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“No touching.” I held her hand back down. “Now, let’s fix this hair of
yours.”
“No curls!” she demanded, on the verge of tears again. Liam’s fist clenched, his jaw tight at the sight of her.
“No curls, I promise. Come on, Nana will give you the most beautiful Celtic braid.” Evelyn outstretched her hand. Jumping down, she grabbed her arm and walked over to the dresser. With Ethan and Wyatt beside her, they were all giggling in seconds.
“Breathe. She’s fine,” I whispered to Liam, placing my hand on his chest.
“I never want to see that woman in my house Mel. I don’t care how it happens. I want her gone.”
“Then she’s gone.”
Nodding, he walked over Dona, standing right behind our sons, all of their attention focused on their princess. I watched them for a second as they all tried to make her laugh before stepping outside the room, closing the large wooden door behind me. Fedel stood waiting.
“She’s locked up for now, boss, unless you wish her to be punished right away?”
“She can wait until after mass. The cars?”
“They are all out front. The rest of the kids are eating breakfast.”
Before I could speak, I heard laughter come from behind the door. Crossing my arms, I felt relieved to know she was fine, but I couldn’t shake my anxiety.
“Do you ever remember hearing that when I was young?” I nodded to the door behind me.
“Boss?”
“The laughter,” I replied. “Do you ever remember innocent laughter in my house when I was young?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t believe I ever heard it.”
“Laughter is a good thing, isn’t it? My daughter is more loved than I ever was and that is a good thing…but she is soft, Fedel. It bothers me because in the back of my mind I know she cannot remain innocent for the rest of her life. She cannot stand behind her father and brothers forever. I don’t want her to be the damsel in distress. She cuts her hand or burns herself and the world stops in this house. It can’t always be so, but I do not know how to make her a fighter without breaking her first.”
“She’s still young boss.”
“Exactly…everything that happens now molds her.” Pinching the bridge of my nose—a habit I’d picked up from Liam—I tried to get the image of me as a child, begging for my father to give me a break or crying for help and never receiving it, out of my mind. My father had put me through hell and I’d hated him for a long time for it, but now as an adult and parent, I understood why more clearly than ever before. If I didn’t take care of me, no else would. How much did it hurt him to mold me into a fighter?
“Boss?”
“She’s going to hate me.” I inhaled, standing a little bit straighter. “But I can’t…I won’t let her be weak.”
“She will grow to thank you for it, just as you have with Orlando.”
She wasn’t the only person I was worried about. Liam was going to be—
The door behind me swung open and Dona ran to me, turning so I could see the intricate knot in her hair. “Mommy! Mommy, look what Nana did!”
“Well isn’t Nana talented. Your hair is beautiful sweetheart, but come on, we have to get going. Is everyone ready?”
“Yeah Mom, but you don’t have shoes.” Ethan pointed to my feet.
I glanced down, staring at my painted toes.
“Mommy came rushing to see what happened and forgot to finish getting dressed.” Liam picked Dona up, leaning over to kiss the side of my head. “Let’s go get food and let her finish.”
“I want waffles!” Wyatt grinned, already running down the hall.
“Uncle Neal will eat them all again!” Ethan panicked, running after him.
