Page 5 of Hello Goodbye Amore

“I don’t know.” Chase had read something about climbing the dome, but he was pretty sure they didn’t let six-year-olds do it. “How about we get something to eat? You said you were hungry.” Distraction was an amazing tool, and he wasn’t above using it. Using the Duomo as a landmark, he circled the square and headed down one of the side streets. As he and Ricky turned the corner, a smartly dressed man strode toward him, eyes on his phone. He bumped into Chase rather hard, and Chase twisted away to try to protect Ricky and keep his balance.

“Scusi,” the man said quickly, stumbling over Chase’s feet, and then went on his way. Chase turned to see if the man was okay, watching him continue on, then saw him bump into someone else. He thought it strange until the woman he’d collided with began yelling. Chase wasn’t sure what language she was using, but he got the idea fast—thief! Chase patted his pocket, and his phone was still there. He reached into his other front pocket, and thankfully his thin billfold and money were still there too. Then he picked up Ricky and hurried up to the woman, who was drawing a crowd and a police officer.

“I saw him,” Chase said. Thankfully the officer spoke English, and Chase held Ricky’s hand as he described the man as best he could.

“Did he steal from you as well?” the officer asked in near-perfect English.

“No. I think he tried, but wasn’t successful,” Chase explained and described the dress pants and light blue shirt the man was wearing. He also said that he was a little taller than Chase, broader, with old, scuffed shoes. “I turned to protect my son.” Chase held Ricky close before answering the rest of theofficer’s questions, trying not to overreact so he didn’t upset Ricky.

“I’m very sorry this happened,” he said gently, but with an air of familiarity that told Chase this wasn’t the first time he had handled a situation like this. The officer then thanked him for his help before continuing down the relatively quiet street.

“Was that a bad man?” Ricky asked, looking around as though he were going to pop up again any second. His arms were tight around Chase’s neck.

“Yes, he was. But he’s gone now, and you’re safe.” He rocked Ricky back and forth as much for his own comfort as his son’s. Chase knew he needed to remain calm or Ricky would become more agitated, and the last thing Chase wanted was for him to be afraid in a city that was to be their home for the next five months. “What do you want to eat?”

“Not sketti,” Ricky told him, resting his head on Chase’s shoulder.

“Pizza?” Chase asked.

Ricky shrugged and went quiet like he was either thinking or had to poop. Sometimes it was hard to tell. “Chicken and french fries,” he said. Ricky’s comfort food of choice. Chase wasn’t sure where to find an American-style place nearby, but he checked his phone and headed one street over. Sure enough, he found a snack bar that had an approximation of what Ricky wanted. At least it was close enough that Ricky ate it, with Chase having a few bites himself.

“Is that bad man out there?” Ricky asked seriously as he offered a french fry to Chase. They weren’t bad, and he ate the offered goodie.

“He’s gone, and the police are after him, so he isn’t going to be around anymore.” He forced a smile, even though the incident had set him on edge. They were safe, and nothing had been taken.

Ricky looked up from his food. “What if he tried to steal me?” The fear in Ricky’s eyes was real, and all Chase wanted to do was soothe it away.

“Then I’d chase him down all the way back home if I had to until I got you back.” He held Ricky’s gaze. “I would never, ever let anyone take you away from me. You’re my boy, and I will fight anyone who tries to take you away.” He smiled as best he could to try to make Ricky feel better, even though a jolt of fear ran through him. After all, Ricky was all he had left of his twin.

“You promise?” Ricky asked, and Chase nodded very seriously.

“I promise, forever and always.” And he always kept his word, no matter what, though sometimes promises got hard to keep, especially when there was a secret at the heart of them that could blow his entire world sky-high. Chase turned away and glanced upward, thinking of Elaine and the promises he had made to her in the hospital when Ricky was born. That wasn’t the last time she had extracted promises from him. The first was easy: that if anything ever happened to her, he would raise Ricky as his own son. He’d done that and had adopted him four years ago. Heck, Ricky had called him Daddy or Guncle Daddy practically since he learned to talk. The second promise didn’t seem that big then, but lately it was becoming more problematic. Nevertheless, he intended to honor it because it was to his twin and dearest friend, and he’d lost a bit of his spirit when she’d died.

“Really?” Ricky asked, and Chase tickled him lightly to peals of laughter that had other patrons turning to smile.

“Yes, really. I will always be there for you, and no one is ever going to take you away.” Chase would move heaven and earth before he’d let anyone take his child. Which only made Chase more determined to keep Elaine’s secret, no matter what. He squeezed Ricky’s shoulders in a gentle hug. “Now, please eatyour lunch so we can go see the bridge with the shops on it.” And maybe he’d find something interesting that he could send back to his mother. Her birthday was coming up in a few weeks.

“Okay, Daddy,” Ricky agreed with a smile. “How many more bites?”

Chase sighed. “Five more of the chicken,” he answered. Ricky could eat all the fries he wanted as long as he ate some more protein.

“Then can we go see the bridge?” Ricky asked, eating quickly.

“Yes. But you have to hold my hand the entire time. There will be a lot of people there, and I don’t want you to get lost.” Just that idea made his heart quicken in fear.

“I will.” Ricky took his additional bites and then declared that he was done. Chase ate what was left of the fries and made sure Ricky’s hands and face were clean, and then they headed out, walking back through the center of town toward the Arno River, following the flow of people as they made their way to the main shopping district. The crowd got thicker as they approached the Ponte Vecchio, both sides of the street lined with businesses hoping to tempt tourists with their wares.

“Look at the pretty pictures.” Ricky pointed at the mosaic images made of pieces of stone. He pulled Chase over to look for a few seconds before something else caught his attention. Chase lifted Ricky into his arms so he could see better and to prevent him from running off. “There’s so much.” He paused and pointed once more. “What’s that?”

“Jewelry, lots of it. There have been stores like that on the bridge for a very long time. Do you want to try to find something for Grandma?” Chase asked as they paused to look into one of the shop windows. Ricky gasped and pointed to a gold necklace decorated with incredibly detailed enameled flowers. “Do you like that one?”

Ricky nodded and smiled. “It’s pretty for Grandma. Can we get it?” He practically bounced with excitement. Chase hated to tell him no, but he was sure the piece was a lot more than he could afford. “Pleeeaaaase,” he asked in the same way he had asked Santa for a pony at Christmas, complete with innocent eyes and that lower lip thrust forward.

“We can look at it and ask how much it is,” Chase said gently. He turned to enter the small shop as Antonello stepped out from behind the counter, where he had been speaking with the salesman. Chase took a step back, hoping he could get out of there before Antonello saw them. His heart raced, and he felt sweat beading around the back of his neck and on his forehead as his gaze shifted from Ricky to Antonello and then back to Ricky, a realization hitting him in the chest like a fist. Chase could barely breathe as his gaze went between the two of them like he was watching a goddamned tennis match. Holy shit on a shingle.

“Chase,” Antonello said, and Chase felt him coming up behind. He didn’t have to see him; he just knew he was there. He hadn’t noticed the name on the sign, but he must have stepped into the Glorioso family store. He should have been paying closer attention.

“Hello, Antonello,” he said as levelly as he could with his heart pounding in his ears. Everything went into slow motion as Chase saw the moment Antonello registered that he was holding Ricky.

---