Page 42 of Vita Mia

“C’mon,” Kyra gave Mirabella a gentle nudge to the door.

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THE NURSE STAYED FORa few minutes but when Belinda went still and silent he left the room. She was alone. Belinda held herself the best she could. Her arms were crossed at the chest. Her knees were drawn up. She shivered hard. She felt the drug coursing through her veins slow down her heartbeat, but it did nothing to slow down her grief. The room came into focus then focus faded. Slowly she turned over and stared up at the ceiling. Her vision corrected once more. Belinda sat up. She was certain she had heard something. Her vision blurred then cleared again.

“Bee?”

She glanced to the window and saw Leo. Just as she did a moment before she jumped from the fire. The look in his eyes, when he pleaded with her to go before him was there. She heard his voice.Mia amore. The two words played over and over in her head like the lyrics of a sad love song.Mia amore.

She moved the covers.

“You have to go first,” he said. “I come with you this time.”

She wiped her tears and nodded.

“Why didn’t you jump with me the first time?”

He shook his head sadly.

“I was wrong. Forgive me,cara. I come with you this time.Mia amore.”

“Okay,” Belinda smiled.

***

“La fine!” Giovanni said and closed the book.

Eve laid against his chest staring at the cover of the book. She smiled a few times for him but not many. And Giovanni kept noticing how she favored her bandaged hand, but never looked at it.

“Eve, Papa needs to go to the bathroom. Can you look in the bag for another book? Does it hurt to stand?”

“Not really. I can stand with my foot brace. See,” she said and lifted her foot up for him. He smiled. He gave her another kiss then set her down. He checked on Leeza. She, too, was a remarkable little girl. She rarely fussed. In her bassinet Leeza sucked her fist and stared up at him.

“You watch over your sister,” he said.

Leeza stopped sucking her fist and blinked her brown eyes at him. He made a funny face for the infant. When she kicked her feet in response he chuckled. Eve got down from the sofa and went to the bed to locate her teddy bear. She was able to move a bit more on her own without assistance. She put the bear in the crib with her baby sister. Giovanni witnessed it all. Eve seem so much like her old self. He truly believed that they were on the road to healing.

Giovanni went inside the bathroom and relieved himself.

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EVE FOUND THE BAG OFbooks on the top of the edge of the sofa. She walked over and climbed up on the sofa. Her left hand felt numb but she was certain there was pain inside of it so she used her right hand only. She heard her Papa flush so she did her best to try to find a good book for them. When she couldn’t see them all she climbed on the small chair next to the window. She pulled a book out with her good hand and stood closer to the light to read the cover. Papa was washing his hands. She could hear the tap running. Eve smiled. It was like the good times she had with her father before all the babies were born. Excited for the next book she chose her favorite. Alice in Wonderland. This time she’d read to Papa.Won’t he be surprised?

For a reason she would later regret her head turned toward the sunlight. But looking up to the sky and sun burned her eyes. Her gaze lowered. Out across from her window was another building. Eve drew closer to the window pane. She had to lift on her toes on the sofa cushion. She stared for a moment not sure if she was seeing correctly. Then she was certain. It was Belinda.

Eve hit the glass with her right hand. Belinda stood on the edge of her window looking down. Eve hit the glass with her hand repeatedly to get her attention.

“Belinda!”

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GIOVANNI WASHED HIShands and dried them.

“Belinda!” Eve cried out.

Startled, Giovanni rushed from the bathroom. His daughter stood on the chair banging both her hands against the window pane, highly distressed. She kept screaming Belinda’s name.

“Eve?”

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