Cora was in her atelier when Robert entered. She quickly turned her work around. "Darling, I asked you to knock before you came in." She said smiling.

"I am sorry." Robert bent down to kiss her. "John just called to ask us for dinner tonight. Are we free?"

"We are, how lovely." Cora looked at her watch. "Did you already have tea?"

"No, not yet."

Cora stood up and took his hand. "Then it is high time, before we pick up Ava from day-care."

"We could also have fun before we pick her up." Robert's hand went to her bum.

Cora leaned in on Robert. "I love you, but not now."

Robert's shoulders lowered. Sometimes he could look like Isis, Cora thought. His puppy eyes were adorable.

"If we are back home on time and Ava sleeps, you can have me." Cora brushed her hand over Isis's head who came to greet them when they walked out of her atelier.


"We have some news." John started, while taking Anna's hand, when they finished dinner and were in the kitchen cleaning up. "Anna, is pregnant again."

"How wonderful. congratulations." Cora stepped towards Anna to hug her. "How are you feeling?"

"Quite alright, no morning sickness yet. It is also a great help that Johnny is turning 7 this year. I don't have to pick him up." She joked.

"You are becoming a dad again, that is amazing." Robert slapped John on the back. "This calls for a celebration."

"I have the right whiskey for it." John showed him a bottle of Bowmore 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch."

"You know how to celebrate." Robert said. They walked out to the balcony with their glasses.

Cora stayed behind with Anna.

"How is that work for Robert coming along?" Anna asked.

"It is almost finished, I hope Robert will like it. I didn't know what to give him for his 50th birthday. He still doesn't want gifts. I invited Victoria, Dan, Tayler, Sebastian, Olivia and Max over. The morning of his birthday we will hop on a plane to Rome. There we will meet up with them, I hope it still works out that you, John and Johnny fly the day before. Only if you are up to, now you are pregnant." Cora stopped and looked at Anna.

"As long as I don't have any problems, we will definitely be in Rome for his birthday surprise." Anna said.

"Great." Cora gave her a big smile. "I made a reservation at La Pergola in the Waldorf Astoria hotel. We also have our rooms there. I booked the Vista Suite with Rome view for Robert and me. And the girls and you and John will have suites too. We will spend a week in Rome, enjoying the city and also the spa that is inside the hotel."

"You booked us a suit?" Anna said with a high-pitched voice.

"I did, I want to spoil you all. Robert is only turning 50 once. And I want all of us to have that luxurious experience. But please don't tell anything to Robert yet. I really want this to be a surprise."


The morning of Robert's birthday, Cora woke him up with a kiss. Ava was standing next to her with a paper in her hands. "Happy birthday, darling." Cora kissed him again. We both made a drawing for you." Robert picked Ava up and looked at her drawing.

"Darling, that is so beautiful, did you make it yourself?"

Very proudly Ava was nodding her head. Cora brushed her hair. "All by herself. She only needed Mama to write your name. I also made something for you." She turned around and picked up the canvas which she had rested against the wall.

Robert sat up to look at it properly, his eyes grew big. He looked into the eyes of his wife and daughter. It was a painting from a picture he took when they were in Scotland on holiday. Cora's eyes smiled with her mouth and Ava had the same twinkling in her eyes as her mummy.

"Oh, my dear, this is really beautiful. I am blown away by your talent. It is as if I am looking into your real eyes. This will look wonderful in my office. Oh darling, what a wonderful present. Now I understand why you were locking your atelier." He pulled Cora's hand down so he could kiss her. Once his lips touched hers, he wrapped his arms round her neck and pulled her on him.

Cora chuckled. "Darling, Ava is next to us."

"She will learn how much her parents love each other." He bit her earlobe.

"How much I love you, I don't want to traumatise her." Cora kissed Robert intense and pushed herself up. "And we have to go."

"Where?"

"To the airport, and that is all I am going to tell you."

Robert pulled her down again. "What are you up to.?"

Cora let her body rest on his. "You will see when we board the plane. Your suitcase is already packed." She kissed the tip of his nose. "Come on, hop in the shower. We have 2 hours before we need to go."

Robert's hands roamed over her back and bum. "And you are definitely not going to tell me where we are going?"

"No" Cora gave Robert a sneaky smile. Worked herself up again, took Ava and walked out of the bedroom. "Just hurry you will know sooner, where we are going." She deliberately was swaying with her hips.


When the stewardess who checked them in said. 'Have fun in Rome' Robert put his arms around Cora and kissed her in the middle of the terminal, twirling her around. "You are a treasure."

The flight was comfortable, Ava had behaved well. When they got their luggage and walked out the terminal, there was a second surprise for Robert.

John, Anna with Johnny next to her, Victoria, Dan, Tayler, Sebastian, Olivia and Max where waiting for them.

"What are you guys doing here?" Robert exclaimed. "Cora? How did you do this?"

Cora had Ava on her arm, leaned into Robert. "I hope it is a good surprise." We will stay here for 2 weeks. The first week we will be with everybody, and then we have a week with the three of us.

"This is the best surprise ever. What a perfect time we will have.