Gianni
We drive back home in near-silence, listening to the music we have on in the background. Genoveva sits beside me, her presence both a miracle and yet…a ticking bomb.My mind races, calculating risks and crafting lies.
"We're almost home," I say, looking over at her sharply.
Genoveva's eyes meet mine, a flicker of uncertainty reflecting in their hazel depths. "You don’t sound happy about that,” she observes.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, knuckles white. "I don’t know. Sooner or later, someone’s bound to see you.”
She leans back in her seat, a small frown crossing her face as she considers my words. "What will you tell them? That I rosefrom the dead?" she laughs bitterly, leaving me jarred by her response.
“Genoveva, please. I’m not a fool,” I run a hand through my hair.
“It’s the truth, isn’t it? You defied the natural order of things,” she says through gritted teeth. I watch the side of her face and, to my shock, see her looking almostangry. “You brought back a person from the dead!”
I exhale sharply, the weight of the world on my shoulders. Here, I thought she was beginning to be grateful to be alive again. On the hot-air balloon, she had laughed and teased. But now? That same darkness returns.
I’ll need to be patient with her. I can’t feed into this fight she’s trying to pick. Instead, day by day, I will bring back the light in her life.
“I can't begin to imagine how hard all this must be for you. But I’ll have to come up with something elaborate. Something to explain your miraculous return without raising suspicions."
I look over at her to see if she has any ideas that might help, but she sits there sullen, stone-faced, with her arms crossed before her.
“Perhaps we can sell a story. Your death was faked. A necessary evil to protect you from a threat. That group is no longer of danger to you, and so we’re reintroducing you into society."
“The men saw me dead,” she says flatly.
“I know,” I run a hand through my hair. “This was something no one but you and I knew. Everyone was kept in the dark. The whole thing was a façade, and we’ll have to bribe the priest to tell him to say the casket was empty.”
“He’d do it? Lie? A man of god?” Genoveva scoffs.
I frown. In every solution I offer, she creates an issue as though she doesn’twantthis to be fixed. Perhaps it’s too much for her, too soon and too fast. I reach over and take her hand, caressing it to comfort.
“For the right price, the priest might.” “Let’s not even put him in that position. Even if he does go along with it, he knows the truth, and he may look at me as some demonic entity instead of a miracle. That would make me more uncomfortable.” She says.
That does make sense. My thoughts churn, sharp and urgent. How to keep her safe once people find out she’s back though? The Family will want answers. Enemies will smell blood in the water.
One misstep and I could lose her again – this time for real.
"We'll need to limit your visibility," I think aloud. "No public appearances for a while. I'll spread the word discreetly and control the narrative. For now, only a select few staff members will know about your return. We’ll have to keep you sheltered, protected."
Genoveva's jaw tightens.
"It's temporary," I assure her, though the lie tastes bitter. "Just until I can make sure there are no lurking threats."
She looks away, and I can almost hear the gears turning in her mind. My clever, independent Genoveva – how will she handle being caged, even if it's for her protection?
The familiar streets of our neighborhood come into view. I glance at Genoveva, studying her profile as she gazes out the window. Her hazel eyes dart from home to home, drinking in the familiar sights of our neighborhood. There's a tightness around her mouth, a subtle tension in her shoulders.
"We're almost home," I say, my voice low and gravelly.
Genoveva turns to me, a small smile playing on her lips. "I know," she replies softly. "I remember every turn."
Of course she does.
"Ready?" I ask as we pull up to the house.
Genoveva's chin lifts, her posture straightening. "Always," she says, and for a moment, I see the fire that first drew me to her. We can do this. We have to.