A Family Made in Rome

by Annie O'Neil

  Back then it had been all career, career, career.

  Had those goals changed?

  The pounding in his chest told him the answer.

  Yes. Everything had changed.

  Lizzy was the first to break eye contact, her eyes darting back to the sonography screen.

  ‘Any guess as to the sex?’

  ‘Too soon,’ he answered as if by rote.

  She knew as well as he did that physicians could make a rough guess from twelve weeks, but they also both knew it wasn’t always an accurate one. When it wasn’t necessary to know the sex, and it wasn’t blatantly obvious, Leon liked keeping the big reveal until the twenty-week scan, enjoying the surprise along with the patients.

  ‘We could—’ she began.

  He shook his head. ‘No. No blood tests. Unless...?’ He moved the wand towards their baby’s neck, zooming in on the image so that they could see whether or not there was increased fluid at the base.

  ‘I’ve already done the nuchal translucency screening. And the blood test,’ she said quietly.

  Leon cleared an unexpected knot of emotion from his throat. Of course she’d know what he was doing. Checking for Down’s Syndrome. Lizzy was only thirty-five, but there was always a risk.

  ‘We’re good. The baby’s healthy.’

  Lizzy sounded as emotional as he felt.

  ‘It’s strange when it’s happening to you, isn’t it?’ Leon voiced what he was sure they were both feeling. ‘Completely different.’

  She nodded, giving her eyes a quick swipe before returning her focus to the screen.

  There was so much that wouldn’t be a surprise about her pregnancy, given their professions. Without having to say anything, they both knew the baby would weigh about fifteen grams right now. Bones were beginning to form in the arms and legs. The vocal cords would be developing, as would its personality—whether it would suck its thumb, be a kicker or a nodder, when its tiny neck muscles would be strong enough to move the head from side to side.

  ‘Let’s keep it a surprise. Until I deliver.’

  Her voice softened and her fingers began to stroke his wrist as he gently moved the wand back and forth across the soft, sweet belly he’d covered in passionate kisses just a few short months ago.

  The power of what those kisses had culminated in hit him full force. He was going to be a father. It was up to him to decide what kind of father he wanted to be. A runner, like his own father, or a man who honoured the child he had helped create.

  ‘Beautiful, isn’t it?’ Lizzy asked. ‘All those little fingers and toes. And it’s a thumb-sucker—look!’

  They both smiled and laughed. Their child’s hand could clearly be seen at its mouth, thumb in place between its miniature lips.

  Leon could only nod, speech defying him. This was literally a picture-perfect baby. And, given their jobs, they knew how precious this news was.

  ‘Should we call it something? You know...like, erm...’ She tapped her chin, her eyes still glued to the screen. ‘Pompelmo?’

  He laughed. ‘What? Grapefruit? You want to call our child grapefruit?’

  ‘Well...’ She shrugged. ‘It’s about the right size.’

  ‘So what are we going to call it next week? Melone? And the next? Cantelupo?’

  Lizzy got the giggles. ‘Okay, fine. We won’t call it anything.’

  Her expression suddenly sobered.

  ‘What?’

  ‘We’re going to have to choose a name at some point.’

  ‘We?’

  ‘Well... I had thought of calling her Metrodora. Dora for short. Because Metrodora’s a bit mean. I mean...if she’s girl.’

  Leon tipped his head back and forth. ‘A Greek physician, eh? You know how us Italians feel about that.’

  Lizzy pulled a face. He knew Metrodora wasn’t just any old Greek physician. She was the first female physician to write a proper medical text.

  ‘Don’t you think it’s time to move past of that Roman versus Greek malarkey about who started civilisation?’ she said.

  ‘Sure. Happy to. So long as the answer is the Romans,’ Leon said playfully. ‘How about Trotula? She was the world’s first gynaecologist. From right here in Italy. Or Dorotea Bucca. She was a physician and a professor. Nice, huh?’

  He tried out a few variations of Dorotea. Dorothy. Téa. And, of course, Dora.

  ‘Nope. Sorry. You don’t get to choose,’ Lizzy snipped, and the hum of shared delight disappeared as if it had been sucked into a black hole. ‘Not since you won’t be involved.’

  Leon’s hackles went up. Hormones or not, this wasn’t her call. ‘And when did we make that decision, exactly?’

  ‘We made it on the day I arrived, remember? When you took back your proposal.’

  ‘Hang on.’ He put the wand on the desk beside the exam table and handed her a few paper towels to wipe the gel off her belly. The magic of the moment was completely gone. ‘You made me take it back. And if I recall the conversation properly—which I do—I remember saying we’d put decision-making on hold. Not withdraw any offers made in good faith.’

  ‘Ha! See? I knew you didn’t mean it.’ She shook her head and began muttering something to herself.

  ‘I did mean it, Lizzy. It’s the right thing to do.’

  ‘Yes, but is it the thing you actually want to do, Leon? That’s what matters here.’

  ‘Hypothetically...’ he said, before he could stop himself.

  Lizzy’s eyebrows shot up and she held him in a fierce glare as she slipped off the table and pulled her scrubs top down over her stomach.

  ‘I think we should go and see the Bianchis now. They’ll be expecting us.’

  * * *

  Lizzy was kicking herself over and over again. Why was she being such a pain with Leon?

  It didn’t take a brain surgeon to answer that one. Or an antenatal cardiologist for that matter.

  She was scared. Scared right down to her very essence.

  Of course she didn’t want to do this on her own. She hadn’t even known she wanted a baby until a fortnight ago, when she’d stared at that smiley face on the pregnancy test and then, of course, on the five back-up tests she’d done afterwards.

  Of course she’d love to be all happy families with the one man in the world who set her on fire in so many ways—intellectually, professionally, sexually...

  The ‘sexually’ part in particular had been driving her mad. She’d met plenty of pregnant women who said all they thought about was sex when they were carrying a baby, and lo and behold she seemed to be one of them. But having sex with Leon was out of the question. Especially as they hadn’t decided on their long-term plan of action. Kissing, hugging, caressing and being totally naked with him would be sheer insanity.

  That one night of mind-blowing sex they’d shared in January had changed her life for ever. If she were to have two to three more months of mind-blowing sex who knew what would happen? She might say yes to that ridiculously lovely cream-coloured dress she passed every single day when she sneaked out of the hospital for a secret gelato.

  So, no way. There was zero chance she was going to go and stay in that flat of his, with him all naked and gorgeous and Italian, with his sexy voice, and super-sexy hands, and his sexy chin and his kiss-me-now lips and—everything. Especially if he smelt of burnt sugar and oranges as he had this morning. It had taken all the power she’d possessed not to rip her top off and beg him to have his wicked way with her when he’d come into the on-call room this morning. That was how big a game her hormones were playing.

  Or maybe...her heart?

  These questions and a thousand more plagued her as she sat through the morning meeting with Giovanni and his growing team and then went into the Bianchis’ room, where they were now.

  ‘Lizzy?’ Leon was prompting. ‘Gabrielle was jus
t asking why you think another MRI is a good idea.’

  He gave her a look that said a thousand things. I know you’re freaked out. I know you’re hormonal. I know we have a lot to talk about. And, more to the point, I flew you across the world to help these people.

  ‘Is it really necessary?’ Gabrielle’s eyes darted between the doctors and her husband. ‘I have to confess they’re beginning to make me feel a bit claustrophobic.’

  Lizzy retrained her attentions to where they should be. On her patient. ‘We can get some music in there for you—or maybe an audiobook would help? Matteo, you’re also welcome to stay. The way Gabrielle will be situated in the scanner means you could hold her ankle or maybe rub her feet?’

  Gabrielle made a Maybe that would work face.

  Matteo rubbed his hands together and feigned giving a foot-rub. ‘Anything to help my good lady wife.’

  Gabrielle bit down on her lip, indecision clearly gripping her.

  ‘I don’t know... It might be harder to stay still if he’s doing something that feels good.’

  Lizzy forced herself not to go in for a fist-bump. Gabrielle was preaching to the converted!

  Concentrating on Gabrielle and her babies was exactly why she’d been sleeping on the hard-as-rock beds here at the hospital. Was there no hospital, no matter how fancy, that had comfy on-call rooms?

  Lizzy sat down by Gabrielle’s bed and took the young woman’s hand in her own. ‘You know more than anyone that the babies you’re carrying are extra-special. As such, I want to know exactly what’s going on before we take any surgical steps—yeah?’

  Gabrielle’s husband ran a hand through his already messy hair. ‘I think we probably would’ve been happy doing something else extra-special, like...’ he looked at his wife and grinned. ‘...like building the world’s largest snowman or eating the most profiteroles in one sitting or swimming in the world’s largest cheese fondue.’

  ‘Food! That’s what he is always thinking about!’

  ‘How could I not?’ he countered in mock horror. ‘We’re in Rome! Did you know this is the only month of the year you can get puntarelle? And barbe di frate! Monk’s beard! I’d never even heard of it before.’

  Lizzy felt Leon tickle her hand with his finger. She batted it away. She couldn’t deal with butterfly swoops in her tummy and acting professional at the same time.

  Matteo’s wife gave him a loving swat, then tugged him down to her to receive a kiss. ‘Enough about food. Can we talk about our children?’

  He cupped her cheek in his hand, then bent to kiss her again. ‘Of course, amore mio. I just don’t want you to be stressed. And also... I know how much you love trying new food.’

  His wife giggled. ‘Don’t! You’ll make me hungry again and I only just ate.’

  ‘Tell me what you want and I’ll fetch it. Your wish is my command.’

  The couple shared a warm look of such undiluted shared purpose that a sharp blast of loneliness shot through Lizzy so powerfully she could hardly draw a breath.

  She looked away and caught Leon’s eye. Instantly that feeling of solitude switched to something powerful and charged. She could be with this man if she wanted. He’d asked her to marry him and there was a kernel of belief in her that he actually had meant it.

  Granted, there were a whole load of ‘ifs’ attached. If she learnt to trust that he wasn’t going to be like her father. If he didn’t lay down his word as law. And if, the scariest of all, he didn’t behave like ‘old Leon’ and disappear out of their lives when a bigger, better job prospect presented itself.

  She didn’t think she could bear the heartache. Trust was a much more precious commodity than she’d ever given it credit for.

  ‘An MRI room can be made ready...’ Leon’s eyes dipped to his tablet ‘...now.’

  Lizzy forced herself to regroup. ‘Right. Good. Are you up for walking today, Gabrielle? Or are you happier in a wheelchair?’

  Once they’d set Gabrielle up in the MRI scanner, and Matteo’s foot-rub had been rejected in favour of a trip down to the local piazza, to see if he could find any healthy snacks, Leon and Lizzy went to the imaging room, overseeing the scan.

  After a few minutes of silently staring at the images appearing on the screen, Lizzy turned to Leon. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘For what?’

  ‘Behaving like a loon.’ She pointed her index fingers at her stomach. ‘It might be the cowardly option, but I’m holding someone else responsible for my behaviour.’

  ‘Well, in that case, apology accepted.’ Leon pressed a hand to his chest and then, as if an idea had just struck him, held up a finger. ‘On one condition.’

  ‘What’s that?’ She grinned warily.

  ‘Let me take you on a tour of Rome. Today.’

  Oh! Well, that was loads better than baring all her deepest darkest fears. Even so...it was time away from the hospital—and, more dangerously, time with Leon.

  ‘We’ve already seen the Trevi Fountain.’

  He huffed out a supercilious laugh. ‘Cara!’ He shook his head in mock sorrow. ‘You think that’s Rome?’

  He reached out and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, his fingers brushing the soft down of her cheek as he did so. Goosebumps.

  ‘There is so much more to Rome than the Trevi Fountain.’

  She looked at her patient, at the scans appearing on the screen of the babies she’d been tasked to deliver healthy and well. She was well known for her ability to pore over image after image for hours on end, but it would be a shame to fly all this way and not see even a few of the wonders of Rome. Beyond the gelato, of course.

  Another image flashed onto the screen.

  Her nerve-endings leapt to attention.

  There. The left ventricle valve.

  She squinted at the image, her brain whirring away, imagining herself placing a stent into the valve. It was going to be a tricky surgery, but achievable.

  ‘Deal accepted. On one of my conditions.’

  ‘Okay...?’ Leon nodded for her to go ahead.

  Her conciliatory expression morphed into the type of grin a child might wear when it was about to be presented with an ice cream sundae.

  ‘Remember when you talked about the 3D lab?’

  He nodded again.

  ‘Can we print 3D versions of the babies now and at each week until thirty-two weeks? In utero. Obvs.’

  ‘Assolutatmente.’ His smile matched hers at the idea. ‘We can get everyone in...do a few practice rounds of the surgery.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘On one more condition.’

  She frowned and feigned a grumpy huff. ‘What? An afternoon out and about in Rome isn’t enough for you?’

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘As a matter of fact, it isn’t. I want you to come back and stay at my apartment from now on. Unless there is a genuine emergency.’

  Her instinct was to protest. She stopped herself. It was becoming a bad habit, and one she would have to break if Leon really meant what he’d said about wanting to be involved in her and their baby’s lives.

  She closed her eyes and gave them a rub. From this moment on, she vowed, she would look at Leon through clear, unbiased, non-judgmental eyes. The past was the past and the future was a brand-new thing.

  And God help her if he didn’t look even more gorgeous when she opened them again.

  CHAPTER TEN

  LIZZY REACHED OUT and grabbed Leon’s hand. ‘I can’t see!’

  ‘You can.’ He put his free hand to the small of her back and guided her to the centre of the glass flooring that was at the heart of the ancient, subterranean palazzo. ‘Look—see the lights there?’

  Lizzy drew in a quick breath. ‘Are those...?’

  ‘Public baths,’ Leon said, his voice low to match the magical surroundings. ‘Second century AD, they think. They would’ve been adjacent to what is now the
palazzo.’

  ‘And these other rooms, the tiles, the kitchen areas—those are all centuries old?’

  ‘Around five hundred years,’ he confirmed. ‘The palazzo went through numerous renovations, of course, and as you can see...’ he gestured to the walls soaring above them ‘...so has the rest of Rome.’

  Lizzy shook her head in disbelief, leaning into Leon’s hand, a movement that seemed so natural anyone around them would assume they were a couple. A movement that elicited a hundred questions for Leon, who knew they weren’t.

  ‘I can’t believe we’re seven metres below the rest of Rome!’

  He laughed appreciatively. ‘I couldn’t either, when I first saw it. These elements of the palazzo were only discovered recently—and excavated this century—and the addition of the glass floors, so people can walk freely above the remains, is even more recent.’

  ‘Palazzo Valentini...’ Lizzy sighed. ‘It sounds so romantic, doesn’t it?’

  Leon gave her hand a squeeze, and to his surprise received a small squeeze of acknowledgment in return. Tipping his head to give the top of her head a kiss, just as he would have five years ago, seemed the natural thing to do—so he did it. She leant into him again, then shot him a shy smile.

  Perhaps it was being cloaked in the low lighting. Perhaps it was holding hands. Perhaps it was simply being with Lizzy. But standing amidst the remains of an ancient family’s household, where lives had been lived and lost, filled him with a profound sense of longing.

  What sort of history would the two of them leave behind? And, more to the point, what sort of future would they have?

  He felt as if someone had taken the well-worn and very familiar carpet he’d been walking on his entire life, yanked it out from underneath him and—just like in this palazzo—uncovered metres and metres of memories and emotions to excavate.

  Could he do that? Clear away the anger and the pain from his past to allow for a bright, loving future with Lizzy?