“Silly girl.” I wiped her nose with a clean towel, teasing her with it. “I love you so much,” I said in Slovenian. She was so sweet I wanted to eat her up.
We began singing again, a lighter mood finding me, until his form zipped before the window, completing his round.
He hadn’t slept, alternately watching me and the ceiling all night. Before sunrise, he dressed in workout gear and left. He still showed no signs of slowing. Two hours he’d been at it.
As if his appearance had cast a dark cloud over the window, my mood shifted with it. His shadow brought all that I wanted to desperately forget, pretend hadn’t happened the night before. Every time I looked at him, I was reminded of his vow to someone else.
It was hard to escape the truth when it existed above his flesh, and even deeper—to his core.
I found the hardest part of this situation, so far, was pretending that I was the happiest woman who existed on earth for my daughter, while my heart broke into fragments, moment by moment, for my husband.
When I thought I’d break down and give in to the betrayal, she’d smile or hum, and I could plaster on a smile and sing with her; in the pain, I found that happiness could still exist simply because she did.
Still, it was hard to ignore the absence of the securest link I’d ever had in my life—it felt too loose for comfort. Each time I moved I heard the rattle, and wondered, will this be it?
“Shit!” The dish fell from my fingers again, this time cracking in half, its pieces going under, smaller chunks floating above, caught up in the suds.
“It!” Mia mimicked, slapping her hand against the highchair, like I had done to the sink.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, attempting to settle my frazzled nerves.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew the front door had opened, that Ruby had jump from her spot to greet whoever, but I wasn’t prepared for visitors this early. All I had on was a chemise and robe and fuzzy slippers. My hair? Fucking forget about it.
If it were Luca, his royal eyes could take me in like everyone else at this time of the morning.
It wasn’t Luca but one of his heirs. Romeo. He was covered in sweat, his hair soaked, his clothes sticking to him. His face mirrored his older brother’s. Lip busted. Eye swollen.
Before he greeted Mia as he usually did, he stopped behind me, putting a hand to my shoulders, squeezing.
“Breathe, Sissy,” he whispered. “All will work out.”
“How can you say that?” I whispered back. “Have you looked in a mirror?”
If he hadn’t, the apocalypse was near, but I decided not to speak it.
“Sì. All wounds heal.”
“The ones we see,” I said, taking his advice, breathing in and out. “What about the ones we don’t?”
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, the scent of musk and fires and mint surrounding me, and then squeezed my shoulders again. I patted his hand, covering it with suds.
Knowing he was done with the conversation for the moment, I offered him a cup of coffee as he attacked Mia with kisses. She scrunched up her shoulders, giggling in delight, as he accepted my offer. Then she offered him a grape. He munched it with a loud growl, making her light up again.
Bringing a seat from the table closer, he sat next to her while I made his coffee.
“Nice run?” I asked.
“The same,” he said, allowing Mia to feed him. “I became bored. I decided to visit the first villa I came to.”
“Thanks, I think,” I said, handing him the cup.
“Grazie.” He lifted his cup, laughing. “We both know you are my favorite sister.”
Mia started to feed him crumbs from her tray, and he was hungrily taking them.
“I’ll make you an omelet,” I offered.
His dark eyes lit up. “This is why you are my favorite sister.”
