Page 134 of La Dolce Vita

"Thank you for this. It means so much to me."

"I wish we could have stayed longer like I promised."

"A week is fair, and it's fine. Besides if things ever settle down in our life, we can come back, maybe."

"Things, Bella? What stuff?" he asked.

"You've decided to tell them about me. To tell them all Marsuvio Mancini is my father. You've chosen to go to war with Armando. Kill my brother?" She looked over at him.

"It's far more complicated."

"What's not complicated, Gio is the fact that you don't talk to me. Especially about something as important as this."

Giovanni sighed. "First, I've always told you that I would have to share with my colleagues who you are. You know this."

"True," she said. "Why now?"

"Why not now? You were kidnapped. Tortured. My enemies got to you because I wasn't paying attention. I am now. And I don't care who in the world knows who you are. I am happy to share the news."

"Okay, I hope you are. Because what you did was bring the world into our lives. I'm not some unknown American woman you married. I have a reputation that goes beyond Italy. The press will seize on this, and I have a show that is going to launch in two days in Paris. The media..."

"I apologize,Bella. I should have considered those factors."

She sighed. "What about Armando? I thought you two had an understanding?"

"He and I will never have the understanding you want. I am not trying to kill your brother. I just want what is ours. And I've given him an opportunity to hand it over."

"He won't, Gio."

"Then that is his problem, not yours." He took her hand again. He kissed it. "Trust me,Bella. I know what I am doing."

She nodded, but her sad eyes turned away from him to their sleeping child. "I pray that you do."

***

"I thought you said you lived in Alpoca? That sign says we're headed to Apple Grove," Marietta said.

"Alpoca is the closest city to us. Most people from Apple Grove claim to be from Alpoca."

"I like apples, Mommy!" Eve said from the back of the passenger van.

"Well we have plenty of apples for you, baby," Mirabella said.

Giovanni was their driver. The highways were much wider than the ones he was used to traveling on until they veered off to a winding stretch of road between trees, so tall the outstretched branches blocked the sun. He didn't see many cars or houses. Mirabella was instructing the way. He wanted to hire a car service. Mirabella insisted they didn't. She asked that they arrive very low key, and just them--none of his men. He wasn't used to traveling that way.

"Mommmmyyyy!" Eve yelled from the back of the van. "I have ta peeeeeeee!"

"Me too. How much longer, Mira?" Marietta asked.

Giovanni glanced over to his wife. She stared out of the window as if no one spoke. He reached over and touched her thigh. She snapped out of whatever memory she was caught in and smiled. "There's a gas station a mile ahead. We can stop there."

"But how much longer?" Marietta insisted.

Mirabella glanced back. "It's not far, fifteen more minutes."

Giovanni saw the sign for the petrol station ahead. The journey had already been over an hour. He too felt aggravated. When they drove up the rocky dirt road to the pumps, little Eve cheered. Mirabella was out of the van before he could shift the gear into park. His Bella was very anxious, nervous, and a little jumpy. When he got out of the van and walked around, Lorenzo and Marietta helped the kids. Mirabella stood before the station staring at it. There were no cars or customers. But he could see the clerk peering at them from the inside.

"Everything okay,Bella?" he called out.

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