Page 217 of Vita Mia

“It’s what a wife does,” she said softly.

“To me, your very best feels like my wife believes in me again.”

“I never stopped.”

“It’ll be over soon. I promise. We’ll rebuild. I swear it.”

“Don’t promise Gio. Neither of us can make promises anymore.”

He looked down at her. “I do like your new hair.”

She chuckled. She hugged his waist and rested against his chest. She closed her eyes and pretended to believe in the happily ever after. She tried.

***

GIOVANNI TURNED OFFthe light in the bathroom before opening the door slowly. He peered into the dark bedroom and saw his wife on her side. She rested peacefully. Careful to slip on his blazer his gaze cast to the moon outside of the window. It was large in the sky almost menacing large against the peaceful landscape. He looked again to Mirabella. It was torture to leave her again, so he waited until he was sure she wouldn’t miss him. Dawn was quickly approaching. He left the room and checked on his children. The twins slept with their arms thrown over each other. Giovanni smiled at the shared brotherhood. He hoped they would always be so close. Eve slept with a large butterfly pillow that Nico had bought her. His firefly had evolved. Butterflies suited her better. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Papa,” she moaned in a half-awake state and then her eyes closed, and she slept again. He left their room before they woke. The last stop he made was Zia’s room. Inside his baby girl sat up drinking from a bottle. She was a bit old to have one but Mirabella told him at night Zia often gave her one. His daughter’s head turned and she blinked her round eyes at him. It melted his heart. Giovanni walked over to the bed and lifted her without disturbing Zia. Leeza put the nipple of the bottle to his lips. He kissed it instead of sucking it. He carried her out of the room.

“Papa has to go for a while. Will you watch over Mommie?”

Leeza rode in his arms looking around at the shadows. She didn’t answer. He kissed her cheek. He took her into the room with Mirabella and laid her in bed. Mirabella woke confused at first, then smiled at her daughter. She pulled her into an embrace and he could see how it relaxed his baby.

“You’re leaving now?”

He nodded.

“Will you be back for lunch?”

“That’s my plan,” he told her.

“Be careful.”

He winked. Giovanni left and closed the door. Outside a car waited for him. He slipped inside. Nico reversed and they left the cottage.

“Ballistrieri has refused our meeting spot. As you said he is a coward,” Nico said.

Giovanni nodded.

“He’s asking us to meet him at Tacchini’s old home. Where we killed him,” Nico said.

“That’s a drive back into Sorrento.”

“Yeah, it’ll take some time. Sorry boss,” Nico said.

Giovanni glanced over to him. “You’ve been a big a help to Mirabella and Eve while I’ve been gone.”

Nico didn’t respond.

Giovanni did something he rarely did, he swallowed his pride. “Grazie, Nico. Tanto grazie.”

Nico glanced over to him. “I was only there because you weren’t. I would never disrespect you Gio. I did nothing inappropriate.”

Giovanni shrugged. “The man I was; I don’t know him anymore. That man was insecure and bitter. He was blinded bydestino, not really in charge of it.”

“What does that mean?”

He cast his gaze to the moon that seemed to follow them as they sped along the highway to the coast. “I remember Flavio telling me my father’s weakness. The only way to keep from the curse was to keep focus. To keep myself from making his mistakes.”

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