Page 43 of My Big Fat Italian Break-Up

I sighed in relief. Notice how she didn’t say you and the kids but also included Julian in the equation. Because they understood he was my family, too, and not just some guy I’d run off to Italy with on a whim, as Marcy claims. But it’s fair to say Marcy adores him for all the wrong reasons, while my aunts love him for making me happy.

‘We miss you too, Zia Maria.’

‘I’ll have Monica email you the flight details,’ she said, blew me kisses and hung up, most certainly to speed up her own chores in preparation for the big day.

If I knew my aunts, they’d have me covered.

*

One of the biggest responsibilities of running a farm is taking care of the animals. Our vet visited on a regular basis and assured us we and our farmhands were doing everything right. But when Margo, Julian’s favorite mare, was nearing the end of her gestation period, she became listless, until one night she was downright moaning in pain. After the vet had been and gone, we didn’t have the heart to leave her all alone in her stall, so Julian and I spent the night with her, rubbing her huge belly. She was sleeping quietly enough, but every once in a while she would huff when the pain got to be too much and her suffering hurt my heart. Julian kept whispering soothing words to her, and I marveled at the fact that animals may not understand every single word you say to them, but they understand your tone and feel every ounce of your love for them. If she could make it through the night, the vet would return at dawn. Only a few more hours to go. If not, we’d have to rouse Marco and some of our neighbors to help.

‘Are you OK?’ I whispered to Julian in the dark so as not to stir Margo.

‘She should be alright,’ he whispered back, his voice raw from fatigue. We’d been there all evening with the kids who’d wanted to stay longer, but we’d drawn the line at their bedtime. It was going to be a long night. A night spent amidst doubts and fears of every nature. At dawn the vet arrived as promised, informing us that she would be okay. Julian and I went inside for our morning shower, trying to wash off the sense of helplessness, but I sensed that he was still very worried. The downfalls of not being able to protect everything you love. As a mother, I would know.

When Dad’s taxi pulled up a few days later, I cried. He hugged me fiercely, his own eyes moist.

‘How are you doing, princess?’ he said coolly, but I could read him like an open book.

‘Great,’ I said and laughed, unable to believe he was standing right before me in the flesh. ‘Just great.’

But he could read me too, apparently.

‘Not so great if you need the cavalry,’ he answered with a wink. ‘How is the old battleaxe? Still mad at me?’

I stopped. Sothatwas it. They’d had a fight and she’d flown direct here, just to teach him a lesson. I nodded up to the stick figure sitting under the pergola eyeing us.

‘What the hell are you doing here? I told you I wanted to be alone!’ Marcy squeaked, making to collect her magazines and her Martini pitcher.

‘Still downing them like there’s no tomorrow, I see,’ he whispered under his breath, and I looked up at him. Poor Dad.

‘Come down, Marcy,’ he urged. ‘I’ve got a surprise just for you.’

‘Surprise? What surprise?’ Her eyes lit up as she jumped to her feet.

Now we were talking. And apparently, so were they. Finally.

Dad took his cue like a professional actor.

‘I’m taking you away, just you and me, to a luxury spa resort on the island of Elba. I missed you, sweetheart…’

To her credit, Marcy wasn’t quite sure. It was only when I started oohing and aahing about how lucky she was that she decided she’d won a battle – and he, brownie points.

Julian came down to give my dad a welcome hug and collect his suitcase, and I followed him inside, hoping whatever it was she’d done this time, she’d forgive him. Because that was the way it worked between them. She made the mistakes and he asked for forgiveness. I wondered if Dad was weak or simply a genius of a nature I’d never be able to understand.

‘TheysoundOK,’ Julian murmured as we climbed the stairs to Marcy’s bedroom.

I heaved a sigh. ‘For now. He’s taking her away for a bit. And when they get back, Marcy will have to be on her best behavior with her sisters. Even she can do it for a short period of time, I hope.’

Julian chuckled. ‘What happens when Marcy finds out they were here all the time she was away?’

‘She won’t, unless you or the kids blab, but I’ve trained them perfectly.’

‘I’m sure you have. But secrets always come to the fore, you know that.’

Did I ever. I shrugged, too happy and relieved to question my luck. ‘I like to live on the edge. Speaking of, let’s get back downstairs. And, oh! Please disregard any of her comments on me whatsoever.’

Julian grinned, wrapping an arm around me. ‘I won’t believe a bad word about you,’ he promised.

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