by Kathryn Shay
“Papa, is breakfast burning?”
“No, no. But it’s done. Come on up and get your food.”
When they were all reseated, they ate, once again like a normal family. When Mariella’s phone rang, she checked the caller ID. “It’s Brie.” She stood and walked away from the table then connected. “Hi, Brie.” A pause. “Uneventful. Yours?” After a bit, she said, “But I have a road service and could take care of this myself.”
Another wait. “All right. An hour? Great. See you soon.” She returned to the table and apologized for taking a call during a meal.
“What was that all about?” Jordan asked.
She explained that Dante was coming over to pick up her car and fix it.
“Ah. So you need a ride home.”
“I can go in the truck with Dante.”
“No, we’ll drive you.”
They sat at the table sipping coffee and juice, sharing favorite memories about the party. After a half hour, Mariella stood. “I’m going to change.” She left the room, and Jordan’s phone buzzed.
He checked it. What the hell was Elise doing up at this hour? “Bonjour.”
“Bonjour, darling. Can I speak to Yvette?”
“About what?”
“I’d rather tell her first.”
He thought about rejecting that maneuver, but he picked his battles with her. “Yvette, it’s your mother.”
“Mama!” she said into the phone. “I had my birthday party last night. I can’t wait until you come to see my presents over my school break.”
He saw his daughter’s face go from elation to despair. “Why can’t you come?” She waited. “That’s not an answer.” Tears filled her eyes. “I don’t care. I don’t care about you. Goodbye.” And she clicked off.
Jordan squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry, belle.”
Yvette put her head down and wept. Lilly moved in and cuddled her. When she finally sat up, she asked, “Why is she like this, Papa? Doesn’t she love me?”
Jordan was afraid he knew the answer to that.
* * *
Mariella walked into the kitchen and sucked in a breath at the scene. She rushed to the table to stand over Jordan’s daughter. “Yvette, what’s wrong?”
Scrubbing the tears from her face, Yvette stood and threw herself into Mariella’s arms. The girl was shaking.
“Aw, sweetheart.” Mari hugged her tightly.
Jordan’s face was crestfallen. She kept hold of Yvette, then, realizing she needed more comfort, Mari sat and took the girl onto her lap. “Tell me.”
Tearfully, punctuated by hiccups, Yvette explained that her mother wasn’t coming to see her.
“I’m so sorry.”
“She couldn’t come for my birthday yesterday, but she said she’d be here February something? What, Papa?”
“February 15. You’re off school, and I have a retreat with the faculty.”
Mari’s forehead furrowed. “Hmm.”
“Maybe I could stay with you, Mrs. Moretti?”
Jordan stepped closer. “No, love, we can’t impose.”
Mari was torn. “It isn’t that.”
Lilliana said, “I’m going to Casarina to see Bappo and Nonno.”
“For the whole week?” Yvette asked.
“Yeah.”
Yvette’s devastation fleshed out on her entire face.
Lilliana brightened. “Why don’t you come with me to Casarina?”
Jordan looked to Mariella. She said, “I’d love for you to go, honey, but my parents wanted to see Lilliana alone. Without me, I mean. I’m not sure they expect her to have a friend along. They see so little of their granddaughter.”
“They’d love having Yvette!” A jutted lip accompanied Lilly’s statement.
“We don’t know that, bambina.”
Yvette started to cry in earnest. And now tears fell down Lilly’s face.
“Yvette, sweetie, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
Jordan picked up Yvette from Mari’s lap. “Honey, remember how grand-mère wanted to have you alone the weeks you visited?”
Yvette gripped him around the neck. “I guess.”
“Mama, do something!” Lilliana’s face was beet-red now, and she’d come out of her seat, her little fists on the table.
Mari’s phone rang. In case it was Brie, Mari checked the caller. “She has radar.”
“Who?” Jordan asked.
“Hello, Mamá.”
“Boungiorno.” Renata, of course. “You sound concerned. Is something wrong?”
“Why do you even ask? You knew something was.”
“Maybe a bit.” Her mother’s laugh was full of warmth and made Mari feel better.
“Ask her,” Lilliana screeched.
Jordan said, “Lilly, ma belle, let your mother talk so we can figure this out. You too, Yvette.”
“Ask me what?”
“All right, but you must promise to tell me the truth.”
“I always do, darling. Even when you don’t want to hear it.”
“Lilliana has a best friend here, Yvette. I told you about her the last time we talked. She’s a lovely girl. She was supposed to have a visit from her mother from France the week of the fifteenth, but that was canceled. My daughter is insisting Yvette go to Casarina with her.”
“Why, I think that is a wonderful idea. There’s a children’s festival in the capital all week. We were planning to take our Lilliana. It would be marvelous for her to have another child along to enjoy the rides and other activities.”
Now Mari’s eyes moistened at the mother who’d always, always been there for her. “Are you sure, Mamá?”
“What did she say?” Lilliana wanted to know.
Mari covered the phone. “She said yes.”
Screams of joy came from the other side of the table.
Jordan frowned. “I would like to speak with your mother.”
She handed him her cell.
“Hello, Your Highness, this is Yvette’s father, Jordan Dubois.”
“Ah, yes Jordan Dubois. The Pulitzer Prize winner. My daughter told me about you and Yvette.”
“I’m teaching at Georgetown. I assure you I can cancel my plans for that week. Yvette can stay with me. Don’t feel you have to take her.”
“Noooooooo!” The chorus of two girls was ear-splitting.
He covered the phone. “Calm down, girls.”
Back on the phone now, Renata said to him, “I assure you, Jordan, that my husband and I rarely do what we don’t want to do.”
“So, you think the king will agree?”
“The king loves children. He’ll agree.”
“Well, then, grazie.”
“De rien. And by the way, both my husband and I read your book after Mariella told us you were her teacher. We adored it. When will the next one be out?”
“I’m working on it now.”
After Mari disconnected, she leaned back in the seat. “Have you ever seen such chaos from the two of them?”
He bit his lip. “No, I have not.”
She turned to Lilly. “I am not happy with your behavior, Lilliana Moretti.”
“And I’m not happy with your behavior either, Yvette Dubois.”
“We’re sorry,” both said at once.
Mari asked Jordan, “Well, what do you think?”
“Let them have this together.”
“I’m not sure we have any choice.”
Silence. Suitably chastised, the girls sat primly on their chairs. But Mari saw them give each other huge grins.
She hid a smile of her own.
Chapter 6
Jordan handed out reading assignments in his Ethics class for the rest of the semester. The ending of which couldn’t come soon enough, he thought, scanning the students, his gaze holding onto Mariella’s for a few seconds.
“So,” he said to them all. “Did you study your assignments?”
Nods of agreement.
Ahmad Bashir raised his hand. “C
an I say something before we discuss these?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you for digging up readings on the ten different topics we told you were important to us. The individualization of this class is amazing.”
Hardy thanks echoed from them all.
“You’re welcome, but lest this praise go too far, I have a quiz for each of you to take.” He held up papers. “To make sure you’re completing the required reading. Then we’ll discuss the ones due today.”
It had taken Jordan a whole day to find treatises, articles and essays, tailored to each of the ten students. Apparently, his efforts had been worth the time spent.
No one grumbled, but Walker glanced around nervously. Jordan would bet the Rolex he’d gotten as a French literary prize that Walker hadn’t completed the work.
Standing, he passed out the individual tests for their specific sets of readings. When he handed Mariella her exam, he had to contain his amusement. She wasn’t exactly dressed in a shroud, but her oversized black pants and bulky sweater were nondescript. She was trying her best to be unattractive. Unfortunately, her attempt was in vain.
After ten minutes, he collected the quizzes, leafed through them, then threw them in the trash. “Walker and Carrington, you may leave the class now and go somewhere to do the work you should have done.”
The misery on Carrington’s face and the anger on Walker’s spoke volumes. “And Ms. Carrington, please return at the end of the class.” He suspected her excuse would be a valid one. He thought he heard she was a single mother, which would explain missed assignments. And she looked exhausted.
Without further ado, he began the instruction. “As I said last week, when your topic comes up, you’ll report to the rest of the class what you learned from your readings, starting today. I asked you to make ten copies of the outlines you completed on your topic and pass them to the rest of us.” He also held up a schedule. “You were given this to have the first two sets done for today.”
It hadn’t been a piece of cake reading the material for today. The articles contained legalese, some esoteric concepts and some practical tenets.
Ahmad went first.
Mariella observed from the second row as Jordan handled the students expertly. He allowed each presenter the time and space to review the outline, then asked the others to give their thoughts. Finally, each reporter summarized his or her opinion. At the end of all that, Jordan gave supplementary notes on points that Ahmad had missed.
The man was a genius to be able to have read the class so expertly, then research and organize the work tailored to each student. Unfortunately, genius turned Mariella on. Ever since the kiss in his spare room, she was acutely conscious of his nearness and the memories of his lips on hers haunted her.
Damn. Be professional!
When class ended, she stood outside the room while Anna Carrington walked by her and inside. She squeezed the woman’s arm. Anna raised bruised eyes to her. “Good luck.”
Mari knew she shouldn’t, but she waited out of sight.
And heard, “Calm down, Ms. Carrington. I saw the expression on your face when you were asked to leave. Tell me why you didn’t do your work, and I more than likely won’t penalize you.”
“M-my baby was sick all weekend and yesterday. Whenever he slept, I did too. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t do the assignment.”
“How is he now?”
“Better. His fever broke. He’s with my sister.”
“Glad to hear it. I thought perhaps something important kept you from your work. And I remember those days of tending to a sick child. In the future, let me know when you’re in crisis by email. I won’t make you leave the next time.”
“Thanks so much, Dr. Dubois. I appreciate the understanding.”
“I hope all goes well with your boy.”
Slipping into an alcove so Anna didn’t see her, Mari waited until everything was silent. Then she went back to the door and leaned against the jamb. “It’s not fair, you know.”
He glanced over at her. “Were you eavesdropping, Ms. Moretti?”
“Yes.”
“So, you think I shouldn’t have given the poor woman a pass.”
“Of course I think you should have. It just makes me...feel more when you’re sensitive, especially to a new mother.”
A devilish grin. “I’m glad you’re feeling more. Every time I see you, I feel more, too.”
“Think we’re going to make to April?”
“Yes, we are.”
“I hope so. I’ll see you Thursday night.”
“I look forward to it.”
Mariella’s heart was heavy at leaving him. But she also felt an undercurrent of anticipation. Maybe this would work out.
* * *
The girls came rushing out of Stepping Stones, and their exuberance was palpable. Jordan tried to be stern about how they maneuvered the adults into getting their way, but they were so happy, it was hard to stay mad.
“We’re done!” Yvette said, jumping into Jordan’s arms.
He staggered backward a few steps. “Yes, I know.”
Lilliana hugged her mother tightly. “We go to Casarina tomorrow.”
“You do, mia figlia.”
The four of them headed to their cars.
“Are you sure I don’t have to pack anything?” Yvette asked for at least the fourth time.
Mariella answered. “No. This is a tradition we’ve had the three years we’ve been in the US. Mamá buys all new clothes for Lilliana and they serve as her spring wardrobe here.”
“And she wants to do the same for Yvette,” Lilly put in.
“Yes, of course. Besides, it’s already done. She called to regale me about the outfits she bought. They’re stylish as well as being different.”
Yvette leaned into him. “Can you believe it, Papa? The queen bought me clothes.”
Lilly laughed. “I forget Nonno’s the queen.”
Walking ahead of them, the girls held hands the rest of the way. Jordan had parked a few cars down from Mari’s. “So, I’ll wait for her to be picked up by Antonio tomorrow?”
“Yes, he’ll come to my house then yours.”
“Huh! I can’t remember the last time I took a private plane.”
“The king and queen do everything in style.”
“Wait here a minute.” He couldn’t let her go just yet. “The weather’s mild tonight. Let me get Yvette in the car and I’ll be back.”
He returned in minutes. Lilliana was all secured in her booster seat. Outside, in the dim light of the parking lot, Mariella turned to him.
Moving close to her, he peered down at her. “So, this is it. I won’t see you for a week. Though friends do go out once in a while.”
“No, we agreed to no contact. I don’t trust us.” She put her hands on the lapels of his cashmere dark blue coat. “You shouldn’t either.”
“I don’t. The temptation would be too great.”
“Damn it.”
“Hell.”
“I want to kiss you goodbye.”
“Oh, sure.” She rolled her eyes. “We should put on a show in the parking lot of our school and in front of whomever passes by.”
“Get in the car, then.”
When she moved back, he grasped her arms. Pulled her to him and gave her a full-bodied hug. Then he let her go and walked away. Halfway there, he almost turned back.
Almost.
* * *
On Saturday morning, Mariella dug the toes of her skates into the ice and glided across the rink. Brie caught up to her after four rounds. “Hey, wait for me.”
“Sorry.”
They linked arms and began to skate more slowly. Brie wore a shiny blue down coat, a white hat and navy gloves. Mari wore a red parka with fur trim. “Outrunning demons?”
“You mean Lilliana’s absence?”
A knowing expression. “That, too.”
“I’ll miss her. But her vacation will be great especially because Yvette went with
her.”
“Hmm. What about yours?”
“I want some time to myself.” She squeezed Brie’s arm. “To do things like this.”
“Me, too.”
Mariella had spent the morning with Brie and Dante, but in the afternoon, they’d come to the rink to skate while he worked at the collision shop. Mari loved this activity, as they’d been trained at home on their own ice rink, so she thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon.
“Have you been thinking about Jordan? You’re not going to see each other for a week.”
“Yes, I have. He’s working on his book. I picture him at his desk.” And wonder what it would be like if she could give him backrubs and make him take breaks, but she kept that to herself.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the school’s winter break party with us tonight?”
“Thanks for the invite, but no. I’m going to do some homework and go to bed early. We got up at the crack of dawn to get the kids off.”
“Was Antonio excited about the girls coming?”
“Yes, like he used to when he got to take us places off the palace grounds.”
They finished their laps and then glided to the bench to remove skates. The seat was cold and her face cool, but she’d enjoyed this excursion. She took out her phone to see what time it was, and there was a text from Jordan. Dear, Lord. She read, I miss you. I can’t help it.
She texted him back.
* * *
Jordan heard his phone ping. He’d been noodling an idea around in his head for days, and this morning had finally got something on paper, though it was raw. He checked the caller I.D.
I miss you, too. Now go away and write your book. I won’t respond again today. We said one text per day.
Yeah, they had. It was about four o’clock, so he pushed away from the desk. His phone rang. Again, he checked the caller I.D. Elise. He clicked decline. He knew she’d call eventually, but he couldn’t talk to her, he was so utterly pissed at her. Merde! The woman was a menace to society.
Needing a break, he fixed himself a drink, heated up some brie, put a croissant in the oven and cut up an apple. He leaned against the counter and sipped his Manhattan amidst the homey scent of baking bread and the aroma of the cheese.
