Page 136 of Lupo

"The great Don Rossi has gone soft," she teases.

"Don Rossi is standing right in front of you." I meet her eyes. "But so is Lupo. And Alessandro. I'm all of them. All for you."

Elena calls out from her room. "Mama! Daddy! Come see! I can see the whole garden!"

"Coming, baby!" Isabella calls back. "We should go. Before she tries to climb out the window."

"She wouldn't—" I stop. "She would, wouldn't she? Oh my God, I didn’t think of that."

"She's three and a half and excited. She absolutely would."

We hurry to her room. Elena is indeed leaning out the window, waving at the guards below.

"Down," I say firmly, pulling her back. "No leaning out windows. That's a rule."

"But I wanted to say hi to the nice men."

"You can say hi from down here. Where it's safe." I close the window slightly. "New rule. Windows only open this much unless Mama or I are with you."

"Okay, Daddy." She doesn't seem upset by the rule. Just accepts it.

That's good. She'll need to learn rules here. Safety rules. Security rules.

Rules that keep her alive.

"Lunch!" Emilia calls from downstairs. "Come eat before it gets cold!"

Elena runs for the door, then stops. Runs back and grabs her rabbit. "Bunny needs to eat too!"

"Of course he does," I say seriously. "Can't forget Bunny."

We go downstairs together. The dining room table is set simple, not formal. Emilia has made pasta al pomodoro, bread, salad. Simple food. Comfort food.

Elena climbs into a chair and Emilia brings her a special plate with smaller portions, child-sized.

"Eat, my child. You need your strength to help with the chickens later."

"Can I really help?"

"Of course! I'll need someone to tell me their names.”

Elena launches into an explanation of all six chickens, their personalities, who lays the best eggs. Emilia listens intently, asking questions, making Elena feel important.

I watch my housekeeper bonding with my daughter over chickens and my heart fills to overflowing.

This is my family now.

Not just Isabella and Elena. But Emilia too. And Ciro, who carried chicken crates without complaint. And the guards outside, who protect them.

All of us.

A family built from crime and violence and circumstances none of us chose.

But a family nonetheless.

After lunch, we settle the chickens. The groundskeeper and I build a temporary coop while Elena supervises, telling us exactly how the chickens like things.

Isabella watches from the patio, Emilia beside her, the two of them talking quietly.