A Leap in Time (18 page)

“Maybe a women’s clothing shop with tunics and undergarments already made with the need for minimal custom tailoring or maybe a school for girls, or maybe—”

Marcus’s deep belly laugh jerked me back to reality. I couldn’t help but laugh at the ideas sprouting in my head.

“I’ll do whatever you need to help out. You won’t be idle. Besides, who knows what’s in store? Maybe starting a family soon isn’t out of the question…” He searched my face for a reaction.

“Oh, well, yeah. I mean, I didn’t expect we would have a family this soon, but I’m not closed to the idea. My preference would be to enjoy just us for a little while.” I stroked his handsome face. I didn’t say that giving birth in his world petrified me beyond words. Epidurals didn’t exist back then and I’m not so sure I wanted anything to do with a birth that wasn’t assisted by lots of painkillers and a qualified board certified doctor.

The girls arrived at six-thirty sharp. After the screams of joy, tears and hugs, we settled on the couch for wine, dinner and much-needed catching up. Kate had learned that my building was put on the market because the elderly owners wanted to retire and move to Palm Springs. I’d known the day was coming, I just didn’t think it’d be now.

While Charlotte and Kate were trying to figure out how to get in touch with me, Charlotte’s dad, the ever-savvy businessman that he is, came to the rescue by making an offer on the building. Thank heavens for wealthy parents. He offered the tenants the opportunity to buy their own apartments or continue to pay rent. Everyone except me had agreed to remain as tenants as they weren’t ready for the financial commitment. Kate was prepared to move in as a tenant unless I was interested in buying.

My head was spinning. Naturally, I wanted to buy the apartment, but didn’t have enough money for a down payment, nor did I have the slightest idea how to keep up with mortgage payments when I was about to resign my position and move to another world. Once I went to Rome, it would be impossible to transfer finances across worlds. The most logical option was to buy my apartment outright. My head ached with endless possibilities.

We filled the girls in on the news then discussed our plans to wed in Los Angeles. The vibe in the living room was electric with laughter, teasing and brainstorming about our upcoming nuptials.

“Do your parents know about Marcus? Are they going to freak out?” asked Kate.

“They know I’ve been seeing someone, but they’ve never met him. I promised I’d bring him this weekend.” I hoped they wouldn’t freak out at the mention of a wedding. It was sudden, but not that sudden—it’d been a little over seven months, which wasn’t that quick.

The language barrier would be tough for them. Ugh! How would I explain that he spoke Latin and not Italian? Maybe they didn’t need to know.

Charlotte offered to officiate the wedding, and Kate offered to handle everything else from catering to invitations. Truthfully, the only people I cared to include aside from my parents were my two best friends and Mrs. Ashton sitting in front of me, but I agreed to give the guest list some thought.

By the time we were done talking, we had polished off the wine and every last bite of food. Marcus had made himself scarce to give us alone time. He was the most selfless man I’d ever met.

After the girls left, I cleaned up and went to bed. Marcus lay there propped on his elbow looking through my college photo album. He closed it, extended his hand for me to come snuggle next to him. I filled him in on what we’d talked about. In my heart, I knew giving up the apartment wasn’t the best option, but at least with Kate moving in, I wasn’t giving it up altogether. It was on loan, sort of.

“You should buy the apartment,” he said without hesitation.

“I don’t know how I can manage that financially.”

“We’ll find a way. I promise.” He leaned down and kissed me.

He broke our kiss to say we should go see my parents tomorrow instead of Saturday. With the language being a barrier, he felt the more time together, the better for them to feel more comfortable with him. I almost burst into tears at his thoughtfulness.

Chapter Twenty

My dad’s garden was still blooming despite the cool weather. The inevitable frost would soon stifle the beautiful flowers ‘till spring. My parents stood in the driveway in anticipation of our arrival. At the sight of them, I squealed. I’d missed them dearly. The upside of moving to Rome is that I’ll have a set schedule of when we come back. Life can be so strange sometimes. It will take moving back in time, quite literally, to be able to spend quality time with my parents who currently live an hour from me.
Strange world!

I lunged first into Mom’s open arms and then Dad’s. Then I returned to stand beside Marcus. “Mom and Dad, this is Marcus Cassius. Marcus, may I introduce you to my parents: William and Emily Carter.” I said the second part in Latin, praying they didn’t drop to the ground from shock that I brought home someone who didn’t even communicate in the same language.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. Mrs. Carter—thank you for having me in your home,” I translated while Marcus shook my Dad’s hand and then did the same with my mom’s. I couldn’t read my parents’ reaction, but they seemed to like his well-mannered demeanor. How much they’d like him once they found out we were already married, didn’t speak a word of English and was taking me back to Rome was a different story.

My dad put a hand on his shoulder and led him up the driveway. So far, so good.

Inside, Mom went into the sunroom, her favorite room in the whole house because the semi-circular windows extending from the ceiling to halfway down the wall, had the best view of the sunset, that cast the room with a warm glow in its wake. I couldn’t help but make the connection of the similarity in design and functionality between this room and the atriums that occupied most homes in ancient Italy. Amazing that even with worlds between us, we were still bonded by some architectural similarities.

Marcus and my dad made themselves comfortable on one of the sofas. I stayed with them to translate. Had it not been for that, I would have gladly followed my mom into the kitchen where I was certain she was making coffee and arranging freshly baked pastries onto a platter. She was a whiz in the kitchen; her cooking was an art form that has never disappointed.

Remembering all the amazing things that made her who she was, brought a pang of unexpected sadness at the thought of living centuries apart. I found myself muttering a prayer for my parents’ continued good health and safety. I would ask Charlotte and Kate to keep an eye on them for me.

My dad was naturally curious about Marcus’s background. And so began my tall tale of a work-related trip about seven months ago where Marcus and I met. I tried to sound calm and nonchalant as I talked about our growing romance.

“So, has Marcus been living with you?”

That’s right Dad, cut to the heart of the matter. I exhaled slowly to achieve a composed pretense when I was feeling anything but.

“Well, sort of. He went back and forth to Italy a couple of times, but for the most part, he stays with me. Once we fell in love...” I shrugged.

At this point my mom joined us in the sunroom. I felt so bad for Marcus. I had no doubt that if language wasn’t a barrier, he would have put my parents’ concerns at ease. Instead, he had to wait for me to translate, adding a layer of complexity to the situation.

“He seems nice, and he’s certainly good looking.” Mom settled comfortably next to me on the couch. I told Marcus what she’d said. He blushed, making us all laugh. Thank goodness for my mom taking the edge off.

“Lexi, please tell your parents that I understand all their concerns. If I had a daughter, I would be concerned too. Please tell them how much I love you and how well suited we are for one another.”

Marcus excused himself to go to the bathroom while I took the opportunity to follow my mom into the kitchen for a much-needed catch-up. I knew she was chomping at the bit to ask questions and I was eager to put her mind at ease. I also needed to figure out a way of gently breaking the news about my marital status.
God help me!

Mom folded linen napkins in perfect triangles to accompany each porcelain plate that she had set out on the kitchen table earlier. The easy relationship with her was one aspect I cherished most. She was the rock of our little family of three.

“He’s amazing, Mom. I’ve never been so happy.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Your dad and I were so worried when you were dating that Mark. Even afterwards, you didn’t seem yourself.” She set out forks, knives and coffee cups on the counter for me to place on the round kitchen table. “Our biggest fear was that you would get back together with him.”

“Hmmm. Yeah, that was a tough time, but I never considered that.” Time to drop the bomb. “We’re in love and want to be married.”

“I see.” She paused to examine my face. “Let’s join them, shall we?” She didn’t probe further.

This couldn’t be good. What was going through her mind?

Breathe, Lexi.
It’ll be fine.

Dad and Marcus were sitting quietly on the couch, no doubt, anxious for me to return.

“Marcus helps run the family import/export business. It’s a fascinating job. He’s hoping that someday when his dad retires he’ll hand over the responsibilities to him. The business has been in the family for generations. It has the reputation for being the most trusted importing and exporting company around.”

We moved to the sunlit kitchen to sip coffee and eat pastries. Marcus told what he did with the company, how he’d moved up through the ranks.

“Does your dad still work in the business?” my dad asked.

“He’s semi-retired. Most of the responsibility is mine. He’s shifted focus—is working more closely in politics. It’s always been a passion of his … to do things that benefit the people.” Marcus cleared his throat, accepting the coffee cup Mom handed him.

“And your mother, what does she do?” Mom asked.

“She spends time with her grandchildren when she can, and helps my oldest brother in his tailoring shop.”

“That sounds lovely. How many siblings do you have?” my mom was relentless.

“Two brothers. Gus is the one who owns a tailoring shop. He is married to Augustina, and they have two beautiful children named Athena and Claudius. Then there’s my brother Antonio. He’s a teacher…still single. I’m the youngest. We have no sisters.”

“Marcus is being very modest,” I said. “Gus’s shop is one of the most prestigious around. His business goes from Rome all the way to the coastal cities, including several elite hotels. Antonio is a very sought-after dedicated teacher who spends a good portion of his holidays with underprivileged children. When time permits he also works in the family business.”

My parents were impressed, and slowly, very slowly, I felt the heavy cloud of discomfort dissolving.

“So, you and Marcus met while on a work trip in Rome?” Mom helped herself to a pastry.

“Uh…yes, I met Marcus at a party I was invited to. We got along well from the beginning. We had such a great time talking that I almost missed my flight home. And the rest is history.” I prayed that was the end to the probing, but of course that was wishful thinking on my part.

“How did you manage to carry on a relationship living so far apart?”

“Well, with Marcus managing the family business, he wasn’t always able to leave so we Skyped a lot and visited, of course,” I hoped they didn’t see the holes in my story because I didn’t know what else to say about it.

“You can understand our concern,” my mom said.

“I do understand your worry, Mrs. Carter. I can’t imagine this being easy to accept. Just know that I love your daughter very much and I would be happy and honored to prove that to you and Mr. Carter.”

“I don’t doubt that you’re an outstanding young man, Marcus. Our only request is that you don’t rush into anything. Take your time getting to know each other,” my dad said.

The rest of the day was uneventful and low key. We hung out in the backyard, had a leisurely lunch in the garden and bantered as best we could.

While dinner of roast beef, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables cooked, Mom suggested we take a walk and enjoy the fresh air. My parents’ home in Riverside was perched on a hill giving them a view of the entire city. The scenery was spectacular on clear days, but even more so at night with the city lights twinkling like fireflies.

Marcus seemed really taken with the view and enjoyed hearing about the history from my dad. Both my parents were retired, but had once been active members of our community, taking pride in the growth and expansion that our city continued to go through while maintaining its close-knit suburban culture. I don’t think I truly appreciated living here as a teenager and only now can I treasure the rare natural beauty that surrounded me.

After dinner, Mom and I decided on a cup of tea while the men were busy doing God knows what. I had to break the news to her about my marital status, immediately before my world unraveled to shreds.

I took too big a gulp of tea and burned the roof of my mouth.

“Mom…I need to tell you something. During our trip to Rome, on a romantic, spontaneous whim, we got married.” I bit my lower lip. “But we want to be married again…here, so you and Dad and the girls can be part of it.”

She looked at me for what seemed like ages. “Well, I can’t say I’m not disappointed, and I can’t pretend that I wished Marcus asked for your hand from your dad like a gentleman should, but you have my blessing. We’ll be happy to host a wedding for you here.” She leaned over and kissed my cheek.

It felt like hours before Dad emerged from his study looking relaxed, followed by a freshly showered Marcus.

“Marcus and Lexi got married in Italy a couple of weeks back.” She waited a moment to let him digest the information, and then added, “I told Lexi she has our blessing even though we’re disappointed that we weren’t a part of it.”

My dad didn’t have a prayer in going up against her, ever. He simply nodded, sipping tea in silence.

“We will throw them a beautiful wedding here at the Mission Inn.”