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I can’t stop a smile from curving my lips. Their bickering reminds me a lot of Ryan, Mattie, and me when we were young.
Angelo opens the door. His tall body fills the frame. Our gazes lock across the distance. Something I can’t name passes between us. All I know is that for once, it’s not animosity. On the contrary, the feeling is pleasant.
His smile is soft, but the ever-present strain shows in the lines of his eyes and mouth. “Can we come in?”
“Of course. You shouldn’t have let me sleep for so long.”
He enters. “The doctor said sleep is the best medicine for you.”
The kids file in behind him, all but tiptoeing to the bed.
Sophie stops next to me. “How are you feeling, Sabella?”
I caress her cheek. “Much better now that you’re here.”
She studies me with a tilted face. “Are you our stepmom, Sabella?”
The question takes me by surprise. I glance at Angelo, who crosses his arms and gives me an apologetic shrug.
“Technically, Angelo is your uncle, so that makes me your aunt.” I look at Angelo again. “I guess.”
“She’s our aunt by marriage, Sophie,” Johan says with an air of importance.
Sophie’s face scrunches up with a frown. “Does that make your mother our grandaunt, Sabella?”
“I suppose you could say so.”
“Then we’re your mother’s family by marriage too?” she asks.
Puzzled, I say, “Why are you asking?”
“I don’t want someone to take us away from you. Can you adopt us, Sabella? Then Angelo can be our guardian, and you can be our mommy. That will make your mommy our grandmother.”
Angelo places a hand on her shoulder. “No one is going to take you away from Sabella. Now, say goodnight and give her a kiss. It’s time for dinner and homework.”
Étienne pouts. “I don’t want to do homework. I don’t like letters.”
“We’re going to do a few exercises together, young man. If you don’t learn your letters, you won’t be able to read.”
“I can show him,” Sophie says. “Sabella taught me a rhyme that helps me to remember the alphabet.”
“I don’t want to,” Étienne says, stamping his foot.
“It’s one of those things you’re just going to have to do,” Angelo says. “How are you going to read the instructions to assemble the cage for your mouse or the food dosage on the box if you don’t learn the alphabet?”
Looking alarmed, Étienne stands taller. “Sabella, can you teach me the rhyme too?”
“It’s easy.” Guillaume rolls his eyes. “I learned it in one day.”
“Until Sabella is stronger, Heidi and I will help you,” Angelo says. “Go wash up for dinner. Heidi made lasagna, and we don’t want the food to get cold.”
Sophie climbs onto the bed and kisses my cheek before hopping down. “Angelo said your mommy is coming to visit. I’ll draw her a picture so that she doesn’t feel scared when she has to sleep in a strange bed.”
“That’s very kind of you.” I brush a wisp of hair from her forehead. “I’m sure she’d like that very much.”
A chorus of, “Good night, Sabella,” follows as the younger boys run for the door.
“Remember what I said,” Angelo calls after them, his tone strict. “No running in the house.”
