“Babe, we came from nothing. If we lose it all we know how to rise again. As for getting killed, you know I’d give my life for you and…” He cleared his throat. “And Ella too. Ante is resourceful. Don’t fear. He’ll protect his own and fight for us.”
“I can’t shake the fear off.” She paced again, one hand on her hip, the other by her mouth as she chewed her thumbnail. “I knew you’d risk it all for me. That is why I stayed away from you this long. I could live with us being separated, but can’t live if I lose you for real.”
He put his hand up, palm outward to stop her talking nonsense. “Babe, you’re not going to lose—”
They both spun toward the front door as girls’ giggles and Ante’s deep voice bounced off the walls in
the hallway. Dario reached for the door handle. Ella opened the door before he could turn the knob, a white grocery bag in her hand. Her face lit up with a cheeky grin. Keeping her eyes on Jasmin, she slipped the nun chucks out of her jacket and into the duffle bag still by the front door. Ante balanced the two large pizza boxes in his hands, Jasmin’s sparkly princess bag dangled from his elbow.
He kicked the door closed with his foot. “Woo- hoo! What a deluge.”
Dario fumed. The dimwit had not realized he gave them both such worry. Then how could he? His brother didn’t know the danger lurking around Irena and Ella.
“We waited in the car, but this rain isn’t easing off.” Ante passed the pizzas to Irena, shook the water off his jacket and clicked his tongue before hanging the suede coat in the closet.
Dario strode toward him, his fist ready to punch the grin off his brother’s face. The idiot worried about his jacket. “You mor—” He swallowed the curse as Ella flashed him a smile.
“Uncle Dario.” Jasmin ran up to him, reached her arms above her hand, her signal for him to pick her up for a hug.
In an instant, his initial anger defused, he picked his niece up and her thin legs and arms wrapped around him. “Hi, sweetheart. I missed you.”
His gaze tracked Ella as she placed the bag on the counter. Irena’s face relaxed, her color returned, and a soft smile lingered on her pretty lips while she stared at him and Jasmin. Perhaps she envisioned him and Ella. Damn it, why couldn’t he hug his daughter as freely as he hugged Jasmin?
“You gave me such scare.” Irena grabbed Ella into a tight hug then pulled back and examined her face. She rubbed her thumb over Ella’s lips. “What is this? Lipstick? You’re wearing makeup?”
Ante lifted the lids on the pizzas, the aroma of freshly baked dough and melted cheese wafted from the two boxes. “Martina’s friends had some fun with her. Doesn’t she look great?”
It must’ve been Irena’s sharp scrutiny that made his brother swallow and turn to Dario.
“You said you’d be back in a few, it took you over an hour.” Dario took a step forward.
Ante gave a sheepish smile and a shrug. “Look, I thought Dario would know. I had to sit there and wait for Martina to get Jasmin packed, never mind that I told her million times to have her ready.” He picked up a slice of pizza and took a big bite, then sucked the strings of melted cheese hung from his fingers.
Ante pulled another slice from the box. “At least I had time to place the order for our pizzas. Before I’ve picked up my order, we stopped by the Mezzaluna to see that everything was running smoothly. The place is packed. I was gonna call you, but, hey!” He patted his shirt and pants pockets. “Have you seen my cell?”
Dario shook his head but decided not to answer. Let his brother sweat a little, see if he could find his phone on his own. “You should’ve told me you were going to take a scenic route. We were worried.”
“We’re alive and kicking. No one followed us. And I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t get to see Ella in action.” Ante flashed a mocking frown that irked Dario. Hopefully, his brother noticed a promise of future retribution in his narrowing gaze.
“Can I keep my makeup for a little longer? Please, Mom.” Ella’s pleading tone worked because Irena’s shoulders lowered and she smiled.
“Make sure you wipe it off before bedtime.” Irena let go of her daughter and stepped to the counter. “What’s in the bag?”
“Some junk food and pop. Isn’t Jasmin the cutest thing ever, Mom?” Ella placed her thumbs at temples and wiggled her fingers at Jasmin, making the younger girl giggle. Dario kissed his niece’s soft cheek and placed her down.
“She is,” Irena said, crouching in front of the little girl. “She reminds me of you at this age with her pig tails.”
Ante produced two DVD cases out of the deep pocket of his jacket. “We’ll make it a movie-fest tonight.” He held out a cartoon. “For the kids, and this one’s for later.” He pointed at the action movie in his other hand.
“Right, for later.” Dario snorted, staring at pizza boxes from the famous restaurant. Extra thin crust with goat cheese and porcini mushrooms in one, and in the second one plain cheese and pepperoni pizza. Oh, the smells. They made his mouth water. Now he didn’t mind his brother returning so late. The Providenca had the best pizza. “You’ll be asleep halfway through the kid’s movie.”
Ante plopped his butt on the stool at the kitchen island. “Your prediction may be a correct one, in fact, I’d bet my money on it.” He gave a nonchalant shrug. “Come on, kids, let’s eat. Pizzas are getting cold.”
Irena helped Jasmin out of her little faux fur coat and sat her at the table. “Are you hungry, love?”
Dario smiled, passing out the plates. Irena’s aunty instincts kicked in instantly. Her hard circumstances toughened her demeanor, but motherhood also made her soft inside. The combination of both turned her more feminine than ever.
Jasmin nodded. “Can Ella sit next to me? Daddy says she’s my cousin.” She turned to Dario. “Uncle Dario, can I show Ella your collection?”
Dario gauged Irena’s reaction. She appeared unmoved by Jasmin’s remark of Ella as her cousin. “Sure, honey, but remember,” he waved his finger, “what do we never do?”
“We don’t mess things up, only look.” She bit off a piece her pizza, a corner of the crust sticking out between her lips as she tried to fit the whole thing into her mouth.
Ante took a seat at the dinner table. It must’ve been Ella’s questioning gaze that prompted him to continue. “Jasmin loves to peruse Dario’s old photo albums. He’s old-fashioned and keeps what little pictures we have from our younger days instead of getting them scanned.”
“What you call old fashioned, I call nostalgic.” Dario bumped his shoulder against Irena’s. “Grab some food before Ante gobbles up all of it.”
Irena reached for a slice but pulled her arm back. “I couldn’t possibly. I’m still digesting my late lunch.”
“Here, Mom.” Ella scraped toppings off the slice and handed it to Irena.
“Thank you, honey.” Irena took a bite and chewed slowly.
Ante’s jaw dropped. “What? You just gonna eat the crust?”
Irena took another bite and shrugged. Ella licked her lips and put the slice in her hand on the plate in front of her. “That’s all Mom can eat.”
Dario raised one eyebrow, staring at the blushing Ella. Was the girl lying for her mother? Not liking pizza toppings and not being able to eat them were two different things. Irena had food issues, just how bad, he’d find out soon.
Irena patted her stomach and blew out her breath. “That was great. Anyway, I’d love to look at those pictures.”
“Me too.” Ella piped. “Maybe some of the moments from mom’s stories are captured in those pictures.” She turned to Ante. “Sorry about ruining your movie night, Uncle.”
“Ah, nothing’s ruined.” Ante dismissed her with a wave of his hand. “You’ll be done with the pictures in twenty minutes.”
Ella wiped Jasmin’s hands and face with a napkin. “Your daddy’s always so funny.”
“Where is your daddy, Ella?” Jasmin asked with an innocence of a three-year-old girl, but her question brought uneasy silence.
“I…my dad is…” Ella cleared her throat and stared at Dario then shot a pleading look at her mother.
Irena closed her eyes and gave a slight shake of her head. “I’m getting tired. Ella, don’t stay up too long. We’re having an early start. Dario, get your sparring gear ready. We train tomorrow. Ante, you’ll get your wish to see Ella in action.”
She headed upstairs. The click of the door indicated she had retreated into Dario’s bedroom. Dario glanced at Ella. Her eyes glistened and she blinked fast,
averting her gaze. Her sadness yanked his heartstrings. Perhaps his idea to wait for Irena to come forward with her admission wasn’t the wisest. Pressuring her into it wouldn’t be any better. Still, he must try for his daughter’s sake.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ll take care of the dishes.” Dario grabbed the plates from her hand and smiled at Jasmin. “Why don’t you show your big cousin the photo albums while I clean up?”
Damn it, why couldn’t Irena just let go of her guard and let Ella say it? She should know he understood. It was the circumstances preventing her from letting him know of his child. Yes, the fact had taken him aback. Had she thought him some low life of a man who’d hold that against her? If she had, that would be a low blow and already hurt.
“Sparring gear?” Ante’s question pulled him out of the turmoil. His brother already started the cartoon, but no one joined him on the couch. “I wouldn’t know where to begin to look for mine. Do you still have yours?”
“Should be in one of the boxes in the basement locker, I kept it after we sold the old shack.” Dario picked up Irena’s bags and carried them upstairs. He set the bed in his study for Ella. On his way down, he paused by the door of his bedroom. No sound came from within. Could Irena be already asleep? No way, more likely she brooded in there.
“Ella,” he called over the railing. The girls joined Ante in front of TV, but his brother had already got comfy and was snoring softly.
Ella turned to him. “Yes, Da—Dario?”
Something snapped inside of him and he couldn’t
take another second of this torture. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Just call me Dad.”