali says mocking me but in the nicest sort of way.
“Yes, you’re right Ali,” I scowl. “My son, Callum needs me. I’m not going out with some guy I’ve never met. He might be a psycho for all I know.”
“You know these people though, they wouldn’t partner you up with a head case, Tiffy. You’re being paranoid, as usual.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I admit. “Besides, these people move in different social circles to me. They’re the jet-set and I’m one of the common people. Not sure why they would think I'd have anything in common with someone they know, unless they're slumming it?”
“Tiffy, don’t say that. You’re a great catch for anyone. Oh, you should go, especially if he’s rich,” she says, even more interested now that I mentioned that fact.
“I do not move in wealthy and rich circles, Ali. Why the hell should I want to date this guy?”
“He might want to marry you, you never know.” She always comes up with farfetched answers. “He might be some o
ld sugar daddy looking for a sweet girl to marry. You have got to go. I’m telling mom, so she’ll talk you into going.”
“Mom is more sensible than you, Ali, so don’t think that’ll do it. I’m not going and that's that,” I say, adamant to stick my guns, even though I am a little curious.
“Look, tell me exactly what this patient of yours said. I want to know her exact words,” Ali demands.
“Well, we’ve gotten to know one another over the few months I’ve been guiding them for their new arrival. They're no different to any of my other parents-to-be. You wouldn’t know they were filthy rich unless you read their file. They don’t act it. She’s a Chinese-American and I arranged lots of meditation and cultural classes for her. She wanted to know more about her roots. By the way, I think she’s one of those famous chefs on TV but I’m not sure. I try not to get too involved in my patient’s personal lives.”
“Oh my, you mean Mia Wu, she is gorgeous and I love her cooking,” Ali informs me. “No way will she risk anyone murdering you. Now, you have to go.”
“Well, she never mentioned anything until the night she was giving birth,” I continued on, ignoring Ali’s comments. “She knows I don’t get out much and she asked me if I wanted to go on a blind date. At first, I thought she was kidding, you know, I do a lot of small-talk while my new moms are in labor. Anyway, turns out she meant it and she said I’d be perfect because this guy is lonesome and he’ll love my hair. Then she had more important things to attend to 'cos she went into labor and that was that.”
“Why didn’t you ask for more info after the baby?” Ali asks, with her usual enthusiasm. She's always trying to get me to go out on a date. “I have been happy with it, you know, that you and Callum struggle and his father pays nothing towards his keep. Not that it’s my beeswax but you know how I feel about it all.”
“Now we’re going off topic. Anyway, Callum will be out soon so let’s make a move,” I say, thankful for an excuse to get out of discussing his father with anyone.
Ali always thought I was crazy for not informing the father of my child. I didn’t want a stranger, which is what he was, making all the decisions during my pregnancy. And then taking over my baby's upbringing. Besides, I knew the guy wanted more from life, he always went on about running his own tech business. I did what I thought was best for me and my unborn child. Both Ali and my parents could never get to grips with my decision.
We set off to get my boy from his long hard day at kindergarten and I couldn’t wait to see him. His little face always brightens my day.
Moody Blues
The main reason I'm in San Francisco is specifically for my niece’s birth, so I want to visit her every moment I can. It’s been a revelation to me realizing how much I adore this baby. Before Lilly, I would never even hold a baby. It wasn’t on my “To Do” list. Now, I’m besotted by this tiny little bundle.
As the birth went well and Mia and baby are fine, they went home the same day. Ethan's hired a matron to be on hand to help Mia out. She'll be around for a few weeks so Ethan and I don't have to panic. This is going to be a whole new world for Mia and Ethan. Deep down I feel a pang of jealousy. Nah, I don't want kids, do I?
My enthusiasm for the new addition to the Luca family will not extend to diaper changing. I'm looking forward to holding her as much as possible and staring into her big dark eyes. I’m pretty certain they’re dark blue but I can’t remember for sure. Whatever color they are, she's the most beautiful baby in the world. Yup! I’m looking forward to being an uncle and a godparent.
As I open the door to their apartment, I hear the desperate cry of a baby. Looking over at Ethan’s face, I decide its best not to say too much, he looks stressed out enough.
“Now there’s a sound to bring a grown man to his knees,” I say to him, putting up a smile to dampen his frown.
“Mia’s having problems feeding Lilly and she's kicked me out of there,” my brother informs me. “The nurse is better at that stuff than I am.”
“Don’t worry, it's not your man boobs she’s interested in,” I say, hoping to lighten his mood.
Instead, he looks at me in confusion and then bursts out laughing.
“I know, I know, I feel for Mia, but what can a man do?” He smiles as he sits down looking a little more relaxed. “I’m glad you’ve stuck around or I might have gone insane with all this stress.”
“It’s only a baby,” I try to reassure him. “You’ll all settle down soon, I’m sure of it. Anyway, there’s nothing Mia can’t overcome. She’ll have it all sorted by tomorrow, you’ll see.”
“I’ll go get some cold beers, I need it,” Ethan says, jumping up and heading for the cooler.
I have to smile to myself. This parenthood thing seems very stressful, yet billions of people do it over and over.
“I won’t go in to see her until Lilly quiets down,” I call over to Ethan as he comes out of the kitchen.
“Yeah, don’t you dare leave without seeing her though. She has big plans for you bro. You're gonna wish you’d never taken her up on this blind date challenge,” he informs me.
“You'd have thought Mia’s got more important things to worry about than my love life,” I reply. “What could she possibly have done between the hospital and here? I only saw you guys a few hours ago.”
“I want nothing to do with it, so don’t question me, bro,” Ethan says, taking a long drink from his beer bottle.
“Now there’s something I don’t see often,” I point my beer bottle at his. “If Mia sees you drinking out of the bottle, you’ll be in trouble.”
“I don’t want to make too much washing up, so I’m keeping the glasses clean,” he laughs.
“So, how’s it feel to be a daddy?” I ask, truly wanting to know.
“Crazy, bro. I’m numb, that’s how it feels. Useless and numb,” he admits. “I can’t do anything to help. Mia keeps shouting at me and then she starts crying. The nurse said I’d be best to let her rest but how the hell is she going to do that with Lilly’s lungs bursting out?”
“Ha...ha...ha...” I couldn’t help but laugh. I’d never seen my brother in such a state.
“You can laugh, it’ll happen to you one day, you’ll see...” he grumps back at me.
A movement to my left forces me to turn and I see Mia and Lilly walking towards us. Mia looks bedraggled.
“My goodness that was so difficult,” she says with a long sigh. “I mean, it’s supposed to be one of the most natural things in the world, breastfeeding, but boy it is so damn hard.”
It's a relief when she doesn’t go on to give us any more details. To me, a woman’s body is a temple. I really don’t want Mia to ruin my world by informing me what breasts are really meant for. It does not go down well in my vision of beauty.
“Now then, Calvin,” Mia says, sitting next to her husband as they both make those strange sounds over Lilly. “I have that blind date set up and ready to go.”
“What? How can you have done that while having a baby?” I ask, dumbfounded. “Surely even you can't plan and scheme in the middle of labor.”
“I hope you’re not going back on your word,” she says, looking up and gazing at me with killer eyes. “My patience is a little stretched at the moment, so don’t you be thinking of backing out of our agreement. I’m determined to win my bet.”
“This isn’t a bet, is it?” I ask. “When did my love life become a game?”
“Oh, don’t you give me that,” she says, passing Lilly over to Ethan.
She has a steely determination in her eyes I find a little disturbing. I know better than getting on her wrong side. She looks like a woman on a mission.
“You’re missing something in your life, Calvin. You know you are, I know you are, good grief even Ethan knows you are. Yet you’re the only one who doesn’t know what that something is. ” She says scornfully.
“Maybe I need a baby?” I laugh, and she throws a cushion at me.
“I want you to take this date serious
ly, Calvin,” she demands. “You need to think outside the box. Every woman you ever date is usually a model or a money grabber. This one is really sweet and knows nothing about who you are.”
“I’m sorry, Mia,” I say, rubbing both hands over my face. “I’ll put my serious face on.”
“You are so immature," she says, hands in the air. "You two are alike and he’s older than you so he has no excuse,” she reprimands us.
Poor Ethan, he's simply cooing over his daughter and saying nothing. He looks up and raises his eyebrows at me as if to warn me I’m on my own.
“How the two of you manage to run a global network of companies, I'll never know.” Mia has gone into serious mode, with an apostrophe attached to it. I know when to stay quiet. “If they knew how immature you both are when you’re in private, all those shareholders would run a mile. I ought to blackmail the pair of you. Record your conversations when no one’s around. Video you both when you’re playing on the damn computer. Honestly, I do believe you’re both still teenagers!”
“What did I do?” Ethan chimes in, not happy at being dragged into this charade.
“See to your baby and keep quiet,” Mia orders. “Calvin Luca, you will go on this date with this very sweet lady and you will treat her with respect. She is so lovely, that if I hear any bad feedback, I will make you suffer.”
“Whoa, is it that serious to you, Mia?” I ask, knowing full well that when Mia decides something is going to happen, it does.
“Yes, Calvin, it is. So be warned. I’m very hormonal and I must get my way for at least a month.”
“Okay, I’ll go. Give me all the details while I hold my niece,” I tell her and head over to Ethan to get my share of Lilly cuddles.
Once she’s in my arms I want to shut out the world and make silly noises to her. Her fingernails are so tiny and soft, they look like they’ve been painted on. Those thick dark curls have got to be our Italian genes. One of her eyes is half-open as her face makes the most peculiar twisting shapes.
“I think she’s pooping,” I tell Ethan.
“Nah! She has loads of wind,” he informs me. “Anyway if she poops you’ll soon know about it!”
