Time After Time

by Melody Foster

  The difference in age between Roman and Austin was almost the same as the difference as between Becca and Cadence. Becca remembered very well the time she had found Cadence. She was sitting alone on a bench by her office building, crying her eyes out. Becca always treated her like a little sister and loved her like family. She could understand Austin’s desire to make the relationship with Roman work out. They shared the genes, the roots. They must be a family.

  ***

  She was late. Everyone had already gathered by the table. Becca had arranged it to set up on the same veranda where she and Austin had first met. She thought of it as a symbol of their reconnection. It was his first visit to the villa since the wedding. The thought of his child within her, her precious baby, had Becca’s body doing an internal happy dance.

  Oh, how she needed a mother to share her secret! Not long ago she had been a confident and independent single woman. What was happing to her now? All of a sudden, she felt overwhelming need for support.

  Becca noticed Cadence impatiently waving her hand, inviting her to sit next to her. She did not realize she was automatically heading in Austin’s direction. Turning, she hurried to join Cadence. His hungry look, devouring her entire body, did not escape from her. She was plunged into momentary fear of being exposed.

  “How does that feel when the man looks at you like that?” Cadence made dreamy eyes at Rebecca.

  “Hush. What are you talking about?” she whispered, glancing in Lidia’s direction.

  Thankfully, Lidia did not pay any attention to Becca’s appearance. She was busy discussing the exercise equipment she wanted to put in her new gym. How one woman could create so much motion around her, Becca could not fathom.

  Lidia was so enthusiastic about changing things that Becca started to worry a bit. What if they didn’t get along as well as she expected? What would she do with a newborn baby and without work?! This wasn’t a part of her plan!

  And reality did not give her much of a choice right now. To adapt to new situation was the only thing she could think. Cadence was also on her mind. How was she is going to live under the same roof as her overly possessive mother-in-law?

  While dinner was not very formal, the conversation was stilted.

  The stiffness hung in the air until Roman and Cadence left. Cadence felt suddenly tired and Rom rushed her to the bed. He had been busy lately and his wife wanted some cuddle time with him alone. It was understandable. Cadence was such a child sometimes!

  “Well, it is time for me to head to bed too. The dinner was lovely, Lidia!” said Austin getting up from the table.

  . The thought flashed through Becca’s mind. It was another simple reminder that her place at Villa Grande was changing.

  Austin was driving in silence to catch the last ferry back to the big island. No radio, no music. His head was busy enough bouncing around random thoughts about the evening.

  Why was it so hard for me to be just myself around Rom and Cadence? Was there a bitter aftertaste following their wedding? Am I imagining things?

  Cadence looked at me with real concern, judging, measuring. Has Rebecca told her about us?

  He could not quiet down his mind.

  Austin knew exactly what he needed to do next.

  He was going to get Rebecca out of that dull job. He had to find a way to convince her to run his new place. Besides, Lidia looked like she was going to take over the household. Everything Rebecca did before seemed redundant now in her presence.

  He estimated that being employed by old Aunt Eloise and then by a young man had to be different from running the villa under Lidia’s supervision. The woman had too much time on her hands. Her energy was abundant. He knew that for sure. In fact, he knew her much better than Rebecca could imagine.

  He had to talk seriously about it with Rebecca. In private.

  But when and how? That he must figure out very soon.

  ***

  Without prelude or pretense, right after Austin left, Lidia jumped into talking to Becca about him.

  “I know that you two might want the world to think that you are “just old friends,” she said. “But I cannot help but notice the way he looks at you. Every time he shows up with you around, his eyes follow you, gleaming. That tells me, my girl, he is head over heels in love with you. He has changed since the time he met you, Rebecca.”

  “He is just a friend, that’s it,” Becca replied, trying to hide her annoyance.

  “Of course you have a choice here too. Tell me, how do you feel about Joe? He also seems smitten with you.”

  Lidia was overstepping her welcome into Becca’s private life.

  Becca did not like it at all.

  She had a dilemma now. Should she simply tell Lidia that it was none of her business? That she could manage her private life herself. Thank you very much!

  But instead of confronting the prying into her life, Becca simply ignored the remark and pretended to be busy with cleaning up. She did not need to do it. She always had some help from the kitchen staff. Fortunately for her a crack of thunder made them realise that the rain would start quicker than anyone could have expected. They had to hurry up.

  But she could not always dodge the issue and hope for the weather to help. Sooner or later she would need to deal with Lidia’s unwelcome prying head on.

  “Much sooner,” a little voice in her head squeaked.” Stop it! You must think now about the baby’s future, not you own hurt feelings now. Who cares that you are vulnerable? You dropped the ball yourself - and now you will pay for it, she thought.

  Becca promised herself no tempers, no pity for herself, and not to allow any melt downs because her raging hormones had kicked in. That was not an option. She braced herself for the inevitable discussions she would endure as soon as her belly grew noticeable. Mentally and emotionally she was not ready for that yet.

  All she could think now was how good it felt being in Austin’s strong arms, feeling protected and secure. Just thinking about it made her squeeze the glass she was holding in her hands a little tighter. The nerves were signaling her that she needed to rest and clear her head for busy day tomorrow. Cadence was going to need her help planning the nursery for those three babies.

  She had not eat much today either.

  Nerves, she though again. She reached for the fruit bowl to snack on a few fresh grapes, before running inside, shivering. Weird, she had never liked the grapes before…

  Lightning illuminated the sky as she slammed the door behind her. Becca reminded herself that the world was not going to end. It was just one of those tropical showers she used to like so much.

  TWENTY-ONE

  The night after Austin left was a blur. Becca barely noticed the room was full of people having breakfast on the outside veranda, when she entered. She nodded ‘good morning’ to Roman, Cadence, and Lidia. She found Joe sitting at the table next to Roman. His smile could have lit the forest on fire. He was cute and looked as happy to see Becca. She was not pleased to see him.

  Becca sat next to Lidia as Joe continued to smile with undeniable expectation. He had those mesmerizing eyes which would probably drive any other girl crazy: Dark, smart, and dangerous. All his polished, precise and very masculine look exuded cold confidence. But his black-as-a-starless-night eyes glowed from within. They were warm and full of life.

  “His looks are most likely deceiving,” Becca told herself. But, caught up in his charisma, she could not stop imagining what his children would look like. It’s improbable that he will ever have any, she thought.

  “Morning, sleeping beauty,” Joe said with a familiarity that should be reserved for close friends.

  “It is a surprise to see you here, Joe. I thought you left last night.” Becca’s unintended smile faded as she took in the situation.

  “Good morning, Becca. I am so glad you joined us. Joe and Rom had almost left,” Lidia said.

  “I’m sorry. I am a bit late,” Becca apologized. “I had to help Maria move into her new room. You
know, we moved her closer to the nursery.” Becca put up an indifferent front, hardly able to find a plausible excuse. She had been sick in the restroom for the last half an hour. She hoped she did not look like a total mess now.

  “Rom was saying that he is going to the Europe for business next week. And he wanted to take Cadence, before it’s too late. She can still have some time for herself, before the babies arrive. We all think that is an excellent idea.” Lidia smiled and winked conspiratorially at Joe.

  “And I was wondering if you and I could join them for the trip? It will be only a week. And you two can go shopping in those fancy European boutiques.” Joe was smiling at her like he was giving her a birthday present she did not expect.

  “Please, sis, say ‘yes’” Cadence begged her with the puppy eyes. “I am so thrilled to go, but without you, I probably won’t.”

  “Do I even have a choice?” Becca said visibly agitated. “But what does this have to do with you, Joe?” she added after a moment, realizing that she sounded flustered.

  Lidia put her arm around Becca in an attempt to smooth her tension over. “Girls will need a proper escort around and one man will not just do it,” she sounded as cheerful as if she herself was going on an exciting oversea trip. “And, Joe, dear, you never told her?!” Lidia cut off herself and turned to face Joe.

  “I did not have a chance yet.” Joe lifted his eyes from his plate where he’d been staring for the last few minutes. “This is not a secret to anyone here that I have some very profound feelings for this amazing woman.” He started with a shy smile. “And I was hoping that it can be our first official date. I am asking you out, Becca.”

  “I am not sure where are you coming from, Joe.” Becca seemed to be startled with the turn of events.

  “I never gave you a reason to think that we are anything more than friends…” She was slowly regaining her usual self, trying to remember the ways she had inadvertently done something to encourage him. Joe was embarrassing her in front of everybody. She was not about to succumb to the pressure.

  “I will think about it, Cadence.” Becca had finished her coffee by now and got up ready to go on with her day. “Please excuse me,” she said and darted away.

  What had just happened? Becca could not believe they all were setting her up with Joe. At least Cadence knew that it was impossible, especially now, in her condition. But Lidia and Roman didn’t need to know just yet.

  She must talk to Cadence about that.

  When Becca joined Cadence for their usual afternoon tea that day, she was sure it was a perfect opportunity to get the issue with Joe settled.

  “You look lovely Becca. I’ve been looking forward forever to chatting with you since this morning. Lidia was all over me. She could not get over the things Joe said to you. He basically proposed you in public!”

  “Oh, he put me into very awkward position. I could not say no to you. But I really wanted to say no to him. Can you believe the nerve that man has? We haven’t even talked since your wedding. And that did not end well either! What kind of assumptions has he made?” Becca was fuming.

  But instead of trying to calm her down, Cadence started to get agitated herself. “After everybody left this morning, Lidia told me she had been thinking about you and Joe for a while. She knows him very well and thinks that he would be an excellent match for you,” Cadence said.

  Lidia also told me that she believed that Austin has an eye on you too, Becca,” Cadence continued. “But she thinks he isn’t very good ‘husband material’ as she put it so bluntly.”

  Becca’s mouth suddenly felt dry. She licked her lips nervously.

  It was still like a dream to her, that she was actually pregnant with his child.

  She wanted to be a mother so much. She was afraid to admit to herself that she might even have wanted it more because she wanted to be with Austin.

  Her brain had a hard time believing that he wanted anything to do with her. He would not be interested in settling down on an isolated island. With all his business ambitions, there was no way that he would!

  Why did life on this island appeal to her so much?

  As if dealing with her pregnancy was not enough, Joe showed up with his ridiculous expectations about her and Lidia was supporting them! Had they planned this together? Becca wondered? Those rich people had nothing better to do!

  With a deep breath, Cadence finally said with a girlish grin on her face, “I am sorry, sister, but I think you have no choice but to confess to Austin what you have done. What both of you have done. Together. Not just you. Does he have any idea where children come from? It is important for your kid to have a real father. Don’t deny it to him.”

  “What are you suggesting I do, Cadence? Chase him down somewhere around the world? I don’t even know where he would be right now. And he seems not to be very interested in knowing how I am. We barely talked at the dinner last night.” Becca said bitterly. She was upset with Cadence.

  “I think this trip to Europe is out of question for you, especially if Joe is going to stick around.” Cadence sighed.

  “How much time do we have until we need to make a decision?”

  “Rom said till tomorrow. He’ll make the arrangements for the trip then.”

  “I want you to go, Cadence. To see the world, as we always dreamed. I think I will come too,” Becca said with determined voice and gave Cadence a hug. She loved her friend and would do almost anything for her.

  But Cadence should understand her better. She was not about to go and tell Austin to come back and marry her because she was pregnant with his child. Would he even believe her?

  They could both use some quality time together, Becca thought. The trip was good opportunity to do just that.

  But, why on earth Lidia would want to marry her off to Joe?

  And why she would tell Cadence that Austin has some “issues” that Becca was better not getting into for her own good?

  These swirling thoughts were making Becca sick. Or was it something else? She could not hide her pregnancy from Lidia for much longer.

  TWENTY-TWO

  One week later: The trip to Europe.

  They arrived at a lush, foreign, boutique hotel, right in the heart of the downtown in Berne, Switzerland. That was the first time both Becca and Cadence had ever been out of the country.

  The Gurtenfestival was a well-known, annual music event. It had been a tradition for this small town since 1977. Famous musicians from early Nazareth to latest Snow Patrol were gathering here on the top of Bern’s Gurten Mountain.

  Few celebrities were staying in their hotel for the Gurtenfestival. This year was its 30th anniversary, which made it even more exciting. It had seen many stars in the past. Joe had been here the last time to see Oasis. This year it was America’s Smashing Pumpkins for the girls and a heavy metal Volbeat from Denmark for the guys. Roman had already made sure they had the tickets.

  The oversized, century-old doors led to the suite reserved for them. Ceilings soared to twelve feet and made her feel even smaller. Becca was like a star-struck teenager looking around in awe. As if the first impression of abundant riches of the downtown was not enough.

  Things could not possibly be so old and still so beautiful! she noticed. How could she afford trip like that? It would take a lot of money to pay for this trip. Money she did not have. She could not just use her friend’s new-found wealth as an excuse to indulge. She was not that kind of girl.

  The uneasy expression on her face must did not escape her friend’s keen eyes.

  “You know, you should just relax and enjoy the stay. The problems can wait for you back home,” repeated Cadence with familiar authority in her voice. She knew very well what worried her friend.

  Even when they were younger, Cadence always had it in her, that type of a Queen, descending down to Earth, manner of speaking. It never offended Becca. She adored her younger friend and knew that she loved her back with all her heart.

  This was going to be their toge
ther time—maybe even the last one, Rebecca thought with a minute of sadness. They had always found the ways to entertain each other and felt like they did not need any other company at all. The difference of five years in their ages was another reason that kept them away from the typical same age group of friends they would have if they had not had each other.

  “You sound like my mother. She used to say that all the time. ‘Daughter, just relax.’ Except she never could relax herself! She was beautiful, but not the best mom to give you good advice.”

  Becca always felt that her mother was very cold woman. She loved her in her own way. But, with her father’s death, the relationship between two of them grew further apart. Her mother remarried right after her father’s death, within that same year. She named Becca’s grandfather as her legal guardian and left the country with her new husband. Becca was sixteen. She rarely contacted her and Becca wished sometimes she would never hear from her again. Becca always knew that her parents had not had a good marriage. They stayed in it out of duty. She hated them both for that. She considered it to be a very weak reason. But they were a traditional Catholic family, with a supposedly strong family values.

  Becca wondered more than once if her dad might have survived his very ordinary curable cancer if not for his dead loveless marriage life. Her grandfather was the only family she had left when Becca was sixteen. That was his country cottage where Becca and Austin spend the magical summer together. When summer ended, Austin left the city. She had not heard from him since then until Cadence and Rom’s wedding. But the memories had stayed alive all those years.

  Now, with Austin back in her life, she could barely see the boy she had loved in him anymore. Instead, she found herself falling in love with the man he had become. The man, she could have if she wanted to. Would she be able to forget him, to follow through with her decision to keep him away from her, not to let him into her life, to refuse him the truth about his child? What she was thinking!