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Hell, now he was rambling. In his mind. Which he supposed was slightly better than doing it out loud.
What had happened to the calm, collected businessman he’d been a year ago? Oh, yes, his entire life had unravelled, that was what.
And it had all started the day he’d come home to find Maria packing sleepsuits and her favourite pyjamas into the suitcases he’d bought for their honeymoon years earlier.
‘Sebastian?’ Maria placed Frankie on his feet on the floor as Seb shut the door behind them. Across the large, open living space of the chalet stood his sister and surprise brother, along with their new partners. More new people in his life to replace all those he’d lost.
But he wasn’t ready to share Maria and Frankie with them just yet.
Maria began stripping off Frankie’s bulky snowsuit. But her questioning eyes stayed on Seb, and he felt the weight in them.
‘You cut your hair,’ he said, with an apologetic half-smile. ‘It suits you.’
‘My life now suits me,’ she said simply. The life in which she avoided him at all costs, managing to be elsewhere even when he arrived to collect Frankie from her parents’ house. That life.
He was so glad it suited one of them, at least.
Then, as Frankie—free from his confining winter wear at last—wriggled free of his mother’s grasp and took a couple of steps forward to investigate the antique nativity crib scene set up on a console table, Maria straightened and looked him in the eye.
‘I want to be clear about one thing,’ she said. ‘Before we join the others or unpack or settle in or anything.’
Sebastian ignored the growing feeling of dread in his stomach as she spoke. ‘Go on.’
‘This is a visit. Nothing more. Once Christmas is over, Frankie and I will be heading home again, back to my parents’ estate.’ The emphasis she’d placed on home cut deep. This had been one of her homes once.
He had been her home.
‘We’re not staying, Sebastian,’ she went on. ‘I want that understood from the start.’
Seb forced a smile. ‘Of course.’ Maria’s expression relaxed, and he knew he should leave it there, that to push it further would only ruin the fragile peace they seemed to have achieved.
But he couldn’t help himself. He always had to try a little harder, a little longer. That was who he was. Who his father had raised him to be.
Oh, Papà, I wish you were here now to tell me what to do.
‘But if you change your mind,’ Seb said, ignoring the look on Maria’s face, ‘I wasn’t just being polite when I said you always have a home here.’
‘Seb...’ Maria groaned.
‘I know Noemi would love to have you around more. She misses you.’ They’d always been close, his sister and his wife. He’d taken it as a sign that Maria was a rightful part of his family, as much as any of them.
But now Maria had gone and they had Leo in her place, which, as much as he’d reached a sort of truce with his unexpected brother, wasn’t at all the same thing.
And apparently he’d said something wrong again, as Maria had frozen and was staring pointedly at where Frankie was about to denude the stable of sheep.
‘I miss Noemi, too,’ she said stiffly. ‘We should go and say hello.’
Then, without looking back, she crossed the room with swift steps and removed Frankie from the antique ornaments, and carried him over to where their family was waiting instead.
At least she missed one of them, Seb supposed. It was too much to hope that she might have missed him, too, when she’d made it so clear she didn’t. If she had, she’d have wanted to see him on one of his few visits. The same way he’d spent them hoping to get just a glimpse of her.
Noemi rushed forward to greet them, a huge smile on her lips, and embraced Maria immediately. Sebastian trailed behind, watching as his wife greeted his sister with considerably more enthusiasm than she had greeted him.
Then Noemi knelt down in front of Frankie. As he moved to their side, Seb could see that his son’s eyes were wide as he glanced around the large room and all of the people that he didn’t know. Including his own father, it seemed.
‘Hey, Frankie,’ Noemi said, trying to gain his attention. When he looked at her, she said, ‘Can I have a hug?’
Frankie glanced up at Maria, apparently for permission.
‘It’s okay,’ Maria said.
That was all it took for Frankie to release his mother’s hand and let Noemi draw his little body to her. ‘I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve missed you tons.’
Seb’s heart felt heavy in his chest. Maybe Frankie didn’t truly remember his aunt Noemi either, but he’d still allowed her to hug him.
He’d been almost afraid of him. How could he have let that happen? He’d hoped his visits and video calls would have kept his memory fresh in Frankie’s little mind, but apparently they hadn’t been enough.
And Seb knew that those few stolen days hadn’t been anywhere near enough for him. He’d missed so much already. How could he let Maria go again, knowing how much more he would miss? Just like his own parents had missed Leo’s childhood when they’d sent him away for adoption.
Frankie pulled back and returned to his mother’s side, and Noemi stood again, turning her attention back to Maria.
Unable to watch any longer, Seb moved away to join Leo and the others. Hopefully Noemi would get to the point of whatever it was she’d called them all there to talk about soon, and then he could pour himself a large drink and feel depressed about his life choices again. That was always a good time.
‘Noemi,’ Sebastian said, ‘why did you call us all here? We weren’t supposed to meet for another week. Is it the attorney? Does he have news for us?’
Noemi shook her head. ‘This isn’t about the will.’
‘Then what is it about?’ Sebastian’s gaze moved to the man who had his arm around his sister, and then back to Noemi. ‘You know I don’t like guessing games.’
A sharp elbow in his ribs told him that Maria had come to stand beside him. Oh, good. She’d retained one wifely habit at least.
‘Maybe we shouldn’t be here,’ Leo said, presumably meaning him and Anissa.
‘Of course you should,’ Noemi said. ‘You are my brother as much as Sebastian is. Our separation as kids was a horrible mistake, but I hope that in the future there will be no distance. Because I’m going to need all of you.’
Oh, God. What now? How much more disaster could this family take?
But then Noemi smiled. ‘It’s nothing bad. I promise. I... I’m pregnant. You’re going to be uncles.’ And then glancing at the women, she added, ‘And aunts.’
For a moment there was silence as everyone took in the news.
His little sister. A mother.
‘And we’re having twins,’ Noemi added. As if one baby wasn’t enough of a shock.
But she was still his sister. Stepping forward, Seb stared her in the eye and tried to think what their father would have said. Salvo Cattaneo had always known what to say.
‘Are you happy?’ Because, in the end, that was what mattered, wasn’t it?
Noemi smiled at him. ‘I’ve never been happier.’
He studied her face for a moment to make sure she was telling him the truth. And then he put his hands on her shoulders, like he remembered their father doing. ‘Then I am happy for you, too. Congratulations.’
He pulled her into his arms and gave her a tight hug—something he wasn’t sure he’d done since they’d learned of their parents’ deaths. His relationship with Noemi hadn’t always been without tension or frustration but he did love her, even if he didn’t always understand her, or what she wanted from him.
When Sebastian released her and backed away, Leo stepped up to her, and Seb watched to see how the new brother would deal with the news. ‘You do know that I have no id
ea about children or how to be a cool uncle, right?’
She smiled and nodded. ‘I think you’ll figure it out. In fact, I’ll insist.’
She reached out and hugged him, too, which seemed to take Leo by surprise.
When they pulled apart, Noemi moved to Max’s side. She placed her hand in his, lacing her fingers with his. ‘Do you want to tell the rest?’
‘You’re doing fine,’ Max replied, sounding laid-back about the whole twin situation. Really, at this point, what more news could there be?
‘First, I should probably introduce Max by his proper name,’ Noemi said. Sebastian frowned. ‘I’d like you to meet Crown Prince Maximilian Steiner-Wolf. He is the heir to the throne of the European principality of Ostania.’
