Miracle for the Girl Next Door / Mother of the Bride: Miracle for the Girl Next Door

Once he left her room, he saw Serena and headed in her direction. “Can we talk for a moment?”

“By all means.”

“I lied to you before.”

She smiled. “I know. If I hadn’t recognized you as Valentino Casali, you would never have made it in to see Clara. The way you two were laughing in there, I knew I’d done the right thing. It’s the best medicine for her.”

He nodded. “Thank you for allowing me in. Would you do me one more favor and give me the name and number of her specialist?”

“Come over to the desk and I’ll write it down. Dr. Arno’s office is in Rome, but he’s overseeing Clara’s case.”

Once Valentino had it in hand, he thanked her again. After leaving the clinic, he quickly found the secret alleyways through the upper region of the town, not stopping until he reached the villa.

When he checked his watch, he realized Dr. Arno would be in his office for hours yet, that was if it were a normal day for him. No matter what, Valentino needed to talk to him.

The receptionist at his office in Rome answered. When Valentino explained the nature of his emergency, she said the doctor was on vacation and wouldn’t be returning for a few more days. But she’d make certain he got back to Valentino ASAP.

Wild with pain, he needed a lot of information pronto! After hanging up, he put in a call to Dr. Rimbaud, his own doctor in Monaco, asking him to phone him back. While he waited for the call, he showered and changed into chinos and a sport shirt. He was drinking some coffee when his phone rang. Valentino grabbed for it.

“Dr. Rimbaud—thanks for getting back to me so fast.”

“I thought I’d better in case you’ve been in another crash,” he kidded him.

“Not this time.”

“You sound serious, not like yourself. What’s wrong?”

“Will you tell me what you can about kidney failure?”

“Uh oh. Anyone I know?”

“No. It’s a close friend of mine.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Give me a few particulars.”

Once Valentino had unloaded about Clara, the doctor told him what he could. “Those treatments take between four and five hours. Afterward she’ll be weak and need rest. Sometimes the patient suffers a sudden loss in blood pressure or gets muscle cramps. One or all of those reasons was why she’d been in a hurry to get on the bus the other day.”

“Of course.” Valentino had read all the signs wrong. She’d run from him because she wasn’t well, and because she had her pride. The Rossettis possessed that in abundance. Clara wouldn’t even let her family drive her to the clinic and back.

“Depending on her individual health, she probably needs to eat more animal protein. If necessary she might have to cut milk, cheese, salt and soft drinks. She’ll do better on the day after each dialysis treatment. That explains her ability to work at her family’s fruit stand.”

“How long can she go on like this?”

“Most patients live longer on dialysis these days, but her End Stage Renal Disorder might be more severe. Perhaps she’s been diagnosed with anemia. There could be other problems, too, like bone disease, nerve damage or high blood pressure. These are complications you’ll have to discuss with her specialist. Naturally the most desired thing would be to find a compatible donor for a transplant as soon as possible.”

He closed his eyes tightly. Dr. Arno couldn’t call him back fast enough. In the meantime, Valentino intended to be there for her in every conceivable way.

“Thank you, Dr. Rimbaud. What you’ve told me helps a lot.”

“Call me anytime.”

As soon as he hung up, he phoned for a taxi to take him to the local market. Once there he did some shopping, satisfied that the paparazzi would be looking in vain for his Ferrari. Until further notice it would stay in the garage. He would wait outside the doors to the clinic in the taxi until she emerged, then offer her a ride home.

“Signore?” the chauffeur called to him. “We’ve arrived.”

“So we have.”

He instructed him to wait in the loading zone. His pulse picked up speed when he finally saw Clara start out the clinic doors. She looked good, not as pale as she’d been last evening. He stepped out of the taxi into her path so she had to stop.

“How come you keep following me?” he baited her gently.

She lifted her beautiful head so he could see the green flecks in her eyes.

“Tino—”she cried in shock, but her eyes lit up. This was a bonus he hadn’t expected after barging in on her treatment.

“Come on. I’ve brought cold fruit juice and a chicken sandwich for you. You can eat it on the way back to the farm.”

He could tell she wanted to argue with him, but she didn’t have the kind of strength she needed for that. “Where’s the Ferrari?” she asked as he helped her into the backseat.

After he gave the driver directions, he handed her a sandwich and a drink before sitting back to answer her question. “It’s out of sight for a variety of reasons.”

“That will drive the paparazzi crazy.” She took several bites of her sandwich. “I have to admit this tastes delicious. You’re spoiling me with good food again.”

He’d bought himself a fruit drink and drained most of it. “I wonder how many hundreds of times you shared your lunch with me at school because I was too busy doing some project to stop and eat. Your mother made the best lunches in Monta Correnti.”

A trace of a smile hovered on her lips as she continued to eat. “Our family carried around the excess pounds to prove it.”

He flashed her a sweeping glance. “Not any longer.”

She avoided his gaze and drank more juice.

“Does your mother know she kept me alive with her cooking?”

“I didn’t dare tell her.”

Valentino chuckled. “You’re lucky you’ve had her in your life all these years. Do you want to know a secret?”

Clara’s head turned in his direction. She’d finished the last of her sandwich. He was thankful she’d had an appetite. “What is it?”

“I was jealous you had a mother who fussed over you every day. You and Bianca always seemed so happy. You didn’t know it, but having two parents who were alive and loved you gave you a confidence I would have given anything to feel.”

Her expression sobered. “I understand that now, but you did have Luca.”

“Yes, and he indulged me without limits.”

“That was only natural. After your mother died, he would have tried to play both roles. He loved you, Tino. I know he did. Otherwise his marriage to your mother wouldn’t have worked out.”

“I guess he wanted her badly enough to include her excess baggage.”