Fabrizio awoke just as the first rays of morning were filtering in through their window. His eyes fluttered open to see Helga's angelic face laying beside his own just inches away. He smiled as he thought she looked as beautiful when she slept as she did when she was awake. He closed his eyes again and cuddled up next to her and could feel the bulge on her stomach which was carrying their unborn child against him. He nestled himself against it for a few moments and then he suddenly felt something quite unexpected, it was very faint but definitely was noticeable.
He gasped as his eyes glistened over and he sat up slowly with his hand still resting against Helga's stomach. Then Helga's eyes fluttered open slowly and she let a soft sound like the coo of a dove. She smiled as she looked up at him and noticed his obvious elated expression as well as his sparkling tears.
"Why do you seem so blissful this morning, Fabri?" she asked.
"I... I felt... the baby... it kicked... inside you.." he stammered weakly with unbridled happiness.
Helga's eyes opened wide as she sat up and put a hand to her stomach. A moment later she gasped and her face filled with the same elation as his had.
"I feel it too," she whispered.
"He or she must be getting ready for the big day," said Fabrizio as he wiped the tears out of his eyes.
Helga nodded. "And what a perfect day to start making itself known."
Fabrizio's eyes widened once again as he realized exactly what day it was. "Mamma Mia! I almost forgot. Happy Birthday Helga, mio angela."
"Thank you, Fabri," said Helga. "Now I think we should all have some breakfast now," she added as she rubbed the center of her stomach slightly.
"Si, of course," said Fabrizio as he got out of the bed and then assisted Helga to do the same.
They went into the kitchen where he made them some scrambled eggs and oatmeal. As they ate he wondered about what he could do for Helga on this special day of hers.
"What would you like to do for today?" he asked.
"Aw, Fabri, you don't have to do anything for me," she assured him. "I have you here and I feel our child with me now and that is all I need to feel happy on today."
Fabrizio smiled sweetly. "But I really want to do something very special for you on this special day of yours.
"Well.." Helga though for a moment. "I suppose you could just make a little cake for us to celebrate today."
"Okay, I will," he said.
Then as he went to his two jobs that day he thought more about what else he could for Helga to make her birthday more special. He recalled some of the traditions he had learned about from the various newcomers he had met with especially for girls and women. It was then that he remembered about how a Spanish family who had a daughter who was about to turn fifteen said they were going to celebrate her birthday by throwing a quinceanera in which she would have a new pink dress with a matching bouquet of pink roses and a makeshift crown, and there would be a party with dancing and drinking and cake and presents and in the evening they would have dinner at a nice restaurant and her boyfriend was to make a toast and a speech with a large goblet. The more he remembered about this Spanish tradition the more he thought about how he would like to use some of the things from it as a gift to Helga.
So in between his working hours he went to thrift store where he purchased a secondhand pink dress with ruffles and puffy sleeves and then he went to a flower shop where he purchased a bouquet of pink roses. Then he made a crown out of cardboard and painted it a pastel pink. He then went to the best restaurant they could afford and made reservations for them for tonight and also ordered a cake to be made.
Then after he got off work early in the late afternoon by explaining about the special occasion he picked up the things he had bought and went home to their apartment. He found Helga sitting in a chair in the living room and knitting a pair of tiny socks for their soon to be born baby. She looked and smiled in surprise at seeing him home this early.
He smiled and said, "There is no other place I would rather be than with you on a day as special as this." He then pulled out the gifts he had bought for her from behind his back and presented them to her with a wide grin spread across his face. "Happy Birthday, mio angela."
Helga gasped as she stood up and put down her knitting and took the box containing her dress and opening it she gasped at the simple elegance and beauty of it.
"Oh my, Fabri!" she uttered. "You really didn't have to do this for me."
"But you see I wanted to," he explained sweetly. "Now let us see you in it mio princessa."
So Helga took the dress and went into the bedroom where she changed into it. She came out moments later wearing it. Fabrizio gave something between a gasp and a whistle at the sight of her.
Then after he recovered from his awe slightly he handed her the bouquet of pink roses and bowed saying, "For you, mio princessa."
Helga smiled as she took the roses and held them up to her bosom. Then Fabrizio revealed the crown he had constructed for her and stepping up he placed with the most carefully delicate precision on top of her head of blonde curls.
He then stood back a little ways and beheld her in all her splendor. "I now see you are so much more than just my princessa," he breathed. "You are a Queen, a Queen of all the world!"
Helga blushed, making her cheeks turn a pink that matched her dress and crown and roses. "Fabri, I love you... so much," she murmured.
"I love you more," he replied sweetly.
He then looked up at the clock on the wall and said, "Ah! Now is the time."
"Time for what?" asked Helga curiously.
"Come with me, mio signorina," he said as he held out his hand to her.
She took his hand and he bowed and then led her out of their apartment then outside of the building Just n front of the building's entrance she found a beautiful carriage being driven by a man wearing a top hat holding the reigns of a large ginger colored horse. They seemed to be waiting just for them as when he saw them the man in the front smiled and nodded and tipped his hat slightly to them.
Helga gasped in surprise as Fabrizio led her up to the carriage and gestured toward the back seats of it saying, "Your chariot awaits, mio signorina."
"Oh, Fabri!" Helga said breathlessly as she sat in the left seat of the carriage, "You went through all this trouble just for me?"
"It was no trouble at all," he assured her as he took the seat beside her. "I would willingly go through anything just to see the smile you have on now." He then leaned in and kissed her.
The man in front of them then pulled on the horse's reigns and they began to move forward at a slow and steady pace. They sat comfortably and contentedly in the carriage as they watched the sights of the city slowly pass by them, and sometimes people who knew Fabrizio would look up and smile and wave to them.
When they stopped the sun was beginning to set. Helga looked out and saw they were now in front of a restaurant called La Bella Notte. Helga gasped again as she was once again taken by surprise.
"Why, Fabri! I would never even dream of stepping into a restaurant as lovely as this one," she said.
He smiled as got out of his seat and then held out his hand to assist her in getting out of the carriage. "Until tonight I wouldn't have, either. But I could find no other place more special than this for you on this special day."
They then stepped down from the carriage together and entered into the restaurant where they were met by a waiter who smiled and nodded to them as though he had been expecting them.
"Good evening, Mr. And Mrs. De Rossi," he said cordially.
He then led them to a table set for two with fine silverware and cloth napkins. Fabrizio pulled out Helga's chair and she sat down in it and he then pulled it gently up to the table again before taking his seat beside her. They then looked at their menus and both ordered the spaghetti special.
Moments later Jack and Rose entered the restaurant and took their seats at a table next to theirs. Then after they had all eaten their dinner the waiter from before entered from the kitchens holding on a large platter a fair sized cake thick with yellow and strawberry icing and twenty lit candles on top of it.
Fabrizio then stood up and began singing "Happy Birthday" to Helga in Italian and Jack and Rose joined in singing it in English. The waiter then set the cake carefully down onto the table and bowed to them before going on his way. Helga then stood up and bent down and took in a breath and then blew out all of the twenty candles with it. Everyone clapped.
Then Fabrizio took a knife and cut a slice of the cake for Helga, himself, and Jack and Rose. Then he continued to stand as he took a large chalice filled with fine wine and held it for all to see as he began speaking.
"On this very special day of my wife Helga De Rossi, I drink to a long life for both of us and a happy marriage to live it out, as well as for the health and life of our soon to be born child."
They then clinked their glasses together and sipped from them as everyone in the restaurant with them applauded.
As they ate their cake Fabrizio leaned towards Helga and whispered, "What did you wish for?"
She smiled and replied, "I had nothing more to wish for than what you have already given to me."
