Chapter 10

Robert was almost back at Anna's cottage when a small woman rushed up to him, "Oh Roberto, you here. The bambina," she was smiling from ear to ear. "Roberto, you bambina." She touched his arm

"Yes I'm back, I am here for Anna and our baby."

Robert was holding flowers in his left hand but that didn't stop her from grabbing his hand. She smiled when she felt his wedding ring, "I tell her." Then she said a lot in Italian he didn't understand. "Roberto come back."

Robert thought he had understood her and now knew what Anna mean about almost being able to communicate with Filomena. "I came back, you knew I would."

She smiled, "Oh, Roberto!"

Robert could tell she was extremely happy that he was here. That the little family she'd had a part in bringing together were together again and would be expanding soon. Anna was right there was no better place for their child to be born than where her parents had been married. "I'm on my way back to Anna's now."

Filomena took his arm, there was still a smile on her face, she started walking towards the cottage with him. She was talking away but Robert didn't understand a thing she was saying, something told him it was good things. Once in a while, he knew she was talking about the baby, but mostly he was just smiling about the fact she seemed so happy that he was there. Filomena walked into the cottage without knocking calling out a greeting.

Anna came out of one of the other room and smiled seeing Robert standing there with Filomena. She put her hands over her mouth, Filomena was going on about finding him and bring him home. Robert was grinning holding a bouquet of flowers. Somehow it looked like he had been dragged home and was looking for forgiveness. Maybe part of that was true, Anna knew Robert thought she needed to forgive him, he was still blaming himself for what happened to her face.

Robert smiled, "Hi honey, I'm home." Anna didn't think anything had ever sounded better.

"Roberto so skinny." There was a lot of Italian with a few English words thrown in, Anna nodded and smiled then Filomena left.

Anna walked over to him, "You are too skinny, Filomena thinks our time apart did that and she will be back with supper soon." She put her arms around him and kissed him. Then he gave her the flowers and she turned to put them in a vase.

Robert smiled, "You're happy here, aren't you?"

"I felt I could be happy here, it was as good as any other to hide out in. At least here I had memories of you. Now I have you."

"Why are you hiding out? What happened?"

"Sean told me the DVX was looking for me the last time I talked to him. That was the same day you walked out. He came in a little while later and told me I would be taken care of but that he DVX were on to what I had been doing and wanted answers."

"Wow, one lie after another from that man. O'Reilly came to see me before I left Paris, she didn't know everything but she did know I had left the WSB and that I was going after you. I guess she talked to Sean after I had. The fact that he had a black eye and a split lip after I left, she knew I was angry with him. She told me Sean admitted to leading you to believe you were in danger. Are you sure the DVX would be coming after you?"

"I only thought that because Sean told me they were," Anna admitted. "Faison was my contact, if he's dead I don't even know if he told anyone else who I was. What my name was he used the code name White Rose for me."

"Anna I don't think anyone is coming after you."

"Are you sure?" If he was right they were free to live their life where ever they wanted and they wouldn't have to look over their shoulder waiting for whoever to finally come after them.

"I trust O'Reilly. I don't think she would have bothered telling me that unless she thought it was true."

"So we are free. We can do whatever we want?"

"I want to stay here until after our baby is born, after that. When you're ready we can pick where we want to start our life together, it can be anywhere. Maybe somewhere new, somewhere neither of us have been before."

"This is really happening. You're really here."

"And I'm not going anywhere, I love you and I'm never leaving you again."

...

That night Anna watch her husband get into her bed, he had lost weight since she had last seen him. He hadn't exaggerated what he had gone through while they were apart. After Filomena had left they had talked more about what they had both done to get through the day without the other. Robert cuddled in beside her and put his hand on her belly. "Daddy's here little one, mommy took me back. I can't wait to meet you," then he kissed her belly. Anna wiped away a tear as he looked up at her. "We talked about a family but until I saw you today the idea of being a father hadn't really sunk in. Now I can't wait."

"You are going to an amazing father, our baby is very lucky."

Robert moved closer, brushing her lips with his, "Having you as a mother is what makes her lucky."

Anna smiled, "You think it'll be a girl?"

"I didn't understand most of what Felimena said about that but she does seem very sure the bambina will be a girl," he said with a smile. "I'm not going arguing with her."

Anna hands slid around his neck holding him close, "Kiss me." There was such tenderness when their lips met, her hand slid down his back needing him close, needing to feel his body against hers. Why was he holding back? She stroked his cheek, then he looked her in the eye. "I want you to make love to me."

"Are you sure, I mean is it alright?"

Anna smiled realizing what he was worried about. "We aren't going to hurt the baby."

Robert smiled, of course, she knew he was thinking that he smiled and kissed her cheek, "I'm still taking my time." He kissed her neck, "We have some catching up to do and you will know just how much I've missed you." Oh, how she loved this man. He trailed kissed up her neck then whispered in her ear, "You are so beautiful. I love you, Anna."

"Oh Robert, I love you so much."