Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151410 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 757(@200wpm)___ 606(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
He stepped back and let go of my head with a strange smile. “I’ll go now. Sleep tight, Rory.” He headed toward our front door, opened it, and then stopped in the doorway. “I’ll be back tomorrow.” The long pause before he uttered those words told me they weren’t what he’d had in mind. He disappeared from my view, and the door clicked shut softly.
I released the doorknob, my fingers prickling as blood flooded back into them.
Carlotta appeared in the kitchen doorway. I wasn’t sure how long I’d already stood like that. “Our first night in our own apartment,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about Nevio. I tore my eyes from where Nevio had been moments before and headed toward Carlotta, who was still hovering in the entry to the kitchen. “How often has Diego messaged you so far?”
Carlotta’s phone binged as if on cue, and she checked it after rolling her eyes. “Now six times since he left, and Antonia twice. Even Massimo messaged.”
“You’d think we moved to the other end of the world,” I said with a laugh. I wanted the tension gone. I wanted tonight to be about us girls and our silly dreams of freedom. “Let’s chill on the couch and watch some TV.”
“You should check your phone first. While you put Battista to sleep, you got about a dozen messages. Your dad will be back in no time if you don’t reply soon, and then we’ll have a hard time explaining the Battista situation to him.”
I giggled. “A nine-month-old is definitely not something he expects to find in my room.” I grabbed my phone from the kitchen table. Carlotta was right. We couldn’t risk someone coming over unannounced. Carlotta followed me into the living room, and we settled on the couch. I began answering all texts.
Carlotta was quiet, probably still mulling over our situation. I felt guilty for dragging her into this.
“What about Battista? Will we hear him?” Carlotta asked after she’d turned on the TV.
Our apartment wasn’t very big, so I thought his cries would carry over to us.
We both listened for a moment, but it was absolutely silent. We leaned against each other and watched for a bit. I had trouble focusing on anything, so we chose some trash TV that didn’t require any form of concentration.
Maybe forty minutes later, Battista’s cry made me jump. I got up and hurried into my bedroom. He was sitting in his bed, crying. His pacifier had fallen out and landed on the floor. I picked it up and put it back in his mouth, making shushing noises all the while. But he didn’t stop crying. I picked him up and began rocking him when Carlotta came in with a bottle of milk. I gave her a grateful smile. Battista only took a few gulps from the bottle before he began crying again. I wasn’t sure what he wanted. Not food or his pacifier, and his diaper wasn’t full either.
“Maybe he’s just confused because he’s in new surroundings.”
I nodded. “I wish I knew more about his past.”
“I hope his future will be less dramatic than his past has been,” Carlotta said.
I released a small sigh and stroked Battista’s soft hair. He quieted a bit but still sounded distressed.
“Maybe I should go to bed so he’s not alone. I’m tired anyway.”
“I can hold him while you get ready for bed,” Carlotta said. I gave her a grateful smile and handed Battista over to her. She began singing to him in her beautiful voice, but even that only briefly stunned him into silence.
I grabbed my pj’s and rushed into the bathroom. After ten minutes, I returned. I stretched out on my bed with Battista by my side. Carlotta moved his bed against the mattress so he couldn’t accidentally fall out of bed in the night.
“I still think you’re crazy for doing this, but I’m glad to know that you’d be by my side if I ever got pregnant by accident,” Carlotta said with a hint of irony.
“I would definitely help you if you ever accidentally slept with Massimo and got pregnant,” I said with a small laugh.
Carlotta made a face and closed the door, cloaking Battista and me in darkness. I rubbed his back for a long time, and eventually, he fell silent. I was no longer tired. I felt too anxious. What qualified me to become the main caretaker of a possibly traumatized child?
“Why am I doing this?” I muttered, then glanced at the helpless kid beside me. His soft breathing was reassuring. He needed me to do my best for as long as there was no better solution. I hoped Nevio would figure out something fast. The longer Battista stayed with me, the more he’d get used to my presence and then be ripped away again.