Page 140 of La Dolce Vita

"Are you humiliated, cousin? Does the fact that your wife is Marsuvio's bastard shame you?" Giovanni bit back.

Lorenzo put his face in his hands.

"Armando is reacting. He's pushing hard to be the first at everything. I want him desperate, angry, because if he is, he isn't focused."

"Are you going to go upstairs and tell your wife that the world knows her mother is a heroine junkie and a whore?" Lorenzo snapped. "Because I can tell you this, Marietta is going to flip out."

Giovanni sighed. He glanced to the television set again. He pushed up from the chair without another word and started for the stairs. He was curious to see the room she grew up in as well. It couldn't be the one he left the luggage in. The moment he entered the hall he heard the laughter of the kids. It drew him.

Inside the bathroom, his wife knelt near the tub. Gino stood for his bathing. Eve and Gianni sat in the tub splashing and playing. Giovanni leaned against the door and watched them. He had a plan for all of them. And that meant people would be hurt. But if it brought his enemies to their knees, and Isabella out of hiding, so be it.

"Ciao, Papa!"Eve said and splashed Gianni.

Mirabella looked back over her shoulder.

"Hi,lucciola.Need some help,Bella?"

"Help? You want to help me?" Mirabella chuckled as she used the rag to clean Gino's ears. His baby boy squeezed his eyes shut with a wide grin. The bath suds ran from his curly fro to his face. Mirabella wiped them clean to make sure none got in his eyes. She then used a large cup of water to pour over his head. Gino laughed, almost cheered with excitement.

"Yes. I can take over. Give you a break."

Mirabella paused. Not once since the kids were born did he give them baths together. A few times he took his boys into the shower with him, yes, and often washed them with him. But it was never an organized bath like this one. Mirabella rinsed off Gino and stood.

She handed the rag to her husband. "Go ahead. Let's see you give it a try."

Giovanni rolled up his sleeves. He took the rag and went to his children. All three stopped playing. They stared at him curiously. Mirabella scooted away and leaned on the sink. When he looked up at her, she had a sardonic smile on her lips. He had faced tougher obstacles in life than bathing hisbambini. How hard could a simple bath be?

"Come, Eve," he said. His baby girl stood up and frowned. He wasn't quite sure what was appropriate when cleaning a baby girl. He lathered the rag and wiped her down. He avoided her private area. And at that moment Gianni splashed hard in the water causing a large wave to leave the tub. Giovanni turned his head to chastise him when the boys began to wrestle in the water. He let go of Eve too soon to stop his sons. She nearly slipped. Giovanni was quick to react when he lunged for her, and that sent him into the tub from the waist up. The kids hollered with laughter. They all began to splash. They jumped on him and tried to bring him in.

"That's enough!" Mirabella interceded. Giovanni was able to flop back, and he wet the floor. "Stop laughing, babies. Papa had an accident," she said and finished cleaning Eve.

Embarrassed over his fall, he glanced to Mirabella, who tried to swallow her smile.

Giovanni smiled. He got on his knees and joined his wife. He watched as she finished bathing the three like a pro. The kids kept laughing and grinning at him.

"So you think that's funny?" he asked his children.

"Yeeeeesss!" They said in unison.

He tickled Gianni, who kicked and bucked and splashed. He went after Eve and Gino next. Soon there was more water on him than inside the tub. Mirabella gave up. She tossed the rag and stood over them with her hands on her hips. Then she turned and left.

The kids were so tickled, they held their tummies and laughed until their faces were red. Giovanni smiled. With his children, he felt a sense of calm. Life at times could be so simple. It was always the choices of adults that fucked it up.

"Here, bath time is over," Mirabella handed him a towel. She then dropped more on the toilet and began to lift the kids out one by one. Giovanni sat on the floor again. Gino came over naked and jumped on him. Gianni did as his brother. Eve tried, but Mirabella caught her and forced her to be dried off. He played with the boys and tickled them until it was their turn to put on their training pants and get dressed for bed.

"Thanks for the help," Mirabella said.

"Anytime. How about I bathe you next?" he asked.

She shook her head smiling. "Go to the room and get undressed. You're wet. Marietta will be done with cooking soon."

"Which room is yours?"

"Mine?" she frowned.

"Yes. The one you had as a girl. I want you to go to that room," he said.

"It's where the children will sleep." She put on Gianni's nightclothes and then ushered them out of the bathroom. Giovanni pushed up from the floor and grabbed a towel to dry his face. He went after his wife. The room she entered had twin pink canopy beds. He paused, confused by them.

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