Page 75 of Enzo

“Everyone seems to have a skibidi toilet idea!” Amara shouted from the top floor.

I dropped my head into my hands. I couldn’t deal with the truly bizarre lingo of this young generation.

“I don’t know what that means, princess. If you need to use a toilet, please do. We don’t need to announce it.”

“No one understands me!”

She stomped her foot, the little thump traveling down the foyer, and then shuffled away.

Narrowing my eyes on Enzo, I growled, “You’re going to pay.”

For what, I didn’t know, but whatever this “skibidi toilet” situation was, it was surely my son-in-law’s fault.

Penelope came to the rescue, of course. “It wasn’t Enzo’s?—”

“My office. Now.”

Enzo regarded me with a carefully guarded expression, but Penelope held nothing back.

“Papà, I love you, but you can’t boss us around like this.”

My lip twitched, fighting a smile.

I still remembered how skittish she’d been when we visited D’Arc—the school she’d studied at in the States until taking her studies remote to be here with us—for the first time, but look at her now. I couldn’t help but be proud of her. She’d been slowly but surely spreading her wings, and it was a beautiful sight.

Maybe I’d done something right in my life.

“Can you two step into my office, please?” I gritted, forcing a wan smile on my face.

Penelope returned it, and I commended myself for my acting skills. “Of course, Papà.”

Enzo said nothing as we crossed the marble foyer and made our way toward my office at the back of the house.

Once inside, I went to the minibar and poured three glasses of brandy, handing them each one.

“I’ll take it, but I’m more of an umbrella kind of girl, you know,” Penelope rambled, wrinkling her nose as she sniffed at the brown liquid. “I’m guessing there are no piña coladas or mojitos here.”

“You guessed right, sweetheart.”

My gaze strayed to Enzo and shock rendered me immobile. His eyes were on my daughter, watching her with obsession and wretched longing that I was all too familiar with.

A deep breath spilled out of my lungs, but I couldn’t say I was surprised. Penelope had this calm, contagious energy that captivated those around her. Nonno used to claim she inherited that from my mother and Nonna.

“What can we do for you, Luca?” Enzo asked, his attention on me again. “It’s late, and we’d like to watch a movie before bed.”

Christ.

The little shit was putting me in my place. I didn’t know whether he had a death wish or deserved my respect for it. I decided it was best not to dwell on anything today.

There was enough shit going on as it was.

“What’s going on with Amara?”

Penelope swallowed.

Enzo answered. “She got a bit overexcited and stumbled trying to stand too quickly.”

“Lost her balance, basically. No big deal,” Penelope added.