Clover Undercover

JUST THAT SIMPLE

Bella's head tilts to the left, then slowly to the right, all the while intently observing the aged woman sitting across from her.

Felice mimics her movements, never breaking eye contact or cracking a smile.

A smirk appears on the young girl's face just before she takes a bite of the homemade pizzelle, still warm from the press.

"I know you're Daddy's mommy," she finally says, "but what do I call you?"

"You may call me whatever you wish, but Nonna would be nice."

"Why?" Bella mumbles around another bite of the powdered pastry. "What's a Nonna?"

Wrinkles deepen in the corners of the woman's green eyes as she smiles. "It's a grandmother."

Bright eyes blink, full of curiosity. "Are you my only grandmother?"

Felice's smile falters slightly. Her knowledge of Elaine West was very little, so she wasn't entirely sure if she truly was the girl's only living grandmother. As far as she was aware, the woman who had birthed her two grandchildren was alone in the world, but she couldn't know for certain.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, "but even if I'm not, I'd still like to be your Nonna."

"Why not call you Grandmother, or Grammy, or Granny, or Meemaw, or—"

"You could," Felice interrupts with a curt nod, trying not to grimace at the prospective names. "Nonna means the same thing as those, just in a different language."

"What language?"

"Italian."

Bella gasps and sits up straighter in her chair, green eyes sparkling. "I'm Italian! I bet you didn't know that!"

The look of shock on Felice's face makes Bella giggle. "I had no idea," the woman says, surprise heavy in her tone.

"Yup! I get it from my Daddy a'cuz he's Italian."

"Just like me," Felice grins.

"And Eli! And Clover! We're all Italian... like these cookies!"

"Yes, that's right—wait, did you say Clover?" Felice questions.

"Yup!"

Felice stares at the little girl munching happily on her pizzelle, wondering how she can delicately ask her to elaborate without causing her to clam up if she accidentally let something slip.

"How do you know Clover is Italian? Was your mommy Italian?"

"Nooo," Bella laughs as if the thought is absurd. "Daddy is, silly goose!"

"But if your Daddy is Italian, how does that make Clover Italian?"

Bella stops laughing as a more serious countenance envelopes her. She looks around suspiciously, then leans across the counter, whispering, "Can you keep a secret?"

Felice leans on her elbows toward her. "I'm the best secret keeper you'll ever meet."

Bella looks around once more before a devilish grin creeps across her face. "I've got the biggest secret and I'm not s'pose to tell nobody. 'SPECIALLY not Daddy a'cuz he would be very sad if he knew it."

"Who said he'd be sad if he knew this secret?"

"Clover."

Felice nods and whispers even quieter. "What's the secret?"