Setting foot on solid ground again was heaven for Rose. The heat of the sun was strong, but Rose felt somewhat happy as she searched the crowd for someone who resembled Maria. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since they had last met, and seeing the children would be surreal. They were Fabri’s children, yet he wasn’t here to see them grow.
Jack carried the two suitcases that he and Rose had brought. He felt the heat and also noticed the smile on Rose’s face, which made him relax after how ill she had been aboard the ship.
It had been years since Jack had been to Italy. It seemed as though he had dreamed the entire journey he had made in 1910 when he had met Fabrizio in Florence.
Scanning the crowd for Maria, Rose turned to Jack to see him following her closely into the swarm of people who had come to meet the ship. The docks were filled with people, not half as many as there had been the day the Titanic had set sail, but still enough to find oneself lost. Men and women rushed about, meeting their relatives and friends, shouting to them and hugging them.
Jack wove through them all, still attempting to find Maria’s face. A loud horn sounded. Rose turned her head to see which direction it had come from, gasping loudly when she saw Maria sitting in a black Crossley motorcar with a huge smile on her face.
She hurried in the direction of the car. Maria stepped out, a huge smile on her face. She almost collided with Rose as they fell into each other’s arms.
“Oh, my dear Rose,” she spoke, her French accent still as thick as ever.
Maria wore a knee-length beige dress with her dark hair swept back, still the picture of glamour even after having the twins. She had a few lines on her face here and there, but she was still very much the same.
Jack set the suitcases on the ground before hugging Maria. She kissed his cheek and held Rose’s hands for dear life.
“Maria…” Rose didn’t know what to say. She felt like bursting into tears, the memories of the war and Fabrizio’s death still fresh in her mind. She had absolutely no idea how Maria had coped these past few years without a husband.
“You are both looking lovely!” Maria gushed. “It’s been so long…” Maria was almost speechless at seeing them both again. They had so much history together as friends that it almost felt as though they hadn’t spent so much time apart.
“Too long.” Jack smiled. A little sadness showed on his face. It was silent momentarily between the three of them.
“Since when do you drive?” Rose asked, indicating the car. It appeared a little on the rough side, but Maria laughed proudly.
She let go of Rose’s hand and perched in the driver’s seat. “Since last year. I need it with the children. Hop in. I will drive you back to my house.”
Jack put the two suitcases into the back of the car and helped Rose into the backseat before settling himself in the front. On the way to the house, they teased Maria about her driving skills, but she proved them both wrong and they arrived at the small villa safely.
Apartment Glicine was on a side road of the town center in an old building that was furbished with tasteful, architectural precision. It occupied the ground floor, with a small patio garden and a small driveway for the vehicle.
With good thermal baths and springs, the town where Apartment Glicine was situated, Gambassi Terme, was a very attractive, bustling town, with shops and restaurants. It was situated in a triangle between Pisa, Florence, and Siena and only twenty kilometers from San Gimignano. The historical center was fascinating, since its history went back to the Etruscan period of the seventh century BC. There were communal gardens in the town, displaying a remarkable variety of trees and it was just a short walk from the apartment.
The house was almost like something a person would occupy when taking a vacation. It was small and homely and Rose couldn’t help but feel as though she was at home.
“I still cannot believe you’re here.” Maria beamed as she hugged Rose yet again. She was so happy that they were there. It made her feel less lonely. Of course, she had the children, but she rarely had adult company.
The atmosphere at the table was amazing. The children sat next to their mother, a little shy of the people they hadn’t seen since they were very young. Jacob and Amelie were now eight and each grew more like their father every day.
“Well, we’re glad to be here. I missed you all.”
Rose smiled. She felt Jack grab her hand beneath the table and brush his thumb over it gently. She turned her head to him and he smiled sadly, almost as if his thoughts mirrored hers. Fabrizio should be there with them, but neither of them had the heart to mention his name, knowing Maria still hadn’t recovered from losing her husband in the war.
Sipping her wine, Maria viewed the scene before her and smiled. Her heart soared. “It’s good that you’re here.” Standing, she wiped her hands on her dress and walked into the kitchen. She returned moments later. Her face was red and she seemed breathless. “Come on, you two. Time for bed,” she told her children.
“But Mom…” Jacob started. He had had such a good evening. It was only nine o’clock. He didn’t want to go to bed.
“Jacob, it’s past your bedtime already. You have school tomorrow. Now, go wash your faces, and I will be up in a minute to tuck you in.”
Sighing in defeat, Jacob stood. Amelia followed. Both of them kissed their mother good night before heading to their rooms. They were opposite in their personalities. Jacob was more confident, a mischievous child. He was like Maria before she became a mother. He would always be in trouble at school for harmless things, like throwing paper or talking while the teacher did. Amelie was so much like her father, so quiet and caring. She spoke more with an Italian accent than French, like Jacob did, but he was more like his mother.
“Thank you for dinner,” Jack spoke. He sensed something different about Maria, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
She smiled, nodding, and opened her mouth to speak, but it was almost as though her words wouldn’t come out.
“It was lovely,” Rose added.
“It’s perfectly all right. I am just so glad the two of you are here.”
Maria started for the bedroom where Jacob slept, but she turned and looked at Jack and Rose. She closed her eyes for a moment, remembering them both when she first met them. Jack had been eighteen and Rose had been just sixteen. She remembered how much she had tried to keep them apart, how much she had wanted Jack for herself.
Opening her eyes, she saw them as they were now, twelve years after they had all first met. “Having you two here really does make me happy. I haven’t felt this happy since before my Fabri died.”
With that, she entered her son’s room, closing the door.