"He's not. I had to bargain with him. One thing you'll learn, Allegra, is that my father doesn't care about anyone but himself—and money."
"What did you do?" I'm almost afraid to ask, especially seeing the way his jaw is locked in place, the veins on his hands prominent as he grips the wheel.
"I paid him what he felt he lost with her," he says cryptically, and I frown.
"I don't understand."
"He was going to take her child away and then sell her to the highest bidder—the only use he still had for her. So I found a way to make him happy."
I don't think he's giving me the whole picture, and when he doesn't volunteer more details, I let the subject drop. I think it's the first time I'm seeing Enzo react like this…with so much emotion radiating off him.
We drive a while longer before finally reaching our destination.
Sacre Coeur is imposing, surrounded by sturdy walls. It looks more like a prison than a convent. I'm almost tempted to ask if we're at the right destination, but Enzo doesn't seem like he'd be receptive to such a joke.
He takes my hand and leads me toward the entrance. Wepass through security first, and then we're met by a sister who shows us to one of the dorms.
The entire building seems a little dilapidated from the outside, and this is further confirmed as we enter, going up the stairs toward a little room at the back of the first floor.
Enzo knocks softly, and a beautiful woman holding a baby in her arms opens the door. Her eyes—eyes identical to Enzo's—widen before she goes in for a hug, mindful of the infant sleeping in her embrace.
"Enzo!" she exclaims, and a look of pure happiness crosses her face. "I missed you."
"Lina, and how is my favorite niece?" His voice completely changes as he addresses his sister, and I suddenly feel like an intruder in this perfect family scene.
"Finally sleeping. Come," she motions for us to come inside. The room is tiny, with only a bed and a chest of drawers. There's baby stuff everywhere, and I have to wonder how she manages in such restricted quarters.
I step inside and watch as Enzo takes the baby out of his sister's arms, cradling her to his chest.
"I swear she gets bigger and bigger every time I see her."
"She grows up so fast…" Lina shakes her head, a smile playing at her lips. "And who…" she trails off, turning toward me, a small frown marring her forehead.
Enzo's family must have amazing genes.
I've noticed this even in Rocco and Lucia. If it weren't for the extra pounds around his stomach, Rocco wouldn't look so pudgy and old. But even so, I detected where Enzo must have gotten some of his features from. And then there's Lucia, and as much as I'm loath to admit, she is a very striking woman.
But Catalina… Even though she's inherited her mother's looks, there is no trace of malice on her features. There's only a type of serenity that emphasizes her beauty.
"This is my wife, Allegra." Enzo inclines his head toward me, but his attention is wholly focused on his niece.
"Nice to meet you," I say, leaning in to kiss her on both cheeks, and I'm surprised when she draws me in for a hug.
"Welcome to the family," she says, patting my back affectionately. Just then, the baby starts crying in Enzo's arms, and Catalina quickly takes her from him.
"And this little troublemaker is my daughter, Claudia." She gazes lovingly at her daughter, cooing at her to make her stop crying. And she does. The moment she feels comfortable in Catalina's arms, a peaceful expression settles on her face as she goes back to sleep.
"It's not you, Enzo," Lina whispers to her brother, seeing his downcast expression, "she's not used to other people holding her."
Lina is careful as she takes a seat on the bed, her daughter in her arms.
"Tell me more," she says, looking up at us. "How did this happen? When did you get married?"
I open my mouth to reply, but Enzo starts first, relating our meeting but distorting everything that happened afterward. Lina listens attentively, a dreamy look on her face as Enzo lies through his teeth about ourgrand love story.
"Oh, Enzo! I'm so happy for you. You don't know how much I wanted to see you settle down with someone you loved." Catalina continues to gush over the fabricated story, and Enzo continues to keep up his ruse, giving her additional details about our wedding.
I merely smile and let him do the talking, since it seems important to him that his sister believes he's married for love.
