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"Are you ready?" He asked her quietly a few hours later. They were both in his huge study where he had set up the computer and camera for the video conference. No simple webcam and computer screen for Justin, he had proper video camera with a large screen television screen set up. He explained that it would enable to allow his family to see both of them at the same time, further explaining that his parents had a similar setup at their home.
"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," she nodded nervously and he led her to a large, comfortable sofa that was facing the camera. He made sure she was sitting comfortably before kneeling in front of her unexpectedly.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said softly, his dark eyes piercing as they stared intently into hers. "Being around you is a curiously humbling experience... I do not believe I have ever apologized this much to one person in my entire life before. I always seem to be getting it wrong with you. "
"You're under a lot of emotional strain at the moment, Justin.... and I know that I probably wasn't making it any easier on you. Please just forget about it." He sighed deeply before nodding and sitting down next to her. He picked up a small remote control from the coffee table in front of them and started up the camera, indicating towards the blinking red light that he had told her would mean that the camera was on.
An image of an elderly couple suddenly filled the previously blank screen of the big television to the left of the camera. Broad smiles suddenly lit up their faces and they both started chattering at the same time. Isabella knew that they were his parents from the pictures she had seen in Justin's study. His father looked a lot frailer and more tired than the robust man in the photographs. Isabella could see from the sallow skin and sunken eyes, how very ill the older man was.
Justin was smiling warmly as his parents continued to chatter, before he finally raised a hand and they reluctantly fell silent. He said something to them in Italian, before indicating towards Isabella , who sat with a frozen smile on her face. She wasn't sure what to do, or what to say, she wasn't even sure if they spoke English.
"Mama, papa... I know this has been a long time in coming," he said, in heavily accented English. "But this is Isabella..... la mia moglie, my wife."
"Piacevole per incontrarli," she murmured haltingly, not sure if she had said it right or if they even understood her but the smile Justin directed down at her was filled with so much overwhelming pride and tenderness that Isabella felt bathed in its warmth. He entwined the long, lean fingers of one hand with hers but she didn't understand why he felt the need to make the gesture when their hands were out of the camera's sight.
"I'm pleased to meet you," she repeated in English, in case the couple hadn't understood her, which seemed likely if their baffled expressions were anything to go by. His mother's lips pursed in what looked like disapproval but his father's smile broadened and he said something in rapidfire Italian that Isabella didn't stand a chance of understanding.
