With Eli occupied, I got our bags put away then sat in the family room sipping a cup of hot tea.
“Gio tells me you have a stalker. Don’t worry, he’ll find this person.”
A look passed between mother and son that puzzled me and I filed it away to ask him about it later. “So he keeps telling me. I still think I should go to the police about it.”
“Non. We have our own…security. They can go placesla poliziacannot.”
Carmella patted my hand and I sighed. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Of course I am. Now, let’s not worry about such things. Today is about relaxing. You go take a nice, hot bath. I will keep an eye on Eli.”
I could have argued with the older woman, but the thought of pampering myself, even a little, was too tempting. I knew Gio wanted me in his room, but I’d picked one of the guest rooms that had a nice tub in it. I’d been a little surprised to find bath oils waiting, until I checked the other guest bathrooms and found them equally stocked. I didn’t know if that was Gio’s doing or his mothers, but my money was on Carmella.
The hot water, accompanied by the relaxing scent of jasmine, soothed aches I didn’t even know I had. I reheated the water twice before I finally, reluctantly, climbed out. My skin was wrinkled from the long soak, but I felt better than I had in a long time.
Gio, once again, cooked for us after Carmella and the children left. Later, I was tucking Eli into bed, and stretched out next to him. As he snuggled into the covers, I sang softly to him. It was a nursery rhyme I’d written when he was a baby and it always soothed him when he had a hard time sleeping.
When the day is almost done, when the sun is all but gone, go to sleep, go to sleep.
When your pillow’s fluffed up right, when your blanket’s tucked in tight, go to sleep, go to sleep.
When your bed is soft and warm, when your dreams are filled with with calm, go to sleep, go to sleep.
When the night wind, calls to you, when the night birds sing to you, go to sleep, go to sleep.
When the moon is in the sky, when the stars come out at night, go to sleep, go to sleep.
When the day is almost done, when the sun is all but gone, go to sleep, go to sleep. Go to sleep, go to sleep.
Once I was certain he was asleep, I pressed a gentle kiss to his brow, tucked the covers around him, and exited the room. I left the door cracked open for him and turned to find Gio watching me.
“That was beautiful,Tesoro.Where did you learn it? I don’t think I have heard it before.”
“That’s because you haven’t. I wrote it for Eli when he was a baby. When I know he’s having a hard time sleeping, I sing it to him and it always relaxes him.”
“You are full of surprises. Will you let me hold you tonight?”
I should have said no. That wasn’t what came out of my mouth. “I’d like that, Gio. But it has to be in the guest room. If Eli wakes up, he’ll come looking for me.”
“I don’t care where we sleep,Bella, as long as I can hold you in my arms.”
Doors were locked, lights were turned off, and once we’d both changed for the night, we crawled into bed together. Curling up next to Gio felt like the most right, the most natural, thing in the world. I felt like right here, in his arms, was where I belonged.
