Page 15 of A Scottish Teashop in Napoli

Elena woke up with a start. Six-thirty! It was the first time since the crash that she had slept right through the night and hadn’t found Stefano lying beside her.

‘Mamma, look!’ cried Stefano, as she entered the kitchen, his face splattered with egg yolk.

‘Slowly, slowly.’ Dario placed the coffee pot on the table, then gently rotated Stefano’s arm, guiding the whisk around the mixing bowl.‘Buongiorno,’he said, breaking away to pour Elena a cup of strong espresso. ‘This morning, we have ham and scrambled eggs, prepared by our chef, Signor Stefano.’

‘Grazie.’ She rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, reminded of the many surprise breakfasts father and son had prepared in celebration of her birthday, Name Day,Festa della Mammaand Christmas. Seeing Dario at the sink, his back to her, it was almost as if Giancarlo had returned to them.

‘Mamma, is that okay? Please say yes.’

‘Sorry, Stefano. What did you say?’

‘Zio Dario said he can drive me to school this morning. In the police car. Please, please say yes.’

‘Dario, are you sure? Have you time?’

‘My shift doesn’t start until four, and it’s on my way home.’

‘Okay. Hurry up, Stefano. Finish your breakfast, then go and get ready.’

‘Yeees!’He high-fived Dario, wolfed down his scrambled egg, then skipped down the hallway to his bedroom.

‘And don’t forget to brush your teeth – and wipe your eggy face!’ cried Elena. ‘Thank you, Dario. I haven’t seen him like this since…’

Dario studied the floor. ‘It helps me too. It makes me feel connected to him.’ He looked up and smiled. ‘And if it’s okay with you, I’ll take him to the stadium on Sunday.’

‘Of course, but—’

‘But what? I’m not trying to take the place of his father, if that’s what you’re worried about.’

‘I would never think that. I can’t tell you how much you being around has helped him – helped us. But we must be careful.’

‘Careful?’

‘What happens when you meet someone and maybe start a family of your own?’

Dario threw up his hands in defence, mouth breaking into a wide grin. ‘Eh, now you sound like my mother.’

‘God forbid. Joking apart, I’m concerned he gets too used to you being here and becomes overly attached to you.’

Dario shrugged. ‘I’m not going anywhere, so what’s the problem?’

‘When you meet the future Mrs Bianchi—’

‘Mamma mia.I am nearly forty and haven’t met the right woman yet. And even if I did, Stefano will always be an important part of my life. You are both like family to me. I will never desert you.’

Elena sighed. ‘I guess what I’m trying to say is, I want to protect him from further pain and instability.’

‘Trust me, Elena, and let me help you. I am his godfather after all.’

She opened her mouth to say something else then promptly closed it again.

Dario tilted his head to one side. ‘Che cosa? What?’

‘It doesn’t matter.’

He furrowed his brow. ‘Elena, tell me what else is troubling you.’

She drew an unsteady breath. ‘Giancarlo worked so hard the last few months of his life building our company’s online presence to attract interest here and abroad. I’m starting to wonder…’ She trailed off, eyes bright with anguish. ‘In your professional opinion, do you believe the success it brought, made him a target for…?’