Page 63 of Giorgio
“I was recently in Italy. And I started learning the language. I had the privilege of spending time in a residence there with a library that surpassed anything I had ever seen.”
“You have been Italy.”
“Yes.”
Julian watched as his sister settled the cup back in the saucer carefully.
“I have always wanted to go.” The woman was unaware of the stirring of sadness she had stirred up. “My Bert and I planned on going for our honeymoon, but things were tight back then.” Her eyes misted as she took a sip of tea.
“You loved him.”
“We were married for fifty years.” Her smile came through the tears like a ray of sunshine as she answered Juliana’s question. “We met when we were seniors in high school. I went to business school, and he went into the military.
He was in the navy. He wanted us to get married before he left, but my parents would not hear of it. I was terrified that he would not come back home to me.
The minute he returned; we were married three weeks after. He was the only man for me and even though he is not here in the flesh, he will always be here,” She thumped the place where her heart was.
“I have discovered that nothing beats loving the person you spend most of your life with. And we loved each other dearly. He has left me a legacy of memories that I will carry with me as long as I live.”
*****
“I am going to kill him.”
Turning her head, she stared at him and knew he realized she was moping. Margaret’s story had touched something deep inside her and made her wonder if she was going to have to spend the rest of her life without him. Her unflagging optimism had taken a beaten.
“Then I would be losing the two most important men in my life,” she said lightly.
“He is an asshole.” Julian tooted his horn to get the vehicle in front of him moving. The afternoon traffic was a mess, and it had started raining.
“Please, don’t.”
“Don’t what? Speak my mind? Be angry about the way he is treating you? Be angry that you didn’t listen to me?”
“You were the one who encouraged me to have a holiday romance.”
“Yes.” He bit out. “Holiday romance, not a lifelong love affair that’s completely one-sided.” He could have bitten off his tongue at the look on her face. “Jules, I am sorry as hell.”
“Thanks for coming with me today. The purchase of the place will take a week to finalize. I want it up and ready for the middle of October.”
“Jules…”
“No.” She shook her head. “You have said enough, and my heart cannot take anything else. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?”
He lapsed into silence and for the rest of the journey to his place, the silence continued.
As soon as he pulled into the parking space of his townhouse, she excused herself and went upstairs to her suite, leaving him standing in the living room, cursing that damn son of a bitch to perdition. His sister had tied his hands, and he could not call to give the man a piece of his mind. But he hated to see her hurting.
Swearing profusely, he went to the cabinet to pluck out a bottle of scotch and not bothering with the glass, drank straight from the bottle.
*****
The preparation of her store kept her busy and her mind occupied. And her pregnancy was confirmed. She would be due in June.
“Call him.” Her brother urged. “He has a right to know.”
“No!” She said stubbornly. “And if you take it on yourself to do so, I will never forgive you.”
A designer had been hired, and a carpenter was seeing to the exterior. She was actively involved in the redecorating of the store, consulting with the woman on color schemes, furnishings among other things. She stocked up on healthy food for her baby and had cut out caffeine. She drank her milk and bought books on the development of the fetus. She was as happy as could be.Her store and the seed she were carrying were making up for her yearning for Giorgio.