After breakfast, Loulou, satiated with more sausage and eggs than a small dog should have, curled up under the table to sleep. Dominic and Elijah went ahead to get the cars ready for our shopping trip while Sybil was busy cleaning Loulou’s room, which from that day forward would no longer serve that purpose.
I wanted her to be part of this family. I was left alone in the kitchen with Daniel, still perched on the pillow, now with the tablet in his lap, and Simona wiggling in the high chair.
These two children were now mine and I had to take care of them.
The weight of my responsibility rested on my shoulders as I watched them. I did not feel like a mother.
Would they ever accept me? Maybe I should lower my expectations and start becoming their friend. This was the first step. I approached Simona and smiled at her.
She looked at me in curiosity. “Hi, Simona, it’s Gianna.” Some of the banana oatmeal she had eaten for breakfast was sticking to her cheek.
I took a washcloth and wet it with saliva before wiping Simona’s skin.
God, I was turning into my aunts. I had always hated it when they cleaned something with their own saliva. Now that was me. Simona was squirming but not crying. I noted it as a small victory.
“All done,” I declared.
“Now we need to get you out of this chair and get you ready for a shopping trip.” I grabbed her under her arms, lifted her out of the chair, then balanced her on my side as I had seen other people do. Simona was silent, but her eyes had grown big; She was still not convinced of me. For once, Daniel was not looking at the screen. His intense gaze was fixed on Simona and me.
“You don’t have to worry about your sister, Daniele. I will take care of the two of you.” Sybil sighed from the doorway.
“They are too young to understand everything you tell them. Maybe you should…
I frowned. It was obvious she thought I was just another child to take care of.
I was young and inexperienced when it came to children, but I also had to be the new hostess and a role model for these children. I had to put my foot down.
“Thank you for your contribution, Sybil. But how we raise Daniel and Simona is my and Alessio’s business.” After a moment of stunned silence, Sybil nodded abruptly.
“Of course.” Disapproval still oozed from all her pores, and I didn’t really blame her. It must be strange to have someone as young as me as a boss. “The breakfast casserole was absolutely delicious. Thank you for that,” I said as a peace offering.
I didn’t want Sybil as my enemy. I needed all the help I could get.
Surprise crossed Sybil’s face. Then she nodded and a hint of pride flashed in her eyes. Simona on my hip, I held out my hand to Daniel.
“Come, let’s go shopping. We’ll get you new shoes and great shirts.” Daniele lowered his gaze to his tablet again. Looking for a way to persuade him, my eyes landed on Loulou, who was sleeping under the table.
“We will buy new things for Loulou, too. Don’t you want to help me choose the best toys for her?” Daniel raised his head and jumped off the stool suddenly.
“The tablet has to stay here. You have to pay close attention so you can take a look at all the toys.”
Daniele hesitated, with the tablet pressed to his chest. Then he slowly set it down on the chair and came toward me. Simona tugged at my bangs in curiosity. Daniele did not take my hand, but followed me into the lobby where Elijah was waiting for us.
“Do you need help?” He nodded to Simona.
“Actually, yes. I can’t put my shoes on and help Daniel with the jacket when I hold her.”
Elijah smiled and came toward me. As he took Simona away from me, his fingers brushed against my hand.
For some reason it didn’t feel like an accident. Simona started crying the moment he hugged her, and although her cries annoyed me, I was secretly elated that she had not cried while in my arms.
I dressed quickly and found a jacket for Daniel before leaving. I was wedged between the two child seats in the back of the Cadillac, while Elijah and Dominic sat in the front. When I went shopping in the past, it had taken two or three hours at the most, but with two small children, things were very different. Eventually I gave up letting them try on the clothes and kept the pieces in front of them, hoping they would fit.
Despite the crying fits, it was a lot of fun to buy baby clothes.
There were so many cute pieces that even my ovaries exploded. I couldn’t wait for Alessio to see them, although I was a little worried about his reaction to the cute clothes I gave Simona. One of them had sunflower buttons.
For Daniel I got a couple of sweatshirts with quotes from his older brother, which, when I told him what they said, made him smile a little. Six hours, ten bouts of crying, three diaper changes (which turned out to be extraordinarily complicated) and ten shopping bags later, we were home.
Both children had fallen asleep on the drive to the villa and had not even woken up when we brought them inside.
Simona in my arms and Daniel in Elijah’s. After getting them to bed, Elia followed me downstairs.
“You have a talent for children.”
“Thank you,” I said. I still wasn’t quite sure if he was friendly-or more. Something was definitely wrong.
“Loulou!” I called out. A scratch resounded behind the closet door, followed by a bark.
Sighing, I opened the door. Sybil must have locked her in again. It was already much later than I had planned. Perhaps Loulou had peed in the house again.
I needed to find a schedule that would allow me to take care of the children and Loulou. I let her out into the garden, Elijah always by my side. I gave him a curious look.
“Have you been working for Alessio for a long time?” “As a bodyguard? Less than a year. But I’ve been doing other jobs for him for almost ten years.” “Have you guarded Gaia as well?” Elijah’s face closed abruptly. He nodded toward the garden. “Should the dog dig a hole?”
My head turned in on itself.
“What?” Loulou was indeed digging a hole, half of her small body was already disappearing into the ground. I rushed out.
“No! Loulou, don’t.” She looked up, then continued as if nothing had happened. I grabbed her, wincing when I saw how dirty she was, and now so was I. I went back into the house. Dirt rained down on the floor and on me. Loulou’s fur was beyond repair, that much was clear.
“Time for a bath.”
To my surprise, Loulou did not fight me when I put her in the tub. She just stood there and let it happen. After bathing and drying her with the towel, I took the cutting scissors I had bought and settled down on the hall floor with Loulou on my lap. It was the room that seemed the easiest to clean.
There were no carpets. At first, when I brought the scissors close to her body, she squirmed, but eventually, when she realized I was trying to help her, she relaxed and allowed me to cut her fur. The ruffled fur was supposed to make her skin itch.
When I was done, she was half her previous size and looked incredibly lovely.
“Done,” I said and let her go.
For a moment she didn’t move. Then she ran to her new basket I had set up in the living room and threw herself in before starting to wiggle happily, her little legs in the air as she enjoyed the feel of the air on her skin.
Only an inch of hair remained, but I had a feeling it would grow soon. Looking at my clothes, covered in fur and dirt, I decided to clean up too.
I rushed up the stairs and changed into more comfortable clothes. Black socks above the knee, pleated skirt and yellow sweater.
Suddenly I felt more like myself.