Even if Moreno doesn’t agree to pay for it, I’ll buy Nova the present with my stipend. I have a few dollars, and the kid is deserving.
“Can I?” Nova asks, her voice soft. I barely hear her, but the fact she’s asking me a question and speaking has my heart pitter-pattering in my chest.
I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. The last thing I want is for her to clam up and become silent because of my stupidity.
“Of course,” I say, as if her speaking for the first time since we’ve been together isn’t a life-changing event.
For her, maybe it isn’t. If Ariella was right and Nova used to speak, she’s probably dying to unload whatever is going on, and I’ll be there for her every step of the way.
She squeezes my hand and clutches the baby gorilla to her chest. The kid isn’t parting with it, and the shop owner is super sweet and understanding, offering to cut off the tags carefully while letting Nova hold the toy in her arms.
“Thank you,” I say.
“Anything for Mr. Ricci,” the woman says.
“You know Moreno?”
“Yes, of course. His family has been through so much. It’s good to see he’s moving on. You make a beautiful family.”
I open my mouth to correct her but think better of it. “Thank you,” I say. While I don’t want to start any rumors, I also don’t need to explain to this stranger that I’m Nova’s nanny either.
Nova opts to hold her new friend tight in her arms instead of putting it in a bag.
Hopefully, Moreno is done shouting at the young guard. The last thing I want is to scare Nova again, she’s finally all smiles, and the fear from earlier seems to have been forgotten.
Nova clings to her new toy while we step outside into the sun.
The blanket and picnic have already been cleaned up, and Moreno is waiting outside alone.
Where are the guards?
I glance around briefly but don’t see any of them. Maybe he told them to leave and head back to the cabin?
Moreno bends down to Nova’s level as we approach. “I see you made a new friend.” He offers her a reassuring smile, but she doesn’t speak.
I almost feel like I imagined her voice, her soft words that spilled past her lips.
But I know it wasn’t a daydream.
I’ll have to tell Moreno, but not now. Not in front of Nova. I don’t want to make her uncomfortable or have her feel that she can’t trust me.
Am I betraying her by confiding in Moreno?
* * *
I’m exhausted, and Nova can barely keep her eyes open as I read her a bedtime story. Her gorilla is tucked under her arm. Beside her are six other plush friends joining her in bed tonight.
Every night it’s a new toy plus her favorite giraffe, which is still beside her, tucked under the covers.
Her eyes keep fluttering closed, and as soon as I turn the page, she wakes herself back up.
The kid doesn’t want to sleep. She’s fighting it with every ounce of strength within her.
Her father hasn’t come in to tuck her into bed yet. He usually comes by late, after she’s asleep and he’s done work.
But Dante gave him the day off.
I half-expect that he’ll come in during her bedtime ritual and join us, but he hasn’t yet.