Giorgio and Maya came in. She kissed her eldest son and then turned to Maya, her greeting a little warmer than the night before. 'I am so glad you are back with my son,' she said. 'This is such a sad time but at least I can be assured now that you and Giorgio will not make things any worse by divorcing.'
Maya answered something non-committal.
Luca was looking shell-shocked but resigned and Nic was looking bored, leaning indolently against a bookcase as if he had better things to do and see, but Maya knew it was probably a mask covering what he was really feeling. More like Giorgio than he wanted to admit, Nic didn't like to show his emotions too freely.
Giorgio assembled everyone together once he made sure his grandfather was comfortable. 'Maya and I have some news,' he said. 'It's very early days and we don't want any of you to rush off and buy gifts or anything, but we have just had Maya's pregnancy confirmed.'
Giovanna's mouth fell open. 'So soon? But you've only spent one night back together. How can you know if it's-'
'Mamma…' Giorgio began sternly.
'Was it the night of my wedding?' Luca asked with a twinkle in his eye. 'I know you were putting on a reasonable show of civility for Bronte and I on our special day, but I saw you looking daggers at each other every now and again when you thought no one was looking. The air was crackling like an electric current. Everyone was commenting on it.'
Maya felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair. 'I'm sorry if it was that obvious…I hope we didn't offend you and Bronte.'
'Not at all,' Luca said, still grinning. 'If this is the outcome, I couldn't be more thrilled.'
Giorgio reached for Maya's hand and enfolded it within his. 'We are thrilled as well,' he said.
'This baby is very special to us. We have been given a second chance and this time we are not going to waste it. Whatever happens, we are staying together.'
Giovanna, to her credit, came over and hugged Maya, expressing her delight in a mixture of Italian and English. It reminded Maya of the early days, when she had felt a tentative closeness to her mother-in-law, before the death of Giancarlo and the loss of her babies had ruined everything.
Luca swept Maya up into a brotherly hug, congratulating them both, before rushing off so he could tell Bronte, who had stayed back at their villa with Ella, who was sleeping.
Nic sauntered over with a mocking smile on his face, his green-flecked hazel eyes flicking to Maya's belly and then to his brother's face. 'Nice job,' he said. 'I knew you had it in you. Now all you have to do is keep her with you…oh, and make sure it's actually yours, as Mamma hinted at earlier.'
Giorgio swore at his youngest brother, his fist clenching at his side as if he was tempted to use it.
'There is no doubt in my mind this is my child,' he said through gritted teeth.
'Maya…' Salvatore's voice broke up the tense scene.
She went over to where he was sitting and took both of his outstretched hands in hers. 'Are you happy for us, Salvatore?' she asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking with emotion.
His eyes were glistening with moisture and his grip on her hands was almost crushing in his joy.
'I can now die a happy man,' he said. 'I know this baby will survive. I have prayed for this. God gives one life and takes one away. It is the order of things, si?'
Maya wasn't too happy with God over taking away her previous pregnancies, but she wasn't going to do or say anything to take away from the old man's faith. 'I'm very happy too,' she said.
'I still can't quite believe it. It seems like a miracle.'
'It is a miracle,' Salvatore said. 'And now all I have to do is see my youngest grandson settled and my life's work will be complete.'
Nic muttered something under his breath and Giorgio shot him a reproachful look.
Having grown up without siblings, it had taken Maya a while to get used to the way the Sabbatini sons related to each other. There was certainly a pecking order
Maya answered something non-committal.
Luca was looking shell-shocked but resigned and Nic was looking bored, leaning indolently against a bookcase as if he had better things to do and see, but Maya knew it was probably a mask covering what he was really feeling. More like Giorgio than he wanted to admit, Nic didn't like to show his emotions too freely.
Giorgio assembled everyone together once he made sure his grandfather was comfortable. 'Maya and I have some news,' he said. 'It's very early days and we don't want any of you to rush off and buy gifts or anything, but we have just had Maya's pregnancy confirmed.'
Giovanna's mouth fell open. 'So soon? But you've only spent one night back together. How can you know if it's-'
'Mamma…' Giorgio began sternly.
'Was it the night of my wedding?' Luca asked with a twinkle in his eye. 'I know you were putting on a reasonable show of civility for Bronte and I on our special day, but I saw you looking daggers at each other every now and again when you thought no one was looking. The air was crackling like an electric current. Everyone was commenting on it.'
Maya felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair. 'I'm sorry if it was that obvious…I hope we didn't offend you and Bronte.'
'Not at all,' Luca said, still grinning. 'If this is the outcome, I couldn't be more thrilled.'
Giorgio reached for Maya's hand and enfolded it within his. 'We are thrilled as well,' he said.
'This baby is very special to us. We have been given a second chance and this time we are not going to waste it. Whatever happens, we are staying together.'
Giovanna, to her credit, came over and hugged Maya, expressing her delight in a mixture of Italian and English. It reminded Maya of the early days, when she had felt a tentative closeness to her mother-in-law, before the death of Giancarlo and the loss of her babies had ruined everything.
Luca swept Maya up into a brotherly hug, congratulating them both, before rushing off so he could tell Bronte, who had stayed back at their villa with Ella, who was sleeping.
Nic sauntered over with a mocking smile on his face, his green-flecked hazel eyes flicking to Maya's belly and then to his brother's face. 'Nice job,' he said. 'I knew you had it in you. Now all you have to do is keep her with you…oh, and make sure it's actually yours, as Mamma hinted at earlier.'
Giorgio swore at his youngest brother, his fist clenching at his side as if he was tempted to use it.
'There is no doubt in my mind this is my child,' he said through gritted teeth.
'Maya…' Salvatore's voice broke up the tense scene.
She went over to where he was sitting and took both of his outstretched hands in hers. 'Are you happy for us, Salvatore?' she asked, trying to keep her voice from cracking with emotion.
His eyes were glistening with moisture and his grip on her hands was almost crushing in his joy.
'I can now die a happy man,' he said. 'I know this baby will survive. I have prayed for this. God gives one life and takes one away. It is the order of things, si?'
Maya wasn't too happy with God over taking away her previous pregnancies, but she wasn't going to do or say anything to take away from the old man's faith. 'I'm very happy too,' she said.
'I still can't quite believe it. It seems like a miracle.'
'It is a miracle,' Salvatore said. 'And now all I have to do is see my youngest grandson settled and my life's work will be complete.'
Nic muttered something under his breath and Giorgio shot him a reproachful look.
Having grown up without siblings, it had taken Maya a while to get used to the way the Sabbatini sons related to each other. There was certainly a pecking order
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