27

I was now the mistress of this house, responsible for two small children and a dog. Trying not to panic, I smiled at my bodyguards.
A smile almost always saved the day.
“First I will have breakfast with the children. After that, we can go shopping. Would you like to join us for breakfast or do you have a room where you prefer to rest until I need your services?” Dominic nodded.
“There is a guardhouse on site…”
“We would like to join you for breakfast,” Elijah interrupted him. Domenico frowned but said nothing. Elia established eye contact with me. He was friendly and open. Domenico had definitely lowered the grumpy bodyguard. “All right. Why don’t you go ahead…”
“Do you know where we usually have breakfast?” Elijah smiled. Domenico merely shook his head.
I gave an embarrassed smile.
“All right, then I’ll go to the kitchen and find Sybil.” Gaia used to eat in the dining room, but the room was too big, too formal for my taste. The kitchen, on the other hand, had a white country house style with large windows and a long wooden table that showed traces of use. Simona rolled around the kitchen in her walker while Sybil cooked some sort of baked breakfast with eggs and sausage. Simona looked at me critically, but she was busy turning the colored wheels on the tray in front of her walker.
“Why don’t you go ahead and sit down while I get Daniel?” I said. Dominic and Elijah immediately reclined in their chairs.
“He doesn’t eat breakfast. He usually hides when I try to pick him up.” Turning to Sybil, I said, “I’ll get him down, don’t worry. Have you walked Loulou yet?”
“No, I never do. She has the box.”
“I’ll let her into the garden until I have time to walk her later.” Sybil turned to me, her eyes wide. “The owner doesn’t want the dog in the garden.”
“He put Loulou there last night, so he doesn’t seem to mind.”
“No, no. It was to punish the dog, but he shouldn’t pee in the garden.”
“Well, now things will change.” Elijah and Dominic looked at me in curiosity. I gave them another smile before going upstairs. I had a feeling I knew how to get Daniel out of his room. When I entered, he was gone.
I couldn’t find him in his mother’s old bedroom either, but I heard a noise coming from under the bed.
“Daniele? I’m going to leave Loulou in the garden so she can run around a bit. Do you want to join us?”
I waited and after a couple of minutes, a dark blond head popped out from under the bed. It jerked up and looked at me suspiciously, its tablet clutched to its chest. I held out my hand.
“Come. I’m sure Loulou is looking forward to seeing the garden.” He did not take my hand, but followed me downstairs. I stood in front of him when I opened the door to Loulou’s prison.
She waited right in front of it. The floor behind her was covered with pee and poop. Sighing, I bent down and picked it up. Daniel looked at me, open-mouthed.
I stroked Loulou’s fur and her face filled with desire. Remembering Alessio’s words about her snap, I decided not to let him touch her for the time being.
They both needed to heal before they could really become friends.
Daniel stood by my side as I crossed the living room to the French doors. The cold November air was blowing in my face. Staying inside, I made Loulou sit on the terrace.
For a moment she did not move, only lifted her nose and let the wind tug at her fur. Then she hurried away. My heart skipped a beat thinking she was trying to run away. Instead, she just ran, turning and turning like a hare. She ran and ran and ran, as if she was delirious about her newfound freedom.
Daniel stood close to me, following everything with childlike amazement. I squatted beside him, though the uncomfortable fabric of my pants made it harder.
“He’s happy, see?” He nodded, but did not take his eyes off Loulou. Daniele and I stayed like that for almost ten minutes, and Loulou stopped only once to pee before running off again.
But I was beginning to get cold. Straightening up, I slipped two fingers between my lips and let out a whistle. Daniel’s head lifted toward me, his little mouth opened. I whistled again, even though Loulou was already trotting toward me.
“Do you want to learn to whistle like that?” Daniel nodded slowly.
“Then I’ll teach you.”
Loulou wagged her tail hesitantly, but stayed a few steps between her and Daniele. I didn’t know if something had happened or if she had never learned how to deal with children, but I hoped I could fix both of them. Daniele and I walked into the kitchen.
The room smelled of bacon and freshly brewed coffee, and my stomach instantly clenched. I hadn’t eaten much last night; I had been too nervous before coming to my new home.
Now I was starving. Loulou was a couple of steps behind us, her tail tucked between her legs, obviously overwhelmed. I knew what that felt like…. Sybil shook her head. “This is not good. The master won’t like it.” I just smiled.
“Thank you for making us breakfast.” Simona was already sitting in a high chair, but there was a second one next to it. Sybil placed the breakfast casserole on the table and grabbed Daniel, who began to scream.
Despite his difficulties, she took the seat off him and tried to push him into the high chair. Domenico stood up as if to help hold him back.
“No,” I answered firmly. They both looked at me. Elijah stayed, looking at me.
“He won’t eat unless he is confined to his chair,” Sybil said. I took Daniel off her, which was not easy because of his fatigue, then sat him in a chair.
“You want a big boy chair?” She calmed down. Then his eyes rested on the seat. “No,” he replied quietly.
“You can have your tablet after breakfast, but none of us are playing games while we eat. You’re a big boy, Daniel. That’s why you can’t play during meals and why you’re allowed to sit in an adult chair.”
His eyes met mine and for a moment, the sadness in them seemed too great for someone so small to carry. I swallowed. Without thinking, I stroked his head. He stopped. Clearing my throat, I straightened up and pushed his chair a little closer to the table.
“Can you get a pillow?” I asked Domenico.
He disappeared and returned a couple of minutes later with a pillow. “I need to lift you up so Domenico can put the pillow on the chair so you are taller, okay?” Daniele gave a little nod.
I grabbed him under his arms and lifted him up, then quickly lowered him onto the pillow. Now his head was at the height of the table.
I sat down next to him. Sybil gave me a small nod of gratitude before turning to Simona, who refused to be spoon-fed.
“Eat,” I said to my bodyguards before scooping some of the casserole onto the plate. “Will you share a plate with me?” I asked Daniel, handing him a fork. After a moment’s thought, he took it. I pierced a slice of sausage and stuck it in my mouth.
“All right. Try it to believe.” Daniel merely poked the food with his fork. Soon Loulou got under the table, obviously hoping for some crumbs. Before I could stop him, Daniele threw a slice of sausage to the floor, which Loulou immediately knocked down.
“Daniele!” Sybil exclaimed, but I raised my palm. Daniel thrust out his chin and a look in his eyes told me he was about to retreat into himself if I didn’t do something.
“If you want to feed Loulou, you have to eat too. How about this? For every bite you give her, you have to eat one in turn?” Daniel thought about it for a moment before giving a quick nod, then stuck the smallest slice of sausage on the plate and popped it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, then threw down another piece for Loulou. Sybil sighed.
“The master won’t like it. The dog shouldn’t be in the kitchen, much less taking food from the table.” It was not ideal, but if this thing made Daniel eat, I would take it until I understood why he was acting that way and could fix it.
I almost laughed. How was I supposed to treat traumatized children? A neglected dog? By trying.
That was all I could do, and I was going to try, because Simona, Daniel, Loulou, and maybe even Alessio needed me.