“Don’t you want to come?” Callie asked, not entirely convinced.
“Oh no, I don’t think I have room for anything more. I’ll start packing.”
“I could help you.”
“No, thanks.” Rebecca suppressed the impulse to roll her eyes in the way Dina was so good at. “I’m fine, really. If I get bored, I can get myself a coffee from the shop downstairs.”
“You’re feeling okay?”
“I’m feeling great, but Dina really wanted that dress, so if you could go with her?” Rebecca kissed her quickly and handed her a few Euro bills. “Here. I’ll even spring for an ice cream. Packing is a science, you know? I’m going to need to concentrate.”
She could tell Callie was still a bit confused. There was nothing she could do about it now. She would understand soon.
“Okay. Let’s go spend some money. Between your mom’s allowance and my credit card, we should find something,” Callie joked.
A moment later, Rebecca stood in the middle of the room, forcing herself to take a deep breath, feeling a bit lightheaded with the prospect. Of course Callie would say yes, right? There was no doubt, about that question, or how much she wanted this, to say the words, make a statement and pay credit to the new life she’d been given. First things first.
She put on her sandals and picked up her purse, walking down the stairs to the lobby on shaky legs. If looking at jewelry, or even the prospect thereof, made her feel like this, what would the actual moment be like?
In the jewelry store, an employee welcomed her with words of which she understood nothing except buon giorno. Rebecca tried to make herself clear with the help of gestures, and the young woman fortunately understood that she wanted to look at the rings in the window. She kept up the friendly chatter, and Rebecca answered her in English, unable to remember the words that Dina had taught her during the flight, in order to say “I’m sorry, but my Italian isn’t very good.”
“Ah, English,” the woman said. “Where are you from? Did you have a good time here?”
Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief, before she answered. “We’re from the US—and yes, my family and I had a wonderful time.”
The woman smiled brightly. “You’re making a gift to yourself?”
“No. It’s an engagement ring.”
Rebecca waited for the realization to sink in, but the employee’s smile never wavered.
“Okay. Do you know the size? Try on yourself first?”
“Thank you.”
Rebecca allowed herself to drift for a bit, into a daydream about the moment she’d give that ring to Callie. There wasn’t a lot of time for this now, though. She had to make a choice and get some packing done as well, if she didn’t want Callie to get suspicious.
On the way back to the hotel, she stopped by the coffee shop, wondering how Roz was doing. She was looking forward to seeing their friends again, making them jealous with their vacation pictures…and sharing the happy news.
* * * *
There was an air of melancholy at this latest get-together, even for the adults. For Dina and Tomaso, it was the upcoming separation, and Maggie, too, was unhappy to leave her new friend Angelica behind. For Callie and Rebecca, it was saying goodbye to a place where they felt most welcome. Even the DeLucas seemed a bit sad to see their new acquaintances go. The wine was plenty.
Callie wished she could have talked more to Tomaso’s grandmother Giovanna who, judging from his translations, was a funny and smart woman, well-loved within her family and someone the kids looked up to.
The conversation came to a halt when Tomaso stopped translating, obviously unsure if he should share. Dina grinned.
“Mamma,” Graciela chided gently. To Callie and Rebecca, she said, “She wishes you all the best and a safe journey—and she says you’re a beautiful couple.”
“Thank you so much.” Rebecca’s blush matched Graciela’s. “That’s…” She cleared her throat. “Very kind.”
Marco shook his head with a smile, getting up to pour everyone another glass. “My mother-in-law tells it like it is,” he said.
Giovanna nodded. “Una volta ho baciato una ragazza.” Whatever those words meant, they made the jaws of several family members drop. “Che c'è? Era carina,” she said, looking pleased with herself.
Tomaso resigned to his fate. “She said ‘I kissed a girl once. What? She was pretty.’”
* * * *
Easier said than done. The ring was burning a hole in her pocket, because she hadn’t found the courage to ask yet. Her hesitation presented another potential problem as Rebecca had to underestimate the value of gifts on her customs declaration. Mostly, she was tired and had come to the conclusion that a marriage proposal at the end of a vacation might be misunderstood—what she meant to ask was for both better or worse, not just a happy time away from home and their schedules and responsibilities.
That was the way to do it, wasn’t it? She could still find a quiet moment, back home, once they had gotten over the jetlag, done laundry, sorted pictures. Dina needed to settle on a study program and complete her application.
Rebecca had once told a stunned Andy and curious onlookers in the grocery store that she was with the most wonderful person. Both she and Callie deserved a special occasion to approach this subject. It didn’t mean she was stalling, but being careful to find the right time.
* * * *
The weather upon their return to Autumn Leaves was far from welcoming. Rain, storms and temperature drops far below the average should have created excellent conditions for Callie to get back to work. Her progress was nevertheless slow, the jetlag hitting her harder than it had been on the other part of their trip. Twice, Rebecca gently woke her, because she had fallen asleep on the couch with the laptop on her knees, and she was hungry every other hour.
When Asha called her on the third day, Callie was not in the mood, much to her friend’s amusement.
“Hey, no one should be that grumpy after the trip you just had.”
“I’m not grumpy.” Callie sighed. “I’m not even here.”
“Oh, you better. You didn’t forget about the reading you’re going to do in a matter of days? I’ll be checking in with you on that in person. Gracie might come too.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, I can tell by your enthusiasm how much you appreciate it. I talked to Sean, by the way.” That was nothing new. Asha talked to her brother a lot. This was why Callie never had to worry about their mother knowing what was going on in her life.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I appreciate everything you do for me, but if that’s all, I’ve got a piece of chocolate cream cheese pie waiting for me.” It was either that or take a nap. “It’s not like having tiramisu in Rome, but it will do.”
“Yeah, rub it in, while other people will never even get out from behind their desks for a coffee. Sean mentioned he might come see you too. Of course he’s going to be at the wedding, but he has some time off soon. Hopefully you’ll be awake by then.”
“I’ll try. Thanks, Asha. I swear I’ll be on top of everything in, let’s say, a couple of days. It’s not supposed to take longer than that, is it?”
Asha laughed. “You’re aware it sounds somewhat ambiguous when you say—”
“Please. Don’t go there.”
“All right. Check in with the nice lady who does the fundraiser—Mrs. LaRue—and get your reading together. I’ll be there.”
“I will,” Callie promised. “Thanks for the warning.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean it to sound like that. Your brother is a charming guy. Rebecca will like him.”
“I have no doubts. I meant thanks for warning me that you’re going to be there. Usually, you just show up on my doorstep.”
“Honey, I missed you so much.”
It was tough to have the last word with Asha under any circumstances, but Callie had to admit that she wasn’t in a condition to even try. She and Rebecca would host the Saturday brunch on the upcoming wee
kend, but it was certainly better to have Betty over to work out last minute details. That is, if she could manage to stay awake long enough. Callie didn’t feel like going back to any of the meetings taking place on the church premises, where Father Reynolds would be thrilled to give her the evil eye once more.
After ending the call, she went to check her emails. One came from her former classmate Beth Murphy who, conveniently, asked about any readings in the future. Her employee Melanie was an avid reader of Callie’s books. Callie wrote a quick answer, thinking it might be interesting to meet Melanie in person. She worked closely with Beth.
Callie leaned back in her chair, shaking her head at the notion that only a few months ago, she’d been desperate, falling for the blackmail schemes of her ex-girlfriend. According to Nicole, Rebecca would pack up and leave the moment she learned about Callie and Beth’s shared history. None of that had happened. As a teenager, Callie had failed to intervene in the bullying Beth had been subjected to on a daily basis. As adults, both of them had been able to work out the issues of guilt and blame, lay the latter where it belonged. They still weren’t best friends, but exchanged the occasional email.
Rebecca was right here with her, and for all her worries about being forty, she didn’t seem half as affected by jetlag as Callie was. She had also brought the aforementioned pie with a mug of coffee.
“That’s perfect. Thank you so much.”
“Asha’s on your case?” Rebecca asked with a knowing smile.
“She always is.” Callie hid a yawn behind her hand. “She’s going to be here for the reading, maybe with Gracie. I’m sure Maggie would love to see her. Speaking of the reading, I should call Betty too, see how things are on her end. Do you think we could have her over for dinner tonight?”
“No.” Rebecca seemed a bit startled about her instant reaction. “I meant…I’m all caught up with the internet stuff, email et cetera. I could cook. Dina has her usual skype date, Maggie is back to the book club…”
Callie suppressed a sigh. The girls had gone back to their regular schedules like there had been no eight hours plus flight between the lazy days in Siena, and Autumn Leaves. However, the prospect lifted her spirits.
“I’d love a romantic dinner,” she said. “It will be either reward or motivation.”
Rebecca’s face lit up.
“Great. I’m going grocery shopping then. Have Betty come over tomorrow maybe--or we could go for breakfast at Roz’s.”
“Cupcakes for breakfast?”
“I know that would make you happy. I’ll be quick.”
Rebecca leaned down to kiss her before she left, almost with a bounce to her step, making Callie wonder if she’d missed something.
* * * *
Rebecca had made it through some challenges in her life, some of the most difficult, not so long ago. She had to tell her husband of sixteen years that she’d fallen in love with someone else, and that she’d decided to be with that person. Then, explain the situation to her daughters. Stand up in church to confront those who were talking behind her back. She’d made it through.
In comparison, giving a ring to the woman she loved, an affirmation of the fact that she wanted to spent the rest of her life with Callie, should be easy. Preparing the meal would make her more relaxed, if she managed not to forget any ingredients on her shopping list. On the bright side, Callie hadn’t noticed yet that anything was up, the jetlag still having a tight hold on her. Rebecca thought with affection of how she’d just left her, half awake, running on caffeine and sugar to get back into a daily routine. She was so lost in her musings that she nearly ran into someone, then excused herself and almost walked on before she realized it was Betty.
“Wow,” her friend commented, amused. “You must be dreaming of Italy.”
“Kind of,” Rebecca admitted. “It was wonderful. That’s a big understatement, actually. We have tons of pictures to show you at brunch. How have you been?”
“Oh, good. Well, mostly.” Betty sighed. “Hey, would you have time for a quick coffee at Roz’s? No cake though. I love her, but I swear her business is responsible for every one of the seven pounds I gained.” She looked Rebecca up and down. “You, of course, look amazing as always, after all the pasta and pizza you must have had.”
“There were many stairs to walk up and down too,” Rebecca said. “I guess I could use a coffee. We still go to bed at nine.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you there. Prepare for more stories of the category, ‘only in Autumn Leaves’.”
“I’m scared.”
“The family’s all fine, of the blood and of the Saturday brunch. Other than that…You’ll see.”
They both went to pay for their purchases and went to their own cars. Rebecca smiled to herself as she sat behind the wheel. Some things never changed. She was admittedly curious. After less than a ten minutes’ drive from the grocery store, she parked at Roz’s café, Betty right behind her. Roz was busy, but Francine had stopped by on her way from work, inviting the two of them to her table.
“Rebecca, you look like the vacation I need to have,” she said. “I’m surprised you guys didn’t want to stay.”
“Well, home is here.” Rebecca hung her coat over the chair before she sat down. “Now what have you been up to?”
“Me, not much. Have you talked to Amber Cole since you came back?”
“No…and I’m not sure I want to hear it. This is about Andy?”
“You win the prize,” Betty said dryly. “You know that both the reverend and Father Langdon kept quiet best they could, but it’s hard to contain that kind of talk. You know how they made sure Andy had somewhere to go? She tanked it. Apparently, she made a big scene and disappeared again. The woman really can’t make up her mind.”
There were some things Rebecca could have answered to that, like “that kind of talk” was exactly what they were doing now, and that she and Callie had once been the subject as well. She could have shared her theory that Andy had taken a time-out from her life in order to find a date at the Lavender Lounge once more, but that was none of their business. In fact, whatever Andy did was none of their business.
“If that’s all the news…I for one am glad she’s not showing up at our house anymore. The vacation has been really good for Maggie.”
“I imagine. David’s enjoying himself in Hong Kong too,” Betty said.
“Well, I know he arrived safely. Everything else...Your guess is as good as mine.”
“Charles might want to go next year, business for him, vacation for me. Maybe not my first choice, but it looks pretty exciting.”
Francine shook her head. “Look at you and the lives you have. The church choir will be forever my only claim to fame.”
“Maybe you should audition for one of those TV shows,” Rebecca suggested. She wasn’t going to tell them now, not before Saturday, but she was grateful for the relaxing presence of her friends.
“Oh no, not me. Maria could have.”
“Sure, she could have--and she would have kicked your ass so you’d go and at least try, don’t you think?”
Without a doubt, that was true about the friend they had all loved so much. She had encouraged all of them, even when at times, it meant for her to stay behind.
“Someone’s in a feisty mood.” Roz laughed. “What can I bring you, ladies?”
“Actually, I’d like that coffee to go,” Rebecca said. “I’m sorry. I need to get home after all. I’ll see you all on Saturday.”
Speaking of Maria, she would honor her tonight by being brave. If there was ever a sign to let her know the right moment, this was it.
Chapter Ten
Callie apparently hadn’t moved the whole time Rebecca had been away, still staring at the screen bleakly. Rebecca leaned over the kiss her cheek.
“Poor baby. I’m sure it will be better with dinner.”
Because I have something that will really wake you up. I hope. She shook her head at her own antics. At least her hands weren’t
shaking with the nervousness anymore. In fact, she was rather calm. From the looks of it, Dina would indeed be glued to the screen of her laptop. Maggie was already excited for the book club. No stalling this time. Humming to herself, she started cutting vegetables, pouring herself a glass of wine when they were searing in the pan.
Dina came into the kitchen to get herself a glass of water, lingering.
“How’s Tomaso?” Rebecca asked.
A deep heartfelt sigh was the answer. “He’s good. I really miss him. You know, about my application? Could you talk to Susan?”
“Sure, but…wait, why?”
Rebecca had nothing bad to say about the new woman at her ex-husband’s side, but communication between them was still somewhat awkward, given the circumstances. “There’s some stuff she and I looked up together, and I think she still has it,” Dina explained. “Some of that paperwork is for the parents, so it would be better if you two could do it.”
“No problem. I guess I can email her.”
“That would be great. Thank you. I saw there’s champagne in the fridge.”
“Yeah?”
“It’s tonight?”
Forget about calm. Within a moment, her heart was beating so hard Rebecca almost thought Callie had to be able to hear it in the next room.
“That’s the plan.”
“It’s about time,” Dina said, as if this was the most obvious thing to do. “I mean, you wanted to ask Callie in Siena, didn’t you? All right. I’ll be upstairs on Skype if you need me for anything.”
Hold that thought, Rebecca told herself. “Actually, I could use your help right now. Would you mind setting the table?”
“Do you want me to ask her?” Dina burst into laughter at Rebecca’s flabbergasted expression. “Relax. You’ll do fine.”
* * * *
“Something is up,” Callie insisted, a lot more awake than a few hours ago. “Normally, you would insist that Dina stay at the table instead of hanging out on Skype during dinner. You were also gone longer than it takes to buy groceries, and this is…a candlelight dinner. Did I miss something?”
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