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“You think he will survive?”
Savio nodded. “Remo won’t die.”
I followed Savio to a car and sank down on the backseat with my children.
When I jerked awake, we had arrived and Fabiano was staring through the window as if he was seeing a ghost. He opened the door. “What the fuck?”
“Remo’s got kids,” Savio explained.
“I see that,” Fabiano said.
Savio took Nevio again, and I got out with Greta, who had her face buried in my neck. Fabiano couldn’t stop staring at Nevio, then finally he met my gaze. “You saved Remo?”
I nodded. Fabiano searched my eyes, and I wasn’t sure what he was looking for. “It’s too cold for Nevio and Greta to stay outside. Can you get my bag from the trunk?”
Fabiano nodded and walked to the back of the car. I followed Savio inside the house, a strange sense of familiarity washing over me. This place didn’t feel like home. I’d only experienced it as a captive, and I wondered how things would be now that I had come here freely.
Could this become a home for me and my children?
Savio had said Remo would want me to live here with them, but I wasn’t sure. It felt surreal being here, but there was no going back now.
The realization sank in slowly, and for a moment I felt immobilized by the weight of it. Holding Greta seemed to ground me. “You can give Nevio to me,” I managed, offering my free arm.
Savio’s brows drew together, but he gave me my son without hesitation, and I hugged him to me. Savio and Fabiano watched me for a moment, as if they weren’t sure what to do with me.
“How is he?” Kiara asked, hurrying into the entrance hall. She jerked to a stop when she spotted me with the kids. Her eyes widened.
“Nino took him to hospital,” Savio said.
Kiara only stared at me. Her eyes darted down to Nevio and Greta, and she shook her head in disbelief. A girl with freckles and brown hair followed Kiara and also stopped in her tracks.
Kiara was the first to move. She came toward me, her eyes alight with warmth. “How did Remo react?”
Tears sprang into my eyes, and her smile fell.
“He passed out before he saw them,” I whispered.
“Nothing kills Remo,” Fabiano said firmly.
I nodded.
Greta began crying, and Nevio, too, was becoming increasingly cranky. “I need to feed them and change their diapers. Then they need a place to sleep.”
Savio glanced at Fabiano, who shrugged.
Kiara rolled her eyes. “Would it be okay if I took you to the bedroom you were in … last time? I don’t want to open the other rooms in Remo’s wing. Or would you prefer to stay in my and Nino’s wing?”
I choked out a laugh. “I’ll stay in Remo’s wing.”
The other girl smiled hesitantly.
“I’m Serafina. And this is Nevio and Greta.”
“Leona,” she said. “Nice to meet you.” Fabiano stepped up to her and put his hand on her waist in a possessive gesture. So she was his girl.
Kiara took my bag from Fabiano and led me upstairs into Remo’s wing. I knew the way by heart, but her company felt good. When we stepped into my old room, my breath caught in my throat at the rush of memories that overwhelmed me, but another loud wail from Greta snapped me out of it. I moved over to the bed and carefully lowered them down on it.
Kiara kept throwing glances at my twins, longing in her gaze. “How can I help you?”
I opened the bag and held out the baby formula. In the evening, they always needed the bottle to calm down. “Could you prepare two bottles?”
Kiara returned fifteen minutes later with the bottles and settled beside me on the bed. “Why don’t you feed Nevio while I take care of Greta,” I suggested.
Her eyes lit up. “Thank you.”
I laughed. “You’re helping me. I should thank you.”
She grinned as she took Nevio and settled him on her lap.
“I should warn you. He’s a bit of a wrestler.”
Kiara brought the bottle to Nevio’s mouth, and as expected his little hands reached for the bottle, trying to snatch it out of her hand. She laughed.
I blinked back tears as I focused on Greta, who was happily drinking, her big dark eyes peering up at me sleepily. Emotions painfully tightened in my chest.
Remo had to survive. I couldn’t believe fate would be so cruel to rip him from me before he could see his children. Maybe Remo deserved death, but I didn’t care. He needed to live for Greta and Nevio.
“He’ll love and protect them,” Kiara murmured.
Remo would protect them. Was he capable of love? I wasn’t sure.
After Kiara left, I lay down beside my babies, who were already asleep after their feeding. I didn’t have beds for them or anything else except for the few things I’d stuffed into the backpack.
