"Not picky." Enzo chuckles. "I like that."
"You'd be in favor of a match?"
"It would be the solution for both our problems, wouldn't it?" Enzo takes a sip from his drink.
"Indeed." I empty my glass and stand up. "Let me know who you've chosen, and we'll set a date."
"You really don't care?" He probes further, but I just shake my head.
"What's there to care? It's my duty." I shrug.
Chapter Seven
"ENZO!" MY VOICE GOES up a notch. "I've been worried."
"Piccola, I am fine." He coughs. "Not that I was fine before."
"What do you mean?"
"We were attacked. Rocco's dead." My fingers tighten on the phone. He is? A surge of happiness envelops me. My father is dead.
"What about you? Please tell me you're ok!"
"I'm out of the danger zone, don't worry. They discharged me from the hospital a couple of days ago."
"Good! That's good! But... does that mean?" I ask hesitantly.
"Not now, piccola... It's extremely dangerous. I barely made it out alive myself. We have enemies gunning for our territories. I can't expose you to that." He explains, and my face falls. "Soon. Just wait a little longer."
"Ok." I whisper.
"How is my favorite niece?"
"She's good. She can't wait to see you. When will you be visiting?"
"I'll try to be there by the end of the week. I'll see you then, piccola."
"Yes, thank you, Enzo. I am really glad you're fine."
"Don't worry about me, I am a hard man to kill." He chuckles, but I don't share the sentiment.
After I hang up, I hide my phone in its special place. We rarely get inspections in here, but it's better to be careful. Mother Superior's always had a grudge against me, and I don't want to do anything that could provoke her. She would just take out her anger on Claudia.
Enzo was injured... that's why he couldn't come. I take a deep breath and sit down, trying to calm my nerves. This is just another reason I hate what my family does. There's always danger. I don't want that for Claudia, and yet, I don't want her to grow up knowing only the walls of this convent either. It's not an ideal situation.
"Mamma!" Claudia opens the door and jumps into my arms.
"There, there, little troublemaker, you'll make me lose my balance." I chide, but she's not deterred.
"Look what I got!" She raises her hand to show me a chocolate bar. I frown.
"Where did you get that?" Only an outsider could bring chocolate inside.
"Father Guerra gave it to me. He said I was an obedient child." She happily recounts and I can't help but smile.
In the days after Father Guerra's introduction, I'd learned to put my bias aside and to warm up to the man. Even though he was from a prominent family, and probably why I'd taken such an instant dislike of him, he'd been nice and kind to us. Even to me. He hadn't let rumors or prejudices cloud his judgement when it came to how he treated us, and I'd been grateful. It was only fair for me to do the same.
He's been particularly kind to Claudia, and I now realize just how much she needs a father figure in her life.
"Then you can eat it after dinner." I tell her and she pouts.
"Can I have a square now?" She bats her eyelashes at me. I'm almost tempted to give in, because she is just too cute when she's trying to get something.
"No. After you eat!"
"Fine." She gives me the chocolate bar, and I put it aside.
"Where is your Aunt Sisi?" Claudia was supposed to be with Sisi...
"She was stopped by Mother Superior. She told me to go ahead."
That's odd. I shrug and put it out of my mind.
"Let's get you dressed."
Sunday dinner is always a more special meal, and Claudia is allowed to wear one of her prettier dresses — not that I'd call any of the things she has to wear pretty. I go to our closet and ask her to pick what she wants to wear this time. She chooses a dusty pink dress. Pulling one of her white shirts from a drawer, I give her that to put on first, and then I help her put on the dress.
"Do my hair too?"
She plops herself in front of the tiny mirror standing on the desk, and I comb her hair. Claudia looks like a mini-me in all aspects but her hair. It's a light brown, almost a sandy blonde. I separate her hair in strands before plaiting it in a long braid. Not for the first time, my thoughts take me to that night... to her biological father. A shudder runs through me. I quickly try to distract myself by listening to her chatter about her school lessons.
"All done."
"Thanks, mamma" She brings her arms around my midriff and gives me a hug.
"There you are." I turn my head and see Sisi come in. She looks as if she's just run a marathon.
"What happened to you?"
Panting, she throws herself on the bed.
"That... ugh... that blasted woman!" She punches the pillow.
"Sisi?"
"Mother Superior. She told me I'm not doing my chores properly and that now I will be assigned double the load... to learn how to work properly she says." More movements from the bed before she jumps to her feet.
"I've never had a complaint before, but suddenly I'm doing everything wrong."
"Sisi..."
"You know what, never mind. I'll do what she says... but that means I won't have that much time to watch Claudia."
"I'm sure we can figure something out." I add.
"And I'm a big girl. I can look after myself." My daughter interjects, causing both Sisi and me to smile.
"Let me get dressed and I'll come with you to dinner." She sighs and takes out a clean outfit.
We all head to the big hall, and trying to avoid the other nuns, we take seats at a table in the farthest corner. I'm used by now with the stares and the malignant whispers, but I'm always trying to minimize Claudia's exposure to those things. Luckily, the food ends up being better than before, and everyone is enjoying it. We finish and take our trays to be washed.
"Can I go eat the chocolate now?" Claudia tugs on my sleeve. Seeing her hopeful face, I can't bring myself to say no.
"Sure. You can go ahead."
"Yayy!" She exclaims before running towards our room.
"You're spoiling her too much." Sisi playfully reprimands me.
"It's the least I can do."
"I wish my mother was like you." Sisi's wistful tone reminds me of that time, years ago, when she'd asked me to be her mother.
I give her hand a quick squeeze in comfort.
When we head back to the room, the convent is quiet. Everyone is probably getting ready for lights out.
"Claudia?" I call my daughter as I open the door to the room. Nothing. I step inside.
"Claudia? It's not funny." I repeat and start looking under the bed, then in the closet. Sisi does the same. But there's only so many places in which you can hide in a tiny room.
"Where could she be?" My heart picks up speed, anxiety climbing through the roof. I look at the spot where I'd put her chocolate and I find it still there, untouched.