"But I thought you were spending the day in New York."
"And I thought we had dinner plans. Apparently, we were both wrong."
Annette felt heat creep into her face, but she refused to be embarrassed. "I wanted to see Jo-Jo. I can't wait for Joyce and Fantino to be moved out of the ICU so we can take Jo-Jo to see them. I know hearing the baby talk will help."
"She doesn't talk yet, surely," Carlo said with disbelief.
"Well, not talk…but she babbles. It lifts my heart when I hear it. I know it will affect her parents the same, even in their comas."
Carlo's expression flashed pain and grief, but it was soon gone. Mr. Stoic.
He nodded. "I am sure you are right."
"Perhaps you could finish your visit with our niece and then meet me in the study later?"
"She'll be ready for her nap soon," Pamina said.
Annette frowned but nodded. She didn't want to upset Jo-Jo's schedule. The baby had had enough discontinuity in her six months of life already.
An hour later, after changing into clothes that fit her style way better than the business suit, Annette went down to the study to meet with Carlo.
He was on the phone when she entered, so she turned to go out again, but he shook his head and waved her into a chair. He said something in Japanese and then tapped his phone screen.
"I'll be finished here in just a couple of minutes. Mrs. Banning has already laid lunch out on the table in the dining room. I thought we could have our discussion over a meal."
"Still looking for your dinner date?" she quipped.
"It's lunch and not a date." His tone was a lot more serious than hers. But then he went back to his call, and she took that as permission to leave.
Annette took a few minutes to chat with Mrs. Banning about the coming week before entering the formal dining room, where the table had been laid at one end.
Memories of stilted meals with her sister in here while Joyce did her best to pretend she didn't even have a baby bothered Annette. She knew her sister hadn't meant it, that hormones had dictated how she responded to life and her infant, but the memories still hurt. Especially with Joyce unable to come home and start bonding with Jo-Jo as planned.
"You look like you've seen a ghost. What is wrong?" Carlo asked upon entry into the room.
"It's not my favorite room, that's all."
"It's a dining room."
"Yes, I know." One with memories she'd rather forget.
"Would you prefer to eat our lunch somewhere else?"
It was too cold outside, and the breakfast nook was no doubt being used by the staff to eat their own lunch. Besides, the food was already laid out. "No of course not. I wouldn't put anyone to the bother."
"But something about this room bothers you."
"Joyce insisted on eating in here and when we were at the table, she didn't want Jo-Jo mentioned."
"But she was so happy to become a mom."
"Yes, but her hormones betrayed her." Annette shivered. "It's hard to accept how a chemical in your body can make a person think things that are so different than their true feelings, or do and say things they would otherwise never do."
Carlo looked at her speculatively. "Were you having hormone imbalances five years ago?"
"No. At least I don't think so." She settled into one of the chairs at the table and started dishing up her plate from the gorgeous Greek salad with smoked salmon Mrs. Banning had left for them.
Annette had been craving fish lately. She could eat it every day and be happy. Mrs. Banning had teased her about it, but the wonderful housekeeper had still prepared this mouthwatering salad with salmon instead of chicken as she usually did.