“That’s kind of you, Lorenzo. But I’m rather tired after looking after these two, so I think I’ll just head home.”
After saying goodbye, I took the children into the dining room where Adelina was bringing in the food.
Upon seeing Anni, Clara shrunk back.
“Hello Clemente, hello Clara,” said Anni gently.
Clemente smiled up at Anni as he ran past her to his seat at the table. Clara, however, tried to hide herself behind my body.
I looked down at my daughter. “It’s okay, Clara. You remember Anni from the wedding, don’t you?”
Clara gave a hesitant nod.
“Anni is going to live here with us now and help look after you.”
Clara still looked doubtful but let me lead her to her seat.
I sat at the head of the table, with one child on either side of me., while Anni sat on the other side of Clemente.
Adelina had made a pasta dish with a ham and cream sauce, knowing that this would suit both the adults and children. However, Clara refused to even touch the food on her plate, while Clemente was happy to pick up his food but kept throwing it onto the floor.
“Clemente, stop playing with your food,” I admonished, fast losing patience with his antics.
Anni kept throwing glances at the children, but she made no effort to encourage them to eat.
“Clara, why don’t you try some of your pasta?” I suggested. “You’ve liked it before when Adelina’s cooked it.” My words were in vain though, as Clara continued to refuse to eat.
There was a knock at the dining room door and a soldier popped his head around. “Sorry to disturb you, boss, but the Capo is on the phone for you.”
“I'll have to take this call.” I looked at Anni as I walked to the door. “Get the children to eat their dinner,” I said as I headed to my study where I had left my cell phone.
After discussing with Marco an issue that had come up, I returned twenty minutes later to the dining room expecting to see that everyone had finished eating. What I came back to, however, was to see Clemente had most of his food on the floor while Clara still hadn't touched a morsel from her plate.
“I thought I told you to get the children to eat their dinner,” I snapped at Anni.
“I tried, but I don't think they're hungry.”
My jaw tightened. “Of course they’re hungry. My mother told me they haven’t eaten anything since lunchtime.”
While I was talking to Anni, Clemente used my distraction to slip out of his seat and run away to play.
Clara didn't say anything but looked up at me expectantly. Her food would all be cold by now anyway, so I gave her a nod, and she slipped silently out of her chair and scampered away.
“If they were hungry, they probably would have eaten their meal,” reasoned Anni.
“That’s such an idiotic thing to say. Everyone knows that children usually have to be coaxed into eating.”
Anni continued to stare at me as if she wasn’t convinced.
An awareness crawled over my skin. “Exactly how much time have you spent caring for your younger cousins, nieces, and nephews?”
“Hardly any,” she replied without hesitation. “My ma can’t stand young children and says they always break her ornaments and leave sticky fingerprints on her credenze, so they were banned from our house mostly.”
I felt like a heated cauldron was threatening to explode in my chest. “Didn’t your ma tell me, ‘Our daughter has a compassionate personality and is the most nurturing person you’ll ever meet’?”
“I think she was referring to when I look after kittens—I take care of foster kittens.” Anni’s eyes were wide and innocent as she spoke to me.
“Kittens? Fuck me! Like hell your ma meant kittens.”