Shattered

35

"Savana? Brice, boys?" Mrs. Lewis says opening the door. Shock is clearly visible as Savana first, then the boys give her hugs. Then she pulls Brice down and gives him one as well. "You didn't tell me that you were coming. I would have prepared things, food at the very least." 

"Samantha, we didn't tell you because, quite honestly I forgot and I think these three wanted to surprise you. The decision was made last night just before dinner and so there wasn't a whole lot of time."

"You naughty children," Mrs. Lewis says smiling while shaking her finger at them. "Come in, is that why I've been seeing a lot of people coming and going in your house this morning and last night?"

"Yes, they were getting it ready for us. If I can tolerate it, we'll be living there until we find a better place. I'm moving back home, momma." Savana tells Samantha with tears in her eyes.

"You're what? Did you say that you are moving back here, for good?" Samantha demands then looks at the other three to make sure that she wasn't hearing things.

"Yes, momma, Savana has an internship with her studies out here. Since there is no way in hell Brice will let her be here unprotected, we'll be moving back as well." Jasper tells her smiling happily and he loves how the sparkle comes back into her eyes. They know it's been hard on her not being around them, but they also know that she wants them to protect Savana. 

Samantha looks over to Brice, "You are letting Savana out of your sight for a year?" She is more than a little incredulous about that. Brice has been crazy about Savana since she first met him three years ago. And she was so happy to see the love Savana has for Brice. 

She knows it hasn't been easy for Brice. Savana still has horrendous nightmares from the night her world was shattered. But she also knows that Brice has been the glue that has held her together. She liked how she heard Brice comfort Savana once.

He told her about what some of the Orientals do when a cup or porcelain object is broken. They take the broken pieces and use gold to put them back together. Perhaps it isn't the same, but it looks even more beautiful than it was before. He then told her that she was broken, but not shattered, that she is being put back together with gold. That she isn't a mess, she's beautiful.

Hearing him say that to her daughter that has lost so much made her love him. She doesn't mind that he's a mafia boss. It was the Brazilian mafia that helped her father get her family out of Brazil and to the States. 

Perhaps if Brice was one of the wicked mafia bosses she would have a harder time with it, but she is sure that her sons and daughter are as safe as possible. 

They talk for some time before they load up Samantha and go get something to eat.

"Brice, I don't like any of the houses we've looked at. I'm beginning to think that we'll have to stay in my parents home. Your men will have to live in their own homes." Savana says discouragedly as they sit on the ground.

"I'm not sold on any of them either. What do you think about building a home? You could work with the builders on what you want to begin with. They will be able to do a lot of the work for you?" Brice asks after thinking things over for a bit. He'd actually been mulling it over all afternoon.

Savana looks at him with renewed excitement. "You would really do that?"

Brice chuckles, "Of course, I have little liking for staying in a house that will be basically torn down and rebuilt any way. None of the houses that have been shown are any where near my needs as a mafia boss."

"We'll need to be careful about adding in the panic rooms. I rather like that panic suite that we have in the estate back home."

Brice smiles at her tenderly, "You are reading my mind, love. I'll have to talk to a few architects and then we'll need to have an idea of what we want."