Little Broken Bird

Chapter 29

Victor

"Hey, do you have a minute?" I asked Kota when he came through the room.

"Yeah, sure. What's up?"

I motioned him to come over to the computer and pointed at the screen. "I wanted to try and make a slide with the photos I'd found online of her brother, then I managed to find a few of each family member. That's when I stumbled onto this." I pulled up an interview with Tori and her mother. She was apparently a cello prodigy and was performing with a global quartet. The interview even included a clip of her playing.

Kota's face blanched, "Vic, what's the date on that one?"

"April 21st, why?" I asked, thinking I'd found something really great. I mean, now she could hear her mom's voice again, but looking at Kota's falling expression I wasn't so sure.

"That's only a few days before the recital she performed at. She was taken and her family killed the next night." He said, his voice just above a whisper. "Don't lose it, but I don't think she's ready for that one, just yet. She blames herself for her brother's death. He came for that performance from MIT. Tori thinks that if he hadn't come, he'd still be alive."

I felt my heart clench. "Sadly, I don't think it would have mattered," I said. "Emilio wasn't a kind man then. He had a vengeful streak. Odds are he would have gone after the son for the money as well."

"Yeah, I know Marc's his brother and all, but I still have my reservations about the guy. I also have my worries about Mama and Alberto, but at least I know Uncle is there to keep her safe as well." I simply nodded. That trio had surprised all of us. We had suspected Erica and Uncle were dating, but for them to then begin a poly relationship with Mattie's grandfather...well, that had shocked all of us. "Except for the interview, I think she will love the rest. Are there any you can print out for her?"

Grinning, I held up several photos I'd already made, including one I found on a social media site of Tori and her brother when they were younger. She was about ten, her hair in two short pigtails and was wearing what looked like a school uniform. Her brother stood next to her in a similar outfit, his lighter hair cut short with a grin as he wiggled her braids. She was laughing in the picture, her small hands covering her mouth.

Kota grinned at that one. "Damn, she was a cute kid," he chuckled. " Maybe we could frame a few and put the others into a photo album for her."

****

We all sat gathered around the dinner table as Tori was snuggled between North and Silas when I cleared my throat. "Um, I, well, we have something we'd like to give you, Cuore mio." I handed her the light purple box and held my breath as she opened it. I had the image with her brother in a frame on top of the photo album and heard her let out a gasp when she saw it.

She lifted it as if it would shatter into a thousand pieces with one wrong move, her fingertips tracing along the images as she silently cried, then clutched it to her chest. Lifting her face, she said in a broken voice, "Thank you, Victor."

My own tears fell as I nodded to the box, "You're welcome, my love. There's more." We all moved closer, pressing around her as she took out the album and began looking through the pages. Sometimes she would gasp, others she would laugh and explain what was happening in the photos. She made a funny face when she saw a picture of her brother in a sports jersey.

"He hated sports. Father thought it would look good on a college application. I think that was the only game Riku even played." She covered her mouth and giggled, "Father never knew Riku and I burned the jersey after the season was over." She looked up at Kota and I, "You and he are a lot alike. He was brilliant and had a mischievous streak. He was near your age as well." She carefully set the album down and reached out to us. "Thank you both so much! I know you had to work to find all of this, and even then I still can't believe it. Seeing their faces again," she hiccupped as she kissed each of us, "it is a gift beyond repayment. I love you both."