Page 41 of La Dolce Vita

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"Huh?" she came out of her thoughts.

He glanced at their children and then her. The man was so perceptive that even her deepest feelings were hard to conceal from him when she was in his arms.

"You win. I want another baby," she said.

“I win?”

“Are you going to deny you want me pregnant again?”

“No, but I didn’t ask,” he said.

“You don’t have to.”

He looked surprised. He returned his gaze to his children. He didn't speak. She expected him to leap for joy. How many times had he asked her if she thought maybe the doctors were wrong? How many times did he tell her that they could see a specialist and try to conceive in the future? Well, the future was now.

"Do you want a baby with me?" she teased him and tried to tickle his side.

"I want what you want, Bella," he said softly. "Always."

"Whatever I want? What does that mean?" Mirabella adjusted her tone. He didn't answer. She tried another way. "I love them so much, Giovanni. Sometimes I'm amazed that we have them, our life. I guess I was thinking about how blessed we are," she said. "And another baby would be so sweet. Maybe a girl. So Eve would have a sister to bond with. The twins have each other. What do you think?"

He smiled at her. But a smile wasn't acceptance or agreement. A smile was just a smile. She rubbed the stubble on his jaw. "You need to shave, sweetheart."

"You can shave me tonight, if I can shave you," he whispered. "It's very bushy below I can barely find your puss--." Mirabella covered his mouth with her hand. She laughed, and he tickled her. She laughed some more. She sat up on his lap and hugged him. That morning they lay in bed talking. It was a real and honest talk about how they felt. She felt cleansed. It became the feeling she strived to hold on to for the rest of the day. It healed her.

" Buona sera!"A woman's voice cheered.

Mirabella's head turned. Marietta strutted in with hands clutching shopping bags. She wore a flowing all-white strapless dress over her white swimsuit. The dress rippled like silk but looked too thin to be made of the fabric. It had splits along the sides. Lorenzo was a step behind her in dark navy blue slacks and a long white linen shirt untucked from his pants. He wore dark sunglasses and a deep tan. They had definitely been sailing. Her sister looked two shades darker. She too wore dark sunglasses and her hair tied up in a colorful scarf that made the curls flounce out of the top of the wrap like a fountain.

"Mee-Mee!" Eve exclaimed. Her daughter ran for Marietta and Gianni did the same. Lorenzo scooped Gianni up as Marietta knelt and put a bag before Eve and Gino. Mirabella's daughter was the first to start pulling out the gifts while Marietta gave her kisses. Eve found a hand carved puppet for her. One of many that she owned.

Mirabella tried to ease off Giovanni's lap, but he didn't release her. She looked into his eyes.

"We should hold off on the baby talk, for now, Bella. It's not the time to put this on your body. You are still healing," he told her.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

He nodded.

She covered her hurt with a smile. "Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you say. It was just a thought. Don't you have a meeting? Now that Lorenzo is here?" she asked.

"It won’t run long. Let’s go for a drive, you and me. Maybe stop at our villa," he said.

"I’d like that," she said with a smile.

“Wear something tight for me. Those jeans and the half shirt?” Giovanni asked.

“My halter top?”

“Yes, halter top. Wear it.”

She kissed his lips. “And nothing underneath.”

"Grazie. Tomorrow, maybe the next day, we will leave for Chianti. Invite your sister to join us."

"The kids?" she asked.

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