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“Get used to it.”
“What happened? She was so easygoing all day.”
“Romina is the perfect child, she truly is, but she’s still a child. Once in a while she’ll make you climb the walls with a million questions, she’s going to wanna skip dinner and go straight for dessert, and she will scream bloody murder when you try to convince her to get into the bathtub. The last one happens quite often.”
“How often?”
“The only time I was able to bathe her without a show, she was three and had a spiking fever. Basically, she was too weak to fight.”
He scratched his head and sighed.
“Good to know. Why does she have this aversion to baths?”
“I have no idea. You’ve seen today that she likes being in the water.”
“True. Is the silent treatment always the solution?”
“Sometimes. Bribery works too. And sometimes you just have to let her do her number. She’ll scream in your ear for an hour and then you can force her in the bathroom.”
“Wow.”
“Welcome to the joys of parenthood.”
Roman put my hair behind my ear and smiled at me.
“I like it. It was kinda creepy how mature and serious she is all the time.” We both laughed. Yes, our daughter was a wise, old soul. “Hey, do you have plans tomorrow?”
“Not that I know of. Why? Roman, if you want to plan something else with Romina, I get it, I really do, but don’t spoil her. You can’t let her play you, ok?”
“Play me?” I had so much to teach him and so little time.
“She’s smart, Roman. She gives me puppy eyes every time she wants something and sometimes it breaks my heart to say no, but someone has to. You have to say no to her once in a while. She needs love and she deserves spoiling, but she also needs discipline.” And I needed him to be up for the task. Nothing was more important than Romina’s wellbeing in this world. Nothing.
“I get that.”
“You have to keep her safe.”
“This again? I’m not going to take my daughter to a mafia meeting, Salvatrice, so you can calm down with that shit. You know people in my entourage have kids too, right? My best friend? Don Gino Nucci, the head of my famiglia? He just had a son and no one is freaking out.”
Ah, so we were about to fight again? Great, I was ready.
“Did your BFF have his parents murdered by mafia too? Because that happened to me, Roman!” I pushed my finger into his chest, shaking. That dormant anger mixed with fear that followed me all my life was pushing to the surface again. “You know that. You know everything, jackass. You held me while I told you about my mom and stepdad, while I was crying.”
“I know.” I expected him to yell back at me, but instead his voice was soft like satin. “I know, amore, and I’m sorry.” He dragged the back of his hand in my cheek and pulled me into a seductive kiss that I tried to resist. I swear I tried.
“Roman, don’t.”
“Yes.”
The moment I felt his lips on mine everything melted away. My past, my present, everything was invaded by Roman and the intoxicating mist of his love. It was almost too much to endure.
“I promised you that day that no one would ever hurt you again and when you were with me, I swear Salvatrice, you were safe. I’ll do good by our daughter; you have my word.”
“You did.”
“What.”
“You hurt me. You never told me…”
