The Heavenly Italian Ice Cream Shop

by Abby Clements

  ‘I think it’s great,’ Tom said. ‘Never understood these long engagements. And you’ve made the commitment already, haven’t you, with Bella?’

  ‘That’s the way we see it, yes,’ Anna said.

  ‘Well, count us all in,’ Tom said.

  ‘And you don’t mind,’ Anna said, cautiously, ‘that we’re having it out here rather that at home?’

  ‘Of course not,’ Jan said. ‘We’d come to the moon to see you two get married if we had to.’

  ‘We’ll set you up in a beautiful hotel,’ Matteo explained. ‘We’ve booked out one just a few minutes from the venue. Swimming pool, spa . . . the works. I’ll send you the details.’

  ‘You too, Imogen,’ Anna said. ‘Just let us know . . .’ she started.

  ‘A single will do me,’ she said flatly. ‘And thank you – the place sounds great.’

  ‘They still haven’t made it up,’ Jan whispered into the screen.

  ‘Mum!’ Imogen snapped.

  ‘Well, she needs to know,’ Jan said, defensively. ‘They’ll have things to plan.’

  ‘It’s all flexible,’ Anna said, embarrassed on her sister’s behalf for her mother’s reaction. ‘Don’t worry.’

  ‘We’d better get booking our tickets,’ Jan said.

  ‘Congratulations again,’ Tom said. ‘Hope you’ll be having some bubbly tonight.’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Matteo said.

  ‘Bye,’ Imogen said, waving.

  Anna and Matteo shut the laptop and looked at one another. ‘That went well,’ Matteo said. They kissed excitedly.

  ‘It feels even more real now,’ Anna said.

  ‘One family down, one to go,’ Matteo replied.

  Chapter 45

  Imogen was at her parents’ cottage in Lewes, sitting with her mum and dad in the kitchen. Three weeks had passed since Anna and Matteo had announced their engagement – and thinking about the wedding was just the distraction that Imogen needed. Yes, she was still photographing babies, but with the steady income, she was on track to save enough for her plane ticket out to Italy.

  ‘Me and your dad have been thinking about it, and we’re going to take the bike.’

  Imogen’s mother’s face was bright with excitement.

  ‘You’re kidding,’ Imogen said. ‘Mum, you’ve barely even been on that thing before.’

  ‘Well, I thought it was about time,’ Jan said, proudly. ‘It’s not often we have such a good excuse to get out to Italy. Your dad’s motorbike’s been sitting idle in that shed for far too long. And, given those trips he did out in Asia in the sixties, I reckon Europe should be a breeze. Dad’s going to take me to get kitted out with some leathers this weekend.’

  ‘She wants a silver helmet,’ Tom said. ‘So we’ll have to go shopping for that.’

  ‘My God! I never thought I’d see the day,’ Imogen said, laughing.

  ‘We’ll be making quite a few stop-offs as we travel down through France,’ Jan said. ‘Make a proper holiday of it. We’ve been waiting a long time to be retired, after all.’

  ‘Brilliant idea,’ Imogen said.

  ‘It’s going to be fun, isn’t it, Tom?’ Jan said, squeezing her husband’s hand. He nodded happily.

  Imogen was happy for them. She also couldn’t help feeling a pang of nostalgia laced with regret. She remembered how it had felt to leave the country with Finn, setting out on the adventure in Thailand that cemented their relationship and the time from which she had dozens of gilded memories. They may have had youth, but what they were missing was what her parents had proved time and time again: that their relationship was rich in staying power.

  ‘Be careful,’ Imogen said to her mum.

  Their eyes met and Jan smiled. ‘Feels funny this way round, doesn’t it? You worrying about me for once.’

  ‘It does. Something tells me I might have to start getting used to it.’

  Imogen was sitting in the living room in Lauren’s flat when her mobile rang. She answered it, smiling when she saw Anna’s name. ‘Hello!’

  ‘You sound cheery,’ Anna said.

  ‘Don’t I always? It’s nice to hear from you, that’s all. How are the wedding plans coming along?’

  ‘Really well, actually. I’ve found a couple of options for bridesmaids’ dresses and I’m going to email them over to you now . . . Right, done. Yes, it was funny trying to find something that would suit both you and Bella, but hopefully you’ll like them.’

  ‘Colour?’

  ‘Pistachio.’

  ‘Summery and one of my top ice cream flavours. I’m sure it will be perfect. You’ve heard what Mum and Dad are up to, right?’

  ‘Yes, Mum called me. She seems really excited about it. We think it’s a great idea.’

  ‘I guess after all these years she’s finally curious enough to see what Dad’s been going on about.’

  Anna laughed, then the line was silent for a moment. ‘Listen, Imo, there’s another reason I’m calling.’

  ‘Sure. What?’

  ‘Look, you’re my priority and if this isn’t cool with you then we can just forget it.’ Imogen detected a certain nervousness in her sister’s voice. ‘But Matteo was wondering if we could invite Finn to the wedding. If it’s awkward, then, like I say, forget I ever mentioned it. But he is one of Matteo’s best friends from the UK, and we’d like to have him there.’

  Imogen’s chest tightened. She pictured Finn – his broad shoulders, the smile that she’d once seen every day. And now? Well, she didn’t deserve to see it directed at her again. It was right that she had to make this decision: today was the day she moved on, properly.

  ‘Of course,’ she said, as breezily as she could. ‘As long as he doesn’t mind seeing me, that’s fine.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Imogen said, nonchalantly, trying to dismiss the tug at her heart.

  Chapter 46

  Anna ran a hand over the pale-green satin of Bella’s bridesmaid’s dress. Bella was twirling from side to side, looking in the mirror. ‘It’s beautiful, Elisa. You’ve done a wonderful job. Thank you.’

  ‘It’s a pleasure,’ Elisa said. ‘It fits her well, doesn’t it? She’s growing so quickly at the moment that I wasn’t sure.’

  ‘It’s a perfect fit.’

  Autumn leaves drifted down from trees in the cobbled square outside, and the change in seasons, coupled with the way her daughter had grown and changed, reminded Anna that she’d been in Italy almost a half a year. And, in just a couple of weeks, she’d be getting married.

  ‘How is your wedding dress?’ Elisa asked.

  ‘I think it’ll be fine,’ Anna said. ‘The dressmaker that Carolina recommended is doing a final fitting this week.’

  Elisa clasped her hands together in front of her in excitement. ‘My Matteo – and you. Getting married at last. It’s going to be a fantastic day.’

  Anna allowed herself to enjoy the moment. Elisa’s enthusiasm was contagious, and, as much as she must have been tempted to during the wedding preparations, she hadn’t interfered at all.

  Bella was scrabbling around now trying to pull the dress off, so Anna bent down and carefully unzipped it. ‘We’ll keep this nice now until next week.’

  Carolina put her head around the door. ‘Anyone for cake?’ she said. ‘I’ve got a lemon-drizzle fresh from the oven.’

  ‘Perfect,’ Anna said.

  They went into the kitchen, and Bella sat up in her high chair at the table with them.

  The three women murmured appreciatively as they tried the cake, and Bella banged her spoon on the table in delight.

  ‘If there’s one thing to be said for being a pregnant invalid,’ Carolina said, ‘it’s certainly improved my baking skills.’

  Carolina leaned back in her chair, one hand resting on the small bump. In a black flowery dress, it was barely visible, but there was a distinct glow in her cheeks. ‘One more week and then the doctors will hopefully give me the all-clear to start exercising aga
in. I cannot wait.’

  ‘Go slowly, Caro,’ Elisa urged her. ‘We’re lucky to have you two safe and sound, and I want to keep you that way.’

  ‘We’ll be fine, Mamma. I just want to at least have a swim before the wedding, something to make me feel like a normal human being again. I’ve been cooped up here being a burden on this young couple for far too long.’

  ‘Not for a minute,’ Anna said. ‘We’ve loved having you, and you’ve both helped us so much – with this little one and to get the shop going.’

  ‘And now you are doing so well,’ Elisa said. ‘Even I have to admit that the peppermint-and-orange sorbet is quite delicious. One of my favourites, in fact. You’ll have a job convincing Matteo’s father, of course. But let’s see: he’ll be here at the weekend so he can sample some of the ice creams for himself.’

  ‘The wedding’s come around so quickly,’ Anna said. ‘But I can’t wait to have everyone together again. Imogen’s coming out tomorrow, and we’ll be having drinks here at the shop the night before the wedding so that everyone has a chance to catch up with each other.’

  ‘Is she coming out with her boyfriend?’ Elisa asked. ‘That handsome young man who we met at Christmas?’

  ‘No, sadly not, although he’ll be here too. They broke up.’

  ‘I’m sorry to hear that,’ Elisa said.

  ‘I’ll dance with her,’ Carolina said brightly. ‘Life without men can be a whole lot better than being stuck with the wrong person,’ she said. ‘I feel like leaving Filippo was the smartest thing I ever did.’

  ‘That’s good. Well, I bet he’s kicking himself,’ Anna said.

  ‘Not really – he’s wasted no time filing for divorce, so he can marry the other woman.’ She shrugged.

  ‘Good riddance,’ Elisa said. ‘He should be ashamed of himself for the way he’s behaved.’

  ‘He’s done me a favour, Mamma. And anyway, I’m ready. We both need to move on, and I’ve got a busy year ahead of me. Starting with watching my beloved brother marry this brilliant woman.’

  ‘Don’t make me blush,’ Anna said, laughing.

  ‘I mean it, Anna,’ Carolina said. ‘You’ve been with us all through thick and thin – and cared for both Matteo and Bella so well. He’s a lucky man.’

  Chapter 47

  Imogen strode out onto the runway in Naples. The Italian sun warmed her bare shoulders. Here she was again, for the second time in a matter of months. But this holiday would be different – she wasn’t here looking for answers, that part of her life was over now. This trip was all about her sister’s wedding, and she couldn’t wait to be part of it. As she waited for her baggage to come out onto the conveyer belt, she checked her parents’ blog.

  Day 12

  By Jan

  Leaving Verona. Tom and I are so sad to go! It’s been like a second honeymoon, lots of good food, wine and we even splashed out on a lovely hotel. But it’s back on the bikes today. I’m getting used to it, and we were really speeding down through France on our way here.

  We’ve got so much to look forward to – tomorrow night we’ll be staying with our soon-to-be son-in-law Matteo’s father in Siena, and trying out the ice creams there, at one of the most famous gelaterias in the country. Here are some photos!

  All being well, they’d arrive the day before the wedding. Imogen scrolled through the photos Jan had posted of the two of them in Verona and smiled. She was so proud of her parents for taking a chance.

  ‘You’re here!’ Anna squealed as Imogen walked into the ice cream shop.

  ‘Again!’ Imogen said, laughing. ‘Come here and give me a hug.’ They hugged each other, with Matteo and Bella joining them.

  ‘Excited yet?’ Imogen asked her sister.

  ‘God, yes,’ Anna said, smiling. ‘Well, that and a bit of the obligatory panic . . . I can’t stop thinking about it, dreaming it, breathing it . . .’

  ‘Not to mention eating,’ Matteo said. ‘This wedding has called for extensive research in that area.’

  ‘I’m so pleased you’re here,’ Anna said, squeezing her sister more tightly.

  ‘And Mum and Dad are hot on my heels, by the looks of things – one more stop in Siena with your dad, Matteo, and then they’ll be heading over.’

  ‘Great. It feels like there’s still so much to do,’ Anna said. ‘Did I mention we’re having a party here on Friday, the night before?’

  ‘Yes. Well, that’s easy enough,’ Imogen said. ‘I’ve done that before.’

  Matteo led Bella away and Imogen and Anna had a moment to themselves to talk.

  ‘You look so happy today, Anna.’

  ‘I am happy,’ Anna said. ‘I never thought I’d be getting married in a place as beautiful as this, even less that I’d be living here.’

  ‘Have you made any decisions about that? About the future?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘We’ve decided that we can’t decide,’ Anna said, with a wry laugh. ‘At least not yet.’ She glanced over at her husband-to-be.

  ‘Well, wherever you end up, you know now that you’re stuck with us,’ Imogen said. ‘It really isn’t that far to come and visit.’

  ‘And I’ll always come back and see you – I’ll need to keep an eye on Vivien’s,’ Anna said.

  ‘Yes, of course. The great thing about you being a control freak is that I know you’ll never let go of that place.’

  On Friday, Evie and Imogen were in the ice cream shop as Anna rushed to get things ready for the pre-wedding party.

  ‘Right, what can we help with?’ Evie asked brightly, rubbing her hands together.

  ‘These,’ Anna said, passing her some old maps of the Amalfi coast. Imogen furrowed her brow. ‘Can you cut them up and make them into heart-shaped decorations for us? And, Imogen, can you round up some jam jars from the kitchen and put tea lights in all of them?’

  Evie and Imogen got to work, chatting merrily as they prepared the decorations.

  ‘So, you’ve been here for a week, and I’ve been here in Sorrento three days and I’ve barely seen you,’ Imogen said. ‘I’m taking that as a good sign.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’ Evie said. ‘Luigi and I have been travelling around a fair bit.’

  ‘Getting on well?’

  ‘Oh, yes. We slipped straight into chatting and catching up.’

  ‘You look really happy, Evie.’

  ‘You know what? I think I am. And of course I have you to thank.’

  ‘My pleasure,’ Imogen said. ‘Although I can’t really take the credit. Vivien was the one who got this all started.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose this is all her doing, really. That woman, meddling in my love life even from up there.’ She glanced up at the cloudless blue sky.

  ‘She cared about you so much, Evie. And she always was a romantic – she might have pushed the issue, but she was right, wasn’t she? You and Luigi were meant to have a second chance.’

  ‘Yes, she was right,’ Evie said. ‘She always was. Maddening most of the time, but, on this occasion, I’ll admit I’m grateful.’

  ‘So how’s it been, meeting all of the family?’ Imogen asked.

  ‘It’s been wonderful. Better than I’d dared to hope. We went to visit his daughter in Naples last week, and then yesterday went out to the country to meet his son and the new baby. I was wary at first: I didn’t want to intrude at such an important time. But they really welcomed me in, Imogen. It was a perfect day. My Italian’s coming back to me slowly, so at least I can talk to them a little bit now.’

  ‘That’s great. You should talk to Anna about it. She’s been working hard on her Italian too.’

  Anna poked her head out of the kitchen and checked the wall clock. ‘Imo – any idea where Mum and Dad are? They should be here by now.’

  Anna checked her phone for messages, and the blog still had her parents located around Siena, hours away. ‘They’ll be here,’ she said, feigning confidence. ‘Just keeping you on your toes, that’s all.’

  That evening, Anna and Matteo’
s friends and family gathered at the ice cream shop for amaretto cocktails, Prosecco and canapés. Imogen moved among the guests, introducing people and topping up their glasses. She could see Anna glancing around, looking out for their parents. Imogen had called them three times now, but got no reply.

  ‘Luigi, you look like you could do with a refill,’ Imogen said, topping up his glass.

  ‘Oh, be gentle with me,’ Luigi said. ‘We’ve got a whole day of partying tomorrow, too – and I’m a grandfather these days.’

  Evie looped her arm through his. ‘Don’t listen to him. He can handle it,’ she laughed. ‘And while you’re offering . . .’ She lifted her glass and Imogen filled it. Her and Imogen’s eyes met, in silent understanding.

  As she looked away, Imogen’s gaze fell over by the counter. Finn. He must have arrived when she wasn’t paying attention. He looked up for a second, and nodded in acknowledgement, then went back to talking to Carolina. He seemed immersed in conversation with her, as if they were old friends rather than virtual strangers. It stung a little bit. But it wasn’t her place to care, or to say anything. Imogen didn’t want anything to detract from Anna’s big day.

  A mechanical roar followed by revving came from the square, and Anna raced outside to see, Bella in her arms. Once she’d got a good look she turned back inside and called out to the guests, ‘My God, it’s them. My parents are here!’

  Everyone filtered outside as Tom and Jan parked up their motorbike. Jan took off her helmet, revealing her normally perfectly coiffed hair pointing in all directions. Glowing with excitement, she didn’t even seem to notice or care.

  ‘Here we are!’ she called out.

  ‘We got sidetracked by a wonderful restaurant on the way, but I hope you knew we’d never miss this,’ Tom said, giving his elder daughter a big hug.

  Matteo’s extended family seemed to engulf her parents with greetings and kisses, helping with their things and bringing them drinks and snacks.

  ‘Hey,’ came a voice, soft at Imogen’s shoulder.

  She turned and saw Finn there, in jeans and a grey T-shirt that showed off his arms, tanned from working outside all summer.