Page 32 of La Dolce Vita

She had another bad dream. And this one woke her with tears. In her nightmare she was alone. She searched the many rooms of Melanzana for her family. Each one empty. Every piece of furniture had vanished. No sounds of laughter or sweet smells from the kitchen. And then she ventured outside, hoping to find her loved ones. But the entire beauty of Italy was wiped away. All around her was darkness, an empty void. She called out to Giovanni. She shouted his name and her voice echoed back to her. She was alone.

Mirabella leaned over and kissed her babies. Eve stirred. Her little girl opened her eyes.

"Hi, Mommy," Eve yawned. "Go to sleep, Mommy. It’s good for you."

Mirabella smiled. Eve had elected herself Mira's nurse and caregiver. At night when Papa left for one of his many trips, her daughter sensed her loneliness, and tried everything from reading a book to her, to making her brothers behave to cheer her up. It was sweet and sad. Not a burden for a four-year-old.

"I'm all right," Mirabella smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Sto bene.I'm better than okay, sweetheart. I promise."

"Papa was here," Eve said. “He kiss you. He kiss me, too.”

"Did he?"

Eve nodded.

Mirabella pressed her lips together. "Can you do Mommy a favor?"

"Yes," Eve said.

Mirabella stroked her daughter's hand. "Can you go to sleep and not worry so much about me?"

Eve smiled.

"I think so," she said.

"If the boys wake up, can you tell Leo to wake up Zia?" Mirabella asked.

"Where you going?" Eve asked with a frown. "Don't leave us. I’m scared!"

"I'm going to find Papa. To make sure someone is taking care of him," Mirabella said.

"He was happy," Eve said. "Everybody is happy."

"That's right, baby. Nothing to worry about." She picked up Eve's hand and kissed it.

"Ti amo, Mama,"Eve squeezed her doll and closed her eyes. “Don’t go. I’m scared.”

"Ti amo, così tanto," Mirabella said. “Go to sleep. I’m right here.”

She hummed a nursery rhyme so her daughter could drift back to sleep. She kissed her baby girl and her sons once more. She could kiss on these kids forever. They owned her heart. She then eased out of bed. She found her robe to cover her long sleep shirt and put on her slippers. In the past, she'd put on something sexy, do her hair, and welcome him home properly. Mirabella removed her scarf. She checked the mirror and used her fingers to comb out her new hairstyle. The bangs were longer than she wanted, but her features were highlighted by how her wrapped hairstyle under the scarf lay flat to her head and framed her face.

The house was silent, but his men were always close.

"Hi, Leo, Gio’s home?”

“Si,Donna, he’s invilla Rosso,” he said.

“I’m going to keep the door open. If the kids wake and won’t go back to sleep can you get Zia?”

“Si, Donna,” Leo said.

She smiled, and he smiled back. She descended the steps and headed to the back of her villa, then out across the lawn. She glanced up at the moon. It was huge in the sky. And though there were no stars she found the night to be beautiful and calm. It was a good omen. She approached the troupe of men gathered outside ofvilla Rosso.They looked at her with surprise, and then their gazes dropped away. Mirabella was their Donna, and if she perceived any contact with the men inappropriate, there would be hell to pay. Everyone was barred fromvilla Rosso,but that rule did not apply to her.

One of the men opened the door for her.

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