Then, I went to the bottom of the stairs and began yelling.
“Kevin! Turn that shit off!”
“But it’s the best part!”
“Then turn it down,” I yelled. “Now!”
I scooped Ana up into my arms and she giggled with delight. I handed her to Cassie and threw her disgusting, burnt soup down the drain.
“I’ve made a decision I’m still not sure about, so I need you to trust me,” I said.
“What’s going on?” she asked. “Is something wrong? Are you okay?”
“I don’t have time to explain. Get upstairs with Kevin and keep him entertained. Please keep the noise down and shut the kitchen door. I’ll explain once he’s gone.”
“He?” she asked, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “Who’s ‘he’?”
“Cassie, just do it. Please.”
I washed the remnants of the soup down the drain and piled the dishes in the sink. I sprayed some perfume around the room, hoping to disguise the stench, and I turned on the oven fan. Cassie was looking at me wildly as she stepped out of the kitchen, shutting the door and closing off the ripped-up paper in the living room before she ventured upstairs. I cooed lightly in Ana’s ear, bouncing her in my arms while she giggled and clung to me.
I turned around from the mess in the sink and saw Camillo standing there, his eyes bright as he looked fondly upon the child in my arms.
“Ana, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” I said lightly in her ear. “His name is Camillo. He’s a friend of Mommy’s.”
I nodded my head for him to come in but he stayed just at the door. He closed it behind him, not wanting to let the little bit of heat we had out into the nighttime sky. I could tell by the way he was staring at her that it was love at first sight. The hard expression he usually wore faded away, softening his intense jawline and sparkling his eyes.
In that very moment, the warmth that spread throughout my chest was unmistakable. The way he was looking at his daughter melted my insides and I knew that I’d made the right decision.
“Hello, Ana. I must say, you are very beautiful.”
The way he spoke to her melted my heart, and I had to keep blinking in order to keep my tears at bay. Ana waved at him, making him smile, and the beauty of his bright smile lit up his entire face. His features came to life and his body arched toward her, his hand reaching out for her while she reached for his finger.
I watched as she wrapped her little fingers around his massive one, smiling even bigger as his eyes sparkled in her direction. It was the first time I’d ever seen this expression on his face and I felt my stomach do a somersault. He was so handsome—like a fallen angel. Not a dark prince.
“Your eyes are beautiful,” he said.
“Blue!” Ana exclaimed.
“Yes, you have blue eyes,” he said. “Wonderful, sky-blue eyes.”
“Just like her father,” I said.
He looked up at me and I could see a world of possibility swimming behind them. I started to wonder if the family he’d been going on about was something that could really happen. I figured he was just talking about a fantasy he once had—longing for a family that maybe he’d already lost.
But as I stood in my rundown kitchen and watched him talk lovingly with our daughter, I wondered if it could be possible.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN – CAMILLO
I drove behind Rose all the way up to her house, but the farther we got from the diner, the more uneasy I became. We were getting into a part of town that was known for its run-down homes and I started to sit on the edge of my seat. Where in the world was my family living? As I pulled up behind Rose and parked my truck, I saw her scramble into the house.
She was embarrassed about where she lived and what she could provide, that much was certain. I sat in my truck and took deep breaths, taking in the run-down, two-story home. I could tell it once stood proudly, maintained well, even though the paint was peeling. It had strong bones, just like my beautiful little songbird but, inside, it was probably in poor condition. Tired. Neglected.
Just like Rose.
I took my time getting out of my truck. I wanted her to know she had all the time in the world to present her life to me. I took a deep breath, allowing the cold to seep down my lungs. Then I shut my truck door loudly. I wanted to alert her to the fact that I was coming and I wanted her to understand that I didn’t care where she lived.
If this was what she could provide, then she was doing a wonderful job. If she sacrificed herself and her dreams to put a roof over her family’s head, then that meant family was just as important to her as it was to me. I slowly approached the door, hearing a scramble behind it before Rose’s soft voice wafted through the wood.