Page 129 of Vita Mia

Bagheria, Italy

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MIRABELLA HANDED NICOa glass of Giovanni’s favorite Irish whiskey. He accepted it and remained seated, but his gaze burned on her. She sat across from him by the empty fireplace pretending not to notice. She took a sip of her gin, and paced herself before she spoke.

“Eve told me that you invited me to dinner,” Nico said.

“You know I didn’t,” Mirabella said under her breath.

Nico sighed.

“After all these years you still don’t trust me? I am not encouraging her. If that’s what you think.”

“What I think is my daughter is a beautiful, talented, woman who has an unhealthy obsession with a man who was asked to be her Godfather. A man that should never inspire her the way he does.”

“Is that her fault or ours?” he asked.

“Ours?” she glanced up and looked him in the eye. “No. It’s yours. Isn’t it? She’s always running to you. You swore to me and Gio that this would end. But here you are again. Her hero, something you’re quite good at pretending to be.”

Nico sat forward. “I love her like a daughter. And I respect her the same. I never wanted to be anyone’s hero. But when Gio was gone, it’s the role you asked me to play.”

“You’re lying to yourself to justify your actions.”

“It’s the truth. And you and I both know I would never betray Giovanni with her or with you.”

Mirabella averted her gaze. There was a time when she was so rocked by her grief her sanity began to slip. It was the time after Giovanni’s first death. And the only man she could draw comfort from was Nico. No matter her vulnerability, no matter the insanity the years after Giovanni’s car went off the cliff, he never crossed the line with her but they came close. And she was so glad he was strong enough for the both of them not to do so.

“Can you look at me. This is a conversation we should have had a long time ago.”

Mirabella’s gaze returned to him.

“When Eve lost the baby,” he began “She needed someone.”

“She needed her husband.”

“He wasn’t there for her,” Nico insisted.

“Or here’s a thought, she could have had me!” Mirabella’s voice snapped. You should have called me instead of rushing to her side!” Mirabella said. “I had to find about the baby a month later in Cuba? I would have been there for her. I should have been there for her.”

He dropped his head with regret.

“I know. I should have. But she called me in the middle of the night. I... I just wanted to protect her, make sure she survived the pain. She needed that month to heal and she needed me. It was innocent.”

“That’s my point Nico. It’s never innocent between you two. She lost her husband because he said he couldn’t compete with you. It’s what he told us. He came to Cuba and told us about the baby, and he told us about you.”

Nico sat upright with a look of deep concern.

“That’s a lie. On my life, it’s a lie. I never touched her,” Nico said.

“It’s beyond that now Nico. The relationship you have doesn’t have to be physical to be wrong. I’m her mother and at some point, she decided not lean on me. You can’t replace Gio in her life. Why do you think I’m doing this? Why do you think Gio and I trusted you above everyone else? Because we both know you want what we want. To free her. That fire stunted her growth. It changed her. It burned her innocence to the ground. After all these years we’re still living in the past. It’s time to stop living this lie!”

Nico put his face in his hands. He spoke into his palms but Mirabella heard him clearly. “What you don’t understand is Eve is a woman now. She’s not a little girl. She can’t be controlled.”

“I know who she is!”

“Do you?” Nico looked up. “She needs us to unite. After all these years she needs us to forgive each other. To let go the blame and mistakes.”

“You mean my mistakes. Mine and Gio’s. Is that what you do? Tell her how her mother and father put her in boarding school and hid her away from the world until she was sixteen? Make her think we didn’t sacrifice for her.”

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