by Cee, DW
The conversation confused the hell out of me. I was confused as to what it was Siena wanted from me. I was even more confused as to what I wanted from Siena—with Marni still hovering in my mind. Hell. Had I known today would become so confusing, I would have stayed in the dorm.
“I’m sure you’ve had a wealth of men vying for your attention, Siena. You know how stunning you are.”
“You always say the sweetest words, Noah.” She kissed me again before leading me to her mom’s.
“Noah.” A commanding voice greeted me.
I stood up tall to shake the hands of Admiral Mateo di Rossi, Siena’s father. “Good evening, Admiral. I didn’t realize you were in town.”
“I arrived a few days ago to spend some time with my daughter before she heads back to New York. Your father will be in France very soon.”
“I had no idea. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve spoken.”
“You wouldn’t know, of course. I just heard myself.”
Siena’s father was no different from my own. He was business as usual and serious as hell.
“Stop badgering the boy!” Emilia di Rossi, a gorgeous woman in her own right, pulled me into her arms and out of harm’s way with the Admiral. “How are you, Noah?”
“I’m well, Mrs. di Rossi. How are you? You’re more stunning today than when I last saw you three years ago.”
“This is the man you have to marry, Siena. A man who appreciates beauty and tells the truth at all times.” We all laughed at her humor. “I wanted to cook you a ten-course meal but Mateo tells me we have a reservation at Rome’s finest restaurant.”
“I hope I’m not intruding on a family affair.”
“You are family, Noah.” Siena pulled me out the door with her parents in tow. “We’ll drive separately.”
“Your parents haven’t changed.”
“Are you seeing anyone, Noah? Should we try dating again?”
I was making small talk. Siena was talking big.
“Um…no…technically no…”
“What does that mean? Are you seeing that Audrey Hepburn look-a-like? If you are, I’m going to be very jealous. I’d rather look like Audrey than Sophia Loren. I never thought that was a compliment when people called me Little Sophia.”
“You are as delectable as they come, Little Sophia. You’ve no need to be jealous of any woman.”
Siena held my hand through the car ride. “I know it’s abrupt but I’ve been thinking about you, about us. I want to try again. We ended prematurely. Our relationship needs another go.”
In full disclosure, I was tempted. Siena and I were good together. It wouldn’t be a lie to say she was my first taste of woman and I liked what I’d sampled, very much. Still, Marni held a big piece of my heart even if I didn’t hold the same quantity of hers.
“The valet would like your car, Siena.” That was her father’s way of telling us to get out immediately. We obeyed.
Dinner at Rome’s only three-Michelin-starred restaurant was splendid. Between mother and daughter, every topic between Rome and New York made an appearance.
“Noah.” The Admiral got even more serious when a box full of dessert arrived at the table.
“Yes, Sir?”
“Your father tells me you’re a nuclear engineering major.”
“That’s correct, Sir.”
“Will you be attending grad school right away or did you want work experience, first?”
“I’m unsure. I’d like to do both at the same time if possible.”
“Is it also true that you’re finished with undergrad a year early?”
“Just about, Sir. I have two classes left that I’m considering taking over the summer.”
“How would you like to attend graduate classes at NYU and do nuclear work in the city?”
Damn. That was a phenomenal offer. “How would I be able to do this?”
“I was talking to your father, and he recommended I talk to you. He thought you’d like to finish undergrad, first, but I think you would do fine starting graduate school. If you like my idea, I’ll take care of all the particulars. You only need to finish your coursework over the summer and finish your bachelor’s degree. Once that’s done, you’ll attend classes and get paid to work in the field of your dreams.”
“How exciting, Noah. We’ll be at NYU together!” Siena declared.
“Siena,” her father warned. “I hardly think the nuclear physics department and the communication department are in the same building. You will probably be in one part of town while Noah’s in the other.”
“You’re such a party pooper, Dad. Noah and I could meet somewhere for lunch or dinner.”
“He’s going to be busy.” The Admiral tried to sound bored, but the slight grin told us otherwise.
“Whatever, Daddy. I’m sure he’ll make time for me.” Her father shook his head.
“What do you say?” He asked me. “Sound like something you might want to do?”
“You’re offering me admission to grad school, a job, money, research opportunity, and a future. What else would I say but yes?”
“Hurray!” Siena wrapped both arms around me and I returned the sentiment. “We’ll be together again,” she whispered then kissed my cheek. “Congrats!”
“Thanks, Siena.” I untangled myself and shook the Admiral’s hand. “Thank you, Sir. Your generosity won’t be forgotten.”
“Remember that when meeting with my daughter amidst your hectic schedule,” he warned with a smile.
My future was taking shape, thanks largely to Admiral di Rossi. Rather than hanging around school another year, I’d move on to the next phase of my life.
As excited as I was, I couldn’t help thinking about Marni. In the three years I’d spent with her, my feelings were genuine. In the course of three hours, Siena and her father threw my life into a Vitamix blender, jumbled up all the components of my life and turned it into a simple, yet gourmet soup.
I’d have to talk to Marni as soon as I returned.
Until then, I’d enjoy my time with old friends.
Chapter 7 Ben (Present)
Unconditionally ~Katy Perry
“It’s always so much easier to move at this time of day. Ali taking a long nap is a godsend!”
“It is, but that also means she’s wide awake and alert when not napping. That girl is full of energy.” What Marni said was totally true. My girl had energy and enthusiasm for all of us.
Mar, Ali, and I were on our way to visit Mar’s mom in San Diego, today. Because Ali woke up earlier than usual and was excited to see Mar, we needed to tire her out. Mar decided to expend some of her energy at the beach, as it was an unusually warm day. We took Ali to the water when no one was around, splashed around the incoming tide, and made sandcastles. Once back home, Mar gave Ali a hot bath, and that was the ticket to a sound nap. Ali conked out the moment I placed her in her seat.
“Are you going to be able to handle Ali, work, and school? I meant it when I said I’d support you while you’re in school.”
“I’ll be fine and Ali will be my number one priority. I won’t let this beautiful girl get hurt.” Mar’s body turned to face my girl, sleeping peacefully in her car seat. Mar stretched out her hand and placed a finger on Ali’s adorable cheek. “She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?”
“That she is!”
“I can see why Melody wanted her all to herself. How could you not love this cute face and sweet personality?”
“Mel was crazy in love with Ali. She couldn’t put her down. I had to fight to hold my own child.”
“Tell me how Mel was after I left.”
Mar asked that question with a heavy sigh and much melancholy. I assumed the sadness stemmed from missing her sister.
We had been married ten years, without a child. As excited as I was to have a baby, I worried we wouldn’t know what to do with her. We slept in every weekend, vacationed on a whim, and never put ourselves on any regular schedule. When the due date neared, I wondered
how we would rearrange our lives to accommodate this little one.
The worry was all for naught. It was actually ridiculous the way our life revolved entirely around this seven-pound being. Mel and I were so completely besotted; we would have done anything for our girl.
“Mel was a little frustrated and a lot sad when Ali refused the bottle. She was too used to nursing and the change didn’t sit well with her.”
“Uh-no!”
“Fear not, Auntie Mar.” I patted her hand. “This stubborn little girl didn’t eat the entire day until she got a taste of your breast milk. It wasn’t the bottle that she was refusing, but the formula. You saved the day, again, as soon as the milk arrived.”
“I knew I should have pumped before leaving,” Mar scolded herself.
I added to the reprimand. “What you should have done was told me what was going on. I still don’t know what happened between you, Mama Bear and Grandma Bear. You shouldn’t have taken off like that.”
Mar wouldn’t divulge what happened that one morning I was out buying more diapers. “Thank you for emailing and texting pictures and videos of Ali. You don’t know how much that meant to me.”
Now, it was time for me to sigh. I had no damn clue what transpired between the two sisters and my mother-in-law that kept Mar away from us for so long. “That was the least we could do for the woman who carried our child. If not for you, Ali wouldn’t be here today.”
“You would have found someone else,” Mar whispered.
“But we didn’t. We wanted you and only you. No one else would have done. You were paramount to us having a child.” Mar stayed quiet, so I continued the conversation. “Wasn’t that a great picture of Ali’s first smile?”
“Yeah!” There was that smile I always loved. It reminded me of my daughter’s smile. “How did you catch her first smile on camera?”
“I only took a thousand pictures of my daughter, daily. I was bound to catch a few good ones.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about my girl—I agree!”
“So Mel was all right once Ali started eating again?”
“It took her a little time to adjust. Ali didn’t make the change easy for her. It was as if she knew Mel wasn’t the woman who carried her for nine months. She didn’t like the way Mel held her, fed her, or bathed her. She fussed more with Mel than she did with you.”
“Maybe she had a little colic? I’m sure it had nothing to do with my sister. Why would Ali refuse her?”
“I don’t know, but what I can tell you is that Ali didn’t refuse her father. She let me do everything for her, and she gave me her special smiles.” I, too, had a big smile.
“Oh yeah. I’m sure she only smiled for you.”
I had a comeback for Mar’s sarcasm. “Damn right she only had smiles for her daddy. That’s when I told everyone that Ali would be daddy’s little girl.”
“But Mel did fine with Ali, eventually?”
“Worry not, Auntie. We both did fine. Look at how I survived after Mel left us.”
Shit. Mel’s passing put me in a crappy mood, again. We were supposed to see Ali grow up, marry, and have kids of her own. Who would be with me when our grandchildren came to visit? My life partner up and left me without any warning. I loved her. She loved me. We were supposed to be in love for at least another fifty years.
“You thinking about your wife?”
“I am,” I answered with sadness. “I lost my forever.”
“She’ll always be with you, Ben. Hold onto the memories and I’ll make sure Ali knows about the woman she would have been proud to call her mom.”
“Thanks Mar.” I decided it was time to change subjects. “I can’t wait to see your mom. It’s been a good month since she last visited.”
“Speaking of moms, where are your parents? I thought I’d see them by now.”
“They had a year-long trip around the world planned before Mel passed away. They tried to get out of it and stay with us, but it was too expensive to let go. I had to force them to leave.”
“So they’ll be away the entire year?”
“I have a feeling they’ll be back sooner than that.” My parents were crazy about Ali. Staying away for a year didn’t seem possible. “They left with the knowledge that you’d be here to help, but if I know my mother, she’ll want to see her granddaughter growing up. I give them two months.”
“Two months? What about the rest of the trip?”
I shrugged. “We’ll see…”
Ali’s nap ended the second we drove into Jackie Montgomery’s driveway. My baby woke up with a frown, but soon smiled when she saw Grandma Jackie jumping for joy at the sight of Ali.
“I thought her back was out due to a fall?” I chuckled at the obvious false ploy to get us down to San Diego.
“Who the hell knows what’s up or down where Grandma Jackie is concerned?”
Mar and I stayed seated in the car watching Jackie open the car door, unbuckle Ali, hug Ali as if this was their first meeting, then walk in the house without ever greeting us.
“Uh, are we not needed here?”
Mar laughed. “Grandma Jackie did make it clear that she wouldn’t feel better until she saw Ali.”
“So what are we to do, now?”
“How about you drop me off at Noah’s and then come back to Mom’s for lunch? I’m sure she has a feast prepared for you.”
“Ali and I are not losing you to San Diego, are we?” There was no doubt in the tenor of my voice that I was worried.
“You and Ali will beg me to leave at some point and I still won’t part from her.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”
I did as asked and left Marni at Noah’s doorstep. Once again, the asshole didn’t even pretend to greet me. Marni knocked, Noah pulled Marni in for what appeared to me a forced hug, and he shut the door. I really didn’t like this guy.
The ride back to Jackie’s wasn’t long enough for me to be less annoyed with Noah Bergstrom. He was becoming a thorn in my side. I’d be thrilled never to see him again.
“What has you frowning, Ben?” Jackie greeted me at the door with that question.
I put out my hands for my daughter to hop into and she shook her entire body, no! My traitor daughter slapped her hands on Jackie’s chest urging her to get back to their original activity. She wanted nothing to do with me.
“Considering my baby prefers you over me after ten minutes, only adds to my already pissed off mood.” Jackie walked us into her family room filled with puzzles and games. “Where did all these toys come from, Jackie?”
“The toy store.” Mar’s mom was always a cynical comedian. There was no more to add to this conversation. I watched the two girls work a wooden animal puzzle.
“I didn’t realize Ali could do something like this, already. I’m going to have to buy some puzzles for her.” Jackie pointed to the large bag at the end of the sofa. “You already bought duplicates of everything?”
She nodded yes. I hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek with a loud smack. Ali looked up and giggled. I loved my daughter’s giggles so I repeated the action.
“You feeling better?” Grandma Jackie talked to me but focused on Ali.
“I suppose. That Noah Bergstrom bothers the hell out of me. What does your daughter see in him?”
“What about him bothers you? I think he’s fantastic. I wish Mar would marry him, already, and have his babies so I can have grandchildren around the corner.”
“Jackie!” I sounded outraged.
“What?” She asked with such innocence.
“What don’t you find wrong with what you said? Noah Bergstrom is not fantastic; he’s a brooder. Mar should not marry him; he’s all wrong for her. And how can you talk about other grandchildren when you have Ali on your lap? Don’t you love your granddaughter? I can’t believe I have to even ask this question.”
“If there was ever an emotional brooder, it’s you. Mar should have married Noa
h a long time ago; he’s only been offering for like ten years. And as for grandchildren, Ali is not technically my grandchild. I am last on the grandparent totem pole. I can’t go anywhere near her when Jean is around.”
“You are so exaggerating this situation, Jackie.” I felt like a spoiled, rotten child talking to Mar’s mom, but I knew she wouldn’t find offense. “You and Jean haven’t been in the same room—like ever! Ali might not be blood-related, but she’s more your granddaughter than anyone else’s. You don’t think Ali knows who took care of her when her mother passed away? You think it’s a random fluke that she won’t come to her own father when she’s with you? As for Noah, it doesn’t matter how long he’s offered for Mar. She’s never accepted! Isn’t that what’s important? Plus, you’re exaggerating, Jackie. I believe he asked her to marry him just a few years ago.”
“Formally asked two years ago, but he’s wanted to marry her since you broke her damn heart.”
Shit. That came out a bit angry. This apology to the ex’s mom was long overdue.
Jackie Montgomery had been married to Dan Montgomery for ten years before they divorced and she settled in San Diego. From what I could tell as a youth, they had an amicable relationship. Since Mar’s life started in Manhattan Beach, the parents thought it best not to uproot her life. It was only from Fridays to Sundays that Mar spent time with her mom.
What I didn’t understand until way later was that Melody was a product of an affair Dan had with Jean while still married to Jackie. Though the girls didn’t meet until they were five and three, they loved and supported one another.
“I’m sorry, Jackie. I won’t apologize for loving Melody, but the whole dating the older sister and then the younger sister wasn’t cool. In my defense, it also wasn’t planned. It just happened.”
Jackie stopped staring at me and moved on to another puzzle with Ali.