Eunice glared at us before she asked the men to follow. Agosto handed his son the shovel, not even bothering to look, while he hustled behind her. The two sons laughed, shaking their heads, thanking us as they waited a second or two before following behind.
Scarlett took a seat on the bench before the roses, settling Matteo in to eat, pulling down her top. I could hear his gulps, him breathing through his nose. Eyes closed in ecstasy, he gripped Scarlett’s cross, something to hold on to.
Mia pulled me around the roses, staring at them.
“They grow?” She lifted one hand, palm forward, looking up at me.
“Soon, my heart,” I said in Italian. “They will.”
“Bene.” She shrugged. “When?”
“It takes time, just like it’ll take time for Matteo to grow as big as you are.”
She let my hand go, running around the roses, singing to herself.
Scarlett watched us, but her mind seemed to have drifted. I wanted to broach the subject about Maggie Beautiful, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to hear the truth. A safer topic would buy me time, or peace.
“Agosto and Eunice?” I lifted my brows.
“Ring ’round the—”
“Oh.” Scarlett looked at me, really saw me, like she’d just realized I was there. “Yes. I mean—she’s afraid, but maybe he’ll lower her defenses. In time.”
“That’s no mountain for a good man to climb,” I said. “Is he good for Eunice?”
She’d known something was off with Eunice and Burgess but had declined to mention it to Eunice. Scarlett had wanted to see her happy, and she had hoped he was the man to do it. As the scar on her chest attested, though, he was as responsible for what happened to my wife as Cesare.
She bit her lip, and then apop!sounded as she released Matteo from one breast and set him on the other. It took her a moment to answer after he was at it again.
“I have a good feeling about him.Mia!Come here, baby girl. LetPapàtie your laces, or you’re going to trip and fall.”
Mia ran over, taking a seat next to her Mamma, and lifted her foot so I could tie her shoe. She leaned over, resting her head against Scarlett’s arm, and Scarlett leaned over and kissed her head.
Bending down, I kept my eyes glued to what I was doing.
“Brando—” she started.
“Let me stand first,” I said.
“All right,” she whispered.
By the time Mia’s laces were all tied, Matteo was finished, a small belch coming from his mouth, as he fell asleep against his mamma’s shoulder.
I couldn’t put it off any longer, so I stood, preparing for what was to come next.
Scarlett’s eyes connected with mine, and she opened her mouth, about to speak, but Romeo’s voice interrupted.
Mia saw him and sucked in a breath, then, taking off as fast she could, ran straight into his arms. He absorbed the impact, scooping her up, turning her in a circle before heading straight for us. Mia hung on to him like a little monkey. She giggled nonstop as he tickled her.
Scarlett stood behind me, her hand on my arm, squeezing.
“Fratello, we must go,” he said when he was close enough. “We have orders.”
“Tell me where,” I said.
“Florence. Ettore. He’s dying.”
Not only did I hear the sigh that escaped Scarlett’s lips, but I felt her deflate, like she’d been about to burst. It was clear she’d been expecting something, and not that she was callous enough to feel relief at his death, but apparently, she was thankful it wasn’t one of us.
