Page 100 of Sweet Poison

“I don’t even know if what I feel for you can be covered by a four-letter word like love. I love you so much that my heart feels as if it could burst. Now I understand what you meant when you said, you wake up every morning and give thanks for the gift of another day. Finally, for the first time in my life, I know why someone would wake up in the morning and give thanks for another day in heaven.”

I smiled with happiness. “I can see now that we’ll be fine. We’ll be just fine.” Luca, little Bianca, and me.

Chapter 60

Luca

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iAzMRKFX3c&list=RD0iAzMRKFX3c&start_radio=1

-wind beneath my wings-

My dad was dead. Without Paganini’s protection, he didn’t even last a week. I went to my mother’s apartment and Greta, the nurse, opened the door.

“Mr. Rossi,” she greeted warmly. “Come in, come in.”

“Is my mother awake?”

“Yes, she has just had her lunch and is listening to music in her room. Let me take you to her.”

“It’s okay. I know my way around.”

I walked down the hallway and knocked gently on the door before I opened it and went in. My mother was sitting by the window looking out. Her favorite piano music was tinkling softly in the background. A tiny bird was busy at the bird feeder. It looked peaceful. I was about to break it.

I sat next to her. “Hello, Mama.”

She blinked but didn’t turn to look at me.

I took her hand. “It’s me, Mama. I’m back, and soon I will be bringing Bianca to see you.”

Slowly, her hand gripped mine and tears pooled in her eyes and spilled down her face.

Without breaking her clasp on my hand, I moved so I was kneeling in front of her. “Mama, can you hear me?”

Her eyes moved over my face, slowly, but purposefully.

“Mama?” I called again.

But she transferred her gaze far away. She stared at the sky blankly. Disappointment crushed me. For a second there, I was sure she could see me. I was so sure there had been emotion there. She had missed me. Nobody could convince me that for those few seconds, my mother was not trapped in this unresponsive body and looking at me from inside.

I sighed. “I love you, Mama.”

I moved back to the chair next to her. For a while, I just sat quietly with her. I thought about how best to tell her, and finally, I just came out with it. By now she had probably forgotten he even existed.

“Dad’s dead,” I said.

The stiffening of her body was unmistakable. Instantly, I regretted telling her. Why did she need to know? All I had done was distressed her further. It didn’t matter to her either way and I should have just left it alone.

“He can never hurt you,” I whispered to try and console her.

Her mouth opened.

“It’s okay, Mama,” I comforted desperately.

She turned towards me, her eyes urgent. “Are you sure?”

I was so amazed I could only stare at her, speechless.

She took my wrist in a claw like grasp and shook it. “Are you sure?”

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