The first two months of motherhood seemed to pass by in a blur of sleep deprivation, breastfeeding and laundry. Libby didn’t know if she was coming or going, and she would have been hard pushed even to guess what time of day it was. When Luca’s two weeks of paternity leave were up he had gone back to work, leaving Libby to cope for three days at a time without him. She had become increasingly dependent on his support, so his leaving had felt like an enormous wrench. She had burst into tears as the door closed behind him, looking at the clock to work out how long she would be alone with the baby until he came back. This was extremely unlike her; normally she relished restoring order to her home and she was usually pretty good at coping with only a little sleep, but the hormones had clearly taken their toll. Thankfully Miriam and Helen had really stepped up to the mark. Miriam usually came to visit during the day, staying with John at night now that the spare room had become the nursery, while Helen took to popping around at weekends and even for the odd evening, giving Libby and Luca a much-needed break.
‘I saw Henry again last night,’ Helen said one morning as she sorted out the latest load of washing to put in the machine.
‘Ooh really! He’s the one who took you bowling, isn’t he?’ Libby’s baby brain was just about keeping abreast of the developments in Helen’s dating life. Her sister had stayed true to her word and was determined to get herself back out there. The dating sites she was on were proving an excellent method for meeting new men. The past few weeks had seen her date a Mancunian plumber, a South African dentist and an IT consultant. The latter had apparently been worthy of a second date.
‘So, what do you think? Do you like him?’ asked Libby, who was flat out on the sofa enjoying a brief moment of respite while Izzy slept.
‘He’s not devastatingly handsome or anything, he just sort of looks normal. But he’s a nice guy, we get on well…’
‘There’s a lot to be said for normal, Helen.’
‘That’s very true. Alan was anything but…’
‘So where did Henry take you?’ Libby was intrigued. It felt like a long time since she had been on a proper date.
‘We went to a restaurant called Circus in Covent Garden. It was quite cool actually; there are loads of awesome acts to watch while you eat: trapeze artists flying overhead, fire eaters and cabaret singers, that sort of thing.’
‘Wow, that does sound cool! He seems like an interesting guy… Did you kiss at the end?’
‘Not really. He kissed me on the cheek. I think he wanted to kiss me properly, but I didn’t have the guts so I just said goodbye and went off to the Tube.’
‘Third time lucky perhaps?’
‘Yeah, maybe. I think we’ll see each other again. He sent me a nice text this morning saying that he’d had fun.’
‘Did he pay?’
‘We split the bill. But he did offer.’
‘You should have said yes!’
‘I know! I can hardly afford it. But I didn’t want him to think I was scrounging off him.’
They took Isabella out for a walk around the park. Luca had escaped for his Saturday morning football with Lorenzo, and it was nice for Libby to have Helen’s company as they wheeled the pram along the pathways. July was fast approaching and the summer sun was finally making an appearance. She couldn’t believe it had nearly been a year since she had started at La Casetta. It was crazy to think about how her life had changed because of that place. She would never have met Luca without it, and she certainly wouldn’t have Izzy. She owed so much to Floriana and Tonio for giving her that job.
Luca and Libby had booked their flights to go and visit Positano in September, deciding that Isabella should be able to cope with the travel by then. Though Libby realised it was actually more them than Isabella who would need to do the coping! She just hoped their daughter would behave herself on the flight. Overall she was a pretty good baby, but she certainly did have her moments. There were times when Libby just wanted to ram earplugs in her ears for the level of decibels emanating from her. Quite how such a tiny person could make such a loud noise never ceased to amaze her.
Soon August arrived, and with it came a glorious heat wave. Libby and Luca, often joined by Jules and Angus, took Isabella to the park at weekends for sunny picnics. Miriam went away on holiday with John for a week in the middle of August. Libby and Luca took advantage of having an empty house and spent the week there, enjoying the British countryside, as well as Miriam’s beautiful garden. During the weekdays, while Luca was at work, Libby would often walk down to Angus’s studio by the river. It gave her a decent walk and saved her from feeling cooped up inside the flat all day. Angus would break for lunch and they would sit overlooking the river, eating sandwiches and chatting while Izzy slept.
‘Do you think Jules is coming round to the idea of having a baby now that she’s seen Isabella?’ asked Libby.
‘Sadly not,’ Angus replied. ‘We’ve actually had some pretty intense conversations recently. She refuses to budge. It’s almost worse now that she’s so passionate about retraining in graphic design. All her energy is devoted to that and she doesn’t want any distractions. I almost wish she’d stayed in accountancy. At least then she might have thought of maternity leave as a welcome break.’
‘It’s a pretty terrible situation for you Angus. I’m so sorry it has to be like this.’
‘I just feel like I’m meant to be a dad. I can’t help but feel resentful that she is refusing to give me the chance.’
‘I understand,’ Libby said, giving his hand a squeeze. ‘In fact, now that I have had Isabella, I think I can understand even better.’
‘At least I’ve got Izzy, my beautiful goddaughter. She’ll just have to do for now.’ Luca and Libby had decided to make both Jules and Angus godparents, along with Gian Matteo back in Italy. Angus was a dream with Isabella and he clearly adored spending time with her. Libby knew she could call him if she needed help and Luca wasn’t around. His art was becoming increasingly in demand as word of his talent spread across the art world, yet he always made time for Libby when she needed him.
By the end of August, Libby was over the moon to hear that Helen and Henry had become an official couple. She felt personally responsible for bringing them together. To celebrate the news, Libby invited them both around for dinner, having finally gained Helen’s permission to introduce herself to the lucky man.
‘Henry,’ said Libby as she flung open the door. ‘It’s wonderful to meet you! Nice to see you too, Helen.’ She kissed them both and ushered them inside. ‘Izzy has just gone to sleep, thankfully. Let’s hope she stays that way so we can eat uninterrupted.’
Luca came over to shake Henry’s hand and kiss Helen hello. Libby was cooking one of Antonio’s recipes, a huge mushroom risotto, and the flat was filled with mouth-watering smells.
They had a lovely evening, covering a wide range of topics from politics to travel.
‘This is absolutely delicious,’ said Helen as she tasted the risotto. ‘Is it an authentic Italian recipe?’
‘Yes, it’s one I learned while I was in Positano,’ said Libby. ‘I’ll give you the recipe if you like.’
Henry accepted a top-up of wine from Luca. ‘Do you miss Italy?’ he asked.
‘Terribly,’ said Luca. ‘Though London has its advantages, of course. But there is no place like Positano.’
Libby hated hearing him say that. It reminded her of just how much he had given up to be with her and Izzy. She knew that his heart would always lie in Italy, and that London would never be able to make him anything like as happy as he was back home.
Henry seemed like a very nice guy. He was jovial, polite and interesting to talk to. Libby thought he would be extremely good for Helen – a steady, calming influence on her, which was exactly what she needed. She just hoped that it would work out. There had been too many guys who had let her down, too many disappointments. Another one would probably be too much for her to handle. She was glad that her antidepressants seemed to have had such a positive impact on her, and was so grateful that Helen had been brave enough to give them a try.