by Angelo, Judy
Of course, he’d expected this, just not quite so soon. He wanted Arie to bear him children, lots of them if she would agree. Well, maybe not lots, but three or even four. He wanted her to have a big family around her to make up for all those years she’d felt so alone after she’d left foster care. Being from a huge and close-knit family, he still couldn’t imagine what it was like to have no-one in the world but yourself.
But Arie was talking again, her words cutting into his daydream. “Yes, honey? What did you say?” He turned his full attention back to his wife-to-be.
“But the baby,” she said, her voice hoarse from her tears. “The baby…it’s not yours. It’s-”
“What the f…” He stopped himself just in time. “What did you just say?”
“I’m sorry, Rome, I didn’t mean to do this to you. I didn’t know it would come through…” And then she started sobbing again.
Rome felt like he’d just been rammed in the gut by someone wearing a cast iron helmet. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Arie was pregnant…by another man.
His heart plunging to the pit of his stomach, he did the only thing he could do right then. He decided to end the call. He needed time to think. “Arie, I have to go,” he said, the shock, hurt and pain making his voice sound harsh. “I’ll talk to you when I get back to New Orleans.”
And with that he hung up the phone knowing that, after tonight, nothing between them would ever be the same again.
***
“Oh Lord, what am I going to say? How am I going to explain?” Arie was mumbling to herself as she sat on the edge of the sofa, twisting her hands in her lap.
It was already twenty minutes since Rome called from the airport, saying he was on his way. He would be here any minute now and she didn't know how she was going to face him.
She didn’t have to worry about that much longer because before she knew it, and long before she was even ready, she heard the roar of the Maserati's engine and the sound of tires coming to a screeching halt on her driveway. Arie hopped up off the couch but she didn’t go running to the door as she normally would. This time she drew in a slow, steadying breath then put one foot in front of the other, forcing herself to move forward to answer the now chiming doorbell.
“Well, here goes nothing,” she breathed, preparing herself for the worst. She knew this would end badly but wasn’t that the story of her life? Why should this situation be any different? She placed her hand on the doorknob then, steeling herself for the blast from the furnace of Rome Milano’s anger, she opened the door.
What she saw made her heart slip off its seat and slide down to her toes. Rome was there, tall and dark in the doorway, looking down at her. But it wasn’t the Rome she knew and loved. No, as she lifted her gaze to look up at this man, what she saw was a face so grim it made her shiver. And the eyes, those weren’t Rome’s eyes. They were gone, those deep brown ones like molten dark chocolate, and in their place were eyes as hard as flint.
Quickly, Arie dropped her gaze. She couldn’t bear his frigid glare. She’d expected anger, red-hot rage, but not this. Heaven knew she would have preferred a raging fire to this ice-cold ire.
Not looking up, she stepped back and opened the door wide and, as he’d done so many times before, Rome Milano walked into Bayou House. This time, though, everything was different. This time he’d come to say goodbye.
But first, she had some explaining to do.
“Arie,” he said, his voice cool as he stared down at her.
“Hello, Rome.” She tried to make her voice just as cool but, to her dismay, it came out soft and tremulous. She cleared her throat. “Uhm, have a seat. I’ll be right with you.”
For a moment he just stared at her then he shook his head. “I don’t want to sit. We need to talk.”
“I know,” she said, and she was clutching her hands again, and it was all she could do to keep from wringing them. “But we can’t talk standing here in the hallway. Let’s talk in the sitting room.”
Rome was still frowning but he shrugged and then he stalked off, leaving her staring at his broad, rigid back.
With a sigh of resignation Arie set off after him but when she got there he didn’t even give her a chance to have a seat before he started. “Why didn’t you tell me, Arie?”
“I…didn’t mean to hurt-”
“Who the hell is he? Who is this man you love so much that you would throw this all away?” Rome shook his head, his glare changing into a look of profound pain. “When you said you loved me you were lying the whole time. How could you do this to me?”
“But I love you, Rome. I love you so much.” Arie made to step forward, to put a hand on his arm, but the look he gave her made her pull up short.
“Don’t even try that.” The scorn came, swift and stinging, in his voice. "You love me but you went and slept with another man? What kind of fool do you take me for?”
“But there is no other man, Rome. It’s just the baby. If you just let me explain-”
He burst out laughing but it was a harsh, bitter sound. “This, I’ve gotta hear. So you got yourself pregnant. Rich.” He gave a humorless chuckle and folded his arms across his chest. “Go on,” he said with a jerk of his head. “Tell me how you managed that.”
“Rome, please. Just sit so we can talk.”
“Spill it, Arie. This is not a social call. Just say what you have to say so I can get the hell out of here.”
There was nothing left to do but blurt it out. She’d wanted to tell him slowly, show him how she’d come to that life-changing decision, but it was clear that he wouldn’t be there long enough for her to go through all that. He would walk right out if she didn’t get to the point. So she did.
“I’m going to have a baby,” she said as she stared up at him, her heart pounding in anticipation of the backlash, “but I’m not pregnant. My baby’s coming from Armenia.”
“Coming from…you mean you’re adopting?”
“Yes,” she said, nodding and she took a step forward. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you. It’s just…I’d given up hope. They told me I couldn’t have her, that they’d found a more suitable family. I didn’t know all that would change.”
“What? I’m confused. Come again?”
This time Rome did sit, and as he sat looking up at her, the confusion plain on his face, Arie realized she was making a mess of the whole thing.
“May I start at the beginning, Rome?” she asked, and when his frown deepened like he meant to say no, she gave him a pleading look. “I just want to make you understand. You’ll let me speak and tell you what happened?” When he nodded slowly she pressed again. “And you won’t interrupt?”
Rome shook his head. He looked like he’d been struck dumb anyway. That suited Arie just fine. She had a lot to say.
She drew in her breath and then she began. “You already know that I never had a family, that I grew up in foster care.”
He nodded but still said nothing. He just sat there watching her, his eyes wary.
“I’ve always wanted a family,” she said but then she looked away. The way that came out, it sounded pathetic. Why did her voice have to crack when she said the words? The last thing she wanted was for him to feel sorry for her. She cleared her throat and tried again. “I wanted a family and one day I decided to do whatever it took to have one. I decided to adopt.”
She looked at him then, trying to gauge his reaction but he was looking back at her with enigmatic eyes, dark pools that she could not read. She bit her lip and then she continued. “I contacted a private adoption agency. It took a while but then they introduced me to the sweetest little girl you ever saw. The moment I saw her I fell in love.” She blinked, trying to ease the sudden pricking in her left eye. “I told them I wanted to be her mommy and they said I could. And then…they went back on their word. They said…they’d found the perfect family and I couldn’t have her anymore.”
She stopped abruptly. Her voice was beginning to tremble and she
knew if she went on she’d soon be a sobbing mess. She wasn’t usually so weepy but when it came to the tiny baby she thought she would never see again, she was like a jiggly bowl of jelly, an unstable, emotional wreck.
Rome frowned. “You didn’t sign a contract?” He’d spoken, breaking his vow of silence, but Arie didn’t mind. He was asking a question, actually holding a conversation with her, and for that she was grateful.
“No,” she said, her voice full of regret, “we didn’t get that far. I guess that’s why they felt they were within their rights to accept someone else.”
She shook her head as the painful memory came back. “It was a really rough time for me. It was a while before I could resign myself to the fact that I’d lost her. It hurt so much that I didn’t apply to the agency again. I was too scared for it to happen all over again.” She sighed but then tilted her head and gave Rome a tiny smile. “And then I met you.” The smile widened just a little bit. “I fell in love again, but this time it wasn't with a baby. It was with the most wonderful man on earth.” She almost laughed when Rome actually looked embarrassed. “It’s true. For me, at least. The sun shone so bright when you came into my life.”
That made Rome chuckle. “I should hope it was shining bright long before that.”
“You made it shine even brighter and now…” she paused, not knowing how to express what she wanted to say next, “and now the sun could shine even brighter for me…or it could fade.”
Rome sat back in the chair but his eyes never left her. “Meaning?”
Arie swallowed. “Rome, the agency called and told me things didn’t work out with the family they’d chosen. The couple decided they didn't want her after they found out her birth mother had been a smoker and the baby may have health problems or special needs. That's why the agency contacted me again." She clasped her hands in front of her. "They said the baby was mine if I still wanted her. I was so happy. I didn’t hesitate. I told them I want her. I’m sorry, Rome, but I still love her. Very much.”
Rome said nothing, his eyes on her so intense and dark and unreadable.
“I’m so sorry. I should have consulted you before I gave them my response. I know that. It’s just that, at the time I was so excited, so relieved. I wanted to provide a loving home to this special little girl and finally my dream was coming true. I couldn’t turn her away.” She looked away and then she sniffed. “I didn’t want her to go through what I went through...or worse. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. You made a decision so the only thing left is for you to stick with it.” Rome’s tone was serious and when Arie glanced at him she could see that his face was serious, too.
She heaved a sigh. “I know. It’s just…” she dropped her eyes and bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling, “…I wanted to have my cake and eat it, too.” Then, no matter that she was trying her hardest, her face crumpled like a leaf and the tears began to flow. “I wanted so much to be your wife, Rome. Why do I have to choose?”
Arie was sobbing now and, not knowing what to do with herself, she stumbled to the sofa and sank down onto it then covered her face with her hands. “I love you so much, Rome. I don’t want to lose you.
“Arie, my darling, what are you talking about? Why would you have to lose me?”
Rome’s voice cut through the thick, gray fog of her tears. When she felt his arm curve around her shoulder she turned her face and pressed it into his chest, her body shaking with her sobs. “I can’t…” she gasped. “I can’t have you, not when I’ve changed everything. Now I have the baby.” She hiccupped on the last word. She was trying so hard to be calm, trying to tell him everything so he could know what she was going through, but she was failing miserably.
“Hush.”
Her face pressed against the softness of his shirt, the warmth of his body soothing her frazzled nerves, Arie felt Rome’s hands on her hair. Gently, he stroked until her shaking stilled and she settled into his arms.
“Look at me, Arie.” His voice was gentle but firm. His caress stilled then he put a finger under her chin and lifted her face to his. “I love you, Arie, and if this baby is important to you then she’s important to me, too.”
Arie sucked in her breath as she stared up at him. “What are you saying?” Dared she hope?
“I’m saying, don’t think you can back out of this wedding, little Miss Angelis. I’m not letting you go so don’t think you can use this as an excuse.” He was smiling down at her as he gazed into her eyes.
“You mean…I can keep her? And you, too?” She held her breath, waiting for his reply. What he’d said sounded like he was leaning toward a ‘yes’ but it was too good to be true.
Rome laughed. “If it will make you happy, I’m all for a readymade family.”
And then he pulled her back into his arms and squeezed her tight. “Arie Angelis, I love you.”
And those last three words, so simple yet so powerful, were all Arie needed to hear. From here on she would have two wonderful people to love and, as far as she was concerned, she could not have been more blessed.
***
“Good morning.”
At the sound of his greeting Iyana looked away from the computer screen and glanced up at Rome. Her brows raised, she gave him a look of suspicion. “You’re in a good mood today,” she said, cocking her head to one side, her dark eyes roaming his face. “A real good mood. Why?”
Rome shook his head then shrugged. “What? A man can’t smile in the morning?”
She gave a snort. “A man can smile, just not this man. This early in the morning you’re always as sore as a bear.”
“Who, me? Where did you get that impression?” Rome gave her an innocent smile.
“Let’s not go there,” she said coolly. “Just tell me what’s changed, to put you into such a mellow mood.”
Rome just shrugged.
“So you’re Mr. Pleasant today,” Iyana said, folding her arms across her chest. “I don’t like it.”
That made Rome laugh. “All right, Miss Grumpy. I’ll try to keep it down.” Still laughing, he walked away from Iyana’s door, leaving her to stew in the mystery of his change of mood.
It was a fact. He was in an unusually cheerful mood today and he knew why. To his relief, Arie was not backing out of the wedding. Within months she would be his wife and at the ceremony they would have the most beautiful flower girl of all, even though someone would have to carry the tiny tyke down the aisle.
When he got to his office Rome deposited his computer bag on top of the desk and picked up the yellow pad on which Iyana had scribbled some messages. There was a message from the Asia division, a reminder about their annual sales meeting. There was one from the PR agency that had handled the Australia launch and one from his father. The last one took priority over all others.
Dropping into his chair, he reached for the phone and dialed. It took a few rings but his father eventually answered, his big voice booming into the phone. “Mio figlio, why don’t you answer your cell phone? I called three times this morning.”
“Sorry, Papa. I put it on silent and forgot. I’ll fix that right now before I miss any more calls.” As he spoke, he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out the phone.
“Too late,” his father said. “Maria dropped by for a visit and she wanted to say hi to you. Of course, we couldn’t find you.” The last sentence was said with a hint of reprimand.
“Maria?” Rome was racking his brain, trying to figure out who the visitor was. His father was speaking as if he should know. “Somebody from Cerveteri?”
“Shame on you, Rome. Don’t you remember your cousin, Maria? She’s the one who used to tease you when you couldn’t read as well as she could. Remember?”
“Oh, that Maria. Yeah, I remember her.” Not that he wanted to. He’d been six and she’d been eight and she’d been a royal pain in the posterior, a snooty little know-it-all who went out of her way to show how smart she was. She made it a point to traumatize him with her intellig
ence. No wonder he’d blocked her from his memory. “I haven’t spoken to her in years. What did she want?”
“I told you, she wanted to say hi.”
“Why?”
“Now, Rome, let’s be gentlemanly. Maria is your cousin. She’s family.” Again, there was that reprimand in his voice, but then he chuckled. “All right, I admit it. There was another reason she came by.”
“She won the Nobel Prize for literature?” Rome asked drily.
“Not quite, but something like that. She wanted to be the one to give us the news. She won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction and is moving to the States to focus on her writing career. Says if you’re serious about your writing, New York is the place to be.”
Rome gave a grunt. He knew it. She’d only dropped by to gloat. But then he shrugged. If that was what made her happy…
Then a thought came to him. “Hey, isn’t the Pulitzer Prize restricted to Americans?”
“Maria is American.”
“No, she’s not. She grew up in Viterbo. In fact, Tio Giovanni still lives there.”
“Yes, but she was born in Hartford, where her parents were living while her mother studied at Yale. I thought you knew that.”
“I had no idea,” Rome said. “Born on the Yale campus, was she? Now I know why she’s such a brain. It must be something in the air.”
Vittorio laughed. “Or in the genes. Her mother’s a neuroscientist, after all.”
“Yeah,” Rome conceded with a sigh. “That, too.”
By this time Rome had had enough of talking about Maria. Time to change the subject to more important things, things that included the soon-to-come arrival of a brand new baby.
“Papa, I have a surprise for you,” he said. “Are you sitting down?”
There was a pause then Vittorio gave a grunt. "I don’t like the sound of this. When somebody asks if you’re sitting down it’s not usually to deliver good news.”
“Rest assured, Pa, this time it’s good.” Rome had absolutely no doubt about that. In fact, he was dying to share his good fortune. “Pa,” he said, unable to keep the smile from his voice, “in less than a month I’m going to be a father. I'll have a daughter and her name is Maya.”