Page 7 of Poison and Wine

“Especially not to an Italian,” I mused.

With a wink, Dare thrust his newly filled glass in the air. “To my brother and the Sexy Sister.”

Chapter Two: Caterina

Ear-splitting cries of fear and agony echoed through my ears. Kneeling down onto the clinic floor, I stared into the frightened eyes of a four-year-old girl. “Prometto che non ti farò del male,” I crooned.

It appeared my promise not to hurt her had fallen on deaf ears. Instead of appearing comforted, she shook her head while continuing to cry. I knew it couldn’t possibly be an issue with my translation since I spoke Italian as well as I did English. More specifically, I’d grown up with the same Sicilian dialect as those in the villages around me spoke.

My attention went to her mother who gave me an apologetic smile. “I’ve tried everything to get her to calm down,” she explained.

“It’s okay,” I reassured her. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“Flavia,” she sniffled.

“That’s a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

With Flavia’s cries waning slightly, I picked up the syringe on the table next to me. I held it out to her. “This is medicine, and it’s meant to help you. You’re only going to feel a little pinch. I bet you won’t even realize you’ve had it.” When her wails started up again, I added, “As soon as it’s over, I’ll let you have an ice cream.”

When her cries abruptly stopped, I knew I’d found the magic word. For some of the children it was ice cream while for others it was candy or maybe a toy. Almost all of them eventually had a breaking point.

“What kind of ice cream would you like?” I asked as I rubbed the alcohol swipe on her arm.

“Chocolate,” Flavia sniffled.

“Mm, chocolate is my favorite, too.” As I brought the needle to her arm, I asked, “What do you like on your ice cream?”

“Sprinkles.”

As I injected the vaccine, I asked, “Rainbow sprinkles?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. After pulling out the needle, I smiled. Just as I had predicted, Flavia barely recognized she’d been given the shot. “Great job!” I exclaimed before putting a band aid on the injection site.

Her eyes popped wide. “It’s done?”

“See, it wasn’t a big deal at all, was it?”

Instead of agreeing with me, Flavia demanded, “Where’s my ice cream?”

I laughed along with her mother. “You’re right. A promise is a promise. I will go grab you one right now.”

As I made my way out of the examining room and down the hall to the kitchen, I smiled and waved at the children in the waiting area. Many of them waved back while others threw me wary gazes. I guess I couldn’t blame them. Although it certainly wasn’t my intention, I was the woman who made other kids cry.

Growing up, I’d never been a big fan of shots myself. My mind flickered back to the times my nanny, Talia, had loaded my brothers and I up in the car to go to the doctor. Of course, our car was actually a bulletproof SUV, and two bodyguards accompanied us. Just like Flavia, I would cry the entire trip. Nothing Talia or my brothers said ever seemed to soothe me. It wasn’t until we swept through the doors of my favorite ice cream parlor that I would finally dry my tears. Just like Flavia, I liked chocolate with rainbow sprinkles.

An ache spread through my chest at the thought of my former life. It happened each and every time I thought about my brothers or Talia. It wasn’t that I was unhappy belonging to the Sacred Heart. It was more that being a novice in a religious order at twenty-one wasn’t exactly how I’d seen my life unfolding.

My shoes shuffled along the aging tile. Our facility wasn’t much to look at both on the inside or outside, but it did so much for the impoverished people of the area. The work my fellow sisters did was a matter of immense pride to myself. I felt extremely blessed to be a part of it.

When I strolled into the kitchen, two large pots bubbled on the burners while two sisters stirred the contents. “Come to help us with the soup?” Sister Lucia asked with a smile.

“While I would love to lend a hand, I’m actually on a mission for something sweet,” I replied as I made my way over to the freezer.

“Let me guess. This one is not for your outrageous sweet tooth, but it’s another bribery for a shot?” she asked.

Laughing, I pulled out a mini container of chocolate ice-cream. “How do you know me so well?”

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