Piero Barone Imagines

"How could I have missed all the signs?"

"How could I have missed all the signs?" - Piero

"They are utterly in love with her."

You couldn't agree more with Gianluca's girlfriend. The scene was as much cute as it was hilarious, three grown up men leaning over the plastic portable bed of the hospital and making all sorts of faces to the newborn girl.

Ignazio's wife had given birth just the previous day and the two "uncles" were head over the heels, wanting to be the first ones to meet the new addition to the Il Volo family.

While they were occupied with entertaining the baby and admiring her beauty, you along with Gianluca's girlfriend were keeping company to the new mother, asking her to share her thoughts on the pregnancy, now that it was over.

"What i definitely won't miss is the morning sickness during the first three months", she told you. "That was actually what got me thinking i might be pregnant. At first i had thought i just had the stomach flu, but when it seemed i was getting better, the next morning i would find myself back in the bathroom facing the toilet."

The two women's laugh became distant as you started counting days and reflecting back on the previous days. The funny feeling in your stomach hadn't left you for more than ten days and it had taken a great amount of determination not to throw up some days. On top of that, your period had been almost two weeks late, something you had originally attributed to the extra stress from work with the prospect of being promoted.

"(Y/n)? Are you OK?"

Gianluca's girlfriend patted your shoulder lightly and shook you out of your thoughts.

"Wh-what were you saying?"

You covered the awkwardness with a smile and listened as Ignazio's wife went on with Ignazio not missing at all having to be woken up in the middle of the night and search all the markets in the area to find a specific flavor of a specific brand of ice cream.

Her narration continued with some funny incidents, yet you were mostly silent, absentminded, participating rarely on the conversation. The need to know if your suspicions were true had started burning inside you and wouldn't cease till you had the pregnancy test in your hands. You constantly tried to remind yourself not to get your hopes up, something that proved really difficult, since both you and Piero wanted to have a baby in the near future.

On the ride home you would only respond to Piero's excited ramble so as not to raise any suspicions. You had him make a stop at the nearest pharmacy with the excuse to buy some pills for the stomach flu in case it came back and bought the one thing that would stop the anxiety of guessing. Five of them actually.

During the rest of the ride home you were visibly more relaxed, but Piero chose not to comment anything on your change of behaviour. Instead, he offered to cook dinner while you would be taking a warm, relaxing bath, which you happily accepted.

Alone at last in the bathroom, you took the tests out of the pharmacy bag and placed them on the counter, letting out a deep breath as you did so. You picked one, opened the box and read the instructions carefully.

One line negative. Two positive.

Five minutes of painful waiting.

A shriek of surprise and excitement escaped your lips when you saw the first pair of lines. As every test turned positive your smile became bigger and brighter, a few tears escaping. Your reflection on the mirror showed your hands protectively touch your belly. The beaming wouldn't leave your face.

A million thoughts raced through your mind. Ultrasounds, baby clothes, the nursery, the birth, the prospect of a new life.

"How could I have missed all the signs", you asked yourself, chuckling and face-palming.

You had to tell Piero right at that moment, but that little voice inside you reminded you that you always dreamed of making the announcement in a special way, far from handing him nearly a dozen positive pregnancy tests.

Excitement built up again inside you when the idea hit you a few minutes later. While you were dialing the number of a close friend who owned a pastry shop two blocks away, a loud, bright laugh escaped your lips.

After meticulously hiding any sign of the tests, you exited the bedroom, meeting a very surprised Piero and being hit by the mouthwatering smell of meat being roasted.

"Damn, it smells GOOD", you exclaimed, your stomach crawling.

"What happened? You look like your greatest wish has been granted."

You resisted the urge to reveal to him the news right then and there and only informed him that you needed to go out and would be back just in time for dinner.

Less than ten minutes later you were entrancing your friend's pastry shop, the fresh goodies satisfying your smelling buds. She welcomed you with a warm hug and an excited smile, congratulating you on the pregnancy. She had prepared everything as you had asked her on the phone. 10 cupcakes, half with blue and half with pink frosting and white sugar paste letters forming the phrase "baby Barone", each letter on one cupcake.

It was perfect.

Scared that he would somehow manage to ruin the surprise, you left the box at the living room the moment you walked back home. Meanwhile, Piero had set a romantic table for two, with candles and a rose placed on your seat.

The conversation on the table included his improved cooking skills and, of course, the new addition to the Boschetto family. Talking about the baby had your smile reach your ears immediately, which reminded Piero to ask for an explanation for your sudden happiness and excitement.

"It's nothing really", you tried to brush it off till the perfect moment. "I'm just really happy about them and I'm thankful that I have you, I have my friends, my job."

"Yes, but you had all of that yesterday and the day before yesterday and the day before. Something else happened." He wouldn't be convinced that easily and you knew he wouldn't stop till he knew the true reason behind your ever widening smile. "Tell me you finally got that promotion at work", he pleaded excitedly, making you laugh.

"No, not yet at least. But believe me, the promotion is not that significant now."

"Aha! So something did happen."

His eyes sparkled expectantly.

"I think it best if we discuss this over dessert."

"But i haven't made something", he admitted apologetically.

"I know, that's why i brought something from (friend's shop). Wait just one second."

You came back after a moment with the box in your hands and placed it on the table in front of him, choosing not to seat down.

"What is it?"

"Oh, trust me you'll like it a LOT."

"So, what good happened that got you so happy", he asked, returning his attention to you without touching the box.

"Piero, open the box."

"Yeah, i will, but firstly i want you to tell me what happened."

"Open the box and everything will be revealed."

You replied to his disbelieving look with a reassuring smile and watched as his hands removed the cover of the box and his eyes read the phrase on the cupcakes.

He made a shrieking sound as his jaw dropped in surprise. He turned his head to you, then to the cupcakes and back to you, trying to grasp the meaning and the importance of those two words.

He wanted to say something, he tried to say something, but all he could manage was to open his mouth and close it the next moment, unable to find the proper words to describe his feelings. Wells of tears appeared in his eyes as he jumped up and hugged you the tightest hug.

You smiled and ran your hands around his neck and back, hugging him back. He still hadn't said anything, but to you it wasn't that important anyway. Words come and go, they leave with the first wipe of air. Sentiments are what stays with you forever.