Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 73250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 366(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
“And nonno said we didn’t have to shower if we didn’t want.”
And then, they talked at the same time. “Because we’re gonna end up stinking anyways.”
Ettore laughed softly. “Really? That was nice of him to make sure you two would smell like an old pair of gym socks when your dad got back.” He tickled them and they giggled loudly.
The whole scene made my heart flutter. I thought he must be a good father. He had to be when they were so excited to see him.
“I want you guys to meet somebody, okay?” He placed them down and held their hands, turning them to face me. They recognized me, of course, and both watched me warily, as one would a snake. “Vittoria, these are my boys.”
I was determined to get off on the right foot this time.
I crouched down to their level, keeping my ankles and knees pressed tightly together then smiled gently. “Hello. I’m Vittoria.”
They took their time, but I maintained my harmless stance and smile. As Ettore had warned, they did not warm to me. And just when the silence spanned long enough to become awkward, Ettore let out a firm, “Boys, don’t be rude.”
It was the first boy who spoke carefully. “I’m Adrian.”
The other boy murmured, “I’m Domenic.”
They seemed sweet. “It’s lovely to meet you,” was all I managed before someone swooped in front of them, blocking me from their view. My smile faltered when the young girl – the one who I’d last seen screaming for her papa – glared holes through my head. I cleared my throat and tried to mend what I’d broken. “Oh, hello. I’m Vi-”
I didn’t get to finish my introduction because the little girl reared back, then brought her hand forward swift and hard, slapping me across the face with all her might. It was impressive, the force she managed to put into it. I was so stunned that I wobbled on my heels before falling clumsily back on my ass, holding my fingers to my throbbing cheek.
Simultaneously, gasps of shock and loud male laughter surrounded us. And what was left of my tattered ego was crushed into a fine sand, blowing away in the wind.
I could say a lot about Ettore. My assumptions of him ran deep and more than most of them were not good. It would have been fully justified should he have laughed with the others. But he didn’t. I don’t think I will ever forget that instead of gloating in his child’s anger, he let go of the boys and barked, “Hey,” at his daughter, holding on to her by the upper arm and spinning her to face him. “What the hell was that?”
The little girl seethed. “You shouldn’t have brought her here. I don’t want her here.”
“This is not how we deal with things. Do not let your anger get the better of you,” he said as if he hadn’t just choked the life out of me the day before. “You are not that person. You’re better than that. Now, let’s try this again.”
I remained in a heap on the floor when he released his daughter to help me stand. He surprised me by touching the reddened area where her blow had landed and his lips thinned as he glanced down at his daughter through hard eyes and said, “Ella, this is Vittoria. My wife. Your step-mother.”
Ella’s lip curled in an almost identical way to her fathers and when she opened her mouth to no doubt air her grievances with me, Ettore muttered, “You’d better consider what you’re going to say next very carefully. Cheer camp is next month and I assume you want go.”
Her eyes narrowed on him and then on me. It looked as though it taxed her greatly when, in deadly calm, she uttered steadily, “Hello, Vittoria. I’m Ella.”
She looked angry, but I felt the sadness bubble over inside of her. I felt for the girl. It didn’t feel right to see her punished for a blundering attempt at protecting her family. “Pleased to meet you, Ella. That’s a beautiful name.”
She looked me over in loathing and sneered, “My mother named me,” before folding her arms across her chest and slowly walking away, maintaining eye contact as she made her exit.
The sweet woman from the night before found then was the best opportunity to clear her throat and announce as cheerily as possible. “Alright. I think we’re good over here. Why don’t you all take a seat and we’ll bring the last of the food over.”
Just as Ettore moved to guide us to the table, we were stopped by the wall of grown men. The only openly smiling one immediately tried to diffuse the tension with a joke. “I didn’t know we were allowed one hit. Now, I’ll take it easy on ya, but watch out for Daniele. He’s got mean hook on him and I know he’s been dying to get one in on ya.”