Authors: Natasha Anders
“You didn’t answer my question,” he had the nerve to prompt and her glare deepened until she looked like a bad-tempered child.
“No, I want you to go off and take care of whatever
business
you have in Italy. I would hate to keep you from something important, only to have it thrown back into my face at a later date.” His jaw clenched at her vitriolic words but he didn’t respond. She got up abruptly, sick of the conversation and the company.
“Excuse me, I have to get ready for my appointment,” she snapped, turning to leave the room.
“I still want you to stay with your cousin while I’m gone,” he insisted, directing his words to her narrow back as she retreated from the room.
“And I still say no to that,” she threw over her shoulder.
“This subject is far from closed, Theresa,” he raised his voice slightly as she moved further away from him but she waved a dismissive hand as she turned a corner that she knew would take her out of his sight. Once she got to her bedroom, she sank down onto the bed and inhaled shakily, feeling drained.
Lisa was unable to join her for the amniocentesis, Rhys had a medical check up and naturally that took priority. So Theresa found herself waiting alone, a nervous wreck even though she knew that the odds of anything going wrong were slim. She fidgeted, flipped through magazines, chatted with other women in various stages of pregnancy but through it all she just wished that Sandro was there with her. The other women were all accompanied by their partners or friends and Theresa had never felt so achingly alone before. She was so deeply buried in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice the person sitting down next to her until her husband’s deep voice rumbled in her ear.
“Why is your cell phone off? I’ve been trying to reach you all morning,” she jumped in fright before blinking up at him stupidly, not quite sure how he came to be there. He grinned down into her confused face and Theresa found herself responding helplessly to the open warmth of that smile, rewarding him with a blinding one of her own.
“What are you doing here?” She asked breathlessly and he shrugged.
“When I couldn’t reach you, I tried Lisa and when she told me that she was at the clinic with Rhys, I realised that you were probably here all alone and thought you might need some moral support,” he explained casually.
“B.but what about your work?”
“It’ll keep…”
“You didn’t have to come, I was okay on my own,” she felt obligated to protest.
“Theresa, you visibly paled every time the mention of this appointment came up. It’s obvious that you find the thought of this procedure daunting. I couldn’t let you face it on your own,” so much for thinking she had kept her fear and reservations well hidden from him. He seemed able to read her like an open book.
“I’m not
really
scared,” she said with more bravado than conviction and he determinedly bit back the smile that was curling up the sides of his mouth.
“
You
might not be but I am terrified,
cara
,” he shuddered slightly. “Needles…
big
needles especially, are not my thing.” She could tell by the way he paled at the thought that he was entirely sincere. She stared into his eyes for the longest time, getting lost in the melting chocolate depths before shaking herself slightly.
“Thank you for coming, Sandro,” she finally whispered. “I
was
a bit intimidated by the thought of this procedure.” The confession cost a lot but she was rewarded by the warm, intimate smile he directed at her.
“It’ll be fine,” he assured quietly, unexpectedly linking his fingers with hers. “You’ll see.” Even though there was no logical reason for it, her reservations melted like ice under the hot sun and she smiled gratefully.
In the end, Theresa sailed through the procedure, after some initial discomfort she was fine, it was Sandro who had difficulty with proceedings. Apparently he hadn’t been lying when he said he didn’t like big needles and when he saw the 7.5 centimetre needle he swayed enough for a nurse to hurriedly bring a stool over for him to sit on; he had thanked her but manfully chose to stand instead. That macho display of coolness lasted only long enough for them to insert the needle into her abdomen when he paled dramatically and practically collapsed onto the provided stool, keeping his eyes determinedly away from the needle and on Theresa’s amused face.
“Once, when I was ten,” she started talking to distract him. “I fell out of a tree…” that certainly caught his attention.
“What were you doing up a tree?” He sounded unflatteringly sceptical. “You don’t strike me as the tomboy type.”
“I wasn’t… but there was this poor little kitten stuck up there and I was a complete sucker for animals,” she shrugged, wincing slightly when the needle pinched more, his hand tightened around hers, while the doctor cheerfully informed them that it was “nearly over”.
“So what happened?” He asked softly.
“Well, Lisa was with me and she was desperately trying to reason with me but I wouldn’t listen,” she shook her head. “Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn.” He snorted at that.
“
No
! Really?” She tilted her chin up and chose to ignore his sarcasm.
“Just as I was leaning out and reaching for that stupid cat, he hissed at me, scratched my hand and
climbed
back down,” she felt the pinching sensation gradually decrease as the needle was withdrawn from her abdomen. “But the cat had scared me and I lost my balance before tumbling out of the tree.”
“What happened after that?” He seemed riveted even though the doctor was stepping away from the table.
“I broke my arm and I’ve disliked cats since that day,” she confessed sheepishly. He chuckled before unexpectedly leaning over her and dropping a quick kiss on her forehead. “I don’t know why I just told you that story… you just looked in need of distraction.”
“And how,” he acknowledged shakily. “I’m still feeling a little queasy after seeing that needle…” he swallowed and paled again. “I don’t know how you could do that without anaesthetic?”
The doctor had offered her a shot to numb the area but one huge needle was bad enough, Theresa hadn’t been enamoured with the thought of having to deal with two.
“It was a little uncomfortable,” she admitted as the nurse helped her sit up. “But not too bad.”
After dressing she and Sandro anxiously faced her obstetrician across the wide expanse of his desk.
“Right… that went very well, Mr and Mrs De Lucci…” Doctor Shelbourne beamed over his desk at them. “Both you and your baby came through it with flying colours. Right… so no heavy lifting, no sex and no flying for the next couple of days. Try to relax and not overtax yourself. You may experience some cramping for a day or two, that’s normal… but if the cramping carries on for too long or is too severe, if it’s accompanied by spotting or bleeding, come in immediately.” Both Sandro and Theresa paled at that dire warning and Theresa blindly and unthinkingly sought out his hand with hers.
“We should have your results in a couple of weeks,” the older man continued cheerfully. “We’ll contact you when they arrive.”
“Do you think I’m at risk for another miscarriage?” Theresa suddenly asked and the doctor looked surprised by her question.
“Not at all…” he shook his head vehemently.
“But the last time…” she began shakily.
“…was just one of those tragic things that sometimes happen in life. You’re healthy, your baby looks healthy, there’s no reason you shouldn’t carry to term and deliver a perfect baby. Now onto happier topics; would you like to know your baby’s sex?”
“You could tell?” Theresa asked with a smile.
“The image was as clear as a bell today,” he nodded indulgently.
“No,” Sandro suddenly shook his head. “I’d rather not know.”
“But Sandro…” she turned to him in surprise but he refused to meet her eyes. “Why don’t you want to know?”
“It makes no difference…”
nothing
he could have said would have hurt her more and she immediately retreated back behind her shell, withdrawing her hand from his. Of course it didn’t make a difference, if it was a boy he would leave without getting to know the child and if it was a girl he would be stuck in his unwanted marriage for even longer. He groaned when he saw her expression and immediately grabbed up her hand again. “I
really
didn’t mean it the way you obviously think I did, Theresa.”
“It’s okay,” she informed the doctor, who looked heartily uncomfortable to be witnessing their dispute. “I don’t have to know.” Not when she was one hundred per cent certain that it was a boy anyway. The doctor nodded and cleared his throat.
“Very well then, my lips are sealed,” he nodded, trying to maintain his jovial manner, even though he was still uncomfortable. Sandro said nothing, keeping his eyes on Theresa’s determinedly averted face. The doctor added a few more of his usual cautions that she not overtax herself before he dismissed them with a hearty goodbye.
“Just let me explain,” Sandro said the moment they were outside the clinic. It was raining and Theresa hurriedly raised the hood of her coat over her head before scurrying for her car. He followed her even though she was still quite obviously ignoring him and keeping her back to him. She fumbled for her car keys in her large bag and he groaned in frustration before dropping his hands onto her narrow shoulders to turn her around. Her face was wet and he sighed deeply as he wiped at the moisture, which could have been tears or rain.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, lowering his head so that she could hear him over the clamour of cars driving by and the freezing rain. “Theresa, that didn’t come out right. It didn’t mean what you thought it did.”
“What does it matter what I think?” She finally asked bitterly.
“It matters,” his large hands cupped her face and his forehead lowered to hers. “It matters very much, Theresa.”
“No,” she shook her head slightly. “It doesn’t.” She put her hands to his broad chest wanting to push him away but the rain had soaked through his white shirt plastering it to his skin and turning it so transparent that he may as well have been naked, so instead of pushing her hands stroked and petted and he moaned hungrily before touching his lips to hers. Theresa didn’t even pretend to fight, she simply melted into him and wrapped her arms around him, digging her fingers into his back as she arched up against him and opened her mouth to his hot, demanding tongue. His hands were wrapped in the wet hair and he tugged her head back to gain better access to her mouth as his tongue hungrily probed at hers, leaving not one inch of her mouth unexplored. The sound of a car horn close by brought them to their senses and they jumped apart guiltily both flushed and breathing rapidly, both shaking uncontrollably. Theresa stared up into Sandro’s dazed eyes and blinked at the vulnerability that she thought she saw there.
“I’m sorry that I hurt you,” he suddenly murmured hoarsely and she stared back at him uncomprehendingly.
“You were just being honest,” she finally whispered and his brows slammed together in a formidable frown.
“
No
! I mean… yes I was but… you misunderstood me,” he sounded completely muddled and Theresa stared up into his harsh face in wonder, not entirely sure what to make of this overly-emotional man in front of her.
“So make me understand,” she finally invited, after a long and uncomfortable pause. He seemed shocked by the invitation and for a moment looked unable to respond.
“I meant that the baby’s sex made no difference to me either way because I would love it regardless of what it was,” he said in a rush and she gaped up at him incredulously for a moment before placing both hands on his chest and pushing him away violently. He was taken by surprise and staggered back, nearly sprawling to the wet tarmac before catching himself and finding his balance.
“
Why
would you say that? Why would you lie like that? I don’t deserve it, Sandro… I haven’t done anything to deserve any of this but you keep finding new and creative ways to hurt me.” She went back to fumbling in her bag and finally found her keys.
“Don’t try to pretend that you care,” she hissed at him. “I know you don’t. Five more months of this and you’ll be free to go back to your
Francesca
and start your real life with a real wife and babies that you will
really
love!” He seemed stunned by her attack but her mention of Francesca brought his eyes sharply up to hers.
“What? Did you think I didn’t know about your precious Francesca? The woman you love, the woman you wanted to marry before my father forced you into this sham? I know you see her every time you go back to Italy, just like I know you’ll be going to her when you go back this week!” She was practically screaming now, frustrated by the way he simply stood there. Like someone who’d been caught in a bomb blast, he looked dazed and shocked.
She was starting to feel strange, light-headed and nauseous. She braced her hands on the roof of her car and tried to steady herself, aware that Sandro was moving toward her. His hands reached for her and she weakly tried to evade his grasp but the movement made her even dizzier and she swayed slightly. Sandro’s arms wrapped around her and she was too faint to really care.