The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop

by Abby Clements

  ‘Is that your home now?’

  ‘Yes. The start-up I was working for in San Francisco folded, but I’m putting together a business plan for a new technology idea, and I want to go out with that soon.’

  ‘Right. And back there – are you living with . . .?’ Imogen stopped herself.

  ‘No one,’ he said.

  When he looked at her that way she couldn’t help but recall how it had been in Thailand, the two of them close in his hammock in the evening, as the sun set, sipping from bottles of beer and reading paperbacks before the light went completely. In those early days of their relationship – or what Imogen had thought then were the early days – it had felt as if they really could be something. They’d had a connection – a love of travel, of being free. She felt that way with him now. The pressure to plan for the future, it didn’t exist here.

  ‘You haven’t told me a thing about you,’ Luca said. ‘How is your photography going?’

  Imogen wished she could give a better answer.

  ‘Still ticking away,’ she said. ‘I’ve been doing some underwater photography the past couple of years.’

  ‘Wow, that’s cool,’ he said, his eyes wide. ‘I mean, you’ve always been so into diving. You make your living that way?’ He was clearly impressed.

  ‘Kind of . . .’ she started. ‘Actually no. Not really. I’m at a bit of a crossroads careerwise right now. I know I should be more settled.’

  ‘Really? Aren’t you pretty young for all that?’ Luca asked. ‘You always said to me you’d be backpacking until you were at least thirty, and that’s a way off still. You should stay true to yourself. To the things that you care about.’

  His comment hit a nerve. ‘I guess.’

  ‘Don’t give up. You’re talented, Imogen.’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Look, I’m sorry about what happened between us. I feel like we could have been good together. I was too quick to give up, move on.’

  ‘The timing was out. I couldn’t leave so soon after my grandma had died, and when my dad was taking the news so badly.’

  ‘Which just shows what a caring person you are. A good person. And back then I guess I made it all about me. I thought if you liked me enough you’d come back to the island. I took it personally, and that was stupid.’

  ‘I would have handled certain things differently, too,’ she said.

  ‘Anyway, what does it matter?’ Luca asked. ‘You’re with someone now. You’ll probably be married soon enough.’

  ‘I suppose,’ she said, numbly.

  ‘But we still have today.’

  Chapter 28

  Jan cooed over the webcam as she watched Bella come toddling up to the screen. ‘Ooh, she’s grown so much!’

  ‘Hasn’t she?’ Anna said. ‘I can’t get over it. It seems like yesterday that she was just a little baby, and now here she is, starting to chatter away. Her Italian’s coming on quicker than mine!’

  ‘What are her favourite words?’ Jan asked.

  ‘Nonna,’ Anna replied. Bella had been saying it all the time to Elisa.

  ‘Oh,’ Jan said, seeming a little hurt. ‘Well, yes of course.’

  ‘Don’t worry, Mum. She hasn’t forgotten about her English granny – she carries the photo of you and Dad around the apartment, kissing it.’

  ‘That’s nice,’ Jan said.

  ‘Hello, love,’ Tom said, ducking into the screen. ‘Did you and Imogen have a good catch-up?’

  ‘It’s been wonderful to see her. We had a little party here, and spent some time just the two of us.’

  ‘We just tried to call her, actually – no answer. Is she not with you?’

  ‘She’s gone out to Capri; she left this morning. Maybe her phone’s out of battery.’

  ‘I told you, that’ll be it, Tom. You know what Imogen’s like.’

  ‘She’ll be back here tomorrow. There were a couple of things we wanted to do together before she flew home.’ She thought of Luigi and of what she’d promised Imogen that they’d do on her return. If their suspicions were correct, her dad would most likely be devastated by the news.

  ‘I’m sure she’ll fill us in on all your adventures when she gets home. It’s good to see you, Anna,’ Tom said. ‘Are you happy, living out there?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Anna said, but as she said it she wondered if it was really true. ‘It’s great. We’ve got Matteo’s mum and sister nearby. They’ll be dropping in for tea in a minute, actually, so we’d better go.’

  ‘Of course,’ Jan said. ‘Give them our best, won’t you.’

  ‘Sure.’ She brought Bella up onto her lap so that she could see her grandparents again. ‘Say bye-bye.’

  Bella kissed the screen, and her grandparents waved back.

  ‘We miss you.’

  Ten minutes after she’d ended the call, Carolina and Elisa came into the ice cream shop. Anna greeted them both, and they took a seat with Matteo in one of the booths.

  Carolina looked tired, and her shoulders were slumped. As her mother chattered away, Anna noticed how she stayed quiet, coming into the conversation only occasionally to mutter a ‘hmm-hmm’ and ‘yes’ – enough so that Elisa didn’t notice her lack of attentiveness.

  ‘Carolina,’ Anna said gently, sensing her sister-in-law’s discomfort, ‘do you want to go for a walk, just the two of us? I’m sure Matteo and your mother can manage for an hour or so.’

  Her expression lightened, and she nodded. ‘Elisa, would you mind keeping an eye on Bella for a moment?’ Anna asked. Her mother-in-law responded enthusiastically, as Anna had expected, and with not a moment’s hesitation.

  The two women walked out into the bustling square. ‘Somewhere quieter,’ Carolina said.

  ‘There’s a cliff walk. It doesn’t take long to get there,’ Anna said, taking her sister-in-law’s hand and leading her away from the crowds.

  Ten minutes later, the two women were walking through the grassland on the cliffs that edged Sorrento. ‘It’s strange, before I got here I always imagined long white beaches,’ Anna said. ‘But it’s not like that at all, at least not right here: you have to travel to get to them.’

  Carolina nodded. ‘But what you get instead is this: one of the most spectacular views in the country. It’s better than a beach, really, isn’t it?’

  ‘I think so, although Bella might disagree. It’s not as easy to make sandcastles up here, is it?’

  As they walked, Carolina seemed to relax. The muscles in her shoulders, which had been hunched high, loosened, and her warm laugh came more easily.

  ‘Are you OK?’ Anna said.

  ‘Not really,’ she said, a deep sadness in her eyes. ‘Filippo is paying for the summer house because he feels guilty about what happened. And it makes me sick. Mamma still believes he’s the golden boy, of course.’

  ‘Couldn’t you just tell her the truth? There’s no shame in it – he’s the one who’s done something wrong.’

  ‘The thing is . . .’ Carolina said, her eyes starting to well with tears. ‘It’s more complicated than that.’

  ‘What is it?’ Anna asked, putting a hand on her arm, and drawing them to a stop while they spoke.

  ‘God, Anna. It’s such a mess.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘You can’t tell my brother,’ she urged.

  Reluctantly, Anna nodded her head.

  ‘I’m pregnant.’

  Stunned, Anna tried to think of a reply. Carolina continued.

  ‘It’s Filippo’s. It happened before I found out the truth about him. We were careless.’

  ‘How far gone are you?’ Anna asked, her eyes instinctively dropping to her sister-in-law’s waist, her loose dress giving nothing away.

  ‘Twelve weeks,’ she said.

  ‘How do you feel about it?’

  ‘Confused.’

  ‘Have you told Filippo?’

  She shook her head. ‘I know I have to.’ She looked as if she might cry. ‘But I know it won’t change thin
gs. He’s never wanted children.’

  ‘He still deserves to know,’ Anna said.

  ‘I guess. But I can’t go back to him. I don’t want to.’

  ‘You don’t have to,’ Anna assured her. ‘It’s your decision.’

  ‘You say that – but wait until my mother finds out. She won’t take the shame of me being a mother on my own, Anna. She would insist I went back. She adores him – he can do no wrong in her eyes.’

  ‘She’d have to understand,’ Anna said.

  ‘Come on, Anna,’ Carolina said, shaking her head. ‘You know her.’

  ‘It’s your life.’

  ‘I don’t know how I’m going to do this alone,’ Carolina said, her eyes welling with more tears.

  ‘You’re not alone,’ Anna said, putting her hand on Carolina’s arm.

  Chapter 29

  Imogen woke up, her limbs tangled in light cotton sheets. The first rays of morning sun were creeping in through the blinds. Her head fuzzy, she turned and burrowed her face into the pillow. She inhaled a scent there: aftershave.

  Finn’s.

  Then she smelled it again. No, she realised, her pulse racing. It wasn’t his.

  ‘Oh, crap,’ she whispered to herself, fragments of the previous evening coming back to her. She hadn’t, had she? She glanced around the room, but there was no one else there. She waited for her memories of the evening before to come back to her, and they did – but they remained piecemeal.

  She and Luca had stayed up late on the terrace after dinner, talking and reminiscing about the days they’d spent in Thailand, when there had been nothing more to think about each day than applying sun lotion and arranging diving expeditions. The Prosecco had gone down easily, and they’d ordered more. After the first couple of glasses, Imogen’s memories were hazy. She remembered thinking she should call Finn, then somehow never getting round to it.

  The door opened and Luca stepped through it, drying his dark hair roughly with a towel. ‘Morning,’ he said.

  Imogen’s heart raced. She knew she’d done something wrong. The feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach was unmistakeable. But she couldn’t properly recall what had happened, how far things had gone.

  ‘You OK?’ he said, noting the panicked expression on her face.

  She nodded mutely, feeling sick with concern and regret.

  The smile left his face. ‘You’re upset about last night, aren’t you?’

  She remembered it now: the night sky, the heady scent of bougainvillea awakening her senses, Luca’s touch, warm and gentle on the skin of her shoulders, the way he had leaned in towards her . . .

  ‘We kissed,’ she said, numb.

  She’d done it. She’d finally succeeded in messing things up for good. What sort of person was she? How could she have betrayed Finn, when she loved him so much?

  Luca shook his head, and there was disappointment in his eyes. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry. We just hung out.’

  ‘But I remember . . .’ she started, piecing together the fragmented memories.

  ‘You said no,’ he said. ‘And I probably shouldn’t have tried. I thought there was a connection.’

  ‘So how come you’re still here?’

  ‘It was late. You said it was OK if I crashed here with you.’

  She looked at the sheets, where they must have lain together.

  ‘Nothing happened, I promise.’

  Had she wanted it to? Did she want it to now? As Luca sat on the edge of her bed, his face so handsome and familiar – a reminder of days when life had been simpler – her mind swam with mixed emotions.

  She got up out of bed and moved away from him. ‘This shouldn’t have happened,’ she said, firmly.

  ‘Then it will be easy for you to forget, won’t it?’ Luca said. He gathered his things together, and left.

  A few minutes later, Imogen checked her phone. Two missed calls, three texts she hadn’t seen or answered. One from Anna, two from Finn.

  She felt empty. She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with cold water. In the hotel mirror she was met with her reflection – tired, and drawn. She looked like a bad person.

  She hadn’t done anything – but she’d thought about it, hadn’t she?

  Chapter 30

  Anna was putting her freshly made sorbets into the glass cabinet at the shop when the door swung open. In walked Imogen, carrying a small rucksack. Anna went over to greet her.

  ‘Welcome back!’ Anna said. When she hugged her sister she noticed the dark circles under her eyes, and her weary expression.

  ‘You OK, Imo?’ she asked, concerned. ‘I thought you’d come back refreshed. Did something happen out there?’

  Imogen shook her head, fighting back tears. ‘Not really. I’ve made a right mess of things, actually.’

  ‘Let’s go outside,’ Anna said, taking off her apron. ‘Sit by the fountain. Matteo can look after things here.’

  They walked outside into the square together.

  Once they were sitting down, Anna took her sister’s hand and squeezed it. ‘Go on, spill. It can’t be that bad.’

  ‘Can’t it?’ Imogen said glumly.

  Anna waited for her to continue.

  ‘Luca was out there. In Capri. I spent the night with him. I mean nothing happened – nothing at all. But I don’t think that makes it OK. Especially as maybe part of me wanted it to.’

  ‘God!’ Anna said.

  ‘Thanks. That makes me feel better.’

  ‘Sorry,’ Anna said, the story that Imogen had told slowly sinking in. ‘I’m just surprised. I mean, Luca? I thought you were over him ages ago, before Finn even came along.’

  ‘I was,’ she said. ‘I am. I don’t know . . .’

  ‘How would Finn feel about this if he knew?’

  ‘He’d be a bit upset. Annoyed. As I would, if the shoe was on the other foot.’

  ‘But if you explained it he’d understand, right? He’s a great guy, Imogen, and he really loves you.’

  ‘I know,’ she said, hot tears spilling. ‘I’m an idiot.’

  ‘You didn’t actually do anything – and that’s important. But what’s going on here, really? Do you care about Luca?’

  ‘I don’t know. Maybe,’ Imogen said. ‘When I saw him, it was like a part of me came back again. I felt alive.’

  ‘You felt alive,’ Anna echoed.

  ‘Yes, so I guess maybe I do care about him.’

  ‘You just told me about you, not about him.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Imogen said, shaking her head. ‘I guess it was more about that. We talked a lot.’

  ‘Can you imagine being with him, properly?’

  Imogen thought it over, then shook her head. ‘No. That time’s gone.’ Anna waited patiently. ‘It wouldn’t work at all.’

  ‘Did you always know that?’

  ‘No,’ she said. ‘I guess there was always a what-if. He was my what-if.’

  ‘And now?’

  ‘I feel terrible, Anna. I can’t justify what I did. I should’ve known better.’

  ‘Do you still have a what-if?’

  ‘No. I don’t. All I want is to be back with Finn.’

  ‘Then tell him the truth. He’s a reasonable man, Imo. He’ll understand.’

  ‘OK,’ Imogen said. ‘I will. I’ll tell him and with any luck he’ll see that all it’s done is made me surer than ever that he’s the one I want to be with.’

  ‘You do that. It’ll be OK, sis.’ Anna put her arm round her sister’s shoulders.

  Imogen wiped away her tears and nodded.

  ‘And in the meantime there’s something else we need to do before you head home.’

  Luigi was working in the kitchen when Anna and Imogen got to his restaurant the next day.

  ‘Maybe we shouldn’t do this,’ Imogen whispered to her sister. ‘I mean, where do we even start?’

  ‘Just tell him what you told me. About what you found.’

  ‘Hello,
you two,’ Luigi said, wiping his floury hands on his apron. ‘What a pleasure to see you both again so soon. It was a great party the other night.’

  ‘Thanks for coming,’ Anna said.

  ‘So, tell me, what can I help you with? It’s early for lunch, but I can get you espressos.’

  ‘No, no, don’t worry,’ Imogen said. ‘I was actually hoping . . .’ The words tailed away and Anna gave her a nudge. She fell silent.

  ‘Is it OK if we sit down?’ Anna asked. He joined them, a crease of puzzlement between his brows.

  ‘There’s something I wanted to ask you,’ Imogen said. ‘I tried to, at the party, but I couldn’t find the words. You see, our grandmother was here many years ago. And recently I found some things. A letter from you, a photo . . . But she died two years ago, so I couldn’t ask her.’

  ‘She’s gone?’ Luigi asked, clearly choked up.

  ‘Yes. And we miss her so very much. We really had no idea that she was in love with you, but I can tell from her letters that she was. We’re just hoping that from you we can hear the whole story.’

  ‘Do you have a photo of her?’ he asked, a deep sadness in his eyes.

  ‘Yes,’ Imogen said. ‘I do, in here somewhere.’ She flicked through the photos of Vivien that she’d picked up along with the letter, and pulled out one of her and Evie on the seafront, eating ice creams.

  He smiled. ‘There she is.’

  Anna and Imogen exchanged looks, both moved by the love in his eyes. The connection seemed so strong still.

  He looked up at them, sadness in his eyes. ‘She was a wonderful person.’

  ‘Yes, she was.’

  He paused, then looked back at the photo. ‘My beautiful Evie.’

  Imogen and Anna walked back across the square towards the ice cream shop.

  ‘I should have known,’ Imogen said. ‘Granny wasn’t the type to have an affair. But trying to matchmake her best friend? That’s got her written all over it.’

  ‘She did always want to see people happy,’ Anna said.

  ‘She must have seen that this was a missed chance for Evie.’

  ‘The look on Luigi’s face when he realised she was still alive,’ Anna said. ‘I thought he was going to cry with happiness.’

  ‘You know we have to do something,’ Imogen said. ‘We need to make this happen.’