Page 124 of A Wedding in Tuscany

‘And does he have a middle name?’ asks Sarah, her eyes wide and slick with tears.

I glance at Jean-Luc. This is still undecided. I’m not in love with the name Ronald, even though I adore my dad, and Jean-Luc’s father’s name is Ralph?pronounced ‘Rafe’ like Ralph Fiennes, which I don’t mind, but if we lumber our poor child with R-A-L-P-H, he’ll be forever correcting people about its pronunciation.

Even so, I’ve argued with my husband that it would be a wonderful way to honour his family and perhaps even endear me to them?at least a little. It’s been a less-than-optimal familial journey since our wedding?some family occasions just shy of something out of a soap opera. But I have it on good authority that producing a grandson will win me some much-needed brownie points and I wouldn’t mind capitalising on that. Catherine Parsons Caron, beloved daughter-in-law and mother of Sebastian Ralph Parsons Caron. It’s a bit of a mouthful, I agree?maybe we won’t end up giving him a middle name after all.

‘We have not decided yet,’ says Jean-Luc with a diplomatic smile. He steps away and starts gently pacing the hospital room, cradling his son and cooing at him adoringly. I’ve heard many new parents describe this feeling as their heart bursting with love?but that’s not quite right for me. It’s surreal and beautiful and perfect and terrifying. And he may not have been planned, but Sebastian is everything I never knew I always wanted, as Sarah would say.

My heart isn’t bursting. It’s brimming?with love, joy, and excitement about our future.

‘Ca-at, hell-ooo.’ Oops?I’ve been so wrapped up in motherly joy, I’ve abandoned the conversation.

‘Sorry.’

‘No apologies needed, Mum,’ she says, beaming at me.

Mum?god. Mum. I add it to my growing list of surreal moments?the ‘firsts’ that are coming fast and thick. No doubt, they will continue to come, each little milestone marking its point in my life.

I’m a mother now.

‘So,’ she says, ‘we’ll let you go?go bask in the gloriousness of your new son?but we love you. We love you all and we’ll talk to you soon, okay?’

‘All right. Speak soon.’

‘Well, sort of soon, because we’re flying back from Cape Town tomorrow but I’ll message you when we get home and we’ve unpacked and, you know …’

‘Yes, I know,’ I say with a smile. My sister can’t function after a trip until everything is unpacked, washed, sorted, and put away. ‘Oh! Before we let you go, did you see Lou’s news on Facebook?’

‘Yes! Anders proposed! That’s so lovely.’

‘Yeah, that’s awesome,’ adds Josh.

‘It is,’ I reply. ‘We’re calling them next?and Jae and Alistair after that.’

‘Ooh, maybe another destination wedding,’ Sarah says, waggling her eyebrows.

I laugh. ‘I’m sure Jae would love that. Maybe she should expand her business?officially become a destination wedding planner.’ She smiles, then wipes her bleary eyes. ‘We should let you go,’ I say?it is the middle of the night. Jean-Luc brings our son back into frame and raises a tiny hand to wave at them.

‘Bye Sebastian, we love you,’ she coos at him, even though his eyes are closed.

‘Fly safely,’ I say.

‘We will! Oh!’ she says, startling me. I glance at Sebastian but he’s still fast asleep. ‘The Maldives! I’ve got that at the top of my to-do list. We should book something for your anniversary.’

‘Sez, we just had a baby.’

‘Yeah, and …? He’s a Parsons and a Caron?the kid’s gonna be a traveller, Cat. Might as well start him early.’

‘We haven’t even brought him home from the hospital yet!’

‘Never too soon …’

I roll my eyes at her. ‘We’ll think about it.’

‘Okay,’ she says, frowning slightly.

‘Bye, Cat,’ says Josh. ‘And, Jean-Luc, congrats, man.’

‘Merci,’ says my grinning husband.

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