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“Flowers for Miss Chiara,” she declared, beaming. “Compliments of Miss Maya Lakshmi.”
Vittoria’s eyes lit up. “How lovely. What a thoughtful girl.”
Marco frowned. “I wonder how she knew?”
“Of course she knew. It was hardly a secret that Chiara’s been unwell,” his mother retorted. “It’s just like Maya to try and cheer us up.”
Marco declared he needed to get off to work. I followed him out into the hallway.
“Go easy on yourself today,” I reminded him quietly. “We’ll all be waiting for you when you get home from work.”
He smiled, kissed me on my forehead tenderly.
“Do something nice for yourself today,” he made me promise in return. “You’ve been so anxious about all this. You deserve a break, and quite frankly, getting out of the house when my mother is in a mood like this will be good for both of you.”
I promised him I would. Vittoria could spend the day fussing over Chiara without feeling she had an intruder in her home.
After he left, I popped my head back into the breakfast parlour and told Vittoria I would be heading out.
To my surprise, she asked, “Where?”
My heart quaked. She had never before asked me where I was going. For a moment, I thought she might know about my prenatal scan. But I told myself I was being paranoid.
“Oh. Erm, to see my mom first, and then I might head out to, er, the shops. I think my hair might need a cut too.”
I winced after I said it. It made me sound fickle when her daughter was unwell in bed.
“And I’ll pick up a few things to cheer Chiara up,” I added.
“No need,” said Vittoria. “She has everything she needs.”
“But—”
Vittoria cut me off by rising abruptly from her chair. “I said no. Enjoy your day out. Shall I expect you back for dinner?”
“Er, yes, I think Marco would want me back.”
I thought she might say I shouldn’t bother, but she gave me a curt nod, dismissing me from her presence.
Despite Vittoria’s warning, I popped my head into Chiara’s bedroom when I got upstairs.
“Just wanted to check how you’re doing?” I whispered, wary Vittoria might over hear from downstairs.
Chiara was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her headphones had been stuck in her ears, but she’d taken one out to listen to what I’d said.
She shrugged lethargically. “Okay, I guess.”
“I’m going into town,” I said. “I would take you with me if you liked, but your mom—”
“Yeah, don’t bother. She won’t let me.” Chiara sounded glum but resigned to her fate.
“We could always insist, if you think it would do you good?”
Chiara shook her head.
“You want me to get you anything?”
Again, a sullen shrug.
