Page 48 of Storm in a D Cup

I followed her up the stone steps leading to the main floor above the storage areas. Her house was a typical Tuscan stone farmhouse, very similar to mine in structure, with the living quarters on the second floor.

‘How’s it going, the IVF?’ she asked, pouring two tall glasses of iced tea as I sank into a chair.

‘Ooff, not well. Failure after failure. I think Maddy’s jinxing it.’

Renata laughed. ‘She’s not happy about a new addition to the family, then?’

‘She’s not happy about anything since Genie Stacie left. She’s hated me since the woman arrived. I guess there was no contest with a Hollywood celebrity.’

Renata chuckled. ‘Silly. She just think she does. Mothers were born to be hated. Where is she now?’

‘She’s at Angelica’s.’ Angelica’s house was much more feasible when they wanted to see people. All Angelica had to do was open her front door, step into the piazza and be right where it was all happening. Maddy loved Angelica’s house.

‘She’s spending a lot of time there, don’t you think?’

I raised my eyebrow. ‘Are you trying to tell me something?’

She shrugged and took a sip of her drink. ‘Just that now that school’s out they have more time to get themselves into trouble. Especially since Angelica’s mother works in the afternoon.’

I swallowed the last of my iced tea and smacked my lips. ‘Angelica’s a good girl. She’s a great student – I only wish her habits would rub off on Maddy.’

‘Maddy is a sensible girl. And she’s smarter than you think. Sorry. I don’t mean to sound patronizing.’

‘Silly. Just keep looking out for us like you always have.’

Renata squeezed my fingers. ‘I’ve never stopped, Erica. I was coming over to bring you this,’ she said, hefting a grocery bag. ‘I’m sorry about the IVF.’

‘Why do you think it’s not working, Renata? What am I doing wrong?’

Renata reached out to the pitcher on the table and poured me some more iced tea, then one for herself, slipping slowly. ‘Oyoy, it’s because you’re strung as tight as a bow – look at you, shoulders almost to your ears. Here,’ she said, plunking the bag before me.

I sat up a bit higher. ‘What’s that?’

Renata smiled. ‘This is my especially designed for you baby-making kit.’

‘Oh-kay.’ I laughed.

But she was serious. ‘Just listen to me, Erica. You have to look at the problem objectively. You and Julian want a baby but no luck so far, yes?’

I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I didn’t have the time for the, as Julian always says,Bleeding Obvious, nor for a recap of my failures. ‘Ye-es…’

But she was on a mission, and with that glint in her eye that only promised mischief. ‘Let’s see, where is it? Ah,sì– here, look!’

A candle? ‘What am I going to do with this?’ I said. ‘Stick it in Genie Stacie’s mouth? Or make my eggs more attractive?’ But she was already pulling out other objects: lavender oil, a CD, feathers, a silk scarf and a green bottle.

‘Forget Genie Stacie. This is not about your eggs. This is about…communion.’

Not that New Age and ancient Chinese medicine stuff, please? We’d tried just about everythingbut.

And yet, the more I thought of it…

‘Communion,’ I repeated bluntly.

‘Here’s what you do,’ she said. ‘When he gets back, you send the kids to my place—’

‘Renata…’

But she only raised her voice above mine. ‘Andyou cook his favorite dinner. No restaurant – it’s too distracting. You need to be completely alone.’