Dive In

Chapter 9

•Nolani•

Viola keeps the conversation flowing easily while we eat. She talks about Italy, how life was there growing up and how she met Rafael Senior at University. He told her it was love at first sight but she rejected him repeatedly because of his reputation. She eventually decided she couldn't fight the attraction to him anymore and found out he was more than just the rumors she had heard. She asks about my parents and I tell her my Mom passed away and I don't know my Dad. She asks what I think about becoming a mother and I stumble through that one because honestly I'm not even sure what I think of it yet. Her and Alessia are already looking up baby shower ideas on Pinterest along with baby names and nursery decor. Leo and Nico chime in every once in a while but both Giovanni and Riot remain quiet, they look like two brooding bookends flanking Alessia.

I can feel the pair watching me throughout dinner but I try my best to ignore it. They're digging, looking closely as I talk, seeing if I'm being honest when I answer each question Viola asks. I am so neither of them butts in thankfully. I have no reason to lie to Viola and even if I tried everything I've done since I was eighteen can be found with a short Google search, it's not like I can hide anything.

Once we're finished eating Viola demands we leave the table untouched saying the maid will clear it and we retire to an expansive den. The room is decorated in gold, black, white and pops of royal blue. There's a large family crest in the same color scheme as the room mounted above the oversized fire place, a huge ornate rug taking up most of the dark polished wood floor and three Velvet couches surround an antique mahogany coffee table. The house practically bleeds old money and if I hadn't seen the exterior I'd think we were in a castle in the Renaissance era.

It really surprised me that Viola prepared dinner herself but during our conversation she said it was something her mother instilled in her as a child. It was a tradition in her family to prepare a home cooked meal at least once a week especially if you were having a new guest over.

"Your home is beautiful." I tell Viola as I take a seat on one of the couches.

The couch is comfortable and soft to the touch, I nearly sink into the cushions.

She gives me a smile. "Thank you but I can't take credit for it, this was Rafael's home. My home is in Italy, I haven't talked myself into going home since Raf passed. It's hard, I feel close to him here. Sometimes I wake up and I expect to walk down the hall and find him in his office with a cigar in his mouth and a tumbler of whiskey in his hand. I always check."

Her admission makes my heart ache but I also feel relieved knowing he brought me back to his house and his Mother was in Italy at the time.

"He'd have a coronary if he knew you entered his office, Mamma. One stray shoe impression on the rug placed in front of his desk and he'd fly off the handle like you puked on it." Alessia laughs lightly.

Her words bring back a happy light in Viola's eyes. "He just didn't want anyone messing with his things. He always liked things to be a certain way." Viola adds.

Alessia smiles, "He got that from papà."

Viola nods in agreement. "He did." Then she quickly exits the room.

"So do you want two boys or two girls or do you want one of each?" Alessia asks eagerly, taking a seat beside me.

I give a nervous laugh. "Honestly I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that there's two of them."

"I bet." She agrees. "I pray for girls. The last thing we need is more bossy men running around here."

Viola walks back in the room packing a thick leather photo album in her hand. She takes the empty spot on the couch beside me and places the album down on the coffee table in front of us. At the very top of the cover Rafael's name is stitched into the leather in gold cursive letters and my heart rate speeds up.