He waved me off, muttering complaints in Sicilian.
I grinned. I enjoyed having them in the house. They were different from my family. Even though we were big, most of us were not as close as they were. We had too many secrets.
Angela’s voice drifted out into the hall. She held Eleonora in her lap on the rocking chair, reading her a book.
She looked up at me when she heard me step into the room. Eleonora slapped at the book, talking to herself as Angela stood up and handed her to me.
“You should come with us,” she said, tapping my cheek. “It would do you some good to get away from here for a while.”
“I have things to take care of first,” I said.
“Always business!” She waved a hand. “Do you know why Italians live so long? We work to live, not live to work.”
“I thought it was all of the olive oil.”
She laughed, squeezing Eleonora’s cheeks. “You cannot forget the wine,” she said. “A glass of red a day is good for your heart.”
“Angela!”
“Ah!” She slapped her forehead. “Mamma mia!When the Italian women goes before her husband, it is because she could not take it anymore.”
“Angela!”
“When the Italian man goes before the wife, it is because she strangled him!” She brought her hands up, mimicking the act. “I am coming!You old grouch.” Her voice echoed as she left the room.
I held Eleonora closer while I picked the book up from the rocking chair and then sat down. One of her hands hit the page while the other reached for her foot. I finished reading the book to her and then set it back down, turning her around to face me.
She lifted one eyebrow, as if to say,What do you want with me? I don’t trust you.She was going to have hazel eyes, like my sister. Every day they changed in color.
“At least you’re not crying,” I said. “That’s a good start.”
“Ya, ya, ya.” She made some sounds, the eyebrow still lifted.
I lifted her up, kissing her cheeks, and then set her in the same position as before, stroking her head.
“You’re like me in that way,” I said. “You’re not going to trust easily. Which is good. Don’t smile for men like me. Ever. Even if they tell you a million pretty things. Promise you the world. Nothing is ever free, remember that, Eleonora. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. There’s always small print.”
I fixed a strand of her hair that stuck straight up. That, paired with the eyebrow lift, made me grin. “But don’t let the small print stop you from loving. Everything has a price. Even love, even though they say it’s free. Free to give, but it still should be earned.” I sighed. “I’m glad you’re more like me in that way. Yourmammagave her love to me too freely. She should have held out for someone better.”
I kissed her again.
“But I wouldn’t have allowed it. Yourmammais mine. So are you. No one, no other man in this world, will ever love you andmammathe way that I do. Even though I have a hell of a way of showing it.”
“Ya, ya, ya.”
“That’s all you got to say to me, princess?”
“Ya, ya, yaaaa.”
“Smile for me once,” I whispered, touching her chin. “Smile forpapà,Eleonora.”
She blinked at me and then yawned, her head falling toward my chest. I brought her even closer and she fell asleep in my arms.
“Corrado?” Alcina stood at the entrance to the door. “We are all ready to go.”
I nodded. “I’ll walk you out.”
I carried Eleonora outside, kissing her head once I strapped her in. I double-checked that all of the bags were as they should be. I waved to my mother and father-in-law.
