L'amore: The Luminara Series (32 page)

“I’m going to finish with Rach. She wants to go travelling again, and it’s not working. We’re drifting in different directions. Plus, I know she’s not been faithful to me recently; she just hasn’t got the confidence to dump me. I’d be doing her a favour. It’s the right thing to do. She’s been back in touch with that guy from Paris,” he says with certainty, his fingers raking through his hair and musing his waxed shape.

“Well, good. Finally. Do it soon, Cameron, please. I’m supposed to be meeting her for coffee, and I don’t want to feel awkward.” I turn around in my chair and face him.

He walks over to me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. “So are we good?” he asks. I smile because I’m happy he’s finally doing the right thing, but I want him to sweat a little longer.

“I suppose,” I mumble.

“If I speak to Mum for you, will you drop this Lucy thing?” he asks.

“What Lucy thing?” Anna asks as she walks in for some drinks for the kids.

Oh God, this just keeps getting better. He should be doing the right thing and telling Rachel, Anna, and Lucy where they all stand in his screwed-up love triangle thing he has going on.

I take another gulp of wine. I have no intention of telling Anna about Lucy. That’s up to Cameron. “Will you take Doris out for me? I want to spend some time with Kate and Sarah. I’ve barely spoken with them all night,” I say, hoping he takes the hint.

“Sure. Anna, come outside with me. I want to talk to you.” He cocks his head and reaches for her hand. Anna looks nervous. She might be thinking he’s giving her bad news considering he and I were talking a moment ago. Although, Cameron just stares at her and smiles with a look of adoration, and I see Anna relax and return the smile.

He whistles and Doris gallops through, I still haven’t mastered that whistle. Anna takes his hand and follows him. I give him a sympathetic “thank you” smile, thanking him for doing the right thing.

Hazel and I catch up while we’re on our own and she asks if I feel any better about my phone call with my mum. I then decide to discreetly tell her about Leila being charged with breaking and entering and how serious Lucca has taken it.

She listens, intrigued, tapping her middle finger against her chin, then comforts me the way she always does by being understanding and supportive. It prompts me to tell her that the bed is new and it’s a good job too. Then she cracks jokes about it afterwards which makes me laugh.

“Roo, it has taken you years to let one man in your bed, never mind a threesome, bloody hell that would throw you over the edge. And with a chick? If that ever happened, the earth would freeze over.” I almost choke on my wine from laughing that much, watching her raise her eyebrows. She’s right of course, plus the thought of sharing Lucca would destroy me. Typically, I blush and she gives me a cuddle. Then we join the others.

Sitting on the sofa in the family room, Roberta stands behind me and plays with my hair.

“Mummy, when I’m big I want long hair like Aunty Lexi.”

Kate smiles. “Be gentle, Roberta, don’t tug too hard,” she says when she sees my head being yanked backwards.

“Right kids, bedtime,” Savio announces.

“Noooo!” the three of them shout in unison.

“It is bedtime. If you go to bed now, you can go swimming and watch a movie tomorrow.” Savio lowers his voice sternly. They all cheer and jump up.

“I want to sleep in Uncle Lucca’s bed. He has a big castle bed. Mummy, can I?” Roberta pleads.

“Oh, I don’t know. You need to ask Aunty Lexi,” Kate replies cautiously

“Yes, of course you can, but your Uncle Lucca snores.” I say, smiling.

She giggles.

“I do not. Roberta, that is fine, princess. I hope you are not going to snore,” Lucca adds.

“Nah.” She giggles again.

“I’ll go up and get them settled then check on Antonia. Is it okay if they stay upstairs instead of the guest house tonight? Saves lifting them over,” Sarah asks.

“Yes, you can all sleep here. Makes no difference,” Lucca replies.

After everyone has had a goodnight kiss from the kids, and Kate warns the boys to behave and not to go near the top of the stairs, Armando and Sarah take them upstairs to settle them. Lucca fills everyone’s wine glass and grabs beers for the boys then comes and sits on the sofa, pulling me into his lap.

Bliss.

Anna and Cameron return holding hands. They look happy together.

Savio, being the eldest, has been studying Cameron all night. I imagine he is protecting his younger sister and trying to get to know him. Anna was right to be nervous about what her brothers would think.

Everyone is getting on and enjoying their night with lots of various conversations on the go. Armando and Sarah join us again. He slumps down on the sofa and pulls Sarah onto his lap, kissing the side of her head. Sarah thanks me again for helping tonight with the baby. It’s lovely to see her finally relax.

“So what are your plans for the wedding?” Kate asks.

I shrug, not knowing the answer because we haven’t discussed it much or made solid plans. Lucca strokes my arm.

“Mamma has been on the phone. She would like to know a date as she is twitching to get her teeth into it,” Lucca says. Everyone laughs.

“Good luck with that,” Armando adds, rolling his eyes.

“Well, you know I will love to help co-ordinate,” Anna adds.

“We want it stress and drama free, Anna,” Lucca announces, and Kate nearly chokes on her wine as if recalling some of Anna’s past efforts.

“He has a point, Anna,” she says, finding her voice.

“I will have you know I am quite a good planner and have impeccable taste.” She waves her fingers around in the air making her point.

I can sense Lucca rolling his eyes behind me. I feel his body shift and hear him grumble low in his throat.

“You and Mamma are carnage together, Anna, no offense,” Savio adds diplomatically before drinking his beer.

She pouts her lip and looks at Cameron. “I think you would be a great organiser, honey,” he says. I have never heard him call her this before. Maybe they are getting more deeply involved and I’ve not paid much attention.

“Thank you for having faith in me, Cammy. You lot underestimate me,” she chides then blows Cameron an air kiss. He winks at her with that roguish look of his.

“Heads up, Lexi, she had me on constant speed dial before we got married. I had to put an out of office message on my emails because she was hounding me,” Kate says playfully, nudging Anna in the arm.

Sarah nods. “Yep, me too. And it was especially hard for me as I wanted everything simple and plain.” Armando leans over and kisses her forehead in a sweet gesture, as if appreciating her simplicity.

“Admit it, Sarah, it was an amazing day,” Anna retaliates.

“Okay, but it was stressful leading up to it.” Armando nods his head in agreement.

I want to run away to marry Lucca and circumvent all of this drama and stress that’s been mentioned. Do I need more drama in my life? No, definitely not. Hazel saves the day by talking about plans she and Dominic have discussed for their wedding to take focus away from me. I mouth a silent thank you.

We can hear Antonia stirring from the baby monitor and Sarah sighs. “She might need a bottle to settle her down again.”

Armando kisses her head. “I will go and see to her.” Sarah lazily reaches up and kisses him on the lips to thank him. It gives me an idea.

“Armando, why don’t you move the travel cot into the suite and she can sleep with us tonight? Roberta is there anyway, and it will give you two a night to yourselves.”

Armando looks at Sarah for approval, and she smiles at me with big, bright, excited eyes. “Really? That would be great. I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night. Armando, will you give her a bottle and some teething gel and get her settled in the suite?”

“Sure, honey.”

Lucca leans down and kisses my lips chastely. “One of the many reasons why I love you,” he says in his husky voice.

“Give it a rest, you two,” Anna gripes, and Cameron chuckles. He watches her interact with her brothers and I see a sparkle in his brown eyes; he’s admiring her. Oh! … I realise he might actually be falling for her.

After another hour, we all head to bed. I make sure Doris is locked in the family room and switch off the baby monitor. Then Lucca and I check all the doors are locked. After checking on Antonia and Roberta, we go into the bathroom, shower quickly and quietly, then dress in modest nightwear and quietly slip into bed. I move Roberta over, leaning on my side and snuggling into Lucca.

He kisses my head, nose, cheeks, and lips. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

“Yes, I love you too. Thank you for everything today,” I whisper.

“Thank you for being you and so goddamn special to me,” he whispers back, then I allow my head to rest on his chest and fall off to sleep.

I’m sorry

“Mummy, when I’m a big girl will I have long hair like you?” I ask, sitting cross-legged on the ground of our shed waiting for Mummy to do my hair.

“Yes, I hope so, Alexis.”

“Mummy, why do you squeeze milk out of them? And why do I need to drink it?” I ask.

“It’s good for you, and it will make you big and strong,” she replies as she uses her fingers to comb through my hair.

“Like Cameron and Michael and Simon?”

“Yes, I’m going to squeeze milk for you now. Can you pass me that tin cup, Alexis?”

I can because I’m a big girl. I jump up, leap towards the shelf, and reach for the tin cup. “Mummy, what’s a peetsa?”

“Where did you hear that word?” Mummy sounds mad.

“Michael said if I do what he says, he will give me some peetsa to eat. Does it make me big and strong like my milk?”

“No, sweetheart, it’s not good for you. Please, just ignore him and say no thank you.”

“But, Mummy, he said Cameron gets it on a Sunday for helping to lift wood. I want it too.”

“You don’t need it, and he will be bad to you if you say yes, so please say no.”

Mummy lifts her white nightie up and fills my cup. I wait forever and ever, and I am very thirsty.

Once I’ve finished, I ask Mummy what she is going to drink and she says water. I think that’s boring because it doesn’t taste as nice as my creamy milk. Mummy feels tired, so she cuddles me into her side then falls asleep. I need to pee but Mummy is still sleeping, so I get up and sneak outside.

Cameron is lifting big silver metal things for Simon. I walk around back and pee into our hole in the ground, then use the bucket and pour water in just as Mummy showed me.

“Cameron, I want to play.”

“You can’t just now, Alexis. Go to bed with Mum.”

“Hey, Alexis, I have a game for you. Do you want to try some pizza?” Michael says.

“Mummy says no.”

“Well, your mummy is sleeping and won’t know. I won’t tell her.”

“Don’t!” Cameron shouts at me.

Michael punches Cameron in the tummy, and he yells and falls on the grass.

“Say a word and I’ll use that metal to cut your throat, little boy.”

Michael is mad with Cameron, and I want to hug him because I feel sad. Michael grabs my hand and pulls me into the big house, the one on sticks.

It’s high so I need to take five big-girl steps onto the deck. He drags me around the back of the big house and opens the window. He slides it open, picks me up, and throws me in. I hurt my arms and knees when I fall on the carpet.

We don’t have a carpet in the shed; we have ground.

It smells of something like food. There is a big, square, brown box on the end of bed. My tummy makes a funny noise. Michael opens the box, and there are big triangles in it—red, orange, and yellow.

He picks one up and bites it. He likes it because he licks his lips, and I want to bite it too.

“Mmmm, tastes good. This is pizza. If ya want to taste it, ya need to watch me. It’s a game. You sit on the end of the bed.”

I want to taste pizza.

I walk up and sit on the bed. It’s hard to climb because we have flat beds on the ground, and he has a big, high one.

“Now, take your dress off. Sit on the bed and watch me. Then ya get to eat the pizza, and that rumbling in your tummy will go away. It’s yummy,” he says.

I’m not sure because my mummy will be mad. I want Cameron to help me. He leans over and places the pizza on my lips. It’s cold and bumpy.

“Lick it,” he orders.

My tongue licks it. It’s nice and tastes different. I like it. My tummy is making funny noises.

“Now take your dress off. It’s okay, I promise. All you need to do is watch.”

He never keeps his promises.