Page 262 of Vita Mia

“Ohmio Dio, where have you been?”

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AT DINNER EVE LISTENEDto her parent’s reasons for their deception. She stirred her food with her fork. Two years ago, her mom learned the truth. Two years later everyone knew but her. How could they justify it?

“Eve? Do you have any questions?”

She shook her head no, sadly. She wiped at her tears. She had a million questions but she’d save them for Nico. He was the only person that was ever honest with her. The only person she could trust. She looked up to see why her mother’s love had returned in the past two years. Why she never had a depressive episode or anxiety attack. Why everything was perfect for all of them including her brothers and sisters. And again, in her life, she felt left behind.

“Eve, I did it for you,” Giovanni said. “Forgive me.”

Lies.Her Papa was the King of lies.

She smiled through her pain and nodded. “I forgive you Papa. I forgive you mum.”

She got up from her seat and went to her parents and hugged and kissed them both. They were liars. But so was life, it was filled with lies and disappointments. It was a lesson she continued to learn.

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PRESENT – 2018

Eve turned her gaze away from the clouds. The private jet had everyone on it. Her brothers were to the back. Her mother and sister to the front. Her father sat in the row across from her reading a paper. She unfastened her seatbelt and moved to sit next to him.

Giovanni removed his glasses.

“Can we talk?”

He nodded.

“Everyone in Cuba is going to be shocked when they find out you are alive. Lorenzo, Carlo, everyone.”

“I know,” he said.

“I don’t think you do Papa. You weren’t just their Don. You weren’t just my Papa. You were our world. Mum lost her mind when she lost you. I understand now why you came back for her first. I was thinking about the day I learned of your resurrection. The day I learned that my parents weren’t perfect. And that your love wasn’t perfect. I was thinking that at fourteen I blamed you instead of trying to understand what you gave up for all of us.”

Giovanni’s brows arched.

“You disappeared. You left it all on the table and disappeared. Because of you Uncle Carlo and Uncle Lo had normal lives. Because of you we had our own normal lives. You really did die Papa. You made the biggest sacrifice any man in my life has ever made for me. And I love and respect you for it. I’m sorry for ever blaming you. For ever doubting you. I’m so sorry I didn’t say this sooner.”

Giovanni pulled her to him and hugged her. “The day I walked into your life and saw you for the first time you were already two years old. A beautiful girl who loved cookies. I was so angry for not being there to see you come into the world. But the moment you shared a cookie with me I knew I’d give anything to be your father. I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt me,lucciola. But I’m not sorry for the beautiful woman you have become. I’m proud.”

“Ti amo,”he said.

“Ti amo Papa.”

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