Page 101 of The Empress

“I’m sorry,stellina mia. I should’ve taken you into consideration.” I set the pan down on the stove. “Wait! I have photos.” I dart out of the kitchen and jog to my bedroom. Walking into my closet, I pull a box from the top shelf and carry it back to where the love of my life is waiting.

I place the box beside her and take off the lid. She peeks curiously inside and pulls a small pink blanket out. “I remember this!”

“That’s a good sign,” I say, hope creeping into my chest.

Maybe Haven’s memory will return if she sees more things from her past.

I dig in the box until I find the photos, which I should’ve put in an album, but I could never bring myself to look at them.

My eyes lock on the first one that’s of Mrs. Messina smiling at the camera. I pull myself up on the island, and sitting beside Haven, I show her the photo. “This is your mother. Viola Messina.”

Her hand trembles when she takes the photo, and when her chin quivers, I wrap my arm around her and pull her tight against my side.

“She’s so pretty,” Haven whispers.

“Your name was the last word she said.”

Haven leans her head against the side of my chest and sniffles. “Carina Messina. It feels weird.”

“That’s understandable,” I murmur.

She takes the photos from me and looks at the next one, which is of her on Diego’s back. He has an empty toilet roll strapped to his forehead, the expression on his face not impressed at all. There’s also one of me and her in the same pose.

“Oh my gosh, these are so cute.”

“You made us crawl around pretending we were unicorns.” I rub my hand up and down her arm while chuckling. “Your father was laughing so much he struggled to take the photos, which only pissed off Diego more.”

Haven moves on to the next photo, which is of Mr. and Mrs. Messina sitting outside on lawn chairs.

“My parents.” When she wipes at her face, I realize she’s crying, and I press a kiss to her temple.

“Your father’s name was Corrado Messina,” I tell her while she continues to look through the pictures.

When she looks at one of her father holding her and her mother pressing a kiss to her cheek, her breath catches in her throat. “Leo, I remember this! I think it was my birthday. There was a pink unicorn cake.”

My eyes dart to her face, and I’m hit with a burst of relief and happiness that she hasn’t forgotten her family completely. “It was your sixth birthday, a month before the attack.”

“I remember my parents,” she sobs, and as she presses the photo to her chest and begins to cry, I hold her tightly and drop kisses in her hair. Her voice breaks over the words as she says, “I want to remember everything.”

“I wish I could give you all my memories,” I whisper.

“Tell me more. I want to know everything.”

“One day after school, when Diego and I got home, your mother was sitting on the floor crying. We thought she had fallen and hurt herself, but she was upset because you’d just taken your first step, and by the time she grabbed the camera, you sat down and she missed her chance to take a photo.”

While Haven continues looking through all the pictures, I slip off the island and start preparing the food.

I let out a chuckle when a memory pops into my mind. “There was a morning when you walked in on your parents having sex. Diego was so grossed out. It was up to me to drag you out of their bedroom while they were shouting for you to get out.” I start to laugh. “You were so worried because you thought your dad was stuck inside your mom, and you wanted to help pull them apart.” I glance at Haven. “Your parents couldn’t look me in the eye for a whole month and kept apologizing.”

“Did you see them butt naked?”

I nod while another chuckle escapes me. “I can laugh about it now, but back then it was the most embarrassing moment of my life.”

Haven’s smiling as she listens to me, so I continue telling her story after story while I prepare the food.

When I set the plates down on the marble counter, she jumps off and takes a seat on the stool beside me.

We eat for a little while, and after I take a sip of water, I say, “I’m sorry I terrified you those first two days I brought you here.”