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I know that my da
d will be surprised, but it’ll be good to see Uncle Iacopo. Yeah, my thoughts after I hit puberty were a little less pure, but he stayed the same. A few more gray hairs, that’s all. My dad gained weight when he got older, but Uncle Iacopo still probably has a six pack. I blush a little bit, since I shouldn’t be thinking about him that way.
I unlock our front door and call out, “Dad! Uncle Iacopo! I’m home.”
I hear the sound of glass shattering. “Dad?” I walk deeper inside of the house, towards the kitchen. Uncle Iacopo is sitting at the table, drinking a demitasse of espresso. My dad had a glass of orange juice, but now it’s shattered on the floor.
“Don’t move. I’m getting a broom.” I open our broom closet and get out a broom and a dustpan. I carefully collect glass and dump it in the trash.
When I’m done, I say, “Wow, I knew that my visit was a surprise, but I didn’t know that you’d be so startled.” I lean in to hug my dad, but he’s as pale as he gets. “Aren’t you glad to see your daughter?” Dad might be distant, but I know he loves me. Just not in the way that makes him constantly check on me. He doesn’t care about my day-to-day life very much.
“Kelly, would you like to have a seat? Maybe a shot of espresso?”
“I’ll just take some orange juice, but I can pour it for myself.” I go to the fridge, take out the carton, get two glasses, and pour orange juice into them. I give my dad one. He’s still frozen in place. There’s sweat on his forehead.
“What’s wrong, Dad?”
“Maybe I should start,” Uncle Iacopo says. “Your dad and I have been talking about your future.”
“Um, okay.” I didn’t know that he was interested in my future. I never had to endure well-meant career advice from Uncle Iacopo. Tons of people loved to tell me how to live my life, but not my favorite “uncle.”
“Your father has run into a little financial difficulty, Kelly.”
“Dad?” I turn to him. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“Just fine, pumpkin.” He forces a smile. “But I won’t be able to pay for college anymore.”
My heart sinks. I have had to work hard enough to keep myself afloat. Without anything from my dad, I’m not going to be able to go to school. I might have to take time off to save up.
“But I have a solution,” Uncle Iacopo says smoothly. “I’ve offered to help.”
“Oh, Uncle Iacopo, that’s very kind, but there’s no way that I could possibly accept.”
“I’m going to insist,” he says. His voice is hard this time. I hug myself, my arms crossed in front of me. I see his eyes settle on the cleavage created by the position. The expression on his face doesn’t belong on the face of a man that I call uncle.
“I can’t take money for nothing,” I argue. “I’ll just pick up another job.” And take a smaller course load. And take forever to finish. Simple enough.
“It’s already done. I’ve paid your tuition until you graduate. I established a trust with you as the beneficiary. The money will go directly to your school.”
“That’s very kind, but I’m still not accepting it.”
“There’s nothing to accept. The bursar is more than happy to receive any kind of money. You don’t get to give it back.”
“What do you want in exchange?” I tilt my head.
“You’re moving in with me. And I’ll decide when to let you go to school.”
I hear my dad’s swift intake of breath. His face is sorrow-twisted, as if Uncle Iacopo just said, “You’re going to die.”
“I can’t move in with you.” I laugh, shaking my head. “I live at school. And what are you talking about, you’ll decide when I go to school? I’m already enrolled for this semester.”
“You’ll live with me,” Uncle Iacopo says. “And you’ll have a driver to take you to and from school each day when I decide to let you go. Your father has been…lax about your security, but it’s important to me.”
“I don’t need a driver.”
“Then I shouldn’t mention that he’ll be your bodyguard.”
“I don’t need a bodyguard!” I snap at Uncle Iacopo. “Listen, I don’t know why my dad agreed to this, but I won’t. You can stick your bodyguard where the sun doesn’t shine.”
