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“So, making me feel unwelcome is her way of welcoming me into the family.” I finally peered over at him. “You know the only person I have left is my aunt. You know how hard my mother’s death was on me. Do you have any idea how difficult it’s been living in this house, feeling like a prisoner?”
“Truth?” He came to sit next to me, and I envisioned my hands around his neck squeezing out what little life he had left inside his mama’s-boy body. “Someone told Mama that you’d been spotted at the Coppola house not long before you arrived here. Needless to say, it made her nervous to leave you alone here.”
What?
“Who said that?” I swore to all the demons that walked this Earth if it was Elenora, I would hunt down her daughter and remove each of her bones right in front of her.
“I don’t know who it was. I think it was an anonymous call.”
“I thought it was your house,” I snapped.
“It is,” he stumbled like the coward he was when it came to his mother, “but she was only being vigilant, and it’s protocol to watch over those we’re unsure of.”
“Let me ask you this.” I turned to face him straight on. “Do you trust me?”
“I’m leaving you alone here today, aren’t I?”
Yes, to leave and have sex with Amara. Your not-so-secret lover.
I nodded and went back to watching Niccola while I waited for him to leave. We didn’t kiss each other goodbye, and we hardly ever used any terms of endearment. I was saving that for when I needed to have another child. I wanted a stronger hook into this family. I still worried I’d be kicked to the curb when our boy was of age. I needed to make sure this was my forever home.
I waited a good thirty minutes before I told the nanny that I needed to go to town and that I would leave Niccola with her, as he had so much fun with her. That made her smile, and I matched it. I was desperate for a break from this Capri prison.
I emptied my enormous beach bag on the table and started to fill it with food, a set of clean sheets, a warm blanket, and the little cash I’d been able to put together. I swiped a little from our joint account every week.
I put the bulky bag in the car and left for the city. I turned onto a short side street and parked next to the local pub. I could hear music coming from inside. The bakery below her apartment smelled delicious as I awkwardly carried the bag up the stairs and knocked on the door.
“Cuoricino!”My mama opened the door wide and hurried me inside. I knew I shouldn’t have come here. Everyone thought she was dead, and I wanted it to stay that way, but I needed it. “Where’s my Niccola?”
“It wasn’t the time to bring him, Mama. Next time.” I started to unload the things I’d brought and put it away in her tiny apartment. She’d only moved in about a month before. She wanted to be closer, and living above the bakery was cheaper than most of the places in the area.
“Did you see my new rocking chair?” She pointed to a wooden rocker that squeaked when she sat down on it. “The seat needs to be reupholstered, but that’s for another day.”
“It’s lovely, Mama.”
“It’s where I do my knitting.” She pointed to her basket of colorful wool.
“Very nice. Now, look, I don’t have a lot of time, so come sit here.” I patted the bed.
She came across and joined me. The apartment only consisted of one room, and the bed was directly across from her TV. I sighed in the knowledge that she only had two channels on that old thing, but at least her bookshelf was well stocked.
“If anyone asks, who do you say you are friends with?” Sometimes I wondered how well my mama’s head was and I couldn’t have her muttering anything about the Coppolas. Ever.
“The Capris.” She took my hand in hers. “I know you don’t think I’ll remember, but listen,mia figlia, I was there when you and Rosa Coppola made your agreement. We’re in this lie together. So, you do your part and live your life with Bosco, and I’ll be just fine right here.”
“Has she called on you?” I was referring to Rosa and how part of our deal was we’d keep each other’s secrets. I gave her information on the Capris, and she promised never to tell that I’d dated Theo.
“No.” She stopped to think. “But there was that woman, you know, with the jet-black hair, she came by asking where you were.” My stomach sank.
“What was she asking about me?”
“She wanted to know if you had a son or a daughter,” she held up a hand, “no I didn’t say a thing, but it wouldn’t take much for her to figure it out.”
“That’s odd, her coming here and asking you that. How did she even find you?”
“I don’t know, maybe Rosa?”
I stood, feeling uneasy. I thought it was her way of letting me know she could get to anyone I loved, including my mother whose death I’d faked. I gathered my bag and keys.
