One Winter Weekend

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

O utside the restaurant, Paddy was famished. “This is all mad stuff, isn’t it?” he said glumly as they walked down the cobblestone street. “I’m starving.”

“I don’t understand why Ben’s parents can’t just eat normal things,” Helen added. “Who in their right mind would eat a cow’s cheek when you could have steak or roast?”

“The same people who order for the whole table without asking, I’d say,” Paddy joked and the two of them laughed together.

They stopped at a nearby cafe and picked up a couple of cold-cut sandwiches. Without even a passing familiarity with Italian, ordering was difficult, but they were able to point at the meats that they wanted, and it did the trick.

Helen guided Paddy back towards the park she had seen on their way over in the taxi, and Paddy picked up two chocolate gelatos from a shop just outside the entrance.

She felt her heart melt along with the gelato as she walked along on Paddy’s arm. It was almost like she was a teenager again, meeting him on a first date.

The park – which turned out to be the famed Pincian Hill, or Pincio – could not have been better for a romantic stroll. A beautiful lake surrounded by trees strung with fairy lights, sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight.

Latin columns, street lamps and statues lined the winding paths, where children giggled and played while their doting parents dashed off after them, ensuring they were never completely out of sight.

Helen sighed, taking it all in. It was perfect – exactly the kind of authentic Italian experience Molly was always taking about.

But it didn’t last.

Shortly before they were supposed to rejoin the rest of the wedding party, Paddy got yet another phone call from Dublin.

“Paddy,” she pleaded, “can’t you just ignore it? Felicity and the others can handle it. Isn’t that why you employ them in the first place?”

“I’m not just a worker anymore, love,” he replied. “I’m the manager . If something fails, it’s not just a problem for me – every one of our employees could be at risk. This is our busiest time of the year too. I have to take this. Sorry.” He walked off a few paces ahead of her.

Helen sighed sadly and continued walking, watching the late winter sun cast magnificent light over the Eternal City in these glorious surrounds, all by herself.