I shrug. "What could he do against the boss?"
"Nothing. I know that now." Lukas scrubs a hand over his face. "At the time I thought he was a coward. I told him as much. Now I know better."
"Your father's a good man. If he could have helped, he would."
Lukas nods. "Yeah, I know that now."
I reach out and take hold of a silver string hanging from one of the balloons, pulling it down to my level and batting it away with my hand. It drifts back toward me and I do it again.
There's something oddly satisfying about the way it bounces off my palm. I almost laugh as I imagine what my men would say if they saw me playing with a balloon. It would probably shatter myBeast of Romepersona.
"Your mother would have loved Katya," Lukas says quietly.
Yes, she would. Mamma was drawn to a certain type of energy in people. Katya possesses an abundance of it, an indomitable spirit. Nothing fazes her for long.
I clear my throat.
"Where is my wife?"
"Dining room." Lukas shoots me a look of reproach I've done nothing to earn. "Don't be mad at her for this. She was trying to be nice. She doesn't know balloons hold negative connotations for you."
"They don't," I tell him. "And even if they did I wouldn't take it out on Katya. What sort of asshole do you take me for?"
He raises an eyebrow. "You want me to answer that?"
"No."
Leaving him with the balloons, I go to find my wife. When I get to the dining room, I discover it's received the same treatment as my study.
There are more balloons and a banner strung on the wall between the windows wishing me a Happy Birthday. The table is set for two. There's a basket of pastries with my favoriteDanishes and a jug of apple juice. Maria must have shared my preferences with Katya.
At the center of the table sits an arrangement of pink peonies. It's not lost on me that they're the exact same shade as the ones I gave her as her wedding bouquet.
Lukas hasn't stopped teasing me about that. How was I to know she was supposed to hold them as she walked down the aisle?
"Happy Birthday!" Katya opens her arms wide as if to hug me, then thinks better of it, letting them drop to her sides. I find myself wishing she hadn't reconsidered.
She ushers me to the head of the table, bristling with excitement. Before I've even settled into my seat, she reaches under the table to produce a basket tied with a big blue bow.
At some point I'll tell her I like other colors too but for now, I'll enjoy the effort she's putting into meeting my preferences.
Inside the basket are several carefully wrapped packages. I'm not used to being spoiled like this. My brothers and I don't usually exchange gifts but since this is a significant birthday, Lorenzo sent me a case of wine and I got a platinum watch from Damiano.
The card that came with it wasn't in his writing and the all our love sentiment didn't sound like him. I suspect his wife, Violetta, took charge.
I've only met my sister-in-law once but her kindness during that brief encounter has left an impression.
"Well, open them," Katya says impatiently.
As I reach for the first package, she bites her bottom lip, watching me with a nervousness she can't conceal.
Whatever is in the basket, she cares what I think of it. I'm aware of that as I unwrap the first gift. It takes me a moment to figure out what it is.
A sleep mask but not an ordinary one. This is a thick band of gray fabric with some sort of control panel on the side of it.
"It plays sounds," she says. "Waves, rainfall, whale noises, whatever helps you relax. There's also a massage function but I wasn't sure if you'd be able to use that with…." She gestures toward her own eye.
"It should be fine." I turn it over in my hands, examining it more closely. "Thank you."
