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Caterina sets to making Luna a plate, and I watch Sal do the same for Gia. I smile, then look down.
This feels… normal. Like we’re all one big, happy family.
Like we haven’t been betrayed by one of Caterina’s brothers.
And like one is not potentially dead.
“Breakfast?”
I look up.
Caterina has a plate and is offering it to me. Her smile, however, is more enticing than any food.
I accept it. “Thank you.”
We eat in that same companionable space, chatting and talking and engaging with Luna. I almost shut my eyes, I’m so eager to make this moment last forever.
If this was what family meant?
It is all I would ever want.
After most people are finished, I sigh and decide to share what I spent half the night thinking.
“I think we need to go back to New York,” I say to the room. “We need to concentrate our resources to protect Caterina’s family. We need to find Marco, who would not be in Europe if the Irish are at all intelligent.”
Gia sighs. She looks at Sal, who nods. “We’ll make sure that’s a good plan,” she says, rising.
Sal follows her.
I watch them go, shaking my head. Whatever they do, they’re going to do it together.
It is a strange development, but from our conversation… not a bad one.
After they leave, Caterina and Luna and I are alone. Luna is happily eating her toast, so I look at Caterina.
“After breakfast, please come to my study,” I murmur.
She tilts her head. “Why?”
“I have something for you”
23
CATERINA
I sentLuna to follow Gia and Sal around after breakfast. They happily agreed to do so, and took Luna out to the terrace, where a bucket of chalk and bubbles awaited her. They also had my permission to go into the pool, so long as Luna wore her flotation devices.
All of that took a minute for me to settle, as it so often did with parenting stuff. After I was finally done and Luna was safely chattering with her favorite uncle (and favorite aunt) I wandered toward Elio’s study.
I walked slowly, because I wasn’t sure how I felt about being there.
Finally, I’m in front of the large wooden door that seals him in to this space. I remember how, not so long ago, I slammed the wood with both of my hands, begging Elio to let me in so I could hear more about what was happening to Luna.
I took a risk, that day.
And I think it might have paid off.
“Caterina?”
