Chapter 39
Francesca giggled at their happy bantering, kissed them both on their cheeks and went into the guestroom. As she lay in bed a few minutes later Francesca placed her hand over her still flat tummy. "What do you think your Papa will think about your existence Bambino?" she whispered. "After seeing and holding that cute little puppy I just know that I could never give you up. Not that I think of you the same way I would a puppy Bambino, but it just showed me that I want you. What we need to find out now is find out how your Papa is going to react when I tell him...for that matter I need to figure out how to tell him too!"
In the bedroom down the hall Miranda climbed into bed next to her husband and prayed that he wouldn't over react when he was told Francesca's news. He might be okay with Francesca having a baby, but he wouldn't be at all thrilled to learn who the father was! Maybe she should talk with Tom? But the deed was already done and from the conversation about the puppy she was pretty sure Francesca had decided to keep the baby. AJ wouldn't look kindly on being a grandfather to Tom's child!
AJ pulled Miranda into his arms and snuggled her close, he was a happy and content man. There was still something pulling at the back of his mind, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Oh well it would come to him in time. For now he would dwell on how wonderful it felt to have his daughter here visiting and that the entire family would be together for Christmas.
Christmas Eve passed uneventfully till it was almost time for them to retire for the evening. Francesca was playing with the puppy and Dammit was actually joining in. On and off throughout the day AJ would see Francesca eating her jelly beans and then just before bed she mentioned that she had talked to her mother. Marcella had opened her gift from Francesca and had reported that she liked the lovely dress, but would have preferred it if Francesca had been there in Italy with her.
It was the mention of Marcella's name that struck a cord in AJ's memory. Marcella had gone through a time where she couldn't get enough jellybeans. He searched back in his memories and then it was as if a light had gone on. Marcella had craved Jelly Belly jellybeans when she had been pregnant with Francesca! And just last night Francesca had said this was a recent thing that she had developed a sweet tooth. Could his daughter be pregnant? And if she was, did she even know yet? Then the biggest question of all...who was the father? Was she still seeing him? Had it been a passing thing? Would she tell him about the baby? Was she going to keep the baby? There were just so many questions filling his mind that his head was spinning. He wondered if he should talk to her about it or let her come to him first? Should he ask Miranda's advice or just wait?
AJ decide to sleep on it and see what the next day would bring. Unfortunately with all that on his mind sleep didn't come easy, and when it did, it was troubled, causing him to toss and turn restlessly. He was plagued with dreams of dozens of men with no faces and Francesca wandering through them carrying a baby. It wasn't that he thought his daughter was promiscuous; he knew she had lovers. She was certainly not a virgin, nor would he expect her to be at thirty-eight. But she never really talked about the men in her life since the fiasco with Lorenzo, and maybe that was a good thing with the way that all turned out. However, it now became very important who the man or men in her life were. Because, if he was right he was about to become a grandfather again. Nora's son Randy had been his first. Not many men became a grandfather the day they got married, but that had been a pleasant bonus. Now however he was pretty sure his baby was going to have one of her own.
To be continued…