“Probably.” Gabriel began caressing her lower back. “But I have it written into my contract that they give me a sabbatical the year after next. It was part of their job offer.”
“I’d hate to see you waste your sabbatical,” she said quietly.
His hand rested in the hollow of her lower back.
“What part of spending time with the baby would be wasted?”
“You won’t be able to finish your book.”
“I’m sure I’ll have time to write. Even if I didn’t, it would be worth it. Talk to Cecilia and see what she says. But whatever you do, don’t worry. I made promises to you, and I intend to keep them.”
Julia smiled. “That’s the only reason why I’m not freaking out.”
He gazed at her intensely. “Good.”
Chapter Seventy-four
April 2012
So, Julianne, what can I do for you?” Cecilia Marinelli ushered her graduate student into her office, gesturing to a comfortable chair near the large desk.
Cecilia was just under five feet tall, with bobbed dark hair and blue eyes. She was from Pisa, originally, and spoke English with an accent.
“I came to ask your advice.” Julia began wringing her hands.
“Ask.” Cecilia gave Julia an encouraging look.
“Um, I’m going to have a baby.”
“Congratulations! This is good news, yes?” Cecilia switched to Italian, smiling widely.
Julia answered her in Italian. “Yes. Very good news. Uh, but I’m due in September, right at the beginning of the semester.”
Cecilia shrugged. “Then you take maternity leave and return the next year.”
“I don’t want to fall behind in my program, so I’m not going to take a maternity leave.”
Professor Marinelli shook her head. “This is not the best idea. Normally, in your third year, you would teach in the fall and take your linguistics course plus another class. Then you would write your general exams in the winter. Since your baby comes in September, I think your teaching and coursework would have to be delayed until January. Then you will be studying for your exams at the same time. This is too much.” Cecilia’s tone was not unkind.
“I didn’t realize that.” Julia’s voice sounded shaky and small.
“You do what you like, but certainly, I would take maternity leave.”
“Really?”
Cecilia sat back in her chair for a moment. “It will be too much for you to put all these things in one semester. Your colleagues will have the advantage of you in their general exams. And you cannot fail. So, to make things fair, you take maternity leave for one year. Then, you teach and take your classes the following September, and take your exams in the winter. Yes, you will be behind a year. But you are a good student. I think you will catch up when you are writing your dissertation. It will be better to be behind a year than to realize midsemester you cannot do everything.”
Julia’s heart sank as all her plans fell to pieces. Frantically, she searched for another solution.
“Aren’t some of the courses offered in the summer?”
Cecilia noted her student’s reaction and switched to English. “No, I’m sorry.”
Julia’s hands twisted in her lap.
“It’s just that Gabriel was going to take a leave from BU so that I wouldn’t have to.”
“Gabriel? With a baby?” Cecilia laughed, chattering to herself in Italian.
(Apparently, she found the thought of the Professor looking after a baby highly amusing. In this, she was not alone.)
“This, I did not expect. But it shows he will be a good father, yes? If he is willing to help. But Gabriel’s leave doesn’t solve the problem of the schedule. It isn’t realistic to think you can have a baby, then return to class the next day. God forbid you have complications and need to take time off before the baby is born.”
Julia winced. “I hadn’t thought of that, either.”
Cecilia smiled patiently. “This is why we have advisors, to offer advice and maybe a little caution. My advice is to take maternity leave. You won’t lose your place in the program or your funding. If you want, I can give you a reading list for your dissertation prospectus and you can work on that while you’re on leave. You could also work on your other languages. But let’s not be too ambitious. And there’s one more thing, but you must promise to keep it secret. Professor Matthews is waiting to make the formal announcement.” She switched back into Italian, as if that language afforded them more privacy.
“Of course.” Julia responded in Italian, looking at her supervisor with interest.
“Professor Picton has decided to come to Harvard.”
“Really? That’s wonderful.” Julia’s heart leapt with joy.
“Yes, it is. She’s committed to stay in Oxford one more year, then she will arrive next September, when you return from maternity leave. I cannot speak for her, but I believe she would be a reader on your dissertation. This is very good news for your project.”
Julia smiled as the wheels began turning in her mind.
“So,” said Cecilia, reverting to English once again. “I won’t tell you it will be easy, being a mother and a student. But you can do it. Please give Gabriel my congratulations. I’m happy for you both.”
Julia thanked her professor and exited the office.
When Julia arrived home for dinner, Gabriel was sitting on a bar stool at the kitchen island, reading the newspaper.
He immediately dropped the paper when he saw her.
“Why, hello, beautiful. How was your day?”
“It was okay.” Julia put her messenger bag down on the floor and sat next to him at the island.
“What’s wrong?” He placed his hand at the back of her neck and gently pulled her close so he could kiss her. “Are you ill?”
“I have good news and bad news.”
The edges of his lips turned down. “What’s the bad news?”
“Professor Marinelli said I have to take a maternity leave.”
“Why did she say that?”
“Since the baby is due in September, she doesn’t think I should register for courses in the fall. The way the schedule is, it would be too much if I tried to cram the third-year requirements into the winter semester. So she thinks I should just take the year off.”
Gabriel rubbed at his chin. “I’d forgotten about how busy the third year is. What do you want to do?”
“What can I do? I have to take a maternity leave.” She put her elbows on the counter.