Seven children.
Eight, if you included Nate, his son’s illegitimate child.
‘I’ve had many visitors this past couple of weeks,’ Giovanni said.
‘That’s good.’ Matteo sat down and Abby took a seat to his right and Matteo held her hand.
Matteo really was nervous, Abby realised as he addressed his grandfather. ‘We’ve got some good news for you.’
They didn’t drag it out. Abby handed over the magnificent box and Giovanni let out a small cry of recognition.
‘This is the box...’ Even that thrilled Giovanni.
It was walnut and gleaming and his fingers struggled with the small clasp and Matteo watched as Abby helped him to open it and the necklace was finally revealed to him.
‘Oh...’
Had Abby doubted—and she had doubted whether or not she should give up her mother’s necklace—those last niggles left her then.
Giovanni’s blue eyes filled with tears and his old hands took out the necklace and he gazed upon stones that would never diminish with age.
‘You cannot know what this means to me to hold it again.’
‘We don’t need to know,’ Abby said. ‘An old man must have his secrets after all.’
‘Matteo told you the tale?’
‘He did.’
‘Matteo told me that he couldn’t remember.’
‘I know I did,’ Matteo said. ‘Of course I remember.’
Giovanni looked from the necklace to his grandson, who he had struggled so hard to love.
‘I was wrong,’ Giovanni said. ‘To compare you to your father...’
‘Can we leave it?’ Matteo said, as was his preferred method.
‘We’ve left too many things unsaid,’ Giovanni responded and then he looked down to the necklace as if it gave him strength to speak from the heart.
‘To see the damage my son did was more than I could take. When I took in his children I wanted to put things right but I was lost in my own regret and grief.’
‘I know.’
‘You look like him,’ Giovanni said. ‘You laugh and you act like him and I was scared for you.’
‘I know that you were,’ Matteo said. ‘But you don’t need to be now. I’ve got a new addiction.’
‘Motor racing.’
‘Two actually,’ Matteo said but Giovanni was looking at the necklace and back in his own world again.
‘If I could have a day with it,’ Giovanni said and he looked to Abby. ‘Just some time to remember...’
‘It’s yours,’ Abby interrupted.
‘No.’ Giovanni shook his head. ‘It was your mother’s. Matteo told me he would never take it from you, that you had based your racing team around these stones.’
‘My mother had green eyes,’ Abby said. ‘I remember them. I don’t need this necklace to do that. It’s yours. It’s back where it belongs.’
She looked to Matteo because Giovanni was crying and really was distressed and maybe now wasn’t the time to tell him the rest of the news that they had to share.
‘Abby should have it to give it to her children...’ Giovanni insisted.
‘Maybe she shall,’ Matteo responded. ‘Given that it’s staying in the family.’
Giovanni frowned.
‘We’re not just here to give you the necklace,’ Matteo said.
‘You two...’ Giovanni had been accused one too many times of jumping in and he was struggling not to now. ‘You are engaged.’ His eyes lit up again as Abby held out her hand for Giovanni to admire the ring. ‘When did this happen?’
‘Two weeks ago,’ Matteo said. ‘We’re getting married in, oh, about ten minutes from now.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘You don’t have to,’ Matteo said. ‘Alma has everything ready, the celebrant is here...’
‘Your brothers and sisters...’ Giovanni went to rise, to share the news with family, but Matteo shook his head.
‘We want it to be very small,’ Matteo explained. ‘Abby has been through a lot and we don’t want to make a big fuss. The press will no doubt find out but it will be long over and done with by the time that they do. We’re marrying now, by the lake with you and Alma as our witnesses...’
The drapes had been drawn and now Matteo pulled them back on a delicious setting sun.
Beneath the tree he had once fallen from was an arch of white roses and soon they would stand there and make their vows.
Alma had already changed and had a suit waiting for Giovanni.
Abby’s hair had already been done and she changed into a very simple, coffee-coloured chiffon dress and the same jewelled sandals that had seen her through favourite days.
It was as simple and as beautiful as that.
Abby topped up her lipstick and the least nervous bride walked slowly with Matteo and his grandfather outside and then Giovanni took a seat with Alma.
It was the smallest, most intimate of weddings.
Abby didn’t wear the necklace; today it was their memories they made. Instead Giovanni held one of his Lost Mistresses in his hands as he sat and watched his wayward grandson stand before the woman he loved and offer his vows.
‘I will always take care of you,’ Matteo said. ‘I know that I shall. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you.’
Abby’s words were similar. ‘I will always be there for you as you are for me. You have made love possible for me and I will never forget that. I love you too.’
She looked into his dark eyes and she had never known such pure happiness, acceptance and absolute trust.
He slipped on a ring—a very simple band was all that was needed to set off such a magnificent engagement ring—and then Abby slipped a somewhat heavier band on his finger.
Matteo examined it.
It was a simple platinum band but there was just the tiniest emerald set into the metal.
‘That’s a bit blingy.’ Matteo smiled, because not only hadn’t he seen it, he’d never, not once, envisaged wearing a ring.
Proceedings paused for a moment but no one seemed to mind.
‘Wear the stone facing down, then,’ Abby said and Matteo did so.
It was never coming off!
And now, the celebrant told them, they were husband and wife.
‘We should call the family...’ Giovanni said to Alma as the bride and groom kissed. He wanted dinner, celebrations, but though Matteo loved his grandfather tonight was theirs.
‘We’re going to go,’ Matteo said, holding Abby’s hand. ‘We just wanted to share the special day with you.’
He gave Alma a kiss and thanked her for helping in the arrangements and then he embraced his frail grandfather.
‘What