The dining table is massive.
Bruno sits at the head of the table.
Not in a wheelchair.
His eyes meet mine.
"Marina." His voice is deeper than I remember. Rougher. "Welcome back."
"Bruno." I manage to keep my voice steady. "You look... good."
"Physical therapy is a bitch."
A woman beside him laughs softly. Blonde hair, green eyes, a gentle face that seems out of place at this table of sharp edges.
"This is Antonella," Sophia says. "Bruno's wife."
Antonella rises awkwardly, I can see the bump. She's pregnant. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Sophia talks about you constantly."
Her grip is warm.
"Nice to meet you too," I say.
Nico sits further down the table, his dark eyes tracking everything. He nods at me once. Acknowledgment without warmth.
Beside him sits a woman with chestnut hair pulled back in a ponytail. She's pretty in a quiet way—the kind of pretty that doesn't demand attention. But there's something in her posture. A tension. A watchfulness.
"Kristen," Sophia says. "Nico's wife. She's the one who helped you save Dante's life over the phone."
Kristen stands and offers her hand. "I'm glad the instructions worked. Phone instruction is not exactly my specialty."
"You were calm," I say. "That helped more than you know."
She smiles, and some of the tension leaves her shoulders. "I've had practice staying calm in bad situations."
There's a story there. I can see it in the shadows under her eyes, in the way Nico's hand immediately finds her lower back when she sits down.
"Pietro and Nora send their apologies," Sophia continues, guiding me toward an empty chair. "They're staying at the other house until the baby comes. Nora's pregnancy has been... complicated. She wanted privacy for the remaining months."
"I hope she's okay," I say.
"She's tough. The baby's just stubborn." Sophia grins. "Like its father."
I sit down. Dante takes the chair beside me.
"Vittoria and Dmitri are coming over later today," Sophia adds, pouring coffee into my cup without asking. She knows I need it.
I wrap my hands around the coffee cup. The warmth seeps into my palms. I take a sip. Strong. Bitter. Perfect.
Around me, conversation resumes.
Lorenzo leans toward Kristen. "How's Lily doing? Nico mentioned she started a new school."
Kristen's face softens at the mention of her daughter. "She loves it. Made three friends in the first week. Her teacher says she's the most social kid in class."
"That's good," Lorenzo says. "Stability helps."
"It does." Kristen glances at Nico. Something passes between them. "She's happy. That's all that matters."
