Page 214 of Vita Mia

“Gio! Mio Dio! Caro, mi sei mancato tantissimo!” Zia wept on his chest. Leeza began to whine. Giovanni smiled. He held his aunt but lifted his daughter up against his chest with his free arm. His little girl hit at his face and then pushed at his neck to try to keep him away from kissing her. He kissed her despite her protest. It had been months since she last saw him. He understood.

“She misses you too!” Zia laughed through her tears.

“I can tell.” He let go of his aunt and held Leeza up above his head. She was walking now, not an arm baby anymore. Still, she was his little ladybug. “Papa has missed you so much precious one.”

Leeza stopped whining. She was every bit of her mother. So beautiful.

He kissed her. He gave her back to Zia. His daughter seemed to calm down but stared up at him with confusion. “Where are they?”

“Lunch, in the gazebo. They eat out there when Nico visits.”

“Nico visits often?” Giovanni asked.

“He’s been a big help to Mirabella, and Eve. They needed him.”

“I’ll make sure to thank him,” Giovanni muttered under his breath.

He started toward the terrace doors.

“Gio?”

He paused.

“Is it true? Is Lorenzo alive?” Zia asked.

Giovanni nodded.

“So, you didn’t kill him?” Zia asked.

Giovanni shook his head no.

“Does he know the truth? About what Rocco and I did?”

“Maybe soon you can tell him.”

“Why didn’t you?” Zia asked. She set Leeza down and his baby girl walked over to him immediately. She lifted her arms to him for a do-over. She must have realized who her Papa was. He knelt and faced her. He wiped any trace of tears from her cheeks.

“I didn’t tell him because it’s not my lie,” Giovanni said. He then addressed his baby girl. “Can you take Papa to Mama?”

Leeza nodded turned and hurried away on her little chubby legs. To be so little she moved fast. Giovanni chuckled to himself as he followed his daughter to the doors that led to the terrace. Leeza was against the pane glass with her hands flat and her nose pressed up against it.

“Mama!” she said.

Giovanni stepped behind her. He could see a sea of yellow wildflowers in bloom. At one time this place was covered in blue roses. But he’d left it unattended and now more vibrancy, color and beauty sprinkled the landscape. Nico was playing with Eve. He had her on his shoulders as he walked around in the tall grass. His movement caused butterflies to swarm upward and Eve did her best to catch some with her net. She laughed, his big burly friend laughed as well. His presence didn’t seem to be missed.

“Nico!” Leeza said. She looked up at her father. “Nico,” she said again and pointed.

“Yes, ladybug, I see him.”

The twins were under the cover of the gazebo being served lunch by Mirabella.

“Let’s go say hi,” he said and opened the door. Leeza rushed out.

“Nico! Nico! Nico!” Leeza yelled.

The family looked over. Eve dropped her net and the butterflies escaped. Mirabella stood from her chair under the gazebo. Even his sons looked at him with a mix of surprise and disbelief.

“Papa! My Papa!” Eve cried out.

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