Afonso poked his head in the kitchen and looked around. Dona Madalena stood at the stove and smiled when she saw him. “If you’re looking for Menina Catarina, she’s in the library.”
Afonso carried the roses to the sink. “Good. It’ll give me time to get these ready.” He opened the cabinet doors nearby. “Do you know if there are any vases in the house?”
“I don’t think we have any, but there are some glass jars and glasses that might work.” She opened another cabinet door to show him.
“Perfect. Obrigado, Dona Madalena.”
The roses from the garden didn’t have the long stems of store-bought roses. Instead, he’d strip the leaves and place them in small bunches in the short glasses, in the same style of what he’d seen in the dining room of the Princess Catarina. He picked three tumblers and brought them to the sink.
While Dona Madalena finished the preparation for the weekend meals, Afonso worked on the flowers, removing the thorns and leaves and grouping the roses in assorted colors. When he was done, he had enough flowers to arrange in three glasses.
He took one and carried it to the library. He pushed the door open and called her name. “Catarina?”
“In here.”
She sat on a chair behind the door, exactly situated in the corner of the room, with the sketch pad and the pencils on her lap.
Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail and she wore the green tunic that made her eyes pop. The tension between him and Catarina had lightened after last evening’s conversation. Maybe not everything was resolved, but the way she’d opened up to him had forged a tentative trust between them.
His lips parted, and he took a step toward her. “The first roses from the rose garden.” He held up the vase. “Well, not the first ones that bloomed, but the first ones I picked.” Now that he’d pruned and fertilized the rose garden, the roses would come in better quality.
Catarina’s face lit. She placed the pad and pencils on the chair and rose to meet him, then took the vase in her hands. “They’re so pretty.” She brought the flowers up and inhaled. “And so fragrant. Obrigada.”
“You’re welcome.” He had to distract himself before he leaned in and kissed her. “How’s the sketching doing?”
She picked up the pad and angled it his way. “I took the measurements, and I’m working on the room’s perspective from each corner. It’s only a rough draft.”
She’d drawn the library from the open door looking in. Filipe’s desk and the leather sofa and chairs were rearranged differently and the bookcase displayed rows of books.
He looked up and gestured at the bookcase. “Filipe mentioned the books were in storage. Maybe we should find out where and get them in here.”
Her eyes widened. “Would you ask him? That would help make the room so much cozier and lived-in.” She paused for a moment. “I took your advice. I called Filipe and asked him if I can sketch the rooms and show him a decorating proposal, and he said yes.”
As much as he wanted to hug her, Afonso raised his palm for a high five. “That’s great, Catarina. This house has been empty and naked long enough.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Have you been talking to Filipe? That’s exactly what he said.”
Afonso smiled. “What else do you have planned for this room? Do you go to furniture stores for ideas?”
“Sometimes I look at magazines or online, and other times I find a piece and know it will work out for what the space needs. But this is the first time where I’m actually starting from scratch and on such a scale. I worked with Tia Antónia and sketched individual rooms, but this—” She turned around and encompassed the room with her arms. “This is epic. I’m really excited about the music room and turning the piano into a focal point.”
“That piano needs a lot of work.” The old piano was a relic, probably dating back to the last century.
“Do you think a piano tuner would be able to fix the sound?”
“Unless it’s missing keys or the damage is more extensive than it appears, a good piano tuner could take care of the adjustments to make it sound well again. The wood casing needs some attention too.”
“You mean the wood parts on the outside of it? What kind of attention?”
“A new coat of polish for sure. I haven’t taken a serious look to see if it needs sanding and filling in the small cracks with putty. It’s a great piece, notwithstanding its age. I actually like playing old pianos. The aged wood gives a different sound. And I don’t mean the off-key kind.” He chuckled. “I’m glad you’re taking this on.”
The smile on her face widened, and Afonso found himself grinning back, caught up in her enthusiasm. “It looks good on you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What does?”
“Joy. Happiness. Whatever you want to call it. You just look happier in the past few weeks, and it’s a good change.”
Her lips parted in a breath, and she watched him. “You always say the nicest things to me.”
His chest warmed, and the need to take her in his arms came at him out of nowhere. Afonso slipped his hands in his pockets and stepped away, not trusting himself. “I need to finish a few more things before I call it a day. I’ll see you later.”
He turned to the door, but she called after him. “I have a favor to ask. The Silvas are giving me a ride to Castelo Branco after lunch on Friday, but I’ll need a ride back later in the afternoon.”
“Sure. Just send me a text.”
She thanked him but didn’t move. “This is embarrassing to admit, but I never learned how to drive.”
“Nothing to be ashamed of. Things happen. And you can take driving lessons anytime.”
“I need someone to drive me,” she said quickly, her cheeks turning red. “I joined a group on Facebook that posts about antique sales and flea markets in the area.”
Catarina needed a driver. That’s where she was going with her confession. “If you can wait until next Saturday, I can drive you into town. We’ll make a day of it. Will that work?”
She nodded. “That would be great. Obrigada.”
Was it possible that her smile could affect him even more than before?
After another awkward moment, Afonso said goodbye and walked to the kitchen.
He’d just offered to spend more time with Catarina.
Oh, sweet torture.
* * *
After using lined paper and a school pencil, Catarina couldn’t get enough of the sketch pad and professional pencils. Afonso’s thoughtful gift was as wonderful as the man himself, and she couldn’t help a smile every time she caught details on the paper.
Guilt pinched at her for a moment. When Afonso had talked to her, she’d purposefully let him believe he was right in his assumption that she needed the time to mourn. In his words, she missed her husband.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It weighed on her. The subterfuge. The lies. The carefully hidden half-truths. What would Afonso say if he knew all the facts?
She brushed the thought aside and concentrated on the paper on her lap and the pencil in her hand. The clean, straight lines of the rectangular dining room with its tall, even windows and lofty ceilings afforded her the perfect perspective as she got more familiar with each space at Sunset Manor. Online, she curated furniture pieces onto virtual pinboards, where she could pretend to have a budget and access to everything she needed. It would come soon. She was confident Filipe would agree to her proposal.
The drawing and design classes she’d taken in high school hadn’t been enough. After pestering Tia Antónia for weeks, her aunt had finally relented in taking Catarina as a sort of apprentice in her interior decorating workshop. Catarina had also watched shows on the Home Decorating Network and even though she’d lacked the funds for decoration projects, she’d rearranged the furniture in her family’s apartment, much to her brothers’ irritation.
After marrying Juan-Carlos, Catarina had given up her dreams of going to interior design school. Another regret in her life. How hard would it be to enroll in college in Castelo Branco? Would she even be able to attend part-time? She’d need a job to support herself and her baby. Whatever money was left from Juan-Carlos’ investments, if there was any at all, would be tied in legal proceedings for years.
The ride to Castelo Branco with the Silvas seemed longer than usual. Dona Madalena chatted the whole time, excited to meet with one of their sons and grandchildren. They dropped her off downtown, and Catarina walked to the imaging center, her anxiety building with each step she took.
When the technician called her, Catarina hurried from her seat in the corner. Her heart beat with nerves and excitement, her emotions split and swirling, her body cold and hot.
“Catarina, my name is Fernanda.” The technician guided Catarina to the exam table in a semidark room. “You’re here for your twenty-week ultrasound, is that right?”
Catarina nodded as she reclined, her hands balled at her sides.
“Can you please verify your full name and birth date?”
Catarina recited the information.
When the technician’s hand touched Catarina’s arm, Catarina startled.
“Are you a little nervous?” Fernanda rubbed Catarina’s arm and smiled. “Let’s get started and take a look at your baby.”
The technician reached for two small sheets, and Catarina pulled up her tunic to expose her belly.
“Look at the cute little bump you got there,” Fernanda said as she tucked the sheets around the top and the bottom of Catarina’s belly.
The technician dispensed some lubricant onto Catarina’s skin and followed with the ultrasound wand. Catarina craned her neck to look at the screen, trying to decipher the images as they formed.
“This is the head, and this is your baby’s spine.” Fernanda explained.
As the dark images started to make sense for Catarina, warmth radiated from her chest, the emotion swelling and expanding until lightness replaced the former worry. She swallowed, letting a small tear run down the side of her face, exhaling the tension from her body.
There was a baby inside her—a little person with a little body, formed perfectly and already moving around.
She’d waited so many years for Juan-Carlos to agree to a baby. Every year, her yearning had grown stronger, and every year he said no, never changing his mind. When she found out she was pregnant, she didn’t know how to react, what to think. Other than confusion and uncertainty, and myriad feelings she’d tried to ignore for too long—she hadn’t been prepared for the love that filled her heart, the wave of love that coursed through her. A smile stretched her mouth.
“Look, your baby stuck his thumb in his mouth,” Fernanda said.
Catarina smiled. “Is it a boy?’
“Just a manner of speech. I didn’t look yet. Do you want to know the baby’s gender?”
Catarina stuttered. “Uh—I don’t know.” She hadn’t even thought about it. “I think I’ll wait to find out.” She wasn’t ready to find out the gender. Maybe she’d wait until the birth.
The technician kept a running commentary, taking measurements and recording them. At the end of the appointment, she pushed a button, and the machine printed a strip of pictures. “Your baby’s first pictures.” She helped Catarina into a seated position and then handed the photos to Catarina with a smile. “I’ll send the report to your doctor.”
The medical office was close by, but an hour later Catarina sat in the examining room still waiting.
At last, Dr. Paula breezed in. “Catarina, I got the preliminary report from the ultrasound, and your baby looks great, just a little small. Let’s take your measurements again.”
Catarina lay down, and Dr. Paula stretched the measuring tape across her belly. “You’re still measuring small as well, but the growth is consistent with the last measurements.”
Catarina sat up. “Is that a problem?”
“I think we have a case of small mom and small baby. As long as you’re eating healthy, taking your vitamins, and resting properly, I don’t see cause for concern. You probably won’t need maternity clothes for a while,” she said, gesturing to the elastic band holding the button on Catarina’s pants.
Catarina wasn’t in a rush to wear maternity clothes.
Dr. Paula patted Catarina’s hand. “I’d like to see you in four weeks.”
After leaving, Catarina walked to a nearby city park and found a bench tucked away in a corner. She retrieved her cell phone and held it in her hand for a moment. She wanted to call Afonso and tell him about the ultrasound, tell him about the baby. He was her friend, and the need to share with him something that brought her so much happiness filled her chest. But how would he react? While his friendship was increasingly becoming more important to her, her baby superseded it.
Her shoulders dropped. Instead of calling, she typed a short message. I should be done by five.
His reply came immediately. Where do you want me to pick you up?
Same place as before is fine.
When she put the phone back in her purse, her fingers brushed the small box, the one she’d found at the bottom of the wardrobe. She kept the box inside the purse and peeked inside. The pair of diamond studs caught the light and winked back at her, and next to them rested the platinum wedding band Juan-Carlos had given her on their wedding day. She’d been wearing both the earrings and the band when Filipe brought her to Sunset Manor, and they were all she had left from the jewelry Juan-Carlos had gifted her over the years.
There were a few pawn shops in Castelo Branco, and she’d entered the locations on her phone. Would she be able to get a fair price for the pieces? After her appointment with Dr. Paula, Catarina would walk to all the shops, if need be.
She needed the money too much.