ARAWN
I can’t help the big smile grow on my face as I step into the elevator to reach Nerthus’ apartment with a fancy package under my arm.
I had barely left her home after the night we had, as I couldn’t help but make a small round into the offices on this Monday morning just to get out to buy flowers, as I saw that everything was rolling out perfectly without me, or could at least.
Laughter fills the air as I open the door to her apartment with my key, and the sight makes me halt in my steps.
“Oh, look. That is the crazy man that filled my apartment with flowers.” Nerthus is giggling as a little girl sitting on the counter throws her hands in the air.
“Fofaaas.” She chuckles cutely, apparently not being able to say flowers yet.
“Yeah, so many flowers.”
My heart is the last part of my body to pick up its function again before my legs do. Walking along a path that Nerthus made through the sea of roses, I reach her to kiss her.
“Hi, crazy man,” Nerthus greets me, wrinkling her nose, and I snicker.
Turning the little girl towards me, she speaks in a baby voice. “And this is Mary. Say hi, Mary.”
Mary is covered in flour and has her hand in her mouth as she laughs.
“Say ‘ciao, zio.’,” Nerthus repeats, making the girl take her hand out of her mouth to wave at me.
My heart squeezes in my chest, as I grab her little foot in a plushy pink sock. “Ciao Mary.”
The little girl squeals, clapping her hands and Nerthus laughs again. “We are baking. And trying to survive a rose attack. Sorry for the mess.”
She leans in as she adds with a whisper, “and thank you for the roses. They are breathtaking.”
“Just like you,” I say as I step around the counter to deposit the package onto the table.
“Oh, is that my package in a package?” Nerthus grins at me as she is working on something in a bowl with a wooden spoon while Mary is clasping at it.
I nod, making her smile even brighter. “I thought I could take you out to lunch, but I see that you are busy.”
“Yeah,” she says as she caresses the toddler’s back. “Today is my babysitter day because Nonna went to the market, right?”
It is actually cute how she talks with the girl, even if she isn’t minding her at all as she is totally consumed with the bowl.
“How about you take me out to dinner?” She puts her hand on the side of her mouth and adds, “Or a SPA?”
Just on cue, the girl gets hold of the bowl and lets it roll over the counter, making it fall onto the floor. My heart stops as something in me gets triggered. I’m still making out what it is as Nerthus laughs and holds her hands up. “Oh, oooh!”
I’m frozen as the little girl tries to mimic her. “Oooh, oooh.”
Taking her into her arms, she presses a kiss onto her head as she turns around to take out another bowl.
“I would ask you if you wanted to lunch cookies with us, but I guess the waiting time just got longer.” Nerthus jokes as she hands the bowl to the girl to hold and sits her back down on the counter.
She looks at me, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you okay?”
“Hmm? Sure!” I jerk up and walk towards the island to pick up the bowl.
“Oh, leave it. There will be so much more to clean up in a few hours.” She is already pouring new flour into the bowl as I put the bowl into the sink.
The doorbell chimes and she clicks her tongue. I lay a hand on the small of her back, kissing her cheek. “I’ll get it. Don’t worry.”
“Thank you, Arawn.” She says before she plays with Mary again.
Opening the door, I find Maria, who spreads her arms as soon as she sees me. “Ah, ciao bell’uomo!” [Hello, beautiful man.]
I chuckle as I lean down to her, making her hold my head with her hands as she kisses my cheek. “Ciao, Maria.”
“I always told Amber to make you come over for dinner. Both of you.” Maria says happily as she steps into the apartment, only to halt brusquely with a gasp.
“Mio Dio. E che e successo qui?” [My God, what happened here?]
Nerthus shakes her head at Maria’s shocked expression. “He is a madman. He covered me in flowers. Again!”
Maria’s expression morphs instantly, and she turns towards me, caressing my arm. “Oh, what a good man! I told you, marry him!”
“Maria…” Nerthus groans and scrunches her nose towards Mary who is mimicking her again.
“Why are you back so soon?” Nerthus asks, making Maria clap her hands.
“My son had to go back to work, and we couldn’t go to a few shops I wanted to go to.”
Sighing, Nerthus watches Mary as she hits the bowl with her wooden spoon. “At least he has work.”
“Yeah,” Maria agrees, nodding.
“Where do you need to go?” I ask, taking a step back into the apartment. “Maybe I can give you a lift. My driver would have to drive you back because I have to go back to work as well, but if you don’t mind.”
Holding her hands in the air, she hollers. “Sia lodato il cielo.” [Heaven be praised.]
“He is praised too much already,” Nerthus responds with a grin, making me chuckle as Maria moves her hand towards her dismissively.
“Come on,” I say, gesturing at her and she walks towards me happily.
I’m about to turn around to follow her out of the door as I catch Nerthus pouting at me.
“No kiss?” She asks, surprising me and I walk back to kiss her with a smirk.
Caressing the little girl’s cheek, my heart blooms as she beams at me. “Dinner, then.”
“Can’t wait.” Nerthus closes her eyes, and I press another kiss on her lips before turning around.
I’m about to close the door as Maria turns around, holding onto the door frame. “Amber, amore, non dimenticarti che Anna ritornera prima di me. E verra a prendersi la chiave qui.” [Amber, dear, don’t forget that Anna will be back before me and will come to get the key here.]
“Don’t worry, Maria. I will make her a coffee, and she can wait here for you. No need to sulk all alone in your apartment.” Nerthus responds nonchalantly and Maria turns around clapping her hands again.
“Che amore.” [Such a lovely girl.]
“Have fun,” Nerthus shouts after us, waving the little girl’s arm as I close the door.
I’m still grinning to myself as we get into my car and Maria is already talking my ear off. She is chatting happily, doing small talk, and dropping a compliment now and then. I’m not really into having small talk, but I just take a deep breath and charm myself through it as I do with business partners.
We are already minutes into driving as she is gushing over my car and the heated seats. Thinking that she is living in the same building as Nerthus, I would doubt that she isn’t used to things like that. But this is just how Italians are. I’m laughing and am about to thank her as she is blabbering along in Italian as it dawns on me, and I freeze.
Being bilingual, I’m already used to people just talking out of their gut without me realizing what language they actually spoke, as my brain registers both easily.
So, it took me a bit.
Maria did talk to Nerthus in Italian.
And she answered her.
My chest squeezes as I interrupt Maria talking about some kind of crafting course. “Does Amber speak Italian?”
“Uuuh,” She answers, throwing her hands in the air. “She doesn’t because she says that she can’t. But she understands it so well.”
I gulp as I clutch the steering wheel. “Really?!”
“Yeah, she keeps telling me how she can’t speak it and doesn’t know it. But I always tell her. She just has to believe in herself.”
She laughs while my heart sinks into my stomach.
You have to be fucking kidding me!
A grin creeps onto my lips automatically as I realize that she understood what I said to her on the pier.
And that she has kept that from me without me being able to see through her bluff.
Oh, I will certainly enjoy exposing her.
And even more punishing her for it.