Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 118965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118965 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 595(@200wpm)___ 476(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Mattie gathers our cups and the tray. “Do you want me to walk you down, Bella?”
“I’ll shout if I need you.”
They leave the room with Mom chatting animatedly about piano lessons. It hurts when I get to my feet, but the pain isn’t the constant blunt ache stabbing into my gut of when I regained consciousness. It’s more of a sharp needling in my ribs that fades when I don’t put strain on my muscles.
In the dressing room, I open the drawer in which Heidi packed my jewelry. Angelo gave me the code of the safe, but I’m yet to put the precious diamonds and rubies away. I take out the flat blue box with the Italian jewelry store logo before making my way downstairs.
The boys are having cookies and milk in the kitchen. They run up to hug me, taking care not to squeeze too hard.
“Sabella,” Guillaume exclaims. “Angelo told us a secret.”
Johan gives him a slap upside the head. “Which means you have to keep your mouth shut.”
“Ouch,” Guillaume cries out with an indignant expression, rubbing his skull.
“Don’t hit your brother,” I say in a stern voice.
Johan shoots Guillaume an accusing look. “He was going to shoot his mouth off and spoil everything.”
Crossing his arms, Guillaume says with a sulking face, “I was not.”
“That’s enough.” Heidi wipes crumbs from the table. “We’re not going to get into a fight. The doctor said Sabella needs peace and quiet.”
Guillaume pouts. “He started it.”
Étienne says with one of Doris’s famous oatmeal cookies stuffed into his mouth, “You’re not supposed to say there’s a secret, dumbass.”
“We don’t speak with a full mouth,” I chide. “And no swearing.”
“Sorry, Sabella,” Étienne mumbles around the cookie.
I catch Johan’s gaze. “You’re the big brother. You should always protect your younger brothers. Hitting them is not only wrong but it also sets a bad example.”
“Sorry,” Johan grumbles.
“I’ll be honest,” I say. “I’m not very good with surprises. Is it a good one?”
“Oh yes,” Étienne says, nodding enthusiastically.
“You’re going to love it,” Guillaume agrees, putting emphasis on love.
“In that case, I can’t wait.”
“See?” Johan says, disgruntled. “Now it’s no longer a surprise.”
“It is if I don’t know what it is. Plus, now I have something to look forward to.”
Johan shoots Guillaume a look that says, Now, look what you’ve done.
“Where’s Sophie?” I ask.
“Dunno,” Étienne and Guillaume say in unison.
“Probably in her room,” Johan pipes in.
Heidi sighs. “She didn’t want to come to the kitchen for her snack, so I took a tray to her room.”
“She’s outside,” Angelo says behind me.
I turn to see him standing in the doorframe.
“On the porch,” he says with a tilt of his head in that direction, his tone telling me I better go have a look.
He comes over and wraps his arms gently around me, kissing me full on the mouth. “How are you feeling?”
The boys grin. Étienne nudges Guillaume.
“Great,” I say, my chest expanding with a warm feeling.
Keeping an arm around my shoulders, he leads me down the hallway. “I can’t talk sense into her.”
I stare up at him. “Sophie?”
“She refuses to listen or to talk to me.” He sounds despondent. “I’m out of my depth here, Sabella. Tell me what to do.”
“Let me try.”
He opens the front door and takes my hand to lead me outside. Sophie sits on the top step of the porch with her knees drawn up and her arms resting on them. Next to her, Beatrice and Alison’s heads peek from her open backpack. A few pieces of clothing, a water bottle, and a plastic container with oatmeal cookies are visible.
I lower myself carefully next to her.
She tightens her jaw and fixes her gaze on the sea.
I glance at Angelo who watches us from the door with a shoulder braced on the frame and his ankles crossed, looking both worried and amused.
I turn to Sophie. “It looks as if you’re leaving.”
She crosses her arms and plants them firmly on her knees. “I think I’ll go back to the cave.”
“Why? Aren’t you happy here?”
“You don’t want me anymore,” she says, a frown scrunching up her small face. “You just want to play with Brad and Ben.”
“That’s because I haven’t seen them in a long time. It’s natural that I want to spend time with them. In fact, it’s the first time I met little Ben since he was born. But that doesn’t mean I love you less. It just means that sometimes, you have to share the people you love.”
She kicks at a leaf that the breeze blew onto the step. “You love them more because they’re your family.”
“You’re my family too.” I put an arm around her shoulder. “When Angelo gave you Alison, did you love Beatrice less?”
She ponders the question before admitting sulkily, “No.”
“Then why should I love you less? You’ll always be my special little girl.”