Page 224 of Vita Mia

“How could you think that?” Mirabella asked. “I let you hate me, and your Papa to protect you. We shouldn’t have sent you away. But you needed a life away from us. And those were your words sweetheart. Remember? You needed a life from all of this. To be a whole person, not the daughter of Don Giovanni. All you wanted as a little girl was for something of your own. If I had given you school and normalcy that fire would have never happened. But your father’s trial, his persecution, his public death would have happened. And I had to stop being so selfish Eve. I had to be strong for once. I did everything for him Eve. For him first. I put him before myself, before you kids, before my own soul. I’m your mother and you were in pain and I never even saw it.”

“Mummy stop,” MiaBella began to cry.

“It was always some drama. It was my sister, your aunt, your uncles, our enemies, it was supposed to be about you children. And the moment Giovanni learned that lesson it was too late. I was grieving. I just wanted you to be happy, baby. It killed me to send you away, so I sent Nico every other month to check on you in that school.”

“Why didn’t you come?” Eve wept.

“Because if I had seen you I wouldn’t be able to leave you behind. Because I was a coward. And when I did come for you, I had already replaced us in your life with Nico. The trust was broken between us. You didn’t want to come. You wanted to be away from me and the family.”

“I hated Papa.”

“Eve!” MiaBella exclaimed.

“I did! He lied to us,” she said to MiaBella.

“He only did it to protect us. And he lied to mummy too. You know the truth.”

“No,” Mirabella said. “You both know the truth, but neither of you understand it.”

“I don’t have too. Papa is a hero for what he did,” MiaBella said.

“Oh God,” Eve rolled her eyes.

“He is. He gave up more than any of us.”

“You had Papa. We didn’t,” Eve snapped.

“You had Papa before I ever existed,” MiaBella snapped back. Eve blinked surprised. It was rare that MiaBella stood up to her older siblings, but when she did she stood her ground.

“Take it back. Take it back!” MiaBella pointed at the camera.

Eve glanced to the camera pointed at them and then to her mother. She wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks. “No!”

Before Mirabella could stop her, she walked out of the room and slammed the door. MiaBella got up from her chair and threw her arms around her mother’s neck. Mirabella held her daughter to her and let go of her sadness. After several long minutes, she let MiaBella go. She stood and wiped her eyes. She walked over to the window and stared out of it. MiaBella came to her side. They watched as Eve sped off the land in her brother’s convertible.

“She’s going to him, isn’t she?” MiaBella asked.

“Let her go. She needs to get her answers her way.”

“What do you mean when you say we don’t understand the truth?” MiaBella asked.

“Go get Ryder. I’m ready to finish the story.”

MiaBella blinked at her concerned. Mirabella smiled. “It’s okay. This is what Papa wants.”

“Va bene,” MiaBella said and left her side. Mirabella let go a deep sigh. She knew Eve’s grief because it was as deep and as hurtful as hers the day Giovanni died.

***

PALERMO, SICILY

July 1996

“Papa! Papa!” Eve rushed into the room screaming. “They’re here! They’re really here!”

Mirabella glanced to Giovanni. He’d only been home a few days. It had been bliss. Though they were in Domi’s home now she found a sense of peace over having the family together and whole again. Zia glanced to Giovanni as did Catalina. They all sat silent. Giovanni winked at the women and pushed up from his chair first. “Let’s go greet our guests.”

The family all got up from their seats. Eve took her father’s hand and bounced on her feet with excitement. Mirabella picked up Leeza from her chair and carried her in her arms a step behind her husband. Dominic was already in the parlor. They could hear his voice. She felt her legs go weak when her sister’s laughter rang out.

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